24 Legit Apps That Pay Real Money

There are actually legit apps that pay real money! It’s a great way to make a little money on the side with with basic activities you can complete on your smartphone, like taking surveys, watching videos, shopping online and even playing games!

At Low Income Relief, we’re all about finding new and creative ways to boost your income. We have helped millions of people over the years connect with low income benefits, resources, and freebies.

Let’s explore some legit apps that can put real money in your wallet from the comfort of your own phone!

Surveys Apps like Swagbucks

There are many apps that pay users who complete surveys, watch videos, shop online or even play games. You can usually redeem your winnings for gift cards or even PayPal cash.

Swagbucks is one of the most popular and legitimate apps for earning extra cash. It’s also my personal favorite, because I earn around $100-$200 a year in Amazon gift cards from this app. It really helps my family during the holidays. You can get a $10 sign up bonus when you sign up for Swagbucks.

Inbox Dollars will pay you to take surveys, read emails, play games and even browse the internet. You’ll need $30 worth of points to request a payout. Your money will be sent within two weeks or so. Other sources have reported earning up to $225 a month through this service. Get a $5 bonus when you sign up for InboxDollars.

FreeCash is another legitimate app that allows you to earn extra cash by completing simple tasks like playing games, trying out new apps, or taking quick surveys. With payouts starting at just $2, it’s accessible and easy to cash out your earnings. FreeCash users report earning anywhere from $1 to $75 per app, with some offers going as high as $780. It’s a flexible way to make a little extra money in your spare time, and many users appreciate the fast cashout times, which average just 17 minutes. If you’re looking for a variety of ways to earn, try FreeCash now!

Survey Junkie is another popular option that pays users for sharing their opinions on various products and services. You can redeem your points for gift cards or even cash (through PayPal). It’s easy to navigate and the surveys are short, so a lot of users enjoy it.

Surveys on the Go offers payouts starting at just $10 but they also collect what they call Fair Trade Data. That means they’re paying you for anonymized data as you browse the data, move to different locations and more. They acknowledge this openly, which is better than some other platforms but it’s still something you should be aware of.

Task Apps like Gigwalk

If you’re willing to go out in town with your phone, there are even more apps that will pay you to do basic tasks. This section is full of apps like Gigwalk and Field Agent that pay you to do different things, usually at stores in your community.

Field Agent is a task-based app like Gigwalk and Rewardable. The Field Agent app provides a list of needed tasks that you can complete for cash. These jobs require you to go to local areas and gather information, such as product prices or photos of certain displays. You can get the app on Android and iOS.

Gigwalk is another app like Field Agent. It matches you with tasks, or gigs, based on your GPS location. The tasks can take anywhere from 5 minutes to a few hours to complete. Payments are processed via PayPal. Gigwalk is available on Android and iOS.

Mobee is a secret shopping app that pays users to complete missions. The app will show you which stores in your area are currently looking for secret shoppers. As you complete the mission, you’ll be asked a series of questions that will help you earn cash and prizes. 

Neighbor pays up to $600 per month to users who rent out storage spaces to people in their neighborhood. The service is easy and free to use. You just need to list your space on their app.

Rewardable is an app like Gigwalk or Field Agent. There are currently over 100,000 users on this platform that earn rewards for finding bugs on websites, beta testing services, posting to social media, using apps, taking surveys, making referrals and more.

Amazon Mechanical Turk provides a marketplace for basic tasks like data validation, surveys, content moderation and more. It appears they have a mobile app so that you can do these tasks from your phone as well.

Rebate Apps like Ibotta

Love to shop? Put some money back in your pocket with these great rebate and shopping apps.

Ibotta provides cash back on grocery purchases and other items. All you have to do is link your loyalty card or scan your receipts! I’ve earned hundreds of dollars from my use of the Ibotta app over the years, and my favorite feature is their 100% cashback section. It’s a great way to find freebies! Get a $5 bonus when you sign up for Ibotta.

Fetch Rewards is one that I’ve heard great things about from our readers and subscribers. Just like Ibotta, this app lets you scan your receipts to claim cash back. This app is available on both Android and iOS devices.

National Consumer Panel provides incentives to people who join their panel. You can earn points for scanning purchases, completing surveys and more. You can redeem your points for gift cards and more. You just need to register on the NCP website to get started.

Rakuten provides cash back when you shop through their app as well. You can even get cash back on restaurant purchases! This is one of the best-known names in rebates, since they’ve provided over $325 million to users since 1998.

Receipt Hog allows you to redeem your points for cash back or gift cards. You just need to upload your receipts into the app to get credit. This app also has a useful budgeting feature that can help you visualize your spending.

Shopkick doesn’t even require you to make purchases in order to get points. You can simply walk into stores, scan products, and watch videos to accrue kick points, which can be redeemed for money.

Data-Gathering Apps like Nielson

There are many companies who are eager to pay you for access to your mobile usage statistics. If you don’t mind sharing your data, you can get paid just for having these apps installed.

Whenever you choose to monetize your data, you need to make sure that you carefully review the company’s Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions. Each company will handle these things differently. Sharing data can be dangerous, so it’s important that you understand how your data will be used so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not it is worth using the app.

Evidation gathers anonymized health and fitness data from users. Their app pays people to walk and engage in other healthy activities.

MobileXpressions says that you can earn a $5 Amazon gift card in just one week. You’ll earn credits every week that can be redeemed for online gift cards.

Nielson Mobile Panel is part of the world-renowned Nielson research company. If you join their panel, you’ll be entered into sweepstakes giveaways and earn up to $60 a year just for having their app installed on your devices. They like to gather data across different platforms, so you may need to register using your computers, smartphones and tablets as well. You can join on the Nielson website.

Photography

If you like to take pictures, you can put your camera to work and start earning money with these photography apps.

Foap provides a 50/50 profit share on any images you sell from your Foap portfolio. They have paid over $3 million to creators over the last 10 years. There are more than 3,000 brands that are using Foap to source their images. Some of these include big names like Nivea, KraftHeinz, IHG and more. You can use their app on Android and iOS.

Printify can help you create products out of your photos and designs. You can create print-on-demand products like mugs, T-shirts, phone cases and more out of your images. It’s free to get started and you can even sync your Printify store with Etsy. Start here.

Gig Economy Apps

If you’re willing to do a little bit of work, these apps will pay you for your effort!

DoorDash is a door-to-door food delivery service that brings restaurant meals and even groceries right to your home. Dashers must be at least 18 years old, have a relatively clean driving record and pass a background check to start accepting orders.

Uber pays drivers to give rides to passengers. You can cash out instantly with their Instant Pay feature as well! It’s one of the most highly-rated gig economy apps available, especially in busy metro areas.

Fiverr is a marketplace that empowers you to sell services for as low as $5 each. Whether you’re a graphic designer, writer, social media manager or gamer, there are tasks you can do. Some users just get paid to play video games with people! Once you complete a gig, you’ll get paid via direct deposit or PayPal.

Important Warnings & Disclaimers

While these money-making apps can be very helpful, there are a few important things to consider before you dive in and start making money:

• Impact on Benefits: If you’re low income or rely on government benefit programs like SNAP or SSI, you need to make sure that you understand the rules about earning money from these programs. Usually, it’s OK if you get paid in a store-specific gift card (like an Amazon gift card) but withdrawing cash through PayPal may cause problems. Always check the latest rules for the programs you depend on before participating in these apps.
• Be Cautious with Data Sharing: Most money-making apps require personal information and some will even ask for access to sensitive data like your location or browsing history. Some apps may sell your data to third parties for advertising purposes. Always read the app’s privacy policy and terms and conditions to keep yourself safe.
• Watch Out for Scams: Never pay upfront fees for the chance to earn money on an app. Legitimate apps will never ask you to pay money in order to join or withdraw your funds. Be wary of apps that promise high earnings but require upfront investment. Stick with reputable apps with clear payment terms and no hidden fees.

By keeping these points in mind, you can safely enjoy the legit apps that pay real money without worrying about any potentially harmful consequences to your wallet.

Relief Recap

Earning extra cash through apps can be a simple and flexible way to supplement your income. It’s important to be careful, so stick with reputable apps like the ones in our list of verified, legit apps that pay real money to users. If you choose other apps, follow the advice and best practices in this article to keep yourself safe online. Enjoy your earnings!