Are you looking to make some extra cash?

Well, you’re in luck, because as long as you have a smartphone, several apps can help you make money fast. Whether you want to use your smartphone to do a side-hustle or simply make a few dollars here and there, you can start earning money today.

Here are some of our favorite apps to help you get started earning money today:

Survey & Receipt Scanning Apps

If you want to start earning right away, you might want to start with a survey site or receipt scanning app. These apps allow you to take surveys on your smartphone or scan pictures of your receipts in exchange for cash. All you need to do is download the apps and get started.

Ibotta

Ibotta is a shopping app that pays you $10 to sign up. This means that you can download the app and start using it to shop online today. The app’s affiliate program allows users to invite their friends to use the program and earn $5 per friend that they refer to the website.

Ibotta users can also shop in-store to earn money. For example, if you know you need to go to Target this week, you can go and shop as you normally would. When you’re done, simply take a photo of your receipt and upload it into the app via the camera function. The app works to see if there is an offer for cashback. If there is an opportunity to earn cashback, it will tell you, and you can select the offer.

Download Ibotta Today!

MyPoints

MyPoints is one of the oldest survey websites available. They offer more than just surveys, so you can use your smartphone to watch videos and shop from the MyPoints platform to earn points. Once you earn 480 points, you can cash out. 480 points are worth about $3.50, and you can receive your money via PayPal or elect to earn gift cards.

Join MyPoints Today

Rakuten

Rakuten allows app and desktop users to get cashback on their purchases. When you sign up and start using the platform, you automatically earn $10. Then, you simply shop using the Rakuten platform and scan in your receipts as you shop. When you cash out, you can choose to be paid out in cash, gift cards, or via PayPal.

Join Rakuten

Vindale Research

Vindale Research is one of the most reputable survey sites on the web. They offer paid survey opportunities in exchange for sharing your opinion.

To earn cash, users can watch short videos and advertisements, then write a few sentences recording their experience. When you share this information, it helps advertisers better target their market. Vindale Research users won’t make it rich using this app but can earn several dollars per day simply by taking surveys and watching videos.

Join Vindale

Dosh

Want to earn $5 right away? When you download Dosh, you get a sign-up bonus credited to your account immediately. Then, you simply input your credit card information and spend as you usually would. Dosh automatically rewards you for your spending. In time, the app will alert you when you can cash out. The minimum cash out is $25.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks also has a $5 sign up bonus. Users love this platform because it has one of the highest earnings per survey of any survey site, and their app is easy to use. The minimum payout is only $3 if you want to be paid in gift cards. However, you must earn at least $25 in points before cashing out to PayPal.

Join Swagbucks Today!

Nielsen

Nielsen is another market research company that pays users for their opinions. To earn money, simply download the app on your smartphone and sign in. Then, after you’ve had the app running in the background for a year, the company will pay you $50.

Bonus App – National Consumer Panel

Sign up with National Consumer Panel and voice your opinions to help manufacturers and retailers make decisions on what products to develop or improve. Sign up is easy and you get paid after answering questions. The only downside to NCP is that they only use Visa gift cards to pay members and their monthly sweepstakes only pays out $250 to 20 members.



Sign Up for National Consumer Panel Today!

Apps for Side-Hustles

If taking surveys isn’t for you, you can try to earn a bit more money by taking on a side hustle. Several apps will connect you with paying customers.

Uber

If you have a car, a valid driver’s license, and a clean record, you can drive for a rideshare company like Uber. Uber has several tiers of rides available to its customers including anything from a basic ride to UberPOOL, an option where users can share their rides with others and receive a lower price. Uber also has high-end offerings such as UberSELECT and UberSUV. If you have a high-end vehicle, you might be able to maximize your driving time by driving for one of the higher tiers.

Uber Eats

Not interested in driving people around? You can still sign up for Uber but deliver people’s food instead. The best part is, you can even deliver for Uber Eats even if you don’t have a car. You can deliver food by scooter, bike, or motorcycle. Uber Eats deliverers set their hours, and earnings depend on the size of your order and if people choose to tip you.

TaskRabbit

When you sign up to be a TaskRabbit Tasker, you take on odd jobs for people in their areas. While tasks vary greatly, common options include helping people assemble furniture, tidy up their lawns, and run errands for them.

Taskers can expect to make $20 or more per hour depending on the rates they set for themselves. The minimum payout is for one hour, and the payment must be made through the app. TaskRabbit keeps 15% of the earnings.

Airbnb

Do you have an extra room in your home or even an extra house? You might be able to rent the room short-term on Airbnb. While you won’t start earning money on this app today, you can sign up for the app right away to earn a lot of money long-term.

To get started, do plenty of research on similar listings in your area. You should take quality photos and create a well-worded listing to ensure that you get the most from your property.

DoorDash

When you sign up to be a DoorDash ‘dasher’, you can start delivering meals from restaurants to people who have ordered delivery. The payout per delivery depends on the size of the order you deliver and how much the person decides to tip you. You must have access to a reliable vehicle, a smartphone, and be eligible to work in the U.S. to sign up.

Rover

If you love working with pets, you can use Rover to earn money pet sitting and pet walking. This app pairs pet sitters or walkers with individuals in their areas who need help giving their pet some extra attention.

Rover users designate their prices, and some people can earn $20 for a 30-minute walk. Rover walkers and pet owners communicate with each other via the app to negotiate what time and distance their pet will be walked. If you get reputable with Rover, you can earn as much as $60 per hour.

To sign up, you must pass a background check. It is also important to note that you are paid through the app and that Rover takes 15% of what you earn.

Bonus App – FlexJobs

FlexJobs is a central hub for anyone seeking work from home opportunities. Utilizing this search engine requires you to create a login and an account. If you’re interested in a data entry job, or another remote work field, this is a great resource. Worried about having to spend money to set up a FlexJobs account? We've got you covered.

Apps to Sell On

If you have a physical product to offer, you might be able to sell it via the app. You can either create something new or resell items for a higher price to earn cash.

Etsy

If you have a craft that you’d love to monetize, you can use Etsy to sell it online. Etsy vendors sell anything from repurposed items to new creations. You can sign up and use Etsy for free, and start making money from home. When you sell an item, you are expected to ship it right away, and Etsy takes a small percentage of the sale price.

Decluttr

If you have stacks of things around the house that you no longer use, you might want to use the Decluttr app to sell your things. You can simply scan in the bar codes of DVD’s, books, electronics, and more.

Then, the app will tell you how much it will pay for each item. Then, you can print off a free shipping label and send the items in. Once the items are received, Decluttr will pay you for your clutter.

OfferUp

Want to sell larger items that you have around the house? Use OfferUp. You can download the app and start listing your things in as little as 30 seconds. You can choose to only sell items locally or offer to ship them if you want to sell nationwide. Buyers are responsible for any shipping charges, and you will be paid via the OfferUp app.

Letgo

Similar to OfferUp, Letgo is an app that helps people sell their household items. Letgo is only available in your area, so you must be willing to meet with your buyers. The app is free to use, and you must negotiate payment before meeting up with your buyer via the app’s messaging platform. Payments are not processed through the Letgo app.

Craigslist

Craigslist is one of the most popular sites to sell items. The app, which was released in late 2019, allows users to post photos and descriptions of the items they are selling. Craigslist is a global app, so you may be able to attract buyers from outside your city or state as well.

Poshmark

If you have clothing that you rarely or never wear, you could sell it today using Poshmark. To get started, simply create an account and profile. Then, list your items on the website using photos and short descriptions. When a user purchases your item, Poshmark takes a standard $2.95 fee from each item sold for less than $15. If your items are over $15, the app takes 20% of the sale price. Users are paid out monthly on all items they have sold, so if you start selling today, you may have to wait a few weeks to get paid.

Bonus App – Earny

Shop online and earn cashback on purchases with Earny. Earny tracks the prices of millions of products online and gives you access to the price history of items you want to buy! Not ready to purchase? You can add items to your Earny Watchlist and get notified within minutes of when prices drop. Earny does cost money, but it's only a one-time payment of $20.00 when you sign-up.

The Bottom Line

If you’re looking for the best apps to make money fast, then these will help you get started. You can earn sign up bonuses and a few dollars simply by getting started on receipt scanning or survey apps. For larger earnings, you can take on side gigs and earn money for helping people in your area. If you want to earn money within a few weeks, you can consider longer-term commitments like Airbnb that will have larger returns. Regardless of how you choose to earn money fast, there are easy apps for you to use to get started today.