What’s Paying Right Now (Apps and Gigs Worth Your Time)

Freecash

Best for: quick cash on a phone or a laptop

What it is

A rewards site and app that pays you for games, app trials, surveys and other offers.

What you do

Pick an offer and hit the goal it sets. Works fine on a computer too.

How much it pays

A $10 welcome bonus unlocks after your first offer. Cash out to PayPal or crypto (gift cards too), and most of those withdrawals are instant. Your first withdrawal needs $5 to $20 depending on where you live, then it’s $5 for PayPal.

The catch

You have to verify your ID (a selfie plus your ID) before the first cash-out. You also need to be 16 or older.

Worth it? Yes if you want your money fast and don’t mind a quick ID check once.

Try Freecash

Testerup

Best for: testing games on your phone

What it is

An app that pays you to test mobile games and take surveys.

What you do

Pick a game or survey and finish the goal. Every offer shows its reward before you start, so you know what you’re playing for.

How much it pays

There’s a $10 welcome bonus. You cash out by PayPal, Venmo (US), a Visa virtual card or an Amazon gift card, usually within 24 hours and up to 3 business days. PayPal and Venmo payouts lose 5%, the Visa card and Amazon options don’t.

The catch

You get paid for finishing the goal. Quit a game halfway and that offer pays nothing. Your first payout also needs a quick face check.

Worth it? Yes if you’ll actually finish what you start. Take the Visa card or the Amazon gift card to keep the full amount.

Get the $10 Testerup bonus

Bigcash

Best for: phone gamers

What it is

A rewards app that pays coins for playing games and finishing offers.

What you do

Pick an offer and finish it. Bigcash says most take 5 to 10 minutes.

How much it pays

250 coins = $1. Bigcash says some offers pay up to $170 and that it has paid users over $20 million. Its App Store listing says payments go out within 36 hours. Cash out to PayPal or gift cards.

The catch

Bigcash can raise your cash-out threshold based on how you use your account, and it can take rewards back if an advertiser says you only played the first few steps of a game.

Worth it? Only if you’ll stick with a game past the easy part. Best on your phone.

See today’s Bigcash offers

Branded

Best for: people who already play phone games

What it is

The games and apps side of Branded. You earn points for reaching levels in games and trying apps.

What you do

Install a game from the list and play until you hit the level it asks for. Then the points drop in.

How much it pays

You get 100 points for joining, and 500 points is $5. You can cash out once you hit 500, to PayPal, a bank transfer or gift cards. Branded says members can expect $5 to $100 a month.

The catch

Game offers take about 7 days to credit. This is not fast money.

Worth it? Yes if you’re on your phone playing games anyway. Skip it if you need cash this week.

Join Branded

Swagbucks

Best for: people who shop online anyway

What it is

A rewards site and app that pays points for surveys, games and shopping cash back, plus a pile of deals.

What you do

Take surveys and play games to hit goals. You also get cash back when you shop through Swagbucks.

How much it pays

100 points (SB) = $1. You can redeem gift cards from 300 SB, which is $3, or take PayPal cash, which lands in 2 to 5 business days. The $10 welcome bonus only pays if you spend at least $25 at a store through Swagbucks’ shop within 30 days of signing up.

The catch

That $10 is not free on sign-up. You have to buy something first. Points per task are small too.

Worth it? Only if you were going to buy something online anyway. Then the bonus is basically on the house.

Try Swagbucks

InboxDollars

Best for: people who hate points math

What it is

A site and app that pays in dollars, not points, for surveys and games plus shopping and offers.

What you do

Take surveys and play games. You can also shop for cash back, scan receipts and confirm PaidEmails.

How much it pays

A $5 welcome bonus for signing up and doing the short profile survey. Your first cash-out needs $15, then $10 after that. Cash out by PayPal or a gift card (Visa works too).

The catch

Payment can take up to 10 business days. If you don’t log in or confirm a PaidEmail in the 10 days before it processes, the request gets removed. US only, 18 and up.

Worth it? Only if you like seeing real dollars and can wait for that first $15.

Try InboxDollars

KashKick

Best for: a low cash-out in the US

What it is

A US-only rewards site and app that pays cash for games and surveys.

What you do

Play games until you hit the milestones, or answer surveys when you’re bored.

How much it pays

Cash out at $10 to PayPal or gift cards. Staff review every withdrawal, typically in 1 to 3 business days, and most get approved within a day.

The catch

Game and offer earnings sit pending for 1 to 31 days (about 14 on average) before they hit your balance.

Worth it? Yes if you’re in the US and patient. A $10 cash-out is pretty easy to reach.

Try KashKick

Nielsen

Best for: totally passive points

What it is

Nielsen’s research panel. You install its app or software and it measures how you use your phone and computer.

What you do

Install it, then use your devices like normal. That’s really it.

How much it pays

Points for prizes and gift cards. Nielsen says you can earn up to $50 in points a year on mobile, plus monthly sweepstakes where it gives away $10,000.

The catch

The software tracks your device activity. Points expire a year after you get them, or after 6 months of no activity. Much of the value is a sweepstakes chance.

Worth it? Only if you’re fine with the tracking and want something you never have to think about. It’s small money.

Join the Nielsen panel

DoorDash

Best for: the most flexible hours

What it is

Delivering restaurant and grocery orders (plus convenience and pet store stuff) as an independent contractor.

What you do

Go online in the Dasher app when you want and accept only the offers you like. You can dash by car, scooter or motorcycle, and some cities allow bikes.

How much it pays

Base pay of $2 to $10+ per offer, plus promotions like Peak Pay and 100% of tips. The amount on the offer screen is the minimum you’re guaranteed. You get paid weekly by direct deposit. Fast Pay gets it to you once a day for $1.99, and the DoorDash Crimson debit card gets free instant deposits after every dash.

The catch

Some offers pay $2 base. You need to be 18 or older (19 in some states, 21 in California) and pass a background check. Drivers need insurance too.

Worth it? Yes if you want hours you control and you’ve got wheels. Turn down the junk offers.

Sign up to Dash

Uber Eats

Best for: busy cities

What it is

Delivering food and groceries (packages too) through the Uber Driver app.

What you do

Accept delivery requests by car or scooter. Some cities also let you deliver by bike or on foot.

How much it pays

Base fare and promotions, plus 100% of tips, and you see the fare before you accept. Weekly to your bank, or Instant Pay up to 6 times a day for $1.25 a cash-out (free automatic payouts with the Uber Pro Card).

The catch

Delivering by car means 19 or older (21 in California and New York State). Earnings swing a lot by city.

Worth it? Yes if you live somewhere busy. Plenty of people run it next to DoorDash and take the better offer.

Sign up for Uber Eats

Shipt

Best for: people who’d rather shop than wait at restaurants

What it is

Target-owned Shipt’s gig: shopping and delivering grocery and household orders, or running package routes.

What you do

Pick orders in the app, shop them and drop them off.

How much it pays

Offer pay based on estimated time and effort, plus bonuses and every dollar of tips. Direct deposit every Friday for the week before, or Instant Pay 3 times a day once you’ve had one weekly payout.

The catch

Shipt doesn’t publish pay figures, and Instant Pay is locked until your first weekly payout. You need to be 18 with a US driver’s license and a reliable, insured car.

Worth it? Yes if you know your local stores and like shopping more than driving around.

Become a Shipt shopper

Instacart

Best for: grocery runs with tips

What it is

Shopping and delivering grocery orders as a full-service shopper.

What you do

Grab batches in the Shopper app. Full service means you shop and deliver, but you can take shop-only or delivery-only batches too.

How much it pays

Pay per batch, based on the drive and how big the order is, plus 100% of tips. Instacart covers a tip that gets zeroed out, up to $10, if no issue was reported. You get paid weekly by direct deposit, or cash out instantly for a small charge. Its Shopper Rewards Card pays out automatically after every batch.

The catch

No typical earnings number is published, and the instant cashout charge isn’t listed up front. You need to be 18 and eligible to work in the US, with a vehicle for deliveries.

Worth it? Yes if you’ve got a car and busy grocery stores nearby.

Apply on Instacart

Amazon Flex

Best for: set blocks with a posted hourly rate

What it is

Delivering Amazon packages in your own car, in scheduled blocks.

What you do

Reserve blocks up to a week ahead or grab same-day ones, then run the route.

How much it pays

Amazon says most delivery partners earn $18 to $25 an hour, with a guaranteed $15 to $19 per scheduled hour depending on location, plus tips. You pick your payday (daily works), and cashing out to the Amazon Flex Debit Card is free.

The catch

Higher bar than the food apps: 21 or older and a 4-door midsize sedan or bigger. Blocks can be scarce in your area.

Worth it? Yes if you qualify. It’s the only gig here that posts an hourly number.

Apply on Amazon Flex

Spark Driver

Best for: Walmart towns

What it is

Walmart’s delivery gig. You deliver, or shop and deliver, Walmart and other orders.

What you do

Turn on Spark Now and accept trips in your zone, 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM.

How much it pays

Per trip, based on distance and order size (heavy items pay extra), plus incentives and 100% of confirmed tips. Paid instantly or weekly, depending on how you set up your account.

The catch

Zones can be full, so you might sit on a waitlist. There’s no published pay rate either.

Worth it? Only if your zone is open. 18 or older and any car that can deliver safely.

Apply on Spark Driver

Current Paycheck Advance

Best for: covering a gap until payday

What it is

A money app (a fintech, not a bank) with a paycheck advance built in.

What you do

Sign up for Current and the app shows how much advance you qualify for. No credit check to qualify.

How much it pays

Up to $1,000 before payday for eligible customers. Free within 3 days, or instant for an Instant Access Fee. There’s also a $75 bonus with code WELCOME75 when your direct deposits total $1,500+ in your first 35 days.

The catch

The max is only for people who qualify, and the amount can change. Taking it instantly costs extra every time.

Worth it? Yes if you keep coming up short and can wait 3 days for the free option.

See what Current offers