You found the giveaway. You entered. Now comes the part every sweeper wants to hear: Did I win?

It sounds simple, but getting that final step right is just as important as finding and entering the contest. If you miss a winning notification or don’t respond in time, you could lose the prize you worked so hard to win.

I’ve had people ask me over and over, “How do I know if I’ve won?” The answer is: you have to look for the notification. And it may not arrive where you expect it.

Where Should You Look for a Win?

Winning notifications can come in several different ways, depending on the contest and how you entered. They can arrive by phone, email, mail, courier, text message, or through social media.

Here are the places I recommend checking regularly:

Phone: Check your missed calls and voicemail. If you don’t recognize a number, don’t automatically assume it’s a telemarketer or scam. A legitimate sponsor or fulfillment company may be trying to reach you.

Email: This is a big one. Check your inbox, but don’t forget your spam, junk, promotions, and other filtered folders. I have a folder called “Winner” where I keep my winning emails so I don’t lose them.

You can also search your email for words such as:

“Congratulations”
“Congrats”
“Winner”
“Prize”
“Affidavit”
“Release Form”
“Grand Prize”
“First Prize”

I like searching for both “congrat” and “winner.” Searching for part of a word can capture variations such as “congratulations” and “congratulation”. Just remember that “winner” can also bring up emails from contest announcements promoting upcoming winners, so you’ll have to sort through those!

You can even set up email filters or alerts for some of these words to direct them to a special folder. It gives you another way to make sure something important doesn’t get buried in your inbox.

Text Messages: If you’ve entered contests that allow the sponsor to contact you by text, check your messages regularly. Don’t delete an unfamiliar message until you’ve determined what it is.

Social Media: If you entered through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X or another social platform, check your notifications, direct messages and message requests. Some contests may contact you through the platform where you entered.

Mail & Courier: Yes, you can still win something and have the prize or notification delivered to your door. Don’t forget to check your mailbox and watch for packages.

But What If You Get a Winning Notification?

First, don’t panic and don’t immediately click everything in the message!

There are plenty of scams that claim you’ve won a prize, so you need to verify that the notification is legitimate. Go back to the original contest and read the rules. Check the sponsor, the contest name, and the way winners are supposed to be notified.

And here’s the really important part:

Pay attention to the response deadline.

I’ve seen people receive a legitimate winning notification and ignore it because they think it’s a scam. By the time they checked with someone and discovered it was real, the deadline had passed. In one case, the winner had only 48 hours to respond. She waited weeks before asking me about the notification. Unfortunately, the prize was already gone.

That’s the part that breaks my heart. You did the work. You found the contest. You entered. You actually won! Don’t let the prize slip away because you weren’t checking your notifications.

Make Checking for Wins Part of Your Routine

I recommend making a quick “Did I win?” check part of your daily sweepstakes routine. And keep your contact information up to date in your sweepstakes accounts. Remember, entering isn’t the final step. Collecting the prize is. So keep your eyes and ears open. Your next “Congratulations!” could be sitting in your inbox right now!