YakobchukOlena / Getty Images/iStockphoto If you spend a lot of time each day on your phone, you may as well put that time to good use and start earning money through mobile apps. Whether you want to get paid for shopping, walking, watching videos or even playing games , you can find an app that pays in real money.
You can also find games that pay in cryptocurrency or NFTs , which you can resell for crypto or U.S. dollars. But if you are looking to put actual dollars into your PayPal account , which you can transfer to your bank account or use for online shopping, you’ll find more than you might imagine.
More From Your Money: Choose a high-interest saving, checking, CD, or investing account from our list of top banks to start saving today. Do Any Apps Pay You Real Money?
If you are wondering whether any apps pay users real money, the answer is a resounding yes. Many of the apps listed in this article pay in cash deposited directly into your bank or PayPal account. Others give you a choice of cashing in points for gift cards from top retailers like Amazon or Target. In many cases, these gift cards are as good as cash. After all, we all need to eat and buy household goods, and with prices in stores near record highs, it’s good to get some help with free gift cards.
GOBankingRates did the research on apps that pay you money to find the ones that pay the fastest, the ones that pay the most, and the ones that will give you bonus dollars just for signing up. 1. Swagbucks
Swagbucks helps you earn points, known on the platform as SB, which you can redeem for cash deposited into your PayPal account or for gift cards at retailers like Walmart, Apple or Amazon. If you had an account in the past but haven’t used it, you may want to reconsider. You can earn an instant 700 SB immediately just for reactivating an account that’s been inactive for more than 12 months. You can turn around and cash in those SB for a $5 Amazon gift card (with 200 SB left), or you can use 490 SB for a $5 virtual prepaid Mastercard you can use toward online shopping.
Earn even more SB by sharing your referrer code, completing surveys, or shopping at retailers like Kohl’s and Home Depot. Add the SwagButton extension to your Chrome browser to earn even more. 2. Rakuten
Rakuten, formerly Ebates, also pays you cash back for sharing your referral code, shopping at many e-commerce retailers, and shopping in-store with a linked card. With Rakuten, you earn actual cash deposited into your PayPal account every three months. Some of the biggest payouts come from travel purchases booked through Expedia, and referrals, which earn you $30 per person. Add the Rakuten browser extension to find the best deals when you shop, too . 3. Ibotta
Along with Swagbucks and Rakuten, Ibotta is one of the more well-known shopping rewards apps that pays you cash back. Use the app when you shop in stores or online at any of thousands of retailers to earn cash back. You can also add the Ibotta extension to your Chrome browser so you can intentionally choose the retailers that give you cash back and activate each offer with one click. Redeem your rewards for gift cards or cash back through PayPal. You must have at least $20 in your account to withdraw your earnings to PayPal. 4. MyPoints
MyPoints offers a $10 welcome bonus in the form of an Amazon or Visa gift card when you sign up and spend $20 or more within your first 30 days. The website says that 1,750 points equals $10. You can earn up to 20 points per dollar in cash back when you shop, up to 2,200 points for each survey you take, and up to 4 points when you play online games. 5. Fetch
Fetch also delivers rewards points that you can exchange for Visa gift cards or for gift cards at places like Starbucks or Amazon. Using Fetch, 10,000 rewards points equals $10. When you refer friends, you’ll earn 2,000 points, so once you get five friends taking photos of their receipts and earning rewards, you’re looking at $10 you can use at Amazon, Starbucks and a host of other popular online retailers. 6. Blackout Bingo
Blackout Bingo is a mobile game developed by Skillz and […]