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Since you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re killing some extra time and looking for a few ways to make extra money. There’s also a good chance you don’t have too much time to burn. According to a recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 7.5 million people reported working multiple jobs as of August 2018.

This data is pretty clear: if you’re willing to put in the time, you can definitely boost your income. 

Sure, we all need to relax a bit. Reading articles and watching cat videos (you know you do it) can definitely help. But this won’t put any real cash in your wallet.

That’s why we put together this definitive list of the best money making apps for your smart phone.

It’s time to put your phone and your free time to work!

If you’re looking for ways to make money using your phone, you can trust this list. We have carefully researched and verified each of the suggested apps on this list. Our unbiased review of each app includes our personal experiences, how much money you may expect to earn, and more.

Included in our review:

• Phone apps with the best sign-up bonuses
• Phone apps with the highest earning potential
• The best apps to get free gift cards
• Our top choices for passive income apps
• The best apps to make money in your spare time
• Our favorite apps to sell unwanted stuff
• Common sense money apps everyone should download
• Top apps that pay you real money for your opinions
• Phone apps that pay you to lose weight and workout

Phone Apps With the Best Sign-up Bonuses

The apps in this section are here for a reason: they’re great money making apps – no doubt – but they get first priority because they also offer the best sign-up bonuses.

If you download each of them and follow the instructions below, you could earn earn over $325 in cash bonuses.

Ibotta: Earn Cash Back While You Shop ($10 Bonus)

When it comes to cash back apps, we’ve dubbed Ibotta the king. Why? They’ve helped users earn over $420 million in cash back.

Since joining Ibotta two years ago, my wife and I have saved an average of nearly $10 on each grocery trip just by activating offers that fit our shopping list. Some of our favorite offers are on items like milk, laundry detergent, paper towels, toothpaste and mouth wash, and Halo Top ice cream.

Here is a look at how simple the cash back process is:

• Find offers on the products you already buy before you shop.
• Buy the products you selected at a participating store.
• Redeem the offers by taking a photo of your receipt in the app. Ibotta will handle the rest.
• Cash back will be deposited in your account in 48 hours.
• Transfer cash back via PayPal (don’t worry, you won’t pay any service fees, and PayPal is free to use, too).

Click the button below to sign-up, start making money while you shop, and get your $10 Ibotta sign-up bonus.

Lyft: Turn on the App and Start Driving ($300 Bonus!)

You read that right: you can earn a $300 bonus when you download the Lyft app, register as a new driver, and complete your first 100 drives. (That’s on top of the additional money you’ll earn for each drive.)

Never heard of Lyft?

Lyft is a ride sharing service that matches riders with Lyft drivers using their app. Drivers get paid for every drive on a per minute and per mile basis. Plus, drivers now get to keep 100% of all tips paid by riders when they pay for their ride using the app. Payments are deposited on a weekly basis or on the same day using Express Pay.

Check out the requirements for becoming a Lyft driver in the chart below.

More about that $300 bonus: 

• New drivers are eligible for the bonus after they complete their first 100 rides within 30 days of being approved as a driver.
  Our take: If you drive every Friday and Saturday night, plus one week night, every week of the month, you can hit the 100 ride mark pretty easily.
• When you fill out your driver application, the promo code “EXTRA300” should automatically populate. Double check that it is there and put it in yourself if not.
• No more than two rides per passenger will count toward your total. So driving grandma to the supermarket 27 times won’t help you.

Why we like the Lyft app: it is one of the best money making apps for busy adults who already work a full-time job. It’s possible to turn on the app on a Friday and Saturday nights and $500 or more.

Even if you don’t qualify for the $300 bonus, Lyft is one of our favorite side hustles for busy people based solely on earning potential.

Sign-up for Lyft here.

Digit: the App That Helps You Save Money Automatically ($5 Bonus)

I used to have the best intentions when it came to saving money every week. I’d set reminders in my calendar, add it to my budget, and leave post-it reminders on my desk. But I’d always manage to forget until the end of the month.

Since I started using Digit, I’ve managed to dump my old habits and save over $2,500 automatically.

Seriously. And it has been easy.

Digit’s sophisticated savings algorithm takes the guess work out of saving money by regularly transferring small amounts of money to a special account. My money is always a simple transfer away, but it’s far enough away that I’m not tempted to spend it in a weak moment.

What we love about Digit: it’s a huge relief to know that saving money doesn’t have to be a chore. And as an added bonus, Digit members get daily texts showing their checking account balance.

Another pro: I keep a portion of our emergency fund in my Digit account, and I earned a $5.34 bonus – for doing nothing.

Oh, and a $5 sign-up bonus is pretty sweet, too.

ShopTracker: Earn Cash for Sharing Your Shopping History ($3 Bonus)

Before we tried ShopTracker, we thought, “Is this really a thing?”

It’s legit. ShopTracker will pay for the ability to anonymously catalog your shopping history and occasionally answer a few simple questions.

Here’s what you need to know:

• You must be 18 or older to use ShopTracker.
• The app anonymously collects data about your shopping history on Amazon.com. (No identifying data, such as your name, address, etc., are collected.)
• This opportunity is pretty passive. Sign-up, download the app, and occasionally upload new purchase receipts (at least once every 3 months)

Why you can trust ShopTracker: it is operated by The Harris Poll, one of the most trusted names in their field, so you know they’re legit.

Sign-up, grab the app, and collect your $3 bonus here.

Acorns: Making Microinvesting As Easy As It Gets ($5 Bonus)

Investing can be a scary thing. Maybe that’s why 30 percent of millennials indicated they prefer cash savings in a recent survey, according to USA Today.

But stick with us for a moment – what if you could invest just a bit of spare change here and there without really noticing?

That’s where Acorns comes in.

In the past year, I’ve strictly limited my Acorns investing to a total of $5 per week – specifically so I don’t notice it. With no effort on my part, my account has grown to nearly $300.

Full disclosure: I put my money in the most conservative option available just to see what would happen, and I earned 2.06% interest over this time, which beats pretty much every savings account I know other than CIT Bank.

Here are other options to grow with Acorns:

• Round Ups: Invest your spare change from daily purchases. (This can add up really fast!)
• Recurring Investments: Set investments on a recurring basis. (This is what I do.)
• One Time Investments: Invest when you feel like it.
• Found Money: Get money straight into your Acorns portfolio for shopping with Acorns-preferred brands (such as Apple, Bed Bath & Beyond, Groupon, Old Navy, and Toms).

Why we like Acorns: Investing probably can’t get much easier than this. And it until it does, we’ll remain huge fans of Acorns.

Smart Panel: Influence Tech Development ($5 Bonus + $5 per month)

Calling all techies – if you want to have an impact on the latest in digital product and service development, this chance is too good to pass up.

Smart Panel ranks high on our list of money making apps because it is secure and lightweight. The app works in the background to collect anonymous data to help your favorite websites, apps, and tech companies improve their features and performance for all users.

Here’s a quick run-down of what you can expect if you want to try Smart Panel:

• Sign-up by answering a brief questionnaire to see if you qualify for the Smart Panel.
• Once you qualify, install the Smart App on your registered devices. Please note: to earn the month bonuses, you need to install the app on at least one device per category (smart phone, tablets, and computers) as long as you own a device in that category.
• Be sure the app is synced on each device.
• You’ll collect your $5 sign-up bonus right away, and recurring monthly $5 bonuses will continue as long as you keep the apps up and running.

Why we love Smart Panel: They offer very competitive loyalty bonuses. Panelists who sign-up and remain active for 3 months earn their first loyalty bonus of $5. As you can see in the chart below, the bonuses and monthly rewards can add up pretty quickly – all for doing nothing!

The Best Money Making Apps With Highest Earning Potential

Each app in this section made our list due to the enormous earning potential each one offers. They’re not passive income apps, so you can expect to do some work in order to make money.

That said, if you’ve got a few free hours every week, we’re confident that one or more of these top paying apps will help put extra cash in your pockets.

Lyft: (again)

Wait a second. . . 🤔

Yes, we included Lyft a second time in this article, but we have our reasons.

It’s totally possible to earn upwards of $500 in a single weekend. That kind of income potential really adds up over the course of a month or even a year.

In some cities, Lyft drivers do this full time. 

If you’re curious, check out more on why we rated Lyft one of the best money making apps.

DoorDash: Like Ride Sharing, But For Food

If you think driving strangers from point A to B is awkward, don’t do Lyft or Uber. You need to try DoorDash.

Not familiar with DoorDash? It’s simple.

Drivers get paid to deliver food and other items directly from local merchants to customers.

In order to become a Dasher, you must be 18 years old and have an iPhone or Android smartphone. You can use any car to deliver, as long as you have a valid driver’s license, insurance, and a clean driving record.

We love and recommend DoorDash for many reasons:

• You can use motorcycles, scooters, bikes, or even walk in some markets.
• In addition to delivering from restaurants, DoorDash now offers WalMart deliveries in many areas.
• Dashers get to keep 100% of their tips.

Check out this page for more information on how you can start Dashing.

AirBNB: Let Your House Pay You For a Change

Last summer, my friends Justina and Pratt took the trip of a lifetime overseas – without totally breaking their budget or depleting their life savings.

They were away for nearly two weeks, and they traveled throughout countries with some of the highest living costs in the world.

They did it by staying in AirBNBs.

Over the past 8 years, AirBNB has become increasingly popular as an alternative to hotel rooms, according to Bloomberg. In fact, once people switch, they don’t go back.

This isn’t good for traditional hotels, but it could be great for you.

When you become an AirBNB host and start using the AirBNB app, you can start making money hosting after you:

• List your home (or individual rooms) for rent on the app
• Choose your own schedule, prices, and requirements for guests (the app is very good when it comes to suggesting competitive prices in your area)
• Communicate with potential guests and make arrangements for their stay

Curious about the pros and cons of AirBNB hosting? We’ve got you covered:

Why we recommend AirBNB: your home is probably the biggest expensive in your budget, but AirBNB hosting allows you to make extra money and turn one of your biggest assets into an effective money-maker.

Curious? Learn more about becoming an AirBNB host.

UberEATS: Another Food Delivery Driver App That Pays

Personal contact with strangers isn’t really your thing? DoorDash hasn’t made its way to your area yet?

Consider UberEATS instead.

Like DoorDash, UberEATS is a fun way to use your car, bike, or scooter to make extra money in your spare time. UberEATS drivers pick up orders directly from local restaurants and deliver them to customers. Drivers are paid for each delivery based on mileage.

When you feel like working, turn on the app and wait for a delivery order to come in. You’re the boss, so you decide when you want to work.

UberEATs is one of the best money making apps for busy people for many reasons:

• The requirements to become a driver are similar to driving for Uber (i.e. they’re easy to meet)
• This is one of the lowest-stress side hustles we’ve reviewed
• Drivers keep 100% of their tips
• UberEATS offers bonuses and incentives for drivers
• It is a perfect side hustle for people who are busy and cannot always commit to extra work

See if you qualify to become an UberEATS driver here.

Uber: Cash in on Ride Sharing

My friend, Brian (yes, a real person), has clawed his way out of debt almost solely thanks to his Uber side hustle. He would be the first person to tell he’s just about as introverted as a person can be, but he has excellent ratings and now has a way to make extra money pretty much whenever he feels like it.

Why the Uber app is one of our favorite money-makers: If you are polite, friendly, and go the extra mile for your riders by offering them use of a phone charger, an auxiliary audio cord, and cool bottled water, you’ll roll in excellent tips and gain repeat riders.

Pro Tip: You can totally sign-up to drive with Uber and Lyft – people do it all the time.

Nielsen App: Make $50 By Keeping an App on Your Phone

When you’re researching the best money making apps and discover that one in particular gives out $10,000 per month, you listen.

My wife and I are naturally a bit skeptical when something sounds too good to be true, but we were pleasantly surprised (and a bit shocked) to learn that the Nielsen app is 100% legit. The app is easy to install, completely secure, and simply hangs out in the background on your phone while collecting totally anonymous data about your internet usage.

Here are a few more reasons to consider downloading the Nielsen app:

• In addition to $10,000 in monthly prizes, the app will pay you $50 per year per registered mobile device
• You can earn additional rewards when you register a desktop device
• Nielsen has been in business for 90 years – they’re doing something right
• It’s easy to qualify to join Nielsen

See if you qualify for the Nielsen app panel here.

Best Apps to Get Free Gift Cards

OK – downloading apps to earn free gift cards isn’t exactly the same as making money. But it’s A) totally worth your time and B) very easy to do.

There are many programs out there that promise free gift cards if you’ll just download their app and answer a few questions (stop me if you’ve heard that before). But many of them are notoriously difficult for any “normal person” (and I use that word loosely with the full knowledge that I, myself, am not exactly normal) to qualify for.

This section is relatively short and sweet for a reason: these apps really work.

Drop: Supercharging Your Credit and Debit Card to Get Free Gift Cards

We’re not quite a cashless society – and we may never be – but statistics show it’s definitely heading in that direction.

• A 2012 MasterCard survey revealed that 73% of Americans use less cash than they did 10 years ago
• 80% of consumer spending is cashless
• Only 14% of respondents reported using cash for everyday purchases

Security and convenience are two of the biggest reasons why a majority of people prefer plastic over cash, but we think there’s an equally strong reason.

If you have the Drop app, you can effortlessly earn free gift cards just by shopping like normal with your debit and credit cards.

Drop works with major household brands (Starbucks, Target, Walmart, Hotels.com, Costco, Amazon, Uber, AMC, Safeway, Trader Joe’s, and Best Buy, to name a few) to give users rewards for the shopping they already do with their partner businesses.

We only recently learned about this app when researching for this article, but so far, consider us impressed.

This might be the easiest way to get paid for your everyday purchases.

Really.

Here’s an overview of how the Drop app works:

1. Sign-up with Drop and get the app. It’s 100% free.
2. Link the debit cards and credit cards that you plan to use at partner locations.
3. Shop at your favorite Drop partner locations for groceries, household items, clothes, quick snacks while on the run, or even grab an Uber ride. Whenever you spend with any of your linked cards, you’ll automatically earn points.
4. Redeem your points for gift cards whenever you feel like it.

Why we have quickly fallen in love with the Drop app, in pro/con format:

Our recommendation: Drop is a no-brainer for anyone looking to earn free gift cards without any added effort.

Learn more and sign-up for Drop here.

Shopkick: More Free Gift Cards for the Shopping You Already (Don’t) Do

Shopkick is a shopping app that pays you in free gift cards for the shopping you already do. But there’s also a bit more to it than that.

In our opinion, the coolest thing about the Shopkick app is that users can earn points toward gift cards just by walking into a store and scanning items.

You read that right: you literally don’t even to complete your regular purchases to earn points with Shopkick.

Here’s how it works:

• Sign-up for Shopkick, then open the Shopkick app when you’re out and about on your normal shopping runs.
• Discover daily challenges to earn points (called kicks) just for walking into nearby stores or scanning products in a fun scavenger hunt. You can also earn bonus kicks if you purchase products and submit your receipt!
• Cash in those kicks for free gift cards to Starbucks, Walmart, Target, Amazon, Sephora and more

Color us surprised if you’ve never heard of Shopkick until now, because the buzz is LOUD. Oprah calls it “addictive,” HuffPo named it “one of the best apps for holiday shopping,” and About.com simply calls it the “best shopping app.”

Pro tip: If you don’t really have a use for more gift cards cluttering up your house, you can always donate them to charity directly through the Shopkick app.

You can sign-up for Shopkick here. Android users can get the Shopkick app here, and iOS users can download it here.

YouGov: Get Gift Cards For Your Opinion

Ever wonder where all that data comes from when news articles or videos reference poll data?

YouGov provides a big chunk of it.

Honestly, it’s not as boring as it sounds. YouGov also asks users fun questions to determine rankings like Top 5 Contemporary Actors (Betty White is #1, BTW) and Top 5 Grocery Stores (7-Eleven is #1 – I love Slurpees, but come on, people).

Our take: Joining YouGov is kind of like reading a Ranker article and voting, except you get free gift cards in return.

You can learn more about YouGov here.

MobileXpression: Join Behavioral Market Research to Get Gift Cards

• Are the most popular sites on the Internet also the most popular sites on the mobile Internet?
• Where are people surfing to and what mobile applications are they using?

To join, members need to download and install the appropriate apps on their corresponding phone. The app does the rest, essentially monitoring Internet activity in an anonymous fashion to help MobileExpression develop an understanding of how people user the Internet on mobile devices.

Top Passive Income Apps

This is where our list of the best money making apps gets really good – these apps make money for you while you sleep.

CIT Bank App: Get Interest Rates That Crush the Competition

Thanks to your smart phone, the days of being stuck with a handful of local brick and mortar banks are over. Now, you can bank virtually pretty much anywhere and with any bank of your choice, securely and confidently.

What does this mean for you as a consumer? You have options.

When it comes to getting high returns on your hard-earned savings, we recommend CIT Bank’s High Yield Savings – they simply crush their competitors.

CIT High Yield Savings

Here’s why we believe CIT Bank High Yield Savings is an option worthy of consideration.

Pros

• No account opening fees or monthly maintenance fees.
• Minimum opening balance is $100.
• Account balances are FDIC-insured up to $250,000.
• 1.55% APY beats the national average by 22x

Cons

• Customer service is only available by phone from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM on weekdays with limited weekend hours.
• External transfers are difficult using the app.
• No traditional branch locations are available.

Who Would Benefit Most From This Account?

• Savers who are just starting a new emergency fund
• Savers who currently have a savings account with a low APY

In case you missed it: you can start a new savings account with only $100.

Trim: Save Money on Services You Pay For With No Awkward Phone Calls

I need to get something off my chest: sometimes saving money just isn’t worth the hassle and embarrassment.

I know, I know, a penny saved is a penny earned, but it’s just plain embarrassing sometimes.

There, I said it. You know what I’m talking about, right?

Those people who show up at your neighborhood garage sale and want to buy the little knick-knack you’re selling – except they want to pay a nickle instead of a quarter. They’ve got guts.

I am not that person. And that’s why I like Trim.

Trim saves me the trouble of awkward phone calls with uncomfortable silence while still helping me save money on my bills. Since signing-up for Trim, our Comcast and Verizon Wireless bills have been significantly reduced. In fact, we saved over $700 on TV and internet.

As I was writing this section, I hopped on my Trim account to checkout out my free spending analysis, which shows my monthly cash flow compared to the previous month. This also reminded me that I’m currently paying a monthly fee for a seldom used Hulu account. Trim offered to cancel the subscription for me, but I’m not quite ready to pull the trigger yet.

At this time, Trim can’t negotiate every bill for you – which means you’ll need to call Jimmy the lawn care guy yourself – but they’re always working to expand the services they can negotiate on your behalf.

Why we recommend everyone try Trim: Chances are high that you’re leaving potential money on the table with your current phone or TV subscription services. Or you may even have a gym membership or car wash plan that you’ve meant to cancel for the last 2 years.

Learn more about Trim here.

Ebates: Make Money Shopping Online

If you regularly watch TV, Ebates is probably the most recognizable name on this list.

When it comes to getting cash back for shopping online, they’re the real deal – and one of favorite money saving tools.

Here’s how it works:

• Ebates offers savings of up to 40% off in the form of cash back at over 2,000 stores.
• Savings are now online and in-store.
• Think of Ebates as a major influencer. They send customers to stores, and Ebates earns a commission. They pass a portion of that on to you.

Why you should sign-up for Ebates: With a big $10 sign-up bonus and an always growing list of savings partners, Ebates is one of the easiest ways to save money on purchases you already make. You can also earn $15 for every referral you send their way.

Best Apps to Make Money in Your Free Time

If you have time to spare, there are better things to do than scroll through Facebook. Here are our favorite ways to kill time and make money.

GrabPoints: PayPal Cash for Watching TV and Downloading Apps

With GrabPoints, it’s simple to make money by watching videos, answering questions, downloading apps, and completing offers in your spare time.

Why we like GrabPoints: unlike a lot of other similar apps, GrabPoints lets users redeem their earnings even when balances are as low as $3.

Inbox Dollars: Watch Videos and More to Earn Cash, Not Points

Launched in 2000, Inbox Dollars is an online rewards club that connects users with brands and pays members in cash for their online activity. Users have earned a combined $57 million to date. It’s hard to argue with those results.

Options for making money with Inbox Dollars include:

• Watching videos
• Playing online games
• Reading email
• Searching the web

Why you should consider Inbox Dollars: We see new competitors pop up every few months, but Inbox Dollars has longevity on its side. They also pay a nice $5 sign-up bonus.

Foap: Get Paid to Upload Your Original Phone Photos

If you’re like my wife, you probably have more than 10,000 pics on your phone right now. I’m not shaming her – I have my own vices *like way more than 10,000 unread emails in inbox*

Why not get paid for those photos?

Foap is a great way to start turning your photos into real money with very little effort. You can get the full scoop here, but the process is fairly straightforward:

• Get the Foap app and upload photos you wish to sell
• Foap will license your photos for sale for $10 each.
• When a buyer completes a purchase, you make $5 and Foap gets the rest.

Top Apps to Sell Unwanted Stuff

Roll up your sleeves – it’s time to flip junk for cash.

Mercari: Sell Your Stuff Fast

Mercari calls itself The Selling App, which is pretty clever. They also offer the ability to list items for sale in minutes, which is faster than posting a Craigslist ad or Ebay item.

With a sexy name like Mercari, you’ve got to be fast, right?

As it turns out, the rest of the process is quick, too. Once you have have an offer on your item(s), the good news is there are no meetups. Simply print out a shipping label and you’re done.

Why we like Mercari: While they do collect a 10% fee per item sold, this is a much better way to unload your junk than hosting a marathon garage sale all weekend.

Decluttr: Another Way to Sell Unused Junk

I’m by no means a minimalist, but the name Decluttr just gets me all kinds of fired up to sell all the things.

Decluttr offers members an easy way to sell their unwanted CDs, DVDs, games, books, cell phones, tablets, and gaming consoles with relative ease.

Here’s the lowdown:

• Interested sellers can download the app and start scanning items to get instant price quotes. Alternatively, you can search for items or enter bardcordes, but this is slower.
• If you like the price provided, simply pack the items you’re parting with in a box and send them off to Decluttr. There’s no waiting for offers or any other kind of negotiation.
• Decluttr will send you a Welcome Pack complete with a shipping label (they send it by email or in snail mail – your choice) so you can complete your order. Cut out the label, stick on it on the box, and send away your unwanted stuff forever.
• A few days later, when your items arrive at the Decluttr warehouse, they’ll look over your items to evaluate their condition. Once everything checks out, they’ll send your payment right away through PayPal, direct deposit, or check.
• There are a few limitations/requirements for using Decluttr: each transaction must total a minimum of $5, and you need to sell a total of 10 media items (CDs, DVDs, etc.) or one tech item.

Why we like Decluttr: Mercari may have the sexier name (it sounds like something Michael Bolton would name his dog, doesn’t it?), Decluttr has many advantages.

Getting rid of your stuff quickly is definitely a plus, in our opinion. Also, our research indicates that Decluttr has user satisfaction on its side. They have a 5-star Trust Pilot rating, and they’ve helped users make over $250 million since they launched.

Start unloading your clutter with Decluttr.

Common Sense Apps Everyone Needs

You probably have these apps already – you savvy money mind, you – but if not, there’s no time like the present.

CreditSesame: Stop Overpaying for the Money You’ve Borrowed

I see it all the time in my real estate business: people find out they got ripped off on a 30-year mortgage interest rate because of some bogus item that pulls their credit score down.

Sometimes, these people don’t even know their credit score, what constitutes a good credit score, or what factors even contribute to your credit score in the first place.

Knowledge is power when it comes to these kind of things.

The good news is CreditSesame can help you learn all of this, including a few other helpful insights into your financial big picture, all for FREE.

The CreditSesame app won’t help you make money, per se, but in an indirect way, it can help you save money.

Apps That Pay You to Exercise and Lose Weight

If you’re losing weight and exercising just to make money, you might want to talk to someone about that. But if you’re doing it for the right reasons, there’s no shame in snagging an app or two to sweeten the process even more, right?

DietBet: Lose Weight With Others and Split the Pot

I won’t speak for you, but when it comes to competition, I’ll bet on myself 100% of the time. I absolutely hate to lose.

I’ll be honest: I have put on the pounds since my son was born 6 months ago, and I’ve been researching ways to add a bit more motivation to lose the weight.

So far, DietBet is looking like my go-to choice.

Here’s how it works:

• Compete against other people to reach a weight loss goal by joining an existing “game” or create your own and challenge friends. To start the game, you’ll need to put your money where your mouth is and drop some cash in the pot.
• After 4 weeks, whoever has met the agreed-upon goal (say, losing 4% of your body weight) splits the pot, while those who didn’t meet their goal get nothing.
• The weigh-in process before a game is standardized. Two days before a game starts, you’ll need to submit a photo of yourself standing on the scale in light-weight clothes (no hats, belts, shoes, watches, coats, or outerwear) and also a photo of your feet on the scale with the numerical weight clearing visible. You’ll also create a “weigh-in word” and write it on a sheet of paper to act as a time stamp when you upload the first weigh-in photos, which prevents cheating.
• Once the referee (I’m not making this up) approves your initial photos, the game begins and you have 28 days to lose 4% of your body weight. During the competition, you can use the app to share tips, post photos, comments, trash talk, and get to know your competitors more.
• When the 28 day period is done, you’ll upload another round of photos. If you’re a winner, you’ll get paid and can cash out via PayPal or roll over you winnings to another competition.

StepBet: Like DietBet, with Steps

I’ll keep this one short and sweet. If you want to compete with others over the number of steps you take instead of pounds lost, check out StepBet.

Sweatcoin: Another Way to Earn Money for Your Steps

Like StepBet, Sweatcoin is another way to get paid for taking healthy steps – literally – toward a better you.

The Sweatcoin app uses your phone’s GPS settings to record your outdoor steps and provides points for the steps you take. Over time, those points will add up, especially if you’re an avid walker, and they can be cashed in for things like shoes, yoga classes, a trip to Borneo, or PayPal cash.

Apps That Pay You For Sharing Your Opinions

If you’ve made it this far and still haven’t found a new app to help you make money, you might have some pretty strong opinions.

Why not share them and get paid?

Survey Rewardz: One of the Most Popular Market Research Companies

Before my wife and I got married, she spent a lot of her down time on the couch with her laptop – you guessed it – answering survey questions.

I’ll be honest: I made fun of her pretty badly. 

Then it was her turn to make fun of me when she cashed out the money she’d earned while watching Gilmore Girls.

I honestly had no idea that companies actually paid people – quite handsomely, in some cases – to take surveys and share their opinions.

Survey Rewardz makes the top of our list of the best survey apps due its solid reputation for paying out thousands upon thousands of dollars to members over time.

Getting started is quick and easy:

• Register for Survey Rewardz. The process took us less than 2 minutes.
• Watch your email inbox for surveys that match your profile. More often than not, you’ll be a good fit for the survey, and if not, you won’t get 90% of the way through it only to be told that you’re not a good fit for the panel.
• After you complete surveys, it’s easy to see your earnings add up in the dashboard.

Our experience with Survey Rewardz: After I signed-up, I was bounced from two surveys that didn’t match my interests and profile in the first two minutes. Then I was connected with a survey surrounding TV watching habits, which was right up my alley.

All in all, it took just over 10 minutes to complete it, and I earned $1.40. The questions were easy to answer honestly while also doing something mindless like throwing a tennis ball with my dog or watching the news.

Our recommendation: Survey Rewardz is worth your time if you’re looking to make the most of spare time and make some extra cash.

You can click here to sign-up or learn more about Survey Rewardz.

Survey Junkey: Make Up to $50 Per Survey

Survye Junkey is just about as straightforward as it gets, but what separates them from the pack is the potential for high payouts on select surveys.

You can learn more about Survey Junkey here.

VIP Voice: Share Your Opinion and Make an Impact

VIP Voice is probably one of the closest things to a “household name” in the survey world. My wife and countless friends have joined over the years and had good experiences.

Here are our favorite things about VIP Voice:

• Members are automatically eligible to win up to $1,000 in regular cash prizes
• Earned points are eligible to be redeemed via SweepLand and BidLand. There’s a lot of nuance here, but the good news is you can often redeem points for items of high-value.

Check out VIPVoice here.

SurveySavvy: Participate in Behavioral Research and Get Paid

You know the drill by now. SurveySavvy is a lot like other survey taking apps out there, but there are a few things that set them apart from the others:

• Members can cash out earnings when they reach as little as $1.00
• Payments are sent via US mail by check – no points to redeem
• They have a generous referral program – when you refer someone, you earn when they complete surveys, too

Why we like SurveySavvy: They’ve been around since 1999, so you know they’re legit. They also pride themselves on protecting your personal data, which isn’t always the case with other survey companies we’ve reviewed.

Get started with SurveySavvy or learn more.

CashBackResearch: Earn Up to $75 Per Survey

Move over, SurveyJunkey.

CashBackResearch offers savvy survey takers the opportunity to earn $75 for just one survey.

Other opportunities to earn real cash include:

• Participating in clinical research studies for up to $150/hour
• Bonus cash for reading email
• Daily survey opportunities

Our favorite part about CashBackResearch: It’s easy to collect your earnings via PayPal, and they can add up quickly if you commit to checking survey offers every day.

Sign-up for CashBackResearch here.

Mobee: Sharing Feedback as a Secret Shopper

I have to admit that secret mystery shoppers were a huge source of stress when I worked at the local movie theater in high school. They were hard to spot, and I was always paranoid they’d rate me poorly for putting too much butter on their popcorn. Or not enough.

If mystery shopping is your thing, Mobee is an app that you can download to your iPhone or Android to get paid to mystery shop, take online surveys or just eat out and give feedback.

Wrap-up

If you made it this far, you can officially consider yourself an expert on the best money making apps available for mobile devices today. Get yourself a cookie!

Did we miss any apps that pay serious cash? Let us know in the comments below.

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