No boss, no shifts, no interview. That’s the deal here.
Between jobs, or just done having one? This list is sorted by how soon the money shows up, fastest first. Each one says what it pays, how you get paid and the catch.
One thing before you start: without an employer, nobody’s withholding taxes for you. The legal side jobs page covers what to set aside.
Money in a day or two, from your phone
No approval, no car. Pick an offer and go. For the full lineup of these, see the apps that pay you real money list.
1.Freecash
- What it is
- Freecash pays you for getting through game levels, trying apps and doing surveys.
- What you do
- Sort the offers by payout, grab one you can actually finish, and play it out.
- How much it pays
- There’s a $10 welcome bonus that unlocks with your first offer. Most cash-outs to PayPal, crypto or gift cards hit instantly. Your very first one has a $5 to $20 minimum based on region.
- The catch
- You’ll verify your ID with a selfie before anything goes out, and you need to be at least 16.
Worth it? Yes if you need money this week and have a few spare hours on your phone.
2.Bigcash
- What it is
- Bigcash is an offer app: coins for games, app trials, surveys and product deals.
- What you do
- Tap an offer, finish the task (Bigcash says most take 5 to 10 minutes) and collect.
- How much it pays
- 250 coins equals $1. Swap them for PayPal cash, a gift card or Bitcoin. Its App Store listing says payment goes out within 36 hours.
- The catch
- Bigcash’s terms let it raise your cash-out minimum and claw back rewards an advertiser flags.
Worth it? Yes if you want lots of tiny wins instead of one big grind.
3.Testerup
- What it is
- An app where you get paid to test mobile games, with surveys on the side.
- What you do
- Open a task, do exactly what its steps say, and the reward drops when you hit the goal.
- How much it pays
- You start with a $10 welcome bonus, and every task shows its payout before you commit. PayPal, Venmo (US), Visa virtual card or Amazon gift card, usually within 24 hours and up to 3 business days.
- The catch
- The PayPal and Venmo routes keep 5%. First payout needs a face check. Adults only.
Worth it? Yes if you’re already the type to lose an evening to a mobile game.
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4.KashKick
- What it is
- KashKick pays US users cash for game milestones, surveys and deals.
- What you do
- Install a game from the list, reach the milestone, repeat. Surveys fill the gaps.
- How much it pays
- Cash out at $10 to PayPal or a gift card. Someone on staff checks each withdrawal, usually within 1 to 3 business days.
- The catch
- New earnings sit pending for 1 to 31 days, about 14 on average. You need to be 18 and physically in the US.
Worth it? Yes if you can wait out that first pending period. After that it’s steady.
Money this week, if you’ve got wheels
Delivery takes a background check first, so give it a few days to get approved. After that you work whenever you turn the app on. The food delivery jobs page compares these head to head.
5.DoorDash
- What it is
- Delivering restaurant, grocery and convenience orders as an independent contractor.
- What you do
- Turn on the Dasher app, accept the offers you like, pick up, drop off. Car, scooter, motorcycle, or a bike in some cities.
- How much it pays
- Base pay per offer runs $2 to $10+, plus promotions and 100% of your tips. The amount on the offer screen is the minimum you’ll get. Weekly deposits usually land by Wednesday night.
- The catch
- Want your money same day? Fast Pay costs $1.99 a pop unless you use DoorDash’s Crimson card. You must be 18 (19 in some states, 21 in California).
Worth it? Yes if you’ve got a car or bike and a few free hours. You can start earning fast once you’re approved.
6.Uber Eats
- What it is
- Food, grocery and package delivery through the Uber Driver app.
- What you do
- Take delivery requests in a car, on a scooter or bike, or walking, whatever your city allows.
- How much it pays
- You earn base fare plus promotions plus tips, and you keep every dollar of tips. You see what a trip pays before you accept it. Money moves to your bank weekly, or cash out up to 6 times a day with Instant Pay.
- The catch
- Instant Pay costs $1.25 each time unless you have the Uber Pro Card. Car delivery needs you to be 19 (21 in California and New York State).
Worth it? Yes, and it’s the one to try with no car. Bike and walking delivery start at 18.
7.Spark Driver
- What it is
- Walmart’s delivery gig: deliver orders, or shop them and deliver.
- What you do
- Go online in the Spark app between 6:00 AM and 11:00 PM and take trips in your zone.
- How much it pays
- Each trip pays based on distance, order size and extras like heavy items, plus incentives and 100% of confirmed tips. Pay goes out instantly or weekly, depending on how you set it up.
- The catch
- Zones fill up, and when yours is full you wait for a spot. No motorcycles or scooters.
Worth it? Only if there’s room in your zone. Check during signup before you plan around it.
8.Instacart
- What it is
- Grocery shopping and delivery for Instacart customers.
- What you do
- Pick a batch, shop the list, deliver it. Or just shop, or just deliver.
- How much it pays
- Each batch pays based on drive time, how many items, their weight and shopping time, plus 100% of the tips. Weekly deposits land Wednesday to Friday, or cash out within minutes of a delivery.
- The catch
- Instant cashout costs a small amount Instacart doesn’t list on its pages. You need to be 18 and have a vehicle.
Worth it? Yes if you don’t mind hauling groceries. Tips on big orders are the whole game.
Money from stuff you already own
Stuff sitting around is cash you haven’t collected yet.
9.Facebook Marketplace
- What it is
- Facebook’s buy-and-sell section.
- What you do
- Post what you don’t need, answer messages, meet up or ship it.
- How much it pays
- Shipped sales cost you 10% of the transaction, at least $0.80.
- The catch
- Expect plenty of flaky buyers who ask if it’s still available and then vanish.
Worth it? Yes for bulky stuff like furniture you’d never want to ship.
10.Airbnb
- What it is
- Turning a spare room or empty place into a short-term rental.
- What you do
- Make a listing, decide the price and the rules, and welcome guests.
- How much it pays
- Most hosts now give Airbnb 15.5% of each booking. Your payout releases about a day after the guest checks in.
- The catch
- Money can be held up to 45 days during a review, and local rules on short-term rentals vary a lot.
Worth it? Yes if you have the room. Nothing else here comes close per weekend.
11.Swimply
- What it is
- Renting your backyard pool to people by the hour.
- What you do
- List the pool, set your hours, let guests book and swim.
- How much it pays
- Swimply takes 15% to 25% of the booking price, and the rest is deposited after each booking.
- The catch
- Strangers in your backyard, plus the cleanup.
Worth it? Only if you have a pool and the patience for guests.
12.SpotHero
- What it is
- Renting out a parking spot through SpotHero’s marketplace.
- What you do
- Send in the spot’s location, price and hours. If it’s a fit, SpotHero adds it.
- How much it pays
- SpotHero pays monthly for the reservations that ended the month before. The ACH deposit typically shows up 7 to 10 days into the month.
- The catch
- Your spot has to stay open for anyone with a booking, and enforcing the rules (towing included) is on you.
Worth it? Only if you’re near a busy area and the spot sits empty all day.
Odd jobs, on your schedule
Real work, but you pick when. These pay more per hour than the apps and don’t need a delivery car (except GoShare, which needs a truck).
13.TaskRabbit
- What it is
- A marketplace for local odd jobs like furniture assembly, moving help and mounting TVs.
- What you do
- List your skills, draw your work area, set your hours, take tasks.
- How much it pays
- You set your own hourly rate and minimum. Clients cover the platform charges, and you keep all your tips.
- The catch
- It costs $25 to register (non-refundable, and paying it doesn’t guarantee you get in). The Tasker app has weak ratings.
Worth it? Only if you’re handy and live in an active city.
14.Rover
- What it is
- Running your own pet sitting, boarding and dog walking gig through Rover.
- What you do
- Set up a profile, choose services and rates, get booked by pet owners.
- How much it pays
- You set the rates and take home 80% after Rover’s 20% cut. Money shows up 2 days after you finish a service.
- The catch
- There’s a $49 to $79 profile review charge before you start.
Worth it? Yes if you love animals. It’s one of the nicer ways to earn without a boss.
15.Wag!
- What it is
- A dog walking app that matches walkers with owners.
- What you do
- Get approved, then walk dogs in your area.
- How much it pays
- Wag doesn’t post pay rates or how much of each walk you keep.
- The catch
- Background check required, and you have to be an 18+ US permanent resident.
Worth it? Only as a second pet app next to Rover. Hard to judge without numbers.
16.Instawork
- What it is
- An app for picking up hourly shifts at local businesses.
- What you do
- Browse shifts near you (warehouse, events, food service and more), claim one, show up.
- How much it pays
- Shifts pay up to $30 an hour, and the US average is over $20. Eligible shifts pay out instantly.
- The catch
- You get vetted first, including a background check. It’s in a few dozen to a few hundred cities, depending which page of theirs you read.
Worth it? Yes if you want real hourly pay without signing up for a real job.
- What it is
- Moving and delivery jobs for people with a pickup, van or box truck.
- What you do
- Take moving and delivery jobs in your vehicle class, or labor-only jobs with no vehicle.
- How much it pays
- GoShare lists average earnings up to $60 an hour for pickups, up to $105 for cargo vans and up to $188 for box trucks. Deposits take 4 business days.
- The catch
- The vehicle has to be a 2004 or newer and pass inspection. Those hourly numbers are “up to” averages.
Worth it? Only if you already own a truck or van. Then it’s the biggest hourly number on this page.
Cash that might already be yours
18.FileYourClaim
- What it is
- A list of class action settlements you can still file a claim for.
- What you do
- Look for products and services you’ve used, file the claim online, wait.
- How much it pays
- The payout and deadline are on each listing. Some are pocket change, some top $75.
- The catch
- Payments come after the settlement is approved, often 6 to 12 months past the deadline.
Worth it? Yes. Ten minutes of forms for money you’re already owed.
The slow, hands-off stuff
Barely any effort. Also barely any money, at least at first.
19.Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel
- What it is
- A Nielsen panel that measures your phone and computer use for research.
- What you do
- Register, install the software, then just use your devices normally.
- How much it pays
- Points toward gift cards and prizes. On mobile, a year in the panel can earn up to $50 in points, and there are monthly prize drawings.
- The catch
- Points expire, and Nielsen sees your device activity. That’s the trade.
Worth it? Only if the privacy trade doesn’t bug you. It’s the laziest money on this list.
20.Arrived
- What it is
- An investing app for buying shares of rental homes.
- What you do
- Choose a property or fund, buy shares, and Arrived handles the tenants and repairs.
- How much it pays
- The minimum to get in is $100. Rental cash flow gets paid out monthly under Arrived’s current policy, and the home can gain (or lose) value.
- The catch
- You can only ask to cash out during quarterly windows after your first six months, and it needs approval. Your own money is at risk.
Worth it? Only with cash you won’t need for years. This is investing, not a paycheck.
How to stack these
Don’t sign up for 20 things. Pick three: one phone app for quick cash, one gig with real hours, and one thing you own that can earn.
Run them for two weeks, then drop whatever paid the least for the time it took. If you want a longer menu of real-world gigs, the 43 side gigs list has more. Browse every idea in side hustles.
Questions
How can I make money fast without a job?
The phone apps up top are the fastest. Freecash and Testerup can pay within a day. With a car or bike, DoorDash and Uber Eats are next, once you’re approved.
How do I make money without a job or a car?
Uber Eats lets you deliver by bike or on foot in a lot of cities. Rover, TaskRabbit and Instawork don’t need a car either, and neither does anything you do from your phone.
What’s the most passive way to make money without working?
Nielsen’s panel, which pays for leaving software on your devices, and filing class action claims. Both pay small. Arrived is passive too, but it’s an investment and you can lose money.
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