In this post we talk about 20 app ideas to make money from your smartphone.
Easy money apps WANT to pay you some extra cash! Did you know that you can get paid to spend time using apps on your phone and complete everyday activities? The same time that you routinely use to watch cat videos on Youtube or browse news sites can be quite profitable.
When you use easy money apps like Honeygain and plenty more we have selected below, you get the chance to earn real money. Depending on the app, you will be able to cash out via gift cards, PayPal, or money to your bank, after you hit a threshold. If this sounds like a fun way to earn money to you, read on for the best app ideas to make money from your smartphone.
20 App Ideas to Make Money From Your Smartphone
1. Honeygain
Honeygain has a unique business model that gives you a hands-free way to earn money from your phone. You will need to install the HoneyGain app, which is available for Android, Windows, as well as MacOS.
Once the app is installed and you are signed up, simply connect your phone or computer to the internet. Honeygain shares your idle network bandwidth with data scientists. In return, you earn money for the bandwidth you contribute. The payout rate is around 1 credit per 10 MB. This means you can earn up to $30 per month.
2. Ibotta
In the old days, shopping rewards cards were all the rage. Nowadays, however, app ideas to make money like Ibotta are taking over the shopping rewards experience.
With Ibotta, you get cashback for purchases that you make from the app. You can pay with Ibotta in order to get automatic cashback. Alternatively, you can shop in-store at partners or online and submit your receipts into the app.
Once you hit the $20 threshold, you can cash out your rewards via a gift card, Venmo, or PayPal. Example Ibotta partners include:
- Walmart
- Amazon
- Expedia
- Samsung
- Groupon
- Hotwire
3. Rakuten
Formerly known as Ebates, Rakuten allows you to shop at your favorite stores and earn cash back when your purchases are verified. Rakuten’s network is wide, encompassing over 2,500 stores. This provides numerous opportunities to get up to 40% cash back on purchases.
Participating stores pay Rakuten a commission for sending shoppers their way. When you make purchases, Rakuten rewards you with a share of the commission. Each quarter, Rakuten will issue your cashback via check or PayPal.
4. Coinout
Coinout takes a unique approach to the cashback space. Instead of working with only a small set of retailers’ receipts, you can get cashback on purchases from any retailer. This means you don’t have to abandon your local stores.
After shopping, just take a photo of your receipt and upload it into the app. Coinout will issue you cashback and show you relevant offers for more earnings. Once you have $10 or more, you can cash out via PayPal.
5. Surveys On The Go
Survey app Surveys On The Go lets you use your downtime to take surveys and earn some cash to spoil yourself. The app provides market research to its partners.
By taking surveys, you get to voice your opinion on a range of subjects, including products and shopping. Even better, the app makes taking surveys fun and convenient, so you can make this a part of your daily routine.
There is a $10 minimum for payouts. Payouts are processed via Starbucks gift cards, as well as Amazon gift card or PayPal.
Sign up for Surveys on the Go here.
6. BoomGift
For the app lover, BoomGift is a near perfect match. This app pays you for discovering and trying new apps.
That includes hit games and other popular apps, which makes this a highly entertaining way to earn money. Once you have installed BoomGift, just begin downloading suggested apps and trying them out.
To get paid, make sure you are leaving the apps you download open for long enough for the install to fully register in BoomGift. BoomGift rewards you with coins that can be redeemed by gift card.
7. ReceiptPal
With a mission to help retailers and major companies with market research, ReceiptPal offers numerous cashback rewards. In exchange for participating, you get gift cards that you can use at major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowes.
All you have to do is take photos of receipts from your normal shopping trips. Valid receipts from local retailers and restaurants will earn you points that can be redeemed via gift cards. Each week, you stand a chance to win cash prizes via automated sweepstakes.
8. Shopkick
With Shopkick, you earn points not just for purchases, but also for walking into partner stores and scanning selected items. This adds to the fun experience of earning money from shopping.
Shopkick offers cashback for shopping at a wide range of retailers, including:
- Target
- TJ Maxx
- Marshalls
- Best Buy
- Walmart
- Amazon
Both in-store and online purchases are supported. You can cash out your earnings via a gift card for retailers like Amazon, GameStop, Target, and more.
9. Swagbucks TV
Swagbucks TV is one of the big apps in the easy money making apps, and with good reason. The company behind the app, Prodege, has been around since 2008 and has received significant venture backing. This has given it tremendous staying power in this market.
Once you install the Swagbucks TV app, to start earning money, open the app and get some videos playing. The app rewards you with SB points for all videos watched. In reality, you do not need to interact much with the app at all besides this. Your SB points can be redeemed via gift card.
10. Earny
Unlike the shopping rewards easy money apps featured elsewhere in this guide, Earny adds consumer advocacy to its shopping rewards. In addition to cashback, Earny rewards you for price drops.
What Earny does is that it checks for price drops after you have completed a purchase. If the price for the item you bought drops, Earny claims the difference for you. The price protection window varies from 15 days to 90 days in some cases.
For you, the shopper, the only requirement is to shop and upload your receipts. Earny will reward you with cash back as well as monitoring for price drops automatically.
11. Mercari
If you have plenty of unwanted items lying around the house, Mercari is the app you want. Mercari lets you easily make money from selling the stuff you have that you don’t want anymore.
The app has a user base of millions of buyers across the country. Once you identify items to sell, just list them on the app. There is no listing fee. Instead, when a buyer buys, you just ship the item and Earny will take its 10% share of the price from the buyer’s payment.
Sign up for Mercari and get $10 credit here.
12. LetGo
LetGo is a goldmine if you have plenty of used items you want to get rid off. What makes the app unique is the wide variety of items you can sell, including electronics, PS4 gaming consoles, phones, and used cars.
The app uses artificial intelligence to make categorization of your listings even easier. Once your listings are live, buyers will then find them through the app, and, once the transaction completes, you get your payment.
13. Lyft
If you don’t mind getting out of the house to make money on an app, then Lyft’s app has you covered. If you are a qualified driver and meet the Lyft requirements, you can make money in your spare time driving riders around town.
The great thing about using the Lyft app is that you will typically make more money than you would with surveys or video. This is one of the app ideas that make money and let you earn a sizable income that can rival or add to a full time job.
Sign up for Lyft as a driver here.
14. EasyShift
EasyShift pays you for going around your town or city and completing a range of small tasks. You will get paid for everything from eating out to shopping at nearby stores.
The app lets you take part in completing tasks that range from taking photos of items in-store to checking prices. If you have ever wanted to be a mystery shopper, this is your chance, and you get paid for it. EasyShift pays you for each job you complete, typically ranging from $2 to $12. Payouts are done via PayPal.
15. Decluttr
The Decluttr app is a fit for you if you have a lot of tech and gadgets that you want to exchange for cash. Decluttr collects used gadgets from end users and pays a price based on its assessment of the value.
To get started, download the app and take a photo of your item. Decluttr will then give you an offer price for the item. Shipping the item is free, covered by Decluttr. What makes this whole process hassle free is that Decluttr is pretty prompt about paying you once your item is processed.
Get a free $5 on Decluttr here.
16. Receipt Hog
Turn your mobile phone into a cashback machine with this app. Receipt Hog gives you cashback for a variety of shopping expenditures, regardless of where you shop. All you have to do is go shopping then take a picture of your receipt.
Receipt Hog awards you points for your purchases, with higher receipt totals earning you more points. You also earn points for taking surveys, inviting friends to use the app, and playing the “hog slot machine.” You can get your payout from the app via PayPal or gift cards.
17. Snapwire
For those with an inclination for photography, Snapwire opens up new avenues for earning money. This app lets you earn money from uploading and selling your photographs to businesses who use Snapwire. The demand for online photography has exploded due to consumers’ attention shifting to the web. Snapwire helps you serve the photography needs of online businesses, in an environment where fairness comes first.
The app gives you 50% of the sale price for marketplace sales. Special photography requests and challenges bring a payout of 100% of the sale price. These are uniquely high payout ratios in the space and a real advantage to using Snapwire.
18. Task Rabbit
TaskRabbit has gained a strong reputation for allowing users to earn money by completing tasks in their local area. As a “tasker” you will get access to a variety of jobs that people in the area want done.
Gigs include everything from furniture assembly to house cleaning. You can earn a good fee per project, with typical tasks running from $26 to over $140. If you have long stretches of free time, TaskRabbit can form a lucrative side hustle.
19. Drop
You can get paid for your regular shopping via the Drop app. Drop rewards you with cashback for shopping at the brands you love. All you have to do is link your cards with the app. When you go shopping as you normally do, you will automatically earn points for purchases.
Participating partners include travel sites like Expedia as well as restaurants and consumer goods stores. Drop lets you redeem your points via gift cards for Amazon, Starbucks, and Netflix, among others.
Sign up for Drop here to get $5 (code 0ztor).
20. Mobee
With Mobee, you can get paid for participating in secret shopper missions that you discover in-app. The app shows you a map with a variety of missions that you can complete in the nearby area. When you arrive at the store, complete answering the questions that Mobee shows you for the mission.
After you complete a mission, the Mobee team will review the mission and approve it. Once approved, you get a reward of points that can be converted into a gift card. Gift cards available can be used at businesses like Target, Best Buy, Dunkin’ Donuts, and plenty more.
Get Mobee here and use my referral code TPB8 to earn 300 Points!
App Ideas to Make Money Let Phones Do The Work
If you spend just a few minutes a day on these easy money apps, you could make a tidy sum each month, all from your smartphone. The neat part of it all is that you choose how much effort or work you want to do.
Easy money apps like Swagbucks TV let you take away the drudgery completely, with fun videos that still let you earn. If, on the other hand, you have more time and don’t mind a bit more work, apps like Lyft will let you earn even more.
In between these extremes, you have other easy money apps that reward you with cashback, money for trying apps, and more. This selection of apps means that your downtime can be quite lucrative if you let your phone do the work.
Hope you enjoyed this list of 20 app ideas to make money from your smartphone. Any feedback on other apps that make money? Let us know in the comments below!
