In this post, I will show you several ways to get free money. In fact, I use several of the methods listed below to make hundreds of dollars every year. Ready to learn how to get free cash now? Let’s dive in!
Earn Credit Card Rewards
Credit Card Rewards is on top of my list as I’ve used this idea several times, and it works great! In fact, I personally made $1760 with my credit card in 2022.
I have yet to come across someone who doesn’t love the idea of earning free cash without investing a considerable amount of effort. So how do credit card rewards work?
Many American credit card accounts give rewards, from cash to free travel, just for shopping or opening up an account! Sign-up bonuses can be as much as $300! That’s a lot of free cash.
Capital One Savor Dining Rewards
American Express Blue Cash Every Day
PRO TIP: Banks and credit card companies run promotional offers during the holiday season. Check with your respective bank or credit card company and ask if they have any upcoming promotions.
Use Apps To Get Free Money
Apps only take a minute to sign up, and most will give you free money or gift cards just for doing what you usually do online. You can even earn money by watching ads.
Trim
Don’t you wish you could save more? Trim is one of my favorite personal finance tools. The people at Trim believe that saving money should be easy.
They have helped users save over $1 million in the last month! The AI-powered budgeting app will help you identify ways for you to save money.
But how? You may be wondering.
Paribus
Remember that time you bought a smart TV online only to later find out its price dropped unexpectedly a few days later?
If you shop online a lot, you know that stores change their prices all the time. Paribus helps match the costs of your purchases to check if there’s a price drop.
Here’s how it works:
Here’s a roundup of the best money-making apps if you want to explore more options.
Free Stock That’s Worth Money
If you are into stock trading, you’ll be happy to know that online brokerage apps will let you buy and sell stocks using your smartphone.
Webull
Webull is a modern investing app that eases the process of dabbling into stock investment. You get a free stock up to $1600 when you deposit your first $100 into your account.
There are zero commissions and no deposit minimums. You will also get advanced reporting and analysis features with the app.
To open an account at Webull, you’ll need to verify your identity. If you experience any problem, Webull’s customer service reps are ready to help guide you and answer all your queries.
Robinhood
Robinhood is in more ways than one similar to Webull. A pioneer of commission-free investing, this app gives you access to investing opportunities.
It enables you to easily manage your portfolio of stocks from your smartphone. You can invest in stocks, funds, and options without paying commission fees.
You’ll enjoy the same benefit when you buy and sell cryptocurrencies with Robinhood crypto.
When you join:
Acorns
Acorns’ spare-change investing tool makes investing easy. You even get a $10 bonus when you sign up. Here are some of the pros and cons of Acorns:
Stash
Stash is another investment app that helps you invest with as little as $5. The Stash app unites banking, saving, investing, and learning into one seamless experience.
The app was developed to make the process of investments, especially for exchange-traded funds and stocks, quick and easy for beginners. You can choose from 150+ stocks or investment “themes.”
Select the best option for your interests, beliefs, and goals. To date, over 3.5 million stashers have set aside a total of over $1.57 billion. Over $3 million in stock-back rewards have been earned.
Get Paid to Shop
Reward websites pay you for doing things you already do online. You probably spend hours shopping online. Make your time and internet usage count with these shopping apps:
Rakuten
Rakuten (formerly Ebates) is a cashback app that pays you for shopping online via the Rakuten portal or the Rakuten app in 2500+ stores, including Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Target, and Kohls.
The extension will alert you of any deals or cashback opportunities when shopping at a Rakuten partner retailer. Getting an update on your Rakuten rewards can take a few hours to several days.
You will receive your Cashback in the form of PayPal cash or a Big Fat Check every three months.
Ibotta
Imagine getting real cash back on everyday purchases like groceries, travel, clothing, home, and home.
With the Ibotta smartphone app, you can earn cashback on the mobile app, in-store, and online purchases with linked retailer loyalty accounts, receipt submission, and purchase verification. Over $627 million has been paid back to savers.
Here’s how it works.
And don’t worry, you can almost always get an offer to take advantage of, meaning you can almost always save money.
National Consumer Panel
NCP is the best grocery shopping app that will let you make an impact and earn points for gift cards, merchandise, and more. Fill out a form to become a panel member.
Topcashback
“USA’s Most Generous Cashback Site” gives you cashback when you shop online. With over 11 million members, TopCashback is one of the fastest-growing cashback sites.
Fetch Rewards
Fetch Rewards is another way to get easy savings at grocery stores every time you shop. Buy what you want, where you want, and save.
The app works directly with your favorite grocery brands to bring you massive savings on thousands of products every day.
Drop
Another app that makes it easy to earn free money. Whether you’re ordering food from Postmates or reserving flights from Expedia, shop directly using the Drop app and get rewarded automatically.
If you shop a lot, the Drop points add up quickly, so you can spend them even faster.
Free Money With Online Surveys
Many market research companies give access to paid survey-taking opportunities. These sites will pay you in exchange for your opinion on various topics.
Others may send you samples of new products before they launch. Few that I have personally tried include:
Swagbucks
Swagbucks is short and sweet. The Swagbucks app lets you take online surveys where you give your opinions on various topics.
Survey Junkie
Take surveys. Get PAID. That’s the slogan of this money-making survey website. With an 8.9/10 rating on TrustPilot, Survey Junkie lets you earn virtual points for sharing your thoughts.
Inboxdollars
InboxDollars is a veteran in the survey industry, this online rewards site pays you for taking surveys. Sharing your opinions and feedback will help companies and brands create better products and services for you.
You can also get discounts, free samples, and printable coupons from top brands, including Walmart, Target, and Netflix. InboxDollars has paid over $56 Million in cash rewards to its members.
You can check out more high-paying surveys in this article.
Get Free Money for Being Healthy
Fitness is no longer optional. More and more people realize the importance of staying fit, and companies are capitalizing on this. Believe it or not, some companies will pay you to lose weight and get in shape. And if you’re healthy, you might even get paid to donate your plasma.
Sweatcoin
I know the idea sounds amusing, but Sweatcoin will pay you for busting a move. If you’re looking for motivation to reach your fitness goals, why not make some extra cash while you’re at it?
The app is the number 1 app in many countries, including the United States.
Sweatcoin has many partnerships, from governments looking to minimize health costs to insurers wanting to encourage healthier lifestyle choices and brands that want to connect with health-conscious audiences.
Earning extra cash is simple.
Wag
If you’ve been looking for an incentive to get out and have a walk or jog, this is it! If you are a dog person with pet care experience, Wag is looking for you!
You can earn money walking with dogs whenever it fits your schedule. The more you walk, the more you earn!
Evidation
Just like Sweatcoin, Evidation will pay you to track your steps. With over 3 million app downloads, this health tracking app is not showing any signs of slowing down.
Achievement connects with 20+ apps, including MyFitnessPal, Apple Health, Strava, Garmin, and Samsung Health. You can start earning points today for activities such as walking, logging meals, meditating, and answering questions about yourself.
Healthywage
If you want to lose some weight, HealthyWage uses cash-based challenges designed to help encourage perseverance and end procrastination. It lets you pick your target, specify a deadline, and place a bet.
To benefit from the website, first use the calculator to enter your goal and determine potential winnings. By adjusting your goal weight, the timeframe, and how much you contribute, you can increase your winnings.
Weekly weigh-ins will help you stay on track throughout the contest. When you meet your goal, you will win your prize!
For motivation, you can read success stories of people who have lost weight and made free money fast.
If you are committed to shedding off extra pounds, learn more about how to get paid to lose weight here.
Complete Small Tasks for Free Money
There are a bunch of websites and apps that will let you sit down, perform light tasks, and get the credit you can put towards cash payouts or gift cards.
Money App
The Money app lets you complete simple offers and earn money. Using it is very simple.
Shopkick
Popular brands and retailers are willing to pay you to visit their stores. You receive Shopkick rewards points (kicks) for shopping online and in-store.
Field Agent
Field Agent is an app focused on finding opportunities for “Agents” to make money. Established in 2010, Field Agent was the first app to pay its users cash.
Freebies
This is another free money hack that works. While free stuff is not as sweet as free cash, it’s pretty close if you plan to buy it anyway.
If your birthday is coming up, here are 72 birthday freebies that will save you money and make your birthday memorable.
Rebatekey
With RebateKey, you can get up to 100 percent cash back rebates. This website rewards customers shopping on Walmart, Amazon, and others.
If you’re low on cash, you’ll be happy to know that the government has implemented assistance programs to give you free appliances. Wondering how? Here’s how to get free appliances.
Earn Money for Your Mail
This is a fun one. That junk mail lying idle on your email account could earn you free money. Yep, that’s right. You can get paid for receiving mail. Your personal information is kept 100 percent confidential.
Small Business Knowledge Center
SBKC is a market research company that will pay you for your junk mail. The company works with panelists all over America in conducting marketing research.
Once you apply and get accepted to their program, you can send them your junk mail and get paid for it. SBKC is a straightforward way to earn free cash.
Instead of deleting junk emails from your account, send SBKC your mail and email solicitations to receive compensation. You can become a consumer panelist and send them direct mail and email communications related to:
You will earn participation points that you can redeem for a Visa Debit card. You can earn as much as $20 in one month. For extra rewards, be on the lookout for periodic mystery shopping surveys.
Hauser Group
Here’s another way to monetize all those spam emails sitting idle in your junk drawer.
If you’re wondering why the Hauser Group pays for your spam emails, the data from such emails are used to improve the deliverability of email marketing campaigns.
You can sign up to become a decoy. Here, you will put on mailing lists and report every time you receive particular pieces of mail.
Free Unclaimed Money
Getting free money from the government sounds exciting, right? Unknown to many Americans, millions of dollars are waiting around to be claimed by the right person.
That person could be you!
Remember that awesome feeling when you find money in your old pair of jeans you didn’t know you had? Here’s how to check if you have the free money and how to claim it.
Unclaimed.org
Unclaimed.org will return unclaimed money to you. You can search by state or province to discover any money.
You’ll find things such as
NAUPA and participating government agencies endorse the database. You should search in every state where you have lived.
Missingmoney.com
Every year, states receive lost and unclaimed property or money. MissingMoney.com matches them with the rightful owners.
The site will help you get free money online. You have to claim money that belongs to you in the first place. Conduct your free search for
The website will help you find your family’s lost, missing and unclaimed money, assets, and property in all participating states. It’s a lot like Unclaimed.org
If you get a result, you can claim the money/property. Just fill out the requested details and submit. You will get instructions on what to do next from the state where you made a claim.
Unclaimed Pension Funds
Many seniors live in poverty because of unclaimed funds. According to the Independent Age, 1.3 million people are not claiming the Pension Credit to which they are entitled.
You deserve to enjoy your hard-earned pension benefits. You can check the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation website database for unclaimed pensions.
The government agency was created to protect the retirement security of Americans in single-employer and multi-employer pension plans.
Government Programs
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has some programs to help you in homeownership and rental matters.
Housing Choice Voucher Program
One such program is the Housing Choice Voucher Program which will give you a voucher to pay part or all of your rent. If you’re struggling to keep up with your rent payments and are facing foreclosure, then you might want to try out this program.
To find out the financial and informational assistance offered by the HUD, click here. To apply, contact a public housing agency.
Weatherization Assistance Program
Making your home energy efficient will not only help you save money by reducing the cost of your energy bills but also earn you free money from the government.
The Weatherization Assistance Program by the US Department of Energy (DOE) gives money incentives to low-income households that make their homes energy-efficient.
The program provides weatherization services to over 35,000 homes annually using DOE funds. Since it began back in 1976, the program has improved the lives of over 7 million American families.
Get Paid To Snap a Photo
Smartphone cameras are getting powerful by the day. You probably take selfies when you’re out with friends, even if it’s just occasionally. If you enjoy taking pics, you will love them, even more when you get paid for them.
Clashot
The Clashot is a free app designed to help you take, publish, and sell your pics. It’s like a photobank in your pockets. It connects you to people who are ready to pay for your photos.
To make extra money, look at what your friends and other Clashot members are shooting. It is worth mentioning that your photo can be sold to an unlimited number of buyers, an unlimited number of times.
Receipt Hog
Receipt Hog is another fun way to earn free cash with pictures of receipts from everyday purchases. Your survey opinions and anonymous receipts will influence brands and retailers.
Easyshift
Imagine getting paid to shop, eat and explore in your city. Now stop imagining. The EasyShift app will give you the freedom to earn when and where you want.
A shift will only take you 10-15 minutes, and your payments will be deposited directly into your PayPal account within two days.
Wegolook
The WeGoLook website will pay you for becoming a looker. Your responsibilities will include providing professional field services to some of the world’s biggest companies.
Get Free Products To Review
How would you like to get free products just for writing product reviews? If this is something you’re interested in, here’s how to go about it.
Become an Amazon Reviewer
Amazon is possibly one of the most popular product review reward platforms. It’s amazing how easily you can get free money from the platform.
Customer reviews are a vital part of the Amazon shopping experience. Many shoppers read reviews before deciding whether or not to make a purchase.
Thanks to this program, you have an opportunity to help other buyers make smart purchasing decisions. In return, you will get products sent for you to review – for free.
Slice The Pie
Arguably the largest paid review site on the internet, Slice the pie will pay you for every review you leave.
Your rating and reviews will provide real-time predictive insight to merchandisers, designers, and music executives.
What started as a music review engine has expanded to include categories such as mobile phone accessories, fashion, and others. Over $5.2 million has been earned.
You will be paid real money via PayPal, with no discounts or vouchers. The better your reviews, the more you will earn.
Get Free Money for Playing Games
If you own a smartphone, you probably play games to pass the time. There are a few legit mobile apps that will pay you to play games.
ESPN Streak
ESPN Streak challenging monthly game will put your sports knowledge to test and pay you if you win.
To win, you have to either accumulate the longest winning streak in a month by picking the winning player or team or regardless of your streak, record the maximum possible wins in a month.
You will be challenged to predict the winners of matchups from the MLB, NFL, MMA, ATP, PGA, etc.
There’s $450,000 up for grabs, and you can get a share of it.
Swagbucks Live
This trivia game show will also test your knowledge and award you handsome cash prizes. To use the app, download it free from the App Store or Google Play Store.
Here’s how to play the game.
Lower Your Bills and Keep Your Money
Beyond shopping and cash back apps, there are a few creative ways to keep your bills down and save more money. Thanks to the internet, there are several tools on the market right now that will help you save money on your monthly bills. These tools will negotiate your contracts and find savings where you didn’t know there were any.
Billshark
There are hidden costs in your bills, and this Mark Cuban-backed app will help you turn the costs into savings. With Billshark, you can save as much as 25 percent on your monthly home or business bills.
According to their website, their “sharks” have an 85 percent success rate negotiating bills for internet access, satellite TV, cable TV, satellite radio, wireless phone, and home security.
Billshark.com
After signing up, you can calculate your potential savings in under 15 seconds. Billshark will take a modest 40 percent of your savings.
Billcutterz
BillCutterz is another app that will negotiate discounts on your monthly bills with your current providers.
According to their website, the average BillCutterz user saves up to 30 percent on their bills. You can save up to $2,500 annually on your bills without doing anything.
To get free money with this app:
BillCutterz will split any savings they obtain for you 50-50. There’s no charge if they don’t save you any money.
Student Loans
Refinancing can be a great way to save money if you have student loans. When you refinance, you replace your existing education debt with a new, lower-cost loan through a private lender. This can help you save money on interest and reduce your monthly payments.
Private student loans typically have lower interest rates than federal student loans, so refinancing can help you save money in the long run. Plus, if you qualify for a lower monthly payment, you can free up some extra cash each month.
Refinancing is not right for everyone, but it’s worth considering if you have student loans. Talk to a financial advisor or loan specialist at one of these top lenders to see if refinancing is right for you:
Open a New Bank Account
Who knew that opening a new bank account could help you get free money? On top of making you feel inadequate, an empty bank account can also affect your mental health.
Many banks will offer you a bonus for depositing a specified amount of money when you open individual accounts. Typically, you have to keep the money in the account for a certain period, as well.
Chase Checking and Savings Accounts
Any post on how to get free money online can’t be complete without mentioning Chase Account. To get $200, open up a new Chase Total Checking account and deposit at least $25. When you open a Chase Savings account, you’ll get a further $150. To get this one, deposit $10,000 or more in new money within 20 business days.
There’s a small catch: You have to maintain the balance for three months. To get $350, open a new Chase Total Checking with a Chase Savings account with qualifying activities.
Share Your Data
Companies like Facebook use your information, and they don’t pay you for it. So why not get paid for something that you do anyway. Here are several ways to safely share your information and get paid for it.
Mobilexpression
Mobilexpression is a research site that gives you money in exchange for data from your cell phone.
Put the app on your phone and let it run in the background, it will record your browsing habits when you’re using your phone. It’s possible to earn a gift card after being active for only one week.
Savvyconnect
The SavvyConnect VIP program is safe and uses cutting-edge technology to collect your data when you’re online. In exchange for the data, they’ll pay you up to $15 a month, $5 per device for up to three devices.
Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel
From the same company that rewards you for information about your tv viewing habits, Nielsen pays you for sharing your internet behavior. You have to register your devices after you download the app. The best part is that the app won’t slow down any of your devices.
You earn points that are redeemable for prizes for allowing Nielson to track your online use.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Get Money Right Now?
You can get money now by cashing in any credit card rewards points you have, pawning items at a pawnshop, having a yard sale, looking for things to buy to make money, or running your loose change through a coin counter.
What App Gives You Free Money?
I listed apps above that give you free money, but if you’re looking for more ideas, I would try these apps. These apps give you money for things like browsing online or unlocking your phone.
How Can I Make $500 Fast?
Here’s a list of money-making options to help you make $500 fast. The list even includes jobs that pay $500 per day.
Enjoy All Your Free Money
Phew! That was quite a list! While a legit side job will earn you more money in the long run, the above legit ways on how to get free money are easy wins.
Whether you are looking to pay off debt or just in urgent need of quick cash, they can help build momentum with your finances as you sort things out.
Note that these sites/apps will send your money into your PayPal, so ensure you have yours set up. Most options in this guide are what I use, and they have worked well for me over the years.
Free Money Scams
Free money is not a pipe dream; the internet is brimming with exciting ways to get free money. But with the rising cases of scammers preying on desperate and unsuspecting Americans, it is vital to be cautious about the sites you’re signing yourself up for.
With our list, no need to worry because everything is legit! Here are a few things to look out for to ensure you don’t fall victim to scams offering free cash:
What Are Your Thoughts on Free Money
I hope that you have found a few ways of getting some free cash. Have you ever used these apps/websites for free money? Which of these gigs do you think is worth your time? Keep the discussion going in the comments section.