Are you looking for ways to increase your cash flow? How about making money while doing the things you love on your terms? Enter dozens upon dozens of legit smartphone apps that pay real cash.
Whether you rock the corporate world, work from home, are a stay-at-home mama, or any combination of the three, you’re probably keeping a keen eye out for simple ways to increase those sources of income. I mean, who wouldn’t like an extra $30, $40, or $100 bucks every week (or more!) in their wallets?
When looking for money-making apps, I know I want something simple, quick, and fun (if possible). After researching, we’ve found apps that will put money directly into your pocket for just about everything.
- Shopping for clothes: I’m getting paid.
- Buying groceries: I’m getting paid.
- Sitting at the airport waiting for my flight, I’m getting paid.
- Watching a movie: (yep) I’m getting paid!
Sound amazing? It is! Too good to be true—guess again!
Check out this list of legitimate mobile apps that pay real cash!
Survey Apps That Pay Real Cash
If you enjoy giving feedback and taking surveys online, these companies will pay you real cash for using their apps.
1. Branded Surveys
With Branded Surveys, users from the US, Canada, and the UK can take online surveys in their free time to earn real cash and rewards. New users will earn 100 points for signing up and points for each survey they take. Each point equals $0.01, and you must reach 500 points ($5) in your account dashboard before you can cash out. US residents can withdraw earnings via direct deposit, PayPal, Visa gift card, or exchange earnings for gift cards from major retailers. Learn more about Branded Surveys in this full review.
- Branded Surveys gets a 4.6-star rating out of 5 stars in the Apple App Store.
2. Gauge
This is one of the best money-making apps! The Gauge smartphone app and the desktop platform allow you to take surveys for cash via PayPal. On Gauge, you can write out your answers, you can record an audio clip, or film a video response. Audio and video answers pay more; in fact, you can earn up to $500 per survey! I’ve only done text responses, and each one has paid $10. Gauge delivers rewards through the Tremendous platform, which offers PayPal, Venmo, gift cards, and charitable donations. Gauge is available on both iPhone and Android.
3. Google Opinion Rewards
Another mobile app that pays real cash via PayPal is Google Opinion Rewards. With this survey-taking app, you answer short surveys, usually 1 to 4 questions. For each survey you take, you’ll earn $0.10 to $1.00. While it’s not much money, the questions are simple to answer and take only a few seconds. This app is available for both iPhone and Android devices, but only iOS users are paid in cash. If you’re an Android user, you’ll earn Google Play credits. Once you reach a $2.00 account balance, your earnings will automatically be deposited into your bank account.
- Google Opinion Rewards gets a 4.7-star rating out of 5 stars in the Apple App Store.
4. Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel
With the Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel app, you can earn money by sharing your internet browsing history with them. When you download their software to your devices, you can earn up to $60 in rewards annually, either as a gift card or as cash via PayPal. You can also earn tokens for sweepstakes entries and special invites for surveys and research opportunities. The data that they collect from your devices is used for market research.
- Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel gets a 4.2-star rating out of 5 stars in the Apple App Store.
5. Slice the Pie
If you love music, fashion, accessories, and commercials, Slice the Pie is your app! You’ll get paid to write your review on these items before they’re released to the general public.
Reviews are directed to unsigned artists, fashion designers, musicians, etc., to provide feedback. You’ll need to register and decide what category you would like to review before getting started.
App users have complained that you need to make sure you have your “location section” turned on so the app works correctly.
6. Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie recruits individuals for attitudinal research studies, such as paid surveys, product testing, and focus groups, as well as behavioral research studies, which include opting into sharing your online browsing activity. Points that you earn can be redeemed for gift cards from major retailers and cash via PayPal. Survey Junkie accepts users from the US, Canada, and Australia, and their app is available in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
- Survey Junkie gets a 4.6-star rating out of 5 stars in the Apple App Store.
7. YouGov
Another app that pays real cash for taking surveys is YouGov. With YouGov, you’ll earn points by sharing your opinions on topics like politics, sports, entertainment, and more. Points can be traded for cash prizes, gift certificates, and other rewards. YouGov is open to US residents who are 16 years and older.
Get Paid to Play Online Games
One of the top ways to earn money using smartphone apps is by doing a variety of online activities like playing games, shopping online, and watching videos. Here are some money-making apps that have great reviews!
8. Eureka Surveys
With Eureka Surveys, you can earn extra income by playing games, trying out new apps, taking surveys, watching videos (ads), sending out referral links, among other tasks. Each activity has a cash-out value, and once your account reaches $5 in rewards, you can withdraw your earnings through several payout methods, including PayPal, Venmo, gift cards from popular retailers, and direct bank transfer. The app is free to use, but some games have in-game purchases, and some offers cost money, so watch out for extra costs you don’t want to incur.
9. Freecash
Freecash lets users aged 16 and older in the US, Canada, the UK, Italy, Germany, and France earn money by testing apps, playing mobile games, and taking surveys. According to their website, you can earn around $50 per month. For each task you complete, you’ll earn coins you can redeem for gift cards, PayPal cash, and even direct deposits. With Freecash, you’ll need at least $20 in your account to redeem your earnings for the first time. After that, you can withdraw as little as $5.
10. InboxDollars
With InboxDollars, United States residents can make real money by taking surveys, playing games, reading emails, and shopping online. Each task you perform has a designated cashback amount, and once your account reaches $15, you can request your earnings via PayPal or an Amazon gift card, or you can choose gift cards from other popular retailers. And if you’re new to InboxDollars, you can get a $5 bonus for signing up and confirming your email account.
11. Mistplay
Mistplay is available to residents in the US, Canada, England, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Australia. It rewards users for playing games online. The points that you earn for playing games can be traded for gift cards from Amazon, Google Play, PayPal, and more. You can also join week-long contests for the chance to win prizes.
12. MyPoints
MyPoints is a cashback rewards app (for iOS and Android devices) and platform available to US and Canadian residents. With this app, you can earn points by taking surveys, shopping online, trying deals, reading emails, watching videos, and playing bingo games, solitaire games, and trivia games. For each activity, you’ll earn a designated amount of points that you can use to purchase gift cards from major retailers or cash out via PayPal. Also, when you sign up as a new user with MyPoints, you’ll get a $2 sign-up bonus when you verify your email address.
13. Swagbucks
Another smartphone app that pays real cash is Swagbucks! With Swagbucks, you can make money by taking surveys, playing games like Bubble Shooter, Bingo Blitz, and Dominoes Gold, exploring coupons and cashback offers, and more. With Swagbucks, you earn points in the form of SB (Swagbucks) that you can easily redeem for cash rewards via PayPal, American Express, or Mastercard prepaid cards, or free gift cards if you prefer. The great thing about Swagbucks is that you can cash out 100 SB for a $1 gift card! Another Swagbucks perk: Get a $10 bonus as a new user!
14. Qmee
The Qmee app allows users to earn money by taking surveys, daily polls, and quizzes, playing games, and shopping online. For each task you complete, you’ll earn real cash that you can redeem anytime via PayPal, Venmo, or gift cards. Once you’ve completed a few surveys, you’ll be able to refer friends and family to the platform and earn $1 for qualified referrals.
15. Rakuten
Rakuten has quickly become a favorite in the cashback app world. It’s one that I love for sure! To date, I’ve earned almost $300 cashback just from shopping at the stores where I normally would anyway.
I love this app in particular because of its browser extension for my laptop as well. I never miss coupons or cashback opportunities anymore.
They not only give you cashback for shopping, but they also have specific store coupons and a referral program. Refer a friend and get $25 extra in the bank; that’s what I call amazing!
Here’s a brief overview of how Rakuten works:
- Download the app onto your phone and pop it on your desktop. This makes it easier to remember when you’re shopping!
- Select one of the stores where you shop. Rakuten is partnered with pretty much EVERYONE—I hardly run into a store that’s not on there.
- Shop like you normally would place your order, and Rakuten automatically sends cashback to your account.
- Choose how you want your money: PayPal or via check.
Simple and effective: the cashback adds up fast! It really is that streamlined and is one of my personal favorites.
16. TopCashback
When you buy online from a specific retailer featured in TopCashback, the retailer passes on a commission that you’ll cash in on!
Membership is free, and you will usually get cashback in about seven days, at which point you can withdraw and put it directly into your PayPal account.
Get Paid to Sell Your Stuff Online
Do you need to clean the clutter in your home? Here are some smartphone apps where you can sell your used items for PayPal cash!
17. Poshmark
Post your authentic, designer clothing to sell right from your closet using the Poshmark app. This selling app not only makes the selling process easier (right from your phone), but after you make a sale, Poshmark emails you a prepaid, pre-addressed shipping label. You can sell shoes, clothing, bags, accessories, and home decor from brand names you like and know for women and men. The Poshmark app is available for Android and Apple mobile devices and tablets.
18. BookScouter
Do you have old books you want to get rid of? When I graduated from college, I held on to those pricey books for as long as I thought I should. Seasons later, when the books were taking up more space than we had, I knew I needed to do something with them.
BookScouter has the solution! This awesome app searches a variety of vendors to determine the best price for your used books. Here’s a little summary of how this app works:
- Submit the ISBN of the book on the BookScouter app.
- BookScouter quickly searches numerous sites for you.
- It then displays the price results from those sites so you can see a range of offers and determine which one is best for you.
- BookScouter gets a 4.5-star rating out of 5 stars in the Apple App Store.
Get Paid for Your Store Receipts
Did you know that you can make money by sharing your receipts with market research companies? It’s true, and it’s a simple way to earn extra cash with your phone!
19. Fetch Rewards
Fetch Rewards is a smartphone app where you can earn points for scanning your receipts and referring friends to the application. For each receipt you upload, you’ll earn a certain number of points. The points that you earn can be traded in for gift cards or cash via Visa. It takes 3,500 points to get a $3.00 Amazon gift card; however, for most other brands, it takes an average of 5,000 points to earn a $5.00 gift card.
20. Ibotta
Are you ready to earn cashback on everyday purchases? Ibotta is a widely popular app that pays cash for scanning your receipts and shopping online.
Here’s how to earn money using the Ibotta app:
- Download the app.
- Add the offers.
- Shop at your favorite stores.
- Upload a photo of your receipt.
- Get cash within 24 hours of your purchase!
Other ways to earn with the Ibotta app:
- Link a loyalty account—save on groceries automatically by connecting your loyalty card.
- Shop online at retailer websites and earn cashback.
- Ibotta gets a 4.8-star rating out of 5 stars in the Apple App Store.
21. Receipt Hog
Another app that pays real cash is Receipt Hog. With this app, you can shop anywhere and snap pictures of your receipts to earn some money via PayPal or a Visa gift card. Each receipt is worth a varying number of coins, and it takes 1,000 coins to reach $5. You won’t make a lot with this app, but it’s an easy way to add a little extra cash to your pocket for a few seconds of your time.
Make Money Taking Pictures
Do you love to take photos with your smartphone? Why not earn cash instantly while doing what you love? Here are two amazing apps that allow you to do just that!
22. Shutterstock Contributor
If you have high-quality photos on your phone, then Shutterstock is for you. Start selling and earning on one of the most popular stock photo sites out there. Payouts to PayPal occur about twice a month, which is fantastic, considering you’re getting paid to take pictures of things you love. The Shutterstock mobile app is available for both iPhone and Android devices.
- Shutterstock Contributor gets a 4.4-star rating out of 5 stars in the Apple App Store.
Big Money, Small Tasks with These Apps
Would you like to make some extra cash from an easy side hustle? These short-task apps make it simple to score cash during your spare time.
23. Clickworker
Clickworker is another small task app that allows you to work independently, accepting tasks either offline or online. There are a variety of jobs you can choose from on the Clickworker marketplace, which makes this small task app appealing.
Some job categories you can select as a Clickworker are:
- Mystery photographers
- Audio and video jobs
- App testing
- Data categorization
- Creation of texts
- Copy editing
- Surveys
- Proofreading
- Web research
- Clickworker gets a 4.3-star rating out of 5 stars in the Apple App Store.
24. Field Agent
If you love to shop in stores, this app is for you. Field Agent is an awesome app that allows you to use your smartphone to collect photos, videos, and information from stores.
Stores will then use the information you provide to serve their customers better and enhance their overall experience. Become an “undercover” store reviewer and help stores and their customers – all while making money! Use your iPhone or Android device to become a field agent and earn cash with this app.
25. Gigwalk
Gigwalk allows you to complete “gigs” (short tasks) in and around your neighborhood by choosing the gigs you want to do.
The other day, I installed this app on my phone and made money that same day. I was out shopping at a popular store when I decided to check the app. I accepted the job, took a few pics of a pressure cooker, and scored an easy $6. Not bad for five minutes of my time!
One thing to note about Gigwalk: Payment to PayPal can take over a week or more after your job is approved. On the upside, Gigwalk makes it easy to earn money on your terms, which is a huge draw for many people.
26. IVueit
IVueit is a mobile app for Android and Apple devices where users like you can earn extra cash by taking photos of different venues. Download the app, browse available gigs, accept the Vue (task) you want to work, then snap photos of the location and answer a few simple questions. Once your assignment is accepted, you’ll earn real cash via PayPal. Each Vue pays between $7 and $75 per inspection.
More Apps That Pay Real Cash
If you have a car and don’t mind interacting with people, you can make money with the gig economy. With on-demand smartphone apps like Care.com, DoorDash, HopSkipDrive, Rover, and Instacart, you can earn money as a caregiver, grocery shopper, rideshare driver, or food delivery driver.
These apps will require you to fill out an application and pass a criminal background check, but once you complete those, you’re good to go! According to ZipRecruiter, the majority of gig workers make an average of $15.53 per hour.
There are also many apps where you can take surveys and earn gift cards from retailers like Walmart, Starbucks, Amazon, and Target. While this isn’t direct cash, if you’re already making purchases at these places, why not earn free gift cards during your spare time?
Check out this list of apps for more ways to make money and earn freebies and gift cards with your smartphone.
Quick Tip: When It Comes to Money-Making Apps
Many of the apps out there are fabulous for making extra money. The ability to monetize your day-to-day life is becoming second nature for many of us, and it’s phenomenal.
However, as great as it is, you must remember to always do your due diligence!
While we’ve combed through the apps listed above, you should always make sure you check out their credentials before signing up. Even though many of the cashback and money-making apps are entirely legit, there are scams out there.
Red flags include poor reviews in app stores and on Trustpilot, requests for a fee to join, outdated software, and sketchy terms of use. When in doubt, always trust your gut.
One note about fees. Some legit apps, like Care.com ($24.99), HopSkipDrive ($80-$100), and Rover ($49 to $79 based on your location), charge a one-time fee to cover your criminal background check. Other gig apps, like Instacart and DoorDash, do not charge for background checks.
Final Thoughts on Money-Making Apps
Money-making apps are one of the easiest ways to earn extra money by completing short tasks while you’re out and about or clicking your phone while couch-bound. Whether you want to play with pups, complete surveys, or try new games, this list has something for everyone. The best way to keep a steady flow of money coming into your account is to sign up for multiple apps and log in frequently. You may also want to create a separate email account for these apps, since some send a lot of emails.
