Let’s do the math up front, because $400 is where the vague “make money fast” advice falls apart. Each way below says what you actually keep, and how many hours or days stand between you and $400.
The math on $400
| Way | What $400 takes | When the money lands |
|---|---|---|
| Sell one item on eBay | A sale around $465 (eBay keeps 13.6% plus $0.40) | After the sale clears |
| GoShare with a pickup | About 7 hours, if you hit its “up to $60 an hour” average | Direct deposit in 4 business days |
| GoShare with a cargo van | About 4 hours at its “up to $105 an hour” average | Direct deposit in 4 business days |
| Instacart or Spark | Two or so full days, depending on orders and tips in your area | Instacart: 2 hours after delivery with a fast cash-out |
| Freecash | $10 bonus plus whatever offers you finish | Mostly instant once you’re verified |
1.eBay
Best for: one valuable thing that ships
- What it is
- The big online marketplace. Good for things worth real money that ship in a box: a camera, a game console, a laptop, a designer bag.
- What you do
- You list it and ship it when it sells. Your first 250 listings each month are free to post.
- How much it pays
- eBay keeps 13.6% of the total sale (up to $7,500) in most categories, plus $0.40 per order over $10. On a $400 sale that’s $54.80, so you’d keep about $345. To clear $400, you’d need a sale around $465.
- The catch
- The cut is bigger than local selling, and the money isn’t yours until the buyer pays and the sale clears.
Worth it? Yes if you have one thing worth $450+ that people search for. It reaches way more buyers than a local listing does.
Big and heavy stuff, like a couch or a treadmill, sells faster locally. Facebook Marketplace with cash at pickup skips the shipping and the cut.
Best for: anyone with a truck or van
- What it is
- A delivery and moving app for drivers with pickup trucks, cargo vans, box trucks or regular cars, plus labor-only helpers.
- What you do
- You move furniture and other goods in the vehicle class you drive, or help load and unload with no vehicle.
- How much it pays
- GoShare lists “average earnings up to” $60 an hour for a pickup truck, $105 for a full-size cargo van, $188 for a box truck, $46 for cars, SUVs and minivans, and $84 for labor-only jobs. It deposits your earnings in 4 business days.
- The catch
- Those are “up to” numbers, and GoShare doesn’t say how it figures them. Your vehicle needs to be a 2004 or newer with no salvage title and pass an inspection. You also need a background and driving history check, and a checking account. No instant pay is listed.
Worth it? Yes if you own a truck or van and live where GoShare runs. A handful of moving jobs is the fastest work route to $400 on this page. Just remember the 4-day deposit.
3.Instacart
Best for: getting paid the same day
- What it is
- Shopping and delivering grocery orders as a full-service shopper (independent contractor). In-store shoppers are employees on an hourly wage.
- What you do
- You pick batches in the Shopper app: shop and deliver, or just do one of the two.
- How much it pays
- Pay per batch based on travel, item count and weight, and expected shopping time, plus 100% of tips. Your full earnings, tip included, are available 2 hours after a delivery. Instant cash-out costs a small fee. The Shopper Rewards Card pays out automatically after every batch at no cost. Otherwise it’s weekly direct deposit.
- The catch
- Instacart doesn’t publish typical earnings, and pay rules vary by city. You need to be 18+ and eligible to work in the US. You’ll also need a vehicle for deliveries.
Worth it? Yes if you have a car and want your money the same day you earn it. Two solid days of batches is a realistic shot at $400.
Want the short list instead?
What's paying right now, with the catch. One email on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
New to it? Here’s how to become an Instacart shopper, and a list of jobs like Instacart if it’s slow where you live.
4.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
- You turn on Spark Now and accept shop-and-deliver or delivery-only trips in your zone, 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
- How much it pays
- You’re paid per trip based on distance and order size, with extra for things like heavy items or apartments, plus incentives and 100% of confirmed tips. Depending on how you set up your account, earnings are paid instantly or weekly.
- The catch
- No pay rates are published. Zones can be full, and then nobody new gets added until spots open. The background check typically takes 1 to 7 business days.
Worth it? Only if your zone is open. If it is, it pairs well with Instacart so you’re not sitting around between orders.
5.Freecash
Best for: the small change at the end
- What it is
- A rewards site and app that pays you for games, app trials, surveys and other offers.
- What you do
- Finish one offer to unlock the welcome bonus, then keep going on whatever pays best.
- How much it pays
- There’s a $10 welcome bonus after your first offer. The first withdrawal needs ID verification and a $5 to $20 minimum depending on your region. After that, PayPal starts at $5 and most PayPal, crypto and gift card withdrawals are instant.
- The catch
- At $400, it’s a rounding error for you. Useful for filling the last few bucks, not for the goal itself. 16+ only.
Worth it? Only as a top-off while you wait on a sale or a deposit.
$400 due before you can earn it?
If you get a paycheck of $200 or more a month deposited into Current, its Paycheck Advance can front eligible users up to $1,000 with no credit check. It’s free within 3 days, or there’s an Instant Access Fee for faster money, and it comes out of your next payroll deposit. That’s borrowing, so use it to buy time while one of the routes above pays off. The $500 page goes deeper on when it makes sense.
Quick questions
How can I make $400 in one day?
Sell one thing worth about $465 or more, or a few things locally that add up to $400. If you have a cargo van and GoShare runs in your area, a long day of jobs can get close too, but the deposit takes 4 business days.
What can I sell to make $400 fast?
Think a camera or laptop you don’t use, a console with a stack of games, a good bike, or furniture in decent shape. Ship the small stuff on eBay. Sell the big stuff locally.
Which delivery app pays the fastest?
Instacart makes full earnings available 2 hours after a delivery, and its Shopper Rewards Card pays out after every batch. Spark can pay instantly depending on your setup. GoShare deposits in 4 business days.
Need less? Here’s how to make $300 fast. Need more? Try how to make $500 fast. If you’ve got a car and want steadier work, see these jobs like Amazon Flex. Before you pick anything, check what’s paying right now and the list of apps that pay you real money. There’s more in our side hustles section too.
Next step
Look around the house for one thing worth $400 or more before you sign up for anything. Then check what’s paying right now.
That's the breakdown. Want the next one?
Every Sunday: what's paying that week, what got cut, what to skip.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
