You’re already on your phone constantly. You might as well get paid for it.
The average American checks their smartphone 52 times a day. I was no different. I’d burn 20 minutes on Instagram, another 10 scrolling Reddit, and wonder where my evening went. Then I started swapping some of that time for apps that actually put money back in my pocket.
I’ve personally tested every app on this list. Some impressed me more than others, but none of them are scams, and all of them pay out. You’re not going to quit your job over any of these, but if you’re already glued to your phone, you might as well have something to show for it.
Here’s what actually works.
Best Apps That Pay You Real Money
1. Get paid to play games you’d download anyway (Android only)
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from Mistplay. An app that pays you to play games sounds too good to be true. But it’s real, and if you’re an Android user who already games on your phone, it’s a no-brainer.
You download games from their list, play them, and rack up points that convert to gift cards for Amazon, Google Play, and Starbucks. I was pulling in around $3 to $5 a week without changing my routine at all.
It’s not life-changing, but it’s free money for something I was already doing.
- Get paid to play games—no in-app purchases required
- Redeem points for PayPal cash or gift cards from top brands
- Play popular games and earn rewards effortlessly
2. Take short surveys and cash out to PayPal once you hit $5
Survey Junkie was one of the first survey apps I tried, and it’s still one of the better ones.
The surveys are straightforward, most take 5 to 20 minutes, and they pay between $0.50 and $3 each. Once you hit $5 you can cash out to PayPal, which I appreciated because a lot of these platforms make you jump through hoops to actually get your money.
It’s not going to replace income, but if you’ve got downtime and a phone, there’s no reason not to have it installed.
- Over 76 million members have already cashed out with Survey Junkie
- Earn real money for sharing your opinion—no gimmicks, just cash
- Sign up now and start earning PayPal cash or gift cards today
3. Earn $60 a year just for installing an app and doing absolutely nothing
This one is genuinely the easiest money I’ve made from an app. Nielsen pays you $60 a year in gift cards just for having their app installed.
You don’t take surveys, you don’t watch videos, you don’t do anything. It runs silently in the background and tracks anonymous internet usage data for market research. I set it up once and forgot about it.
If passive income is your goal, it doesn’t get more passive than this.
- Earn $60 a year just by installing an app
- Earn up to $1000 from sweepstakes
- 15 different types of rewards, including TVs
- Win up to $500 by downloading PC app
4. Five ways to earn plus a $5 bonus the moment you sign up
InboxDollars stood out to me because of how many ways you can earn.
Surveys, videos, reading emails, playing games, it all adds up. They give you a $5 bonus just for signing up, and the $10 cashout threshold is low enough that you hit it quickly.
I’ve seen people earn up to $225 a month staying active across all the earning options, though my average was lower. Still, for casual phone time it’s one of the more versatile apps on this list.
- Earn real cash just for watching videos and taking surveys.
- Make up to $225/month with almost no effort.
- Sign up now, confirm your email, and start getting paid.
5. Stack surveys, videos, and shopping to realistically make $50 to $100 a month
Swagbucks has been around forever, and there’s a reason it’s still one of the most recommended platforms in the beermoney community. I’ve used it on and off for years.
You earn points called SB for surveys, videos, shopping, and web searches, and cash out via PayPal or gift cards. The $10 sign-up bonus is a nice welcome, and if you stack multiple earning methods you can realistically make $50 to $100 a month.
It rewards consistency more than any other app on this list.
- Get paid for taking surveys, shopping, and watching videos
- Earn free gift cards or PayPal cash for everyday activities
- Sign up now, spend $25 through Swagbucks Shop, and get a $10 bonus
6. Over 3,000 offers, $20M paid out, and a $15 bonus waiting for you
Bigcash is one of my favorite apps on this list and it’s not particularly close. They’ve paid out over $20 million to users since 2015, have a 4.7 out of 5 rating across 400,000 reviews on Google and TrustPilot, and have over 3,000 offers available at any given time.
You earn coins by playing games, completing app offers, and taking surveys. Most offers take 5 to 10 minutes, and 250 coins equals $1. The cashout threshold is low, payouts are fast, and they even offer a 20% lifetime referral bonus if you bring friends in.
If you’re only going to download one app from this list, make it this one and grab the $15 sign-up bonus while you’re at it.
- Over $20 million paid out to real users since 2015
- 3,000+ offers available with payouts up to $170 each
- Low cashout threshold, fast PayPal transfers, and a $15 sign-up bonus waiting for you
7. Get paid to play cards and earn straight cash
Solitaire Cash is the most fun I’ve had making money from an app. It’s exactly what it sounds like: you play solitaire, you win real money. You compete in tournaments against other players, and the cash prizes are legitimate.
Payouts go straight to PayPal or Venmo, and I’ve seen people in the beermoney community pulling in anywhere from a few dollars a week to significantly more if they get competitive about it. It’s free to play and you don’t need to deposit anything to start earning.
If you’re going to kill time on your phone anyway, you might as well be playing for cash.
- Win real money by playing fast-paced solitaire games
- Compete in skill-based tournaments against real players
- Cash out quickly via PayPal, Apple Pay, or gift cards
8. Start investing in real estate for as little as $10 and earn passive income
Fundrise is how I got into real estate investing without buying a property. You can start with as little as $10 and get access to a diversified portfolio of real estate projects across the country.
The platform manages everything, and you earn passive income through dividends and long-term appreciation. Returns vary, but I’ve been happy with mine.
If you want to grow your money beyond gift cards and PayPal cashouts, Fundrise is worth a serious look.
- Earn passive income with real estate investing starting at just $10
- Easy-to-use app for seamless access to crowd-funded real estate deals
- Perfect for those who want their money to work for them
Why Should You Use Apps That Pay?
When you officially make that leap into adulthood, it comes with a long list of responsibilities — financial ones included. That’s life, and we all learn to cope and keep moving forward. But every so often, there’s a small hiccup and — be it emotional, physical or otherwise — we run into a wall.
Expenses like car repairs force you to spend money you’re using for rent. You know you’re going to be short, so you’re pulling crazy overtime to make up the difference. Or, maybe you have to give up some recreational activities to make way for more responsible ones.
These things happen, and when they do, it’s nice to have a little cash handy to lighten the stress load. You could always pawn some of your stuff, true, but no one likes doing that. You could also ask your family for free money, but that’s no good, either. And taking out a personal loan or payday loan is an even worse strategy. Why not consider using one of these apps that pay you real money?
There Will Always Be Money Making Apps that Pay You
There you have it. If you’ve finished the list, you now have a solid idea of which apps pay you real money. One category that we didn’t include in this list is apps that pay you to walk, but you can check a great round-up of apps here.
We wish you the best of luck on your journey to making money fast on your phone!
Just remember, with most of these services, consistency is key, so be diligent about completing your daily check-in and continue to use the service if you want to earn more lucrative amounts of cash or gift cards.
It’s always better to use these opportunities as additional cash for smaller purchases, rather than to rely on them for a steady income.
Where my money sent when i subscribe swagbucks
You can turn your points into cash (via PayPal) or gift cards. If you want cash, you will get it in your PayPal account. Denominations are $25, $ 50, $100, and $250 and it takes a few days to process. You can also get paid in the form of a gift card to major retailers including Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart, and Target and the processing time is similar.
Hey, thanks for a great post, it seems everyone these days is trying to make a little extra on the side but it is so hard to find really good blogs like yours.
I’m glad you liked it and good luck on using apps that pay you real money to increase your earning potential!
half of them work ONLY in the US