42 Ways to Make Money With Your Smartphone

If there’s one item we make sure we never forget, it’s our smartphone.

You are more likely to leave your wallet and driver’s license than your phone. Is this good or bad? Well, unlike a wallet that makes it easy to spend money, your phone helps you make money! And, you don’t need to have your wallet to make money on your phone.

Since there are so many ways to earn extra money with your smartphone, it’s hard to know where to start. So, this list is organized by how much time it takes to complete each activity.

Table of Contents

Perform Micro Tasks from Your Phone

One of my favorite ways to make money with a smartphone is micro tasks. In most cases, you only need 15 minutes to complete the job. After each task, you get paid. And, there is a wide variety of tasks, so you should never get bored.

1. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a near-universal favorite for getting paid to do small tasks.

Some tasks only take five minutes to complete. These tasks include daily surveys, watching videos and playing games. And, Swagbucks pays you to search the web too! Sometimes, it will feel as if these tasks aren’t even “work.”

You will receive points for each completed task. You can redeem your points for PayPal cash or gift cards. For gift cards, your redemptions start at $3 for your favorite restaurants and stores. And, you can earn your first $5 as a sign-up bonus!

Learn more: Read our Swagbucks Review.

2. InboxDollars

InboxDollars is probably the next largest “get-paid-to” platform after Swagbucks. There are many different ways to make money with InboxDollars. Some of these include reading email, taking surveys and watching videos.

To double your daily earning potential, you might consider joining two platforms. Besides InboxDollars, you might join Swagbucks. Or, you can join one of the other platforms on this page.

If you prefer earning cash to gift cards, InboxDollars can be a better option. Plus, you receive a $5 bonus for joining.

Learn more: InboxDollars Review

3. MyPoints

MyPoints is the sister site to Swagbucks. The earning options are identical, but the award options can be different.

For example, you might earn 1,000 points from MyPoints and only 500 points at Swagbucks for an activity. Or, MyPoints might have a gift card sale when Swagbucks doesn’t.

You may not appreciate the overlap with Swagbucks. But, at least you know what to expect from MyPoints!

4. instaGC

If you want to earn gift cards, instaGC can be a good option. You make the most money taking surveys. But, you can also make money by watching videos, shopping online and playing games.

There are more than 360 gift card options to choose from. And, all gift cards are digital, so you receive them instantly.

Learn more: InstaGC Review

5. Mechanical Turk

Do you want to earn free gift cards? You should consider Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) as an income stream. To be honest, MTurk is best for tablets and computers. This means your iPhone might not be MTurk-friendly. But, there are some mobile-friendly tasks (HITs) as well.

You will need to determine what works best for your phone. Two options include taking surveys and entering data from images.

Take Surveys on Your Phone

Another popular and easy way to make money with your phone is by completing paid surveys. Retailers, product developers, and many Fortune 500 companies are looking for your opinion. And, they will pay you for it!

6. Survey Junkie

Do you only have time for surveys? If so, Survey Junkie is one of the best survey apps! By taking surveys, you help shape new products designs. You will receive points for every survey good for cash and gift cards.

Available in both the Google Play and IOS App Store.

7. Vindale Research

For another survey site with daily options, look at Vindale Research. You will get paid up to $75 for each survey completed.

Join Vindale Research on your desktop or on a mobile device.

And, you can also earn additional cash by watching videos and leaving feedback. Plus, looking for special Vindale codes on select websites lets you earn cash too!

Vindale pays all members in PayPal cash or paper check. Once your account balance reaches $50, you can request instant payment.

Learn more: Vindale Research Review

8. Opinion Outpost

Opinion Outpost lets you earn cash or gift cards by taking surveys. As an added bonus, you enter into the quarterly $10,000 cash prize drawing with each survey too.

You will be able to complete surveys on a variety of topics. For example, today you might answer questions about the brands you use. Tomorrow, you might take a survey about your personal beliefs. With Opinion Outpost, variety makes each survey fun.

9. Ipsos I-Say

Ipsos I-Say is one of the oldest online survey communities. You will earn points for taking paid surveys and user-generated polls.

At the end of each year, you also earn a loyalty bonus. So, loyalty has its benefits with Ipsos I-Say!  With Ipsos, your points are good for gift cards or contest drawings.

10. Toluna

Another large survey community with a global presence is Toluna. In addition to taking surveys, you also get paid to test products.

Make Some Extra Cash by Taking Surveys

Taking surveys in your spare time can be a great way to earn some extra dough fast. Check out Survey Junkie which will pay you instantly with cash via PayPal. They have over 10,000,000 members and have an 4.5/5 rating on Trust Pilot.

You can also earn extra points by engaging in user forums. For fun, you can also play games against other Toluna members. If you don’t know, Toluna is also a social media platform.

11. Mindswarms

Not every survey is text-based where you must click the radio button ranging from 1 to 10 to leave your opinion.

Mindswarms is a video-based survey platform that pays you $50 PayPal cash. To get paid, record a 10-minute video response to test a product. If you’re quick with math, that’s $300 an hour! If you can answer seven questions in ten minutes, join Mindswarms. Even if you’re camera-shy, you should consider Mindswarms.

12. Panel Pay Day

Panel Pay Day will connect you with paid survey panels and mystery shopping jobs. With Panel Pay Day, you can earn up to $75 per survey.

Here is how you can make money with Panel Pay Day:

• Online Surveys
• Focus Groups
• Discussion Groups
• Mystery Shopping
• Online Mini-Jobs

If you do a mini-job, you can earn over $150 per job! If you ask me, that’s pretty impressive. As a new Panel Pay Day user, you will also earn a $25 bonus. To earn the bonus, you only have to take your first survey.

13. Harris Poll Online

Harris Poll Online is one of the oldest survey companies around. And, they let you take surveys from your smartphone. Governments, non-profits, and household brands partner with Harris to garner your opinion.

With each survey, you earn points for cash or gift cards. To earn extra points, you can also share your shopping purchases with the Harris ShopTracker program. With ShopTracker, you tell what you buy each month to earn points.

Other Apps to Make Money on Your Phone

Mobile apps come in all shapes and sizes. For instance, you probably have a half dozen apps you use on a regular basis. Maybe, you use these apps to listen to podcasts, bank online and get driving directions.

Why not use an app that helps you make money as well?

If you want an app that makes money, look at these.

14. Ibotta

Ibotta is a mobile app that helps you earn cash back every time you visit the grocery. Before you check out, activate the cash back offers within the app. With Ibotta, you can get cash back at nearly any grocery store. Plus, the app also works at discount stores like Walmart and Target too.

There are two different types of cash back offers to activate. For example, you might get $2 back buying a 12-pack of Coca-Cola. Or, you can earn cash back when you purchase a loaf of bread, regardless of the brand. Most importantly, you don’t have to clip paper coupons to enjoy the savings.

When you cash out, you can request payment by PayPal, Venmo, or gift cards.

15. Paribus

It doesn’t get any easier to make money shopping than with Paribus. All you have to do is link your email address or Amazon account to Paribus. And, when a price drops, you can get a price refund! With Paribus, you get cash back at over 30 online stores.

You can file price protection claims yourself and receive the price difference as a refund. And, let’s be honest, how many times have you taken the time to request a partial refund? Probably never.

If you’re like me, you probably never knew about this hack. So, Paribus helps you get free money with minimal effort.

16. Clarity Money

Clarity Money is an app that works similarly to Mint, at least in part. First, you can hook up your accounts to the app so it can help you analyze your spending data.

Clarity Money will also make suggestions for how you can save more money. The best part is, you can use these suggestions and take action right there, within the app.

Finally, Clarity Money has an in-app savings account. With Marcus by Goldman Sachs, your deposits earn 2.05% APY. If you don’t follow bank interest rates, this is one of the highest current rates. You can also schedule automatic deposits so you can easily save your extra income each month.

And, Clarity Money is free to use.

17. Rakuten

Rakuten is one of my favorite apps! Here’s why. You and I can get up to 40% cash back on nearly any online purchase.

Even though Rakuten is accessible on a tablet or computer, the Rakuten app offers bonus cash back. For select retailers, you get special in-app bonus cashback.

Each calendar quarter, Rakuten will send you a “Big Fat Check” in the mail. Or, you can also get PayPal cash or a gift card. As a new Rakuten member, you get $10 bonus cash by making your first $25 purchase with Rakuten.

18. Jobs2Shop

Jobs2Shop will pay you to mystery shop. After shopping “incognito” at a store or restaurant, you leave your feedback on the Jobs2Shop app.

Of course, you can also make money with these other online activities:

You will get paid in cash and will earn a $5 sign-up bonus.

19. Receipt Hog

Receipt Hog is one of the most flexible receipt-scanning apps for in-person purchases.

All you have to do is snap a picture of any receipt. For many purchases, you earn coins that can use for prizes like PayPal cash and Amazon gift cards. You can earn bonus cash by taking surveys and entering contests too.

20. Shopkick

No purchase is necessary to earn points with Shopkick. Shopkick is an app available for iOS and Andriod. Although, you will earn more points when you make a purchase.

To make money with Shopkick, you first need to download the app, then enable your phone’s location services. First, you will earn points for walking into the store. Then, you can earn more points by scanning product barcodes.

This can be a fun way to get your exercise and interact with the public. Plus, you might be able to earn a free gift card each time you leave the house!

21. Slidejoy

At this time, Slidejoy is only available for Android users. If you have Droid, you can get paid each time you unlock your phone. This is because Slidejoy displays an ad or video on your lock screen.

Whether or not you explore the ad further, you earn points that you redeem for gift cards.  According to Slidejoy, the average user spends 10 minutes per day on the app. Like anyone, you can easily find 10 minutes to make money looking at ads.

22. EasyShift

The EasyShift app pays you to mystery shop. When you shop, you check prices and take pictures of products and storefronts. With each shift (job), you receive a checklist within the EasyShift app. To get paid, check each task checkbox that you complete in real-time.

Jobs are available in most U.S. cities. And, you will earn PayPal cash within 48 hours of completing the job.

23. Mobee

Mobee will pay you to mystery shop at your favorite stores. When you are on a time crunch, most missions take five minutes or less to complete.

While you are inside the store, you simply answer between five and ten questions on the Mobee app. As you complete each mission, you earn points for cash, gift cards and prizes.

24. National Consumer Panel

National Consumer Panel only requires one hour of your time every week.

Right before you go to bed one night, share your shopping activity for the week. To get paid, scan the receipts of products you buy with the NCP app. For each product, share the purchase price and the place of purchase too.

With each scan, you earn points that are good for cash, gift cards and prizes. And, NCP also increases your point payout the longer you remain an active member. To get the bonus, share your shopping history every week.

25. Nielson Digital Voice

With Nielsen Digital Voice, you earn points for every hour you use your smartphone. This is because Nielsen gauges how the average person uses their phone.

Is it used to make calls, send text messages, surf the web, or interact with downloadable apps?

Join Digital Voice so they can find out. And, you’ll have the chance to earn cash prizes for your efforts.

26. Qmee

Qmee pays you to search online at with your favorite search engine. Next to the regular search engine results, Qmee shows product listings that might interest you. With a single search, Qmee doubles the results!

It’s possible to earn bonus points by using Qmee in three ways:

• Redeeming digital coupons
• Taking the daily survey
• Watching videos.

Even better, there isn’t a minimum payout threshold. So you can request PayPal payment every day if you’re an active searcher!

27. AppNana

AppNana will pay you to download and test apps. Since new apps constantly launch, you get paid to be one of the first testers. With AppNana, you find the next best app before it becomes popular.

For each test, you earn points that are good for gift cards and game downloads.

28. Music Xray

If you enjoy listening to music, you can get paid to listen to new music and rate it at Music Xray. During the application process, list your favorite bands to hear new music. Then, Music Xray recommends similar songs and bands. This way, you can discover new music to add to your playlist.

As a matter of fact, you will earn 10 cents per song that you listen to. Plus, you can get free gear from the bands you follow!

Selling Online

We all have something we can sell to make some quick cash. Especially, if you have bills to pay. Or, you want to earn consistent monthly income in your free time.

29. Bookscouter

While there are many places to sell used books, Bookscouter is one of the easiest. Indeed, you can sell used textbooks at the best price.

First, enter scan the book barcode. At once, you get buyback prices from more than 42 vendors. After you finish scanning each book, it’s time to pick the best vendor.

Most vendors provide a prepaid shipping label. When they receive your books, they send PayPal cash within 48 hours.

30. Decluttr

Decluttr is an app that buys your used DVDs, CDs, books and electronics. Their app scans barcodes so you can sell multiple items quickly. After that, Decluttr emails you a prepaid shipping label. However, if you don’t have shipping supplies, they will mail you those too.

Every order has free shipping. And, you will receive PayPal payment the day after Decluttr receives your goods.

You could also sell items on Ebay if you are willing to put in the work needed to list items individually.

31. SecondSpin

One of the largest vendors for used CDs, DVDs, and games is SecondSpin. Since they specialize in selling used movies and games, they might pay more.

But, SecondSpin doesn’t have a mobile app. Even so, you can still list your items with your phone using the mobile browser.

32. Foap

Foap is one of the few apps that let you sell pictures online taken with your phone’s camera. This photo-selling app works with Apple and Android devices. And, you get paid when a company buys one of your photos.

Surprisingly, many large household brand names buy pictures from Foap. As you might guess, they use them in their advertising campaigns.

To start, take pictures of everyday life or your most recent trip. With Foap, there’s a chance you can make money!

33. Parking Panda

You might be a landlord and didn’t even know it. In brief, you can rent your parking spot with Parking Panda to tourists.

If you own one of these coveted spots, you can make a lot of money. And, you no longer have to rely on your friends to help you rent it to their friends.

34. Poshmark

Poshmark is a leading clothing resale site my wife uses to buy and sell clothing. To make money, snap a picture with your phone in the app. Then, upload the pricing details. In a matter of minutes, you can list several items. No doubt, it’s easy to sell on Poshmark.

When an item sells, Poshmark provides a prepaid shipping label. Finally, attach it to the package put it in the mail. At this point, you get paid!

Besides Poshmark, learn where else you can sell clothes online.

35. Craigslist

When you want to sell unwanted items locally, install the Craigslist app.

It’s free to list and sell on Craigslist. Notably, there are no “middleman” commissions or shipping fees! And, you might also like this option if you have bulky items to sell like furniture. Also, you can sell exercise equipment or old television sets too.

As an alternative to Craigslist, you might also consider Letgo, Offerup or Facebook Buy and Sell Groups. All of these groups are free to list and sell. And, some sellers consider these apps to be smartphone-friendly. As a result, some buyers don’t even use Craigslist.

36. Gift Card Granny

Use Gift Card Granny to sell your unwanted gift cards. To get started, enter the serial number and gift card balance into the app. Then, Gift Card Granny compares the buyback prices for the various gift card marketplaces.

Now, you choose the best offer, and you can get paid right away. You can earn up to 92% of each card you sell.

Side Hustles

This final section can be the best-earning options. But, these ideas can require the most time. To earn the most cash, focus your efforts first on these side hustles. Then, use any spare time to pursue one of the options listed above.

For instance, owning a smartphone makes multitasking easier than ever. In particular, you can start and pause projects on-demand.

37. DoorDash

You no longer have to work for a pizza company to deliver food for cash. Instead, DoorDash partners with many take-out restaurants. So, you can deliver a variety of different cuisine.

For example, you might deliver Chinese first, then Italian. Before you finish for the night, you might deliver for a handful of restaurants.

So far, DoorDash has delivered over 10 million orders to hungry customers!

To begin, you only need a reliable vehicle, moped, or good walking shoes. Of course, don’t forget a smartphone with the DoorDash app!

To become a Dasher, you will also need:

• Valid drivers license
• Valid insurance

With DoorDash, you get paid weekly and can even earn tips!

38. Airbnb

So, you need a spare bedroom or a whole house to make money with Airbnb. Even if you don’t own a second home, you can rent your home when you travel. If you travel often, you can rent your home multiple times a year.

As an Airbnb host, you open your doors to travelers who don’t want to stay at a hotel. As a result, they pay less, and you make more money!

In addition to listing on Airbnb, try VRBO too. This can be a fun way to make some extra cash.

39. Lyft

If you own a reliable, 4-door vehicle, you can become a Lyft driver. As a driver, you get paid to drive people around town. Once you pass a background check and your car passes a safety check, it’s drive time! In the app, accept a ride request to earn your first dollar!

To earn the most cash possible, be sure to read our Lyft driver tips.

40. Uber

Uber is the other large ride-sharing behemoth. Likewise, it can make a great side hustle for you as it did for this guy. Since you are an independent contractor with Uber and Lyft, try driving with both companies. Doing so may minimize your downtime between rides. And, you may be able to find the highest-paying ride at the moment too.

Like Lyft, you will need to complete a background check process before you can start driving.

41. Gigwalk

Gigwalk is an app that pays you to perform tasks around town. As a gigwalker, you might be asked to verify prices at local stores. Also, you can take pictures of shelf displays to ensure the products look appealing. Or, you will make sure public events are held at the proper time and place.

Basically, you are the eyes and ears of national companies. For your effort, you get paid in PayPal cash.

You can become a gigwalker in most large U.S. and Canadian cities.

42. Field Agent

Field Agent is another app that is very similar to Gigwalk. You might compare both platforms to see which one provides better gigs. Or, you can join both to increase your chances of getting paid to shop. When you’re ready to mystery shop, simply choose the best open job.

Once you accept a job, you have two hours to complete the required tasks. Doing so means you receive PayPal payment.

Summary

A smartphone has many functions besides texting and browsing social media. So, start making money with your phone today! In fact, you can have fun while getting paid. The fact that you can do both at once is why these ideas are so popular.

There are so many different ways to monetize your hobbies with a smartphone.

What are the three activities you want to start making money from first?

Paribus compensates us when you sign up for Paribus using the links we provided.

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