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Best Apps That Pay You Cash
There are now millions of smartphone apps out there in the world. And many of these apps pay you cash.
Yep, you read that right!
In these tech savvy times we live in, making money has taken an exciting new turn. These clever apps have opened up money making opportunities for all!
Whether you’re a student looking to earn some extra cash, a stay at home parent searching for flexible work options or you’re just keen to monetize your free time, these apps are sure to help.
According to Zippia, 81.6% of Americans (270 million) now own a smartphone as of 2023.
Most would agree we can’t live without our phones and don’t remember life before them! Am I right?
We use our phones to chat to friends and family, check the news, social media and order food at the click of a button!
But what a lot of people don’t know is that they can use their phone to earn some decent cash and rewards.
I download new apps all the time to use for fun and earn money in my spare time, like you see in the screenshot below. Why not? It’s easy to do and I can put the earnings towards whatever I like. It all adds up and saves me money in the long run.
If I can help my readers save some cash and earn some rewards, then I’d love to share these apps with you.
Making Money Using Your Smartphone
Now, let’s talk about the exciting ways you can make money with apps on your smartphone by doing some simple tasks. Some of which are:
- A lot of apps reward you for watching hilarious videos and listening to cool music!
- Many apps pay you through PayPal (that’s right, you can earn money online with PayPal) or allow you to redeem free gift cards to your favorite places to shop just by giving your opinion.
- Some apps provide cashback on your receipts, which could help you save around $200 or more on groceries.
- Want to get paid to walk adorable dogs? You’re in LUCK! There are apps like Rover that pay you to walk cute canines.
- When it comes to apps that pay you real money to shop, Swagbucks and Survey Junkie are hands down my top picks! These types of apps help me earn extra cash and they save me hundreds of dollars every year.
Picture this: making money from your phone for FREE. Sounds unbelievable, right? Well, believe it or not, it’s totally possible and you’re going to want to be part of this.
Whether you’re an iPhone or Android fan, there’s a treasure trove of FREE apps that pay you cash waiting for you to explore.
Instead of mindlessly scrolling through your phone, why not turn those idle moments into cash filled opportunities? It’s time to unleash the power of the best apps that pay you cash and start earning some serious moolah during your spare time.
Why You Should Use Apps That Pay You Cash
I started downloading apps that pay you cash, to do on my lunchbreaks at work. As well as taking paid surveys online to help with everyday costs.
Later, I started this blog as a small side hustle while I learned to manage my finances and find ways to make money outside my boring 9 to 5. My blog is small but growing steadily and earning me a modest income through affiliate marketing. It’s only upwards from here and I’m proud of what I’ve created from nothing with absolutely no previous blogging experience. It’s not easy and there’s so much more to learn but I love what I do and love to motivate and inspire people.
Using cashback and rewards apps are not supposed to make you rich! Instead, they are a way to earn and save money to lighten the load of everyday costs.
So, are you ready to try the best apps that pay you cash today?
Awesome! Let’s go.
1. Swagbucks
POTENTIAL EARNINGS PER YEAR: Up to $1,825
Swagbucks is the ultimate easy money gig. It won’t magically make you a millionaire, but you can score points with minimal effort by doing things like watching videos, playing games and taking surveys.
When I was broke and looking for ways to make more money, I started taking surveys and joined focus groups to earn a few hundred dollars when I needed it.
I find that the best way to use survey sites and apps for money is to spend a little time on them each day. That way you’re building up your points day by day and then BOOM! You’ve got all this money to cash out and do what you want with.🤑
When you’re living paycheck to paycheck and want more money to get you through the month, surveys are a great way to do this.
It’s exciting when I see that I have enough points to cash out or redeem for $25 and $100 gift cards! I can use them to purchase my favorite drinks, gifts for friends or just treat myself.
How Can I Earn Swagbucks?
I’ll give you the abbreviated version.
You earn Swagbucks by doing the same stuff you’re doing now. You get paid for using the web, completing easy online surveys, shopping online, playing games and more!
Swagbucks is a popular online rewards program and app to use in your free time. They use a points system known as “SBs” (Swagbucks), which you accumulate as you complete various activities. These SBs can be exchanged for cash or free gift cards, allowing you to choose how you redeem your earnings.
When it comes to gift card options, Swagbucks provides an exciting range to choose from! Among my personal favorites are Amazon, Walmart and Starbucks. But if you prefer the idea of receiving cash directly, you also have the option to redeem your SBs through PayPal.
Swagbucks has a ‘Great’ star rating on TrustPilot so that gives you peace of mind they’re legit and safe to use, with many happy users.
And if you need more good news to start using Swagbucks…
They have paid out over $600 MILLION to its users at the time of writing this. That’s a ton of rewards for getting to play around doing fun activities. 😊
To find out EXACTLY how you can earn with Swagbucks, read my full review of making money with Swagbucks here.
⭐💵 Swagbucks is currently offering a $10 sign-up bonus for new members, just for creating a FREE account! Get your $10 bonus here and put it towards your next purchase!
👉 Remember to verify your email with Swagbucks and ‘activate’ your bonus in the Swag Ups section of your account so you don’t miss out!
2. Survey Junkie
POTENTIAL EARNINGS: Up to $45 per survey
When it comes to paid survey sites, Survey Junkie takes the crown for being one of the highest paying apps out there, while also offering an incredible user experience.
Now, I wouldn’t suggest spending your entire day glued to your smartphone, filling out surveys. However, if you’re keen on the idea of earning some extra cash during your free time using apps, I highly recommend giving them a try!
Anytime you find yourself waiting around with nothing to do, why not kill the time by answering questions? Because you may just make an extra $20 to $50 a month.
But don’t just take my word for it!
According to reviews on Trustpilot, many users have shared their success stories of earning enough through this platform to support their essential expenses such as groceries, fuel for their cars and phone bills. Hey it all helps!
Believe it or not, by simply answering quick and easy questions on your smartphone during your downtime, you can actually make real money or snag some fantastic FREE gift cards!
How Do You Use Survey Junkie?
As someone who has signed up to them all, I can tell you exactly how to use Survey Junkie.
Once you’ve signed up for a free account with them, you can start to earn points for every survey that you complete. You will earn points immediately just by completing your profile.
You can cash out once your balance hits $10, which is equal to 1000 Survey Junkie points.
In my experience, most surveys on this platform typically reward you with a range of 50 to 200 points. Reaching the minimum payout threshold isn’t a daunting task and shouldn’t take you long at all.
When it comes to redeeming your earnings, the choice is yours! You have the option to cash out via PayPal, or you can opt for FREE gift cards to your favorite stores. And yes, they’ve got a fantastic selection of user favorites, including Amazon, Starbucks, Target and many more!
⭐💵 Signing up for Survey Junkie takes less than 5 seconds, no kidding!
Click here, and you’ll be all set to start earning some extra cash on your phone right away. You can even make up to $45 per survey! Best part? It won’t cost you a dime to join, so why not give it a shot today?
3. Rakuten
POTENTIAL EARNINGS PER YEAR: Up To $1,000
If you’re a fan of online shopping, look no further! This app is an exceptional money back solution that will reward you while you shop.
I’ve used Rakuten in the past as one of the many ways to save money and trust me, they don’t disappoint! You should definitely try it because it’s basically like getting free money – yes please!
I always recommend Rakuten to my friends who are looking for ways to save, and of course to my money savvy readers 😉
It costs absolutely nothing to sign up for an account and it’s 100% free to use. And you don’t need to worry about any annoying rebate forms to complete either.
So how do you earn and actually get cash back from Rakuten?
- Firstly, sign up for a FREE account.
- Choose your favorite store you want to shop at through the app (or browser extension).
- Do your shopping as normal and earn free cash from Rakuten.
- Get paid through PayPal or have a check mailed to you!.
Once you’ve reached $5 in your account, you can choose to cash out and get paid through PayPal or request a good old fashioned check. It’s a pretty neat way to earn money online with PayPal.
With Rakuten, you can score up to 40% cashback at over 3,500 retailers whenever you shop online. They’ve got all the popular stores covered like Amazon, eBay, Macy’s, Sephora, Expedia and more.
I get it, you might think it’s too good to be true? I had the same thoughts too! How does a company not crumble by giving out free money to users?
But let me tell you, after reading countless rave reviews about this app and understanding how Rakuten’s business model works, I gave it a shot myself – it’s free, so why the heck not?!
So, here’s the deal on how Rakuten makes money and manages to give its users cashback.
When you shop through Rakuten, the company receives a nice commission from retailers for referring you to their stores. Instead of keeping the entire commission, Rakuten shares the love with you by giving you cashback. Simple as that.
You can create a free Rakuten account and start earning cashback right away.
If you’re a frequent online shopper, Rakuten is a MUST HAVE for earning cashback rewards on your purchases. It’s one of the simplest and most effective ways to effortlessly get cashback.
It couldn’t be any easier to get money back than this!
🔥 Sign up for FREE and get a $10 Welcome Bonus right here today!
4. Get $10 For Trying MyPoints!
POTENTIAL EARNINGS PER YEAR: Up To $500
Whether you’re treating yourself to an online shopping spree or purchasing a birthday gift for someone special, it’s always a smart move to use cashback apps for earning cashback on your online orders.
Cashback apps offer a fantastic opportunity to accumulate points worth hundreds of dollars throughout the year. Remember, the more you spend, the more you’ll earn – just resist the temptation to splurge on unnecessary Amazon orders!
Most cashback apps are free to join and often offer sign on bonuses for new members. If you’re not satisfied with an app after giving it a try, simply delete it from your phone. No harm done!
Take MyPoints as an example. You can earn up to 40% cashback at over 2,000 stores, including popular retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Macy’s and Expedia.
But that’s not all!
Aside from earning cashback on your online purchases, you can also accumulate points by completing simple activities such as watching videos, taking surveys, playing games and reading emails.
Once your account hits $10, you can redeem your points for PayPal cash or gift cards. Frequent online shoppers will reach this threshold quickly and be able to cash out their rewards.
🔥 Open a FREE account with MyPoints here and receive your $10 sign on bonus as a new member, after completing just 5 surveys.
Make sure you verify your email from MyPoints so you don’t miss out on your $10 bonus!
5. Use the Fetch Rewards App
EARNINGS PER YEAR WILL DEPEND ON HOW MANY RECEIPTS YOU UPLOAD
Fetch Rewards is loved by many and has hundreds of reviews from happy members on Trustpilot with an Excellent 4.7/5 star rating.
What sets Fetch Rewards apart from other rewards apps is you can scan receipts from ANY store. Either online or instore. They also have a very wide range of rewards on offer, including gift cards from popular retailers like Amazon, Target and my beloved Starbucks 😉 Users appreciate the variety and the ability to choose rewards that best suit them.
Users also love that there are no requirements on specific brands to purchase in order to earn rewards. This approach makes it easier to earn rewards on your regular grocery shopping. Hooray!
Fetch Rewards is also known for its user friendly interface and clever design. I personally love and appreciate apps that are easy to use with no hassle of trying to navigate around.
What’s more, Fetch offers bonus points and special offers so you can earn even more rewards. Knowing you can maximize your earnings makes this app even more exciting to use!
6. Swagbucks Daily Trivia!
Want to earn from the best apps that pay you cash in a really fun way?
Enter Swagbucks Daily Trivia!
Here’s an example of the sorts of trivia questions you get with this App:
“In Greek mythology, who was the goddess of wisdom?“
A. Aphrodite
B. Athena
C. Artemis
D. Hera
You, as the participant, have to select the right answer, which in this case is B. Athena.
And:
“Which planet is known as the “Red Planet?“
A. Venus
B. Mars
C. Jupiter
D. Saturn
Correct answer: B. Mars
If you love answering questions like these and enjoy trivia then you should definitely give Swagbucks Daily Trivia a go!
You can win $1,000s every week by playing!
Get ready to put on your trivia hat and start earning some cash with the Swagbucks Daily Trivia App! This exciting live trivia game show gives you the chance to win the grand prize of $1,000 by correctly answering 10 multiple choice trivia questions.
But don’t worry if you don’t get all the answers right. Even for the questions you do answer correctly, you’ll still earn reward points that can be used to redeem cash via PayPal or free gift cards from popular retailers like Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart and more!
Downloading and playing the app is completely free, and you’ll be joining a vibrant community of over 15,000 players who participate every day. So, gear up for an entertaining trivia experience and the opportunity to make some money while having fun!
7. Have Peace of Mind with Wise
This App is a little different to the others I’ve mentioned in this post. But I thought it was worth mentioning because it can benefit you if you transfer money internationally – potentially saving you cash.
Wise (used to be TransferWise) is a financial platform that offers cost saving and efficient solutions when sending and receiving money overseas.
So if you’re sending money to friends or family overseas, or, you have a business that deals with money internationally, here are a few ways you can potentially save money by using Wise:
International Money Transfers: As mentioned above, Wise helps users to send money internationally to friends, family or businesses. You can transfer online or through the Wise mobile app. Wise completes the transfer for you, using its network of local bank accounts to reduce fees and offer competitive exchange rates.
Currency Conversion: Wise provides a transparent and cost effective method for converting currencies. You can convert your money from one currency to another at the real mid market exchange rate, avoiding high fees and unfavorable rates that are typically charged by banks.
Borderless Account: The Wise Borderless Account allows you to hold and manage numerous currencies in a single account. This is particularly handy for freelancers, expatriates or businesses who operate internationally. You can receive payments in various currencies, hold funds, and convert them at your convenience, reducing costs with currency conversion.
Wise Business: Wise offers a range of services tailored to businesses. This includes multi currency accounts, batch payments, integration with accounting software and tools to streamline international payments and manage finances efficiently.
Wise is a popular choice because of its user friendly interface, competitive exchange rates, low fees and focus on transparency. So if you’re looking for affordable, cost effective options when transferring money internationally, you may want to consider Wise.
8. Boost Your Savings with TopCashback
Now, let’s see how you can earn rewards and save money with the TopCashback app.
This is another handy app (or browser extension) where you can unlock rewards for your online shopping. Browse through over 7,000 participating retailers and seize hundreds of opportunities to earn cashback on your purchases.
To start earning, simply shop through the TopCashback mobile app or use their browser extension. Click on available cashback offers and you’ll be redirected to the retailer’s website to begin your shopping journey.
The amount of cashback you earn depends on the retailer’s cashback rate and of course, your spending. Once you’ve got a cashback balance, you can easily cash out your earnings using multiple payout options provided by TopCashback.
This app provides a rewarding experience that users love. When you use TopCashback, you can save extra money, accelerate debt repayment and explore more ways to earn rewards. And you can even boost your rewards further by referring a friend to earn $10.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to make your shopping work for you!
9. Honey
Are you tired of searching for online coupons at RetailMeNot, only to find out they’re expired or invalid? Say goodbye to that disappointment because Honey is here to save you both cash and time.
Honey, a popular cashback app and browser extension, automatically hunts for the best deals and promo codes online, applying them to your shopping cart to save you money. No more wasting time on different websites or testing codes one by one *yawn*
But! Honey doesn’t stop there!
It also keeps a price history of Amazon products. With price trends at your fingertips, you can spot patterns and wait for sales to score awesome deals.
Using the “Droplist” feature, you can monitor prices and get notifications when there’s a drop on any items you’re eyeing.
Plus, like Rakuten, Honey offers cashback rewards when you shop with their retail partners. They pass the savings back to you through cash backs, rather than keeping the full commissions themselves.
With Honey, saving money is as sweet and simple as can be. Say goodbye to expired coupons and hello to hassle free savings!
💡 Honey is free to download and works on all major browsers. You can also download the app to use on your phone.
Final Words on the Best Apps That Pay You Cash
I wanted to keep this list fairly simple and only include apps that I know give you the best chance for getting cash and rewards.
I’ve seen some apps that others suggest to use for cash and rewards, but in reality when you try them out they are completely useless! When I’ve looked further into these so called money making apps I find they are disappointing a lot of people and are a waste of time.
So, you can rest assured that this list has the BEST quality apps and sites for you to use to earn cash and rewards.
Of course, there is no such thing as the perfect app that suits absolutely everyone, and rewards can vary from time to time. But if you want the best chances of boosting your income in your spare time with very little effort, these apps are well worth using.
I mean, who doesn’t love free money??
So! Are you ready to try out the best apps that pay you cash to earn some money on the side? Do you have other ways that you love to make money with your phone? Let me know in the comments – as always, I’d love to hear from you!
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