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When you’re in a pinch, it’s helpful to be able to make some instant money online. Luckily, there are so many different ways to do just that, without getting a part-time job!
Finances can get pretty tight, especially when you’re paying down debt or trying to save up for something quickly. In those cases, every penny counts.
Many of these won’t make you rich quickly. But putting in some work (even just from the comfort of your couch!) can at least get you some quick cash.
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Ways to make instant money online
So how do you make money online? I’ve tried out a lot of these and have made some great money. It’s all about putting in the work though, so you have to be willing to put in some time to get your reward.
Surveys
InboxDollars
Making money with InboxDollars is pretty easy: by taking surveys, watching videos, and earning cash back for shopping online. The pay isn’t great, but it’s something in your pocket for free! You can get paid by PayPal or gift cards.
Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie offers surveys and focus group studies for compensation. Popular brands like to use this platform to get user insights for their products. You can make a wide range of money per survey, depending on the length of it.
For every 100 points, you get a $1, and you can cash out when you hit $10. So you could easily get a cash-out within a couple of days!
Vindale Research
With Vindale Research, you earn money by taking surveys, watching videos, and opening email (with their Reward Mail). You can also make $5 for every friend referral!
There are no limits as to how many you can take per day, and you could make anywhere from less than $1 to $50, depending on the survey. It also has one of the higher minimum amounts required to pay, since you have to generate $50 in rewards to get your payout.
Swagbucks
Swagbucks is a popular survey app, and bonus, you get a $10 reward when you earn your first 25 points! Through taking surveys, watching videos, and using their coupons, you’re earning either cash through PayPal or gift cards.
Once you hit 2500 points, you’re able to cash out your $25.
Prize Rebel
Prize Rebel works very similarly to the others, where you take surveys and watch videos to earn points. This survey app/site is slightly different when it comes to referrals though. Every referral made doesn’t necessarily earn you points or cash up front, but you do get a percentage of what they earn when they take surveys.
It looks like their payout is on the lower side if you choose PayPal, at just $5.
KashKick
This is a fairly new website, but is promising. There are more regular opportunities than some of the other survey sites out there, which means more opportunities to make cash.
There is no sign-up bonus at the time of this posting, and each survey pays on average a couple of dollars, but there is enough opportunity to make some good cash.
Cash-back apps
Ibotta
Ibotta is a great cash-back app that rewards you for shopping at one of their over 1,500 retailers. I used it mostly for groceries, and made a good chunk of money from it!
Currently, there’s a welcome bonus of a whopping $20, as long as you redeem with qualifying offers. That’s a heck of a reward!
Grab your $20 welcome bonus!
Rakuten
I probably use this cash-back app more than any other! Plus, it has a Chrome extension, so it pops up any time I am doing some online shopping to notify me of cash-back opportunities.
They also offer some great referral opportunities, including a “$25 for you, $25 for them” bonus.
TopCashback
This is another cash-back app that I love to use, and it has a Chrome extension to make your life easier. They work with thousands of online vendors, making it easy to make money back on most of your online purchases.
TopCashback does offer a referral program, where you can earn $10 for each referral.
Paribus
Unlike the first two cash-back apps, Paribus earns you money back after your purchase was already completed. It looks like potential refunds by checking how much you paid and watching the prices. It checks for price drops, late delivery potential refunds, and keep track of how long you’ve got until the return policy expires.
Dosh
Dosh is different as it links up to your credit or debit card used for transactions and does everything automatically, in the background. You can get up to 10% back on purchases and up to 40% back on hotel stays.
Fetch
I started using Fetch a few months ago, and I’m definitely using it more than most others in this list. You can scan your receipts, or if you’re shopping online and have a receipt sent to your email, you can have it read that as an e-receipt. It makes it super simple!
You can redeem your points for gift cards, but it does take some time to add up.
Services
Rover
Rover is a petsitting/pet walking service, and a pretty popular one at that! By signing up as a pet sitter, you can create your own schedule and pay amount. Plus, you get paid just two days after you complete your service! The amount you can make with being a pet sitter totally depends on you.
User Testing
I’ve really liked being a tester on User Testing’s website (even though I’m introverted and don’t really enjoy talking!).
You sign up, and based on the information you put in, get tests sent to your profile on the website. You can choose which you complete, and most tests will pay you at least $10, which you can redeem through PayPal. I typically spend about 20-30 minutes on a test and get $10 for it.
Rev
If you really enjoy typing, this one’s for you. It’s all about captioning videos. Each video pays a different amount, so it really varies as to how much you can make. If you’re able to spend about 20 hours a week captioning, it’s not unheard of to make a few hundred dollars.
There is an application process that you have to get approved to join.
Fiverr
Fiverr is a marketplace for buyers and sellers to find what they call “gigs”. These gigs are everything from graphic design, writing, music, and lifestyle. You can find tons of opportunities on Fiverr to make some cash.
I read an example of someone who makes pins for businesses at $4/pin and makes a few thousand per month!
VIPKid
You don’t necessarily have to have a teaching degree, but you do at least have to have a Bachelor’s degree to teach on VIPKid. The base pay is about $7-9/class, and each class is about 25 minutes. So you’re able to make anywhere between $14-18/hour, plus incentives.
GigWalk
GigWalk is a fun one that you can spend anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours on for each gig. Retailers post gigs on this platform to see how their products are looking on the shelves (are they priced correctly, marketed well, available).
AppJobs
AppJobs is a very versatile job database with everything from part-time work to weekend jobs to student jobs. You can even filter down to what you’re willing to take on!
The neat thing about this database search is it even includes some of the gigs you see in this list, making it a good one-stop shop to find some work.
Monthly bills
Trim
Trim links up to your bank account to see where you’re spending money on monthly subscriptions, then tells you how much you’re spending (and could be saving) in the app. If you want, they can contact the company directly and cancel your service for you.
They’re also able to negotiate your bills for you, but there is a fee associated with it (they take about 30% of whatever you save).
Bill Shark
Very similar to Trim, Bill Shark can negotiate down your monthly bills and track your monthly subscriptions to save you some money. They charge a little more than Trim to negotiate, but negotiating your insurance costs is free.
TrueBill
TrueBill takes the same commission as Bill Shark, and like the other two bill services, only take their commission if they’re able to save you money.
Exercise
Sweatcoin
Sweatcoin tracks your steps and rewards you with Sweatcoins. These Sweatcoins can be used to purchase items inside their app, or you can choose to give them away to a charity of your choice.
Healthywage
You’re playing against yourself in this challenge! You make a bet on yourself on how much weight you can lose over a certain amount of time. If you win, you collect the pot of money that’s been contributed to.
They have different types of challenges to suit your needs. They have step challenges, “jackpot” challenges (losing pounds), and team challenges.
Charity Miles
Charity Miles doesn’t technically put money in your pocket. You are doing different forms of exercise for the charity of your choosing. The app tracks everything from running to walking to dancing, just as long as you’re moving!
How can I make money right now?
If you’re looking for the fastest way to make money on this list, then I would suggest starting with the Services section of this post.
With most of these services, you simply sign up and can start accepting new clients right away. It just depends on how much you’re willing to work!
My personal favorites are Rover, User Testing, and GigWalk to get cash fast.
But don’t stop there! Sign up and start with as many as you can and you’ll be well on your way to making some quick cash.
Related reading: No spend challenge: how to successfully save the most money
That’s it for how to make instant money online!
Have you tried any of these and made cash? Or have you tried any that didn’t make the list, but should have been included?
I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
This is a great list! My favorite is definitely Rakuten- I’ve made so much money on cashback for purchases while I’ve been redoing rooms in my house. Thanks for sharing!
I’d say Rakuten and Ibotta are my favorites! They’ve definitely been the two that have put the most cash back in my pocket.