If you need money fast, or you’re actively looking for ways to increase your spare change then take a look at this article.
Below you’ll get instant access to the best rated money making apps. I’ve combed through every single app and company right now to help you with creating a little extra passive income.
Whether you’re giving your opinion for market research, saving money from cashback deals, or investing a couple cents a day to generate big returns in the future. I’ve got you covered.
Here are the best money making apps to help fatten your wallet.
Best Money Making Apps For Your Opinions
Toluna
Toluna is a consumer research company looking for your opinion. They offer 2 types of surveys for points:
- Profile Surveys
- Longer Surveys
Profile Surveys
Theyse are designed to learn more about you so Toluna can send you the most relevant surveys your way. They’ll ask things like what kind of phone you have, what interests you have, etc. The goal is to send you relevant surveys to get the most accurate opinion.
Longer Surveys
This is where you’ll start making your money. You’ll be given a large variety of categories to choose from, like lifestyle, food, and cars. From those categories you’ll be given a survey to fill out your opinions.
It’s important to know you’ll need to qualify for the surveys which is why they ask you about your profile before you begin.
Unlike other opinion sites Toluna pays on a point system where you’ll redeem your points for either cash or other prizes.
Inbox Dollars
Inboxdollars is built for you to take surveys while watching television or doing any other relaxing tasks. Why not make a little money while you’re binging The Magicians??
One of the cool things about this company is they’ll instantly give you $5 for signing up and providing your opinion on surveys.
Like most of these survey companies they’re going to ask you some questions to understand your demographic a little better. Things like your age, gender, race, and beyond. You’ll want to answer these because InboxDollars then matches you with the most relevant surveys for you.
You’ll make about $4-5/hr for your effort, but if you’re just watching TV and chilling, why not make a little extra cash on the side too?
UserFeel
Become a tester and earn $10 per test!
That’s Userfeel’s tagline and there’s a good reason for it! Want to know how big companies determine what user interface works best for their website or app? It’s through companies like UserFeel.
If you love giving your opinions about bad websites that need improvement, or if you’re looking for a little extra cash, give UserFeel a try!
Google Opinion Rewards
It pays to share your opinion. That’s why they’re rewarding you for helping them improve their apps and products.
With a company as large as Google they need high quality opinions to help gauge if a product is worth a launch or not. You can be one of those people!
You will need an Android phone because by completing surveys you’ll be credited Google Play credits for apps and other prizes.
Survey Junkie
Give your opinion and make extra cash. Each survey will only take a few minutes and you can easily earn up to $50 per survey. Depending on the amount of time you’re willing to invest, you can quickly rack up a large balance.
You’ll be able to accept funds via PayPal or Amazon gift card for your opinions.
My Points
Mypoints is more geared towards cashback and redeeming points like Rakuten (down below), but they do have a survey side to their business. It’s just not done very well and you won’t make too much money from it.
The online surveys are typically worth only $1 for your time. You’ll have better luck with other survey apps, or just using My Points as a kicker while you’re hanging out on the couch.
Mobee
Mobee is a mystery customer shopping app that will pay you to shop in secret and share your experience.
Once you download the app you can start by looking for “missions”, which range from dining at restaurants to shopping at coffee bars and beyond.
For shopping at these stores and providing your opinion you’ll be able to receive PayPal funds or gift cards.
Best Money Making Apps For Cashback & Deals
Rakuten
Since 1997 Rakuten has been a consistent leader in helping you earn money from your opinion. It’s a user friendly cash back app which is one of the best in the world at getting you amazing deals online.
You’ll be able to find rewards, coupons, promo codes and beyond by becoming a member.
Rakuten makes it easy to earn money by going through their site for purchases. Just know, once in a while vendors don’t honor the cashback, but their support team is world class.
It’s entirely free for you to use because the vendors on the other side will be the ones paying for Rakuten’s service.
If you’re looking to save money give it a try!
Ibotta
A cashback and savings app made simple for those everyday purchases. This app is free to use and pays in cash via PayPal and even Venmo. The best part is no points that need to be redeemed for cash.
Ibotta has partnered with well over 1,500 different different brands who use Ibotta to get exclusive access to savvy shoppers like yourself!
Ibotta has already paid out $680 million in cash to users since 2012, and they have a quality reputation in the space.
Be Frugal
With a relatively straight forward sign up process, Be Frugal is one of the leading cashback options available. They don’t offer a standard sign up rebate, but they do have promotions going on at least once a quarter.
They offer a really neat Google chrome extension so you can find deals for the places you shop online. They’re also affiliated with over 5,000 different stores and claim to offer up to 40% in cashback for your purchase.
Getting paid is also simple, but takes longer than Rakuten. You’ll need to wait about 3 months before you’ll receive any cashback. However, you will receive either a check or PayPal deposit, which is nice because that’s actual cash not just redeemed points.
Capital One Shopping
If you have a capital one card you’re going to want this app. You can add it to your browser to help you compare deals online. It will automatically inform you if there’s a better deal available on a different site.
They can also save you money in other ways too, like applying coupon codes and giving reward points for perks and gift cards. If you pair that up with the Capital One card, you’re looking at a lot of savings!
Here are some cool features of Capital One Shopping App:
- Price Comparison – they have a database of millions of shoppers. If someone purchased a product cheaper than what you’re finding, they’ll show you instantly!
- Automatic Couponing – finding coupons can be difficult because they come from many different channels. Like email, Facebook, Insta, and beyond. Here you’ll get instant access to the best active coupons.
- Price Drop Notification – Capital One keeps track of the items you purchase or look at. Anytime a price drops you’ll be notified and they might even match that price for you automatically.
- Rewards – if you link your Capital One card to Capital One Shopping you’re getting the best of both reward features!
- Universal Search – they have a huge database of products you can search for. Take a look to see what deals are happening in their database.
Best of all it’s completely free to use!
Drop
Built for the Millenials and Gen Z, Drop is a savvy and easy-to-use app that makes merchants compete for your dollar. The app mainly focuses on products like organic food, gourmet coffee, and other high quality products.
The beauty of this Drop is it doesn’t care what card you’re using. All you need to do is link a credit or debit card and let Drop start collecting points for you in the background.
You can choose your favorite brands like Trader Joes, Whole Foods, or Target and just start shopping.
Drop does require a point system, so everytime you purchase from a store you’ve indicated on their app, you’ll earn points that get rebated into cash.
Best Money Making Apps For Selling Your Old Items
Rebag
Rebag is a reseller of luxury handbags with one simple motto: endless access to luxury. If you have a handbag you love but don’t use as often as you want to, sell it to Rebag. You’ll get a fantastic price for it to help fatten your wallet.
Typically you’ll receive 70-80% of the original price for the handbag.
This is great for letting you cycle through a ton of different styles without needing to pay retail price.
The bags are typically mint condition which means you’re getting a great deal, but that also means you need to keep your bags in good condition yourself if you sell it back to Rebag.
One point though is customer service seems to be a nightmare. Expect to wait a couple days, even up to a week, before you can get any response from them.
Other than the customer service issues, Rebag has a solid track record for their products and pricing.
If you have extra handbags laying around, or just want a way to switch styles without drowning in credit card debt, give Rebag a try!
Fashionphile
Fashionphile is one of the first ultra-luxury re-commerce brands after starting in 1999 and thriving ever since.
They’re an exclusive re-commerce partner of Neiman Marcus with the goal of making it easy and affordable for you to own luxury goods. They believe luxury shouldn’t be out of reach and costs thousands of dollars for quality products.
Fashionphile takes all kinds of luxury items, like handbags, jewelry, accessories, and beyond. If it’s authentic luxury, it has a home with Fashionphile.
Selling your items is simple.
- Submit your items you wish to sell
- Fashionphile will email you a price quote
- Schedule a free UPS pickup
- Get paid through direct deposit, store credit, or Neiman Marcus gift card
Something to pay attention to. There is a wide range of reviews about Fashionphile. It seems like a 50/50 split of positive and negative reviews.
On the positive, customers said the shipping and experience was easy and simple with a fair price for their items. One the negative, customers have complained about customer service and very long delays for responses.
Just because they have a mixed reputation doesn’t mean they’re illegitimate. They have been around for over 20 years and continue to provide unparalleled access to luxury.
If you have jewelry, watches, handbags, or other luxury items you want to sell for quick cash, give Fashionphile a try.
OfferUp
OfferUp is a free app that basically allows you to sell anything and everything you have. Items range from books and musical instruments, to television and furniture.
If you’re looking to quickly clean up your place or if you need quick cash try OfferUp. There’s no fee to list, but if you want more attention you can get bumped or featured for a price.
It is highly recommended you take cash payment for your items, because there is an opportunity to get scammed through fraudulent checks or chargebacks. Pro tip in life, don’t accept checks, cashier checks, or prepaid cards ever.
OfferUp did recently merge with LetGo and this has caused massive issues with the app itself. A lot of reviews recently have talked about the poor app experience because of the merger.
If you run a side hustle where you create locally made items, OfferUp is a fantastic place to get your items viewed and purchased.
Give it a try if you’re looking to eliminate some extra stuff in the house!
Decluttr
If you’ve got old CD’s, DVD’s, or video games laying around then Decluttr is the spot for you. It’s a reselling app built mainly for tech items, and they offer pretty competitive prices for your items.
It works very simple for going through their process:
- Create a free account with Decluttr
- Once you have an account, get a quote for your stuff.
- Select payment method: Deposit, PayPal, or check
- Pack and ship your items to pre-addressed shipping label
- Get paid when the items arrive at Decluttr
The items you send to Decluttr have to be in decent to good condition, otherwise they’ll get declined. If they do get declined you won’t get them back.
They state this outright on their site so there’s no hidden fees or gotcha moments, which is good to hear since they’re a relatively new company.
If you have spare tech items and want to get rid of them, Decluttr is the spot for you!
Poshmark
Another online shopping spot which has been growing steadily since 2011. Poshmark has over 40 million users making it one of the most popular marketplaces in the U.S.
Here are a couple pros about Poshmark:
- Save money – you can buy items at lower than retail and save money if you shop smart with them.
- Replace worn items – If you need to replace items that have worn out over time, it’s a good app to do that for.
- Finding rare or unique items – if you’re a reseller or have an ebay side hustle I recommend Poshmark because you’ll find some interesting items.
- You can negotiate prices – if you like an item but want to negotiate, you can do it on this app.
- Buyer protection – Poshmark offers free authentication on items worth over $500 and will protect you if items are proven to be scams.
Here are a couple negatives about Poshmark:
- Quality varies greatly – buying second hand items can sometimes be a gamble. You’re relying on the seller to be truthful. If you’re the one selling, be sure to be accurate and honest.
- Sales are final – you only get a 3 hour window to cancel an order after purchase. The only time a sale might be cancelled is if you didn’t receive as described.
- Counterfeit Goods – this is true of the internet in general, but be warned any second hand app will have inauthentic goods.
- Taxes – Poshmark charges you taxes on the sale of your items.
It’s recommended to use Poshmark for the smaller, less expensive items in your home.
Best Money Making Apps For Doing Freelance Gigs
Taskrabbit
Looking to make a little extra money for lending a helping hand to your community? Then use Taskrabbit!
It’s an awesome app that lets you freelance for skilled work in hundreds of categories. These include, moving, yard work, running errands, assembling furniture, and even cleaning.
You’ll get paid by the hour for your work and you’ll be treated as an independent contractor. If you have a specific skill like placing drywall, this app can be really useful for you.
You’ll be rated on your ability to accomplish the task, and you can make your own hours.
The awesome thing about Taskrabbit is you can literally do any job you can think of on your own time. You’re basically your own boss.
If you want to make some extra money for helping out your community, Taskrabbit is a great place to start!
Doordash
Do you live in a major city and own a bike or motorcycle? If so, Doordash is perfect for you. It allows you to freelance deliver food and is perfect for a side hustle business.
Customers will place an order at one of the many restaurants they’ve partnered with, and you’ll be notified to pick up the food and deliver it to the customers.
You get to keep 100% of the delivery fee and any additional tips because DoorDash charges restaurants a percentage fee for using their service.
Keep in mind though you need to be cost effective. You’ll be required to pay all the business expenses which include phone, gas, insurance, and wear and tear. You’ll also need to pay taxes on the income.
The good news? Doordash operates in mainly metro areas which means you won’t put a ton of miles on your vehicle. You can expect to earn between $8-$25/hr which makes it a legit side hustle.
Lyft
If you have a moderately new car (post 2016) and the spare time for a side hustle, then Lyft is for you.
It’s a mobile application and is a direct competitor of Uber.
Many users report Lyft has a better contractor experience than Uber, and that makes sense since Uber got into quite a bit of trouble over the past 5 years.
Uber
Uver is the original independent contractor taxi company. They let you drive people who need to get places.
In fact, it’s been reported that many millennials and Gen Z’ers are going without a car because of the ease of Uber and Lyft.
This means you have a BIG market of people who will constantly need to be taken to places further then they can walk or scooter.
Postmates
Another competitor of Doordash is Postmates. It’s a popular local delivery app with a lot of local businesses who have joined to help with their delivery process. This includes restaurants, drugstores, liquor stores, grocery stores, and beyond.
They’re in well over 100 major metro areas and if you’re looking to make a quick buck it’s well worth working with them.
If you’re willing to work outside to help pay the bills then Postmates can be a great option. You’ll be labelled as an independent contractor, much like most of the gig economy apps, so make sure you’re prepared for the taxes and business expenses.
To be eligible you must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Live in a postmates market
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Own a bike, car, truck, scooter, or motorcycle with valid insurance
- Have a valid driver’s license – which is true for bike Postmates too.
Typically the application process is smooth if the above is figured out, but they will run a quick background check for approval.
Postmates often claim their contractors make $25/hr on average, but from personal experience and from my research you’re looking at more like $10-$15/hr. Still not bad for a side gig!
Pros Of Postmates:
- No car necessary. You can be a bike commuter.
- Pretty decent pay if you make tips.
- Delivery fees rise based on distance.
- Additional earning incentives
Cons Of Postmates:
- You’re an independent contractor
- You’re required to pay all business expenses
- Only available in large metro areas
If you’re in need of cash quickly, give Postmates a try!
Shipt
Shipt is an on-demand delivery service mainly focused on groceries for their members. It has a website and an app where the members can order groceries and you’ll be responsible for picking them up and delivering it to their house.
It’s nearly identical to Instacart which is one of their direct competitors.
You can start an application immediately and typically the process is smooth. They’ll ask basic questions related to your age, how you would handle certain situations, if you have a car with insurance, and additionally they’ll run a light background check on you.
Once you’ve passed everything you can download the app and complete training where they’ll send you a shirt and a debit card to pay for the groceries. The process typically takes about 2 weeks.
The pay is very competitive to Instacart. You’ll receive a base pay of about $6 for each shop and then a percentage of what the client orders. Good news is if it’s a very large order with expensive items you can make some decent money. However, I found most of the orders will be smaller in nature.
You can also receive tips directly from the member. Most reviews say 50% of the orders will come with a tip.
Give Shipt a try if you’re in one of their areas!
Instacart
Interested in a reliable side hustle? Check out Instacart. They’re one of the fastest growing companies in America, and THE fastest growing grocery delivery service.
You can make money shopping and delivering other people’s groceries, just like Shipt above. The beauty of Instacart is they’re available in thousands of cities and are expanding into more rural areas without as much infrastructure.
You can make money in 1 of 2 ways with Instacart:
- In-Store Shopper – which is where you’ll receive orders through the app and then shop for the groceries without delivering them.
- Full Service Shopper – This is where you’ll receive the order, shop for the items, and actually deliver them.
You can make pretty good money too! There are a lot of stories of people making $1,000/week with instacart for their shopping. (These people are hungry out here!)
Here’s how to get started:
- Fill out the registration form with personal info.
- Choose the job role you want
- Provide proof of driver’s license and payment method
- Complete the background check
- Get approved and schedule your hours
One thing to pay attention to…
You can’t just turn your availability on or off at any given time. You have to set your hours and work the hours you choose. That means you need to be committed to the hours you choose, so be sure to be organized and committed.
Like most of these apps you can expect to earn about $14-18/hr for your time, although Instacart claims they have people making over $25/hr.
Rover
If you love dogs, or have ever considered being a dog sitter, then check out Rover. This is the perfect place to start your own dog-sitting business without needing to put up ads on Craigslist or flyers across town.
Each opportunity with Rover is different. For example, sometimes you’re basically pet sitting while people are out on vacation. Other times you’re just walking the dog for a period of time.
Your task is to do whatever is necessary to keep the doggo happy and healthy while the owners are away!
How To Sign Up:
- You will need to submit a formal application (which should include references)
- You’ll go through a screening test and background check (Rover is pretty strict)
- Once approved you can create your profile and include your rates, availability, and photos of yourself with your family or own pets.
- You’ll want to notify what pets you’re willing to watch
The beauty of Rover is they take 15% of whatever earnings you make instead of just giving you a flat rate. That means you are free to use it as your own catalyst into a dog-walking business!
Foap
If you’re a photographer you’re going to love this app. Foap – founded in late 2012 – is a smartphone app that allows you to get paid for uploading your photos. Companies will purchase those photos from you and you’ll receive royalty rights.
It’s awesome for part time photographers and for even enthusiasts.
Getting started is really simple too. Download the app from App Store or Google Play, and once downloaded you’ll be able to create an account with either an email or Facebook login.
Once you fill out some high level information you’ll then rate photos to make sure you’re not a robot.
At that point it’s easy. Just upload photos, create tags and descriptions, and it’s on the marketplace for sale.
Typically your photos will sell for $10 each and you’ll receive $5. But here’s the great part, you can sell the same photo more than once. Once someone purchases your photos then Foap will pay you through PayPal on the 15th of every month.
You can even join missions and win prizes where you can earn over $100 for your photo.
Foap has been around for years and it’s a legit app. If you have an eye for design and want a little extra cash give them a try!
Fiverr
The original $5 side gig site. Fiverr started as a place to do very small projects that entrepreneurs needed, and has morphed into a great online marketplace for side gig projects.
The marketplace allows you to put your service out to millions of Fiverr users who need help with a wide variety of tasks. Things like creating Youtube thumbnails, editing videos, voice overs, and beyond. If you’re hungry for making a little side money Fiverr is a fantastic spot to start.
Upwork
One of my personal favorite side gig sites on the internet. Upwork is a great place to actually build a legit freelancing business while getting quality clients for your skills.
I personally started selling a transcription service for business meetings which quickly turned into full on copywriting projects. Maybe that’s not your style though. You can do a bunch of other tasks like graphic design, voice over, backend coding, even Salesforce admin work.
If you want to start a legitimate consulting business I recommend Upwork.
Best Money Making Apps For Renting Your Stuff
Airbnb
Rent your apartment, house, or condo with Airbnb. It’s a marketplace for local stay experiences in a wide range of locations.
If you have an extra room in your house, and you’re comfortable with having people stay there for a night or two, then give Airbnb a try. There’s a lot of courses available to teach you the best methods for renting your rooms, but the most important thing to pay attention to is your willingness to have people live with you.
Luckily the members have star ratings so you can always deny people if you feel like they’re not a good fit. Keep in mind you will lose a percentage of your earnings to Airbnb and they’ll make you pay taxes, but they provide a quality service by reducing the headache of finding tenants and vetting them.
Toro
Rent your car! Are you going on a trip anytime soon? If so, use Toro to make money while your car is just sitting around.
Because of COVID-19 a lot of workers are now remote. That means their car is just not useful to them as much. Why not rent it and get paid for doing nothing?
If you have a car under 5 years old it’s a fantastic opportunity to make decent side cash while people use it for their transportation.
Best Money Making Apps For Your Spare Change
Acorns
Invest your spare change without ever noticing a difference. When you’re shopping Acorns will automatically round up to the nearest dollar the difference in your amount and invest that for you. Let’s say you went grocery shopping and spent $45.35. Acorns will put $.65 into your investing account for you automatically.
Over time these funds quickly add up into hundreds or thousands of dollars working for you making money.
It’s the best choice for lazy investors who are looking to make the most of their shopping habits.
Fundrise
Just like Acorns, Fundrise is built to help you begin your path into investing in real estate. It takes micro-investments and will apply them to real estate deals for you.
This way you get a return on your money and you can learn the business of real estate investing without putting in large amounts of capital.
If you have spare change and want to make it work for you, this is a great starting point.
Conclusion
There you have it!
Those are the best money making apps around right now. Obviously there are some I missed, but most of the time they’re fly-by-night companies looking to make a quick buck.
Instead I scoured through hours of research to make sure each one is legit, and you have a good chance of making a great side income from your effort.