Apps That Pay You Real Money Through Cash App
These days, you can find apps for almost anything. But have you ever wondered if there are apps that pay you real money or apps that make you money?
GetUpside is a cash back app that pays you for getting gas as well as for shopping at local grocery stores. You simply link your credit or debit card to GetUpside, let GetUpside know where you’re going to shop, and then cash back is deposited into your account. You just need to play Cash APP Machine and you can win up to $500 on cash app. Attempts / + info. If you created your Cash App App through android,iOS,MAC OS or Nintento Switch. If you get 3 of the same Cash App Amount types you WIN! Thats right and the best is, you can win up to $500 cash app money! Play # Xploitz $100.
Sounds like a dream, right?
What if I told you that there are actually lots of legit apps that pay you money or give you free cash?
Even better, most of the best money-making apps can run in the background or require very minimal effort to use.
I’ve done the research for you so all you need to do is pick from this list of legit money-making apps!
These apps won’t pay you as much as a full-time job would but using any of these apps is an excellent way to make money fast.
How to Avoid Money-Making Apps Scam
I’ll be honest, while there are plenty of legit money-making apps out there, there are also apps that only offer false promises and only scam you into signing up.
So, how do you know which apps are legit?
Here are the red flags telling you that a “money-earning app” could be a scam.
It promises unrealistic rewards or payments.
Legit apps that pay you real money give out rewards or cash, that’s for sure, but what you earn from them can hardly replace your full-time income.
If you find an app promising you hundreds of dollars upon sign up, and an extra hundred for a referral, think twice because it’s most likely a scam.
It asks for confidential information.
You should never give away sensitive information online, even if you aim to make money. When you sign up with an app, the most that it would require you are your name, email address, PayPal address, and bank account information (for apps that you have to link your credit or debit card with).
Be wary of apps that ask for your social security number and driver’s license number.
It asks you money to sign-up.
Legit apps that pay you real money are free to sign up.
If you’re required to shell out cash even before you start making money with the app, you might want to reconsider joining.
How Do Free Apps Make Money?
When using apps to make money, it’s also important to learn how these apps make money. You want to know how these companies are able to pay you even when their apps are free to use.
This knowledge should also make you feel comfortable about using these apps and help you weed out scams from the real ones.
I have categorized the apps on this list into the following to give you an idea on how these top money making apps work and make an income:
1. Apps that give you free money
These “free money apps”, also called cash back apps, pay you for shopping.
Cash back apps are paid by their partner stores or brands each time you use these apps for shopping.
These apps work like a middleman. When you shop through them, they’ll take you to the store, say Amazon, and Amazon will pay them a commission for your purchases.
But instead of keeping the commission all to themselves, they split this payment with you in the form of cash back.
The best cash back apps also offer a welcome bonus for just signing up, and they have partnered with numerous stores in the US so you’ll have a lot of opportunities to make money using the app.
2. Survey apps that pay money
There are also apps that pay you real money for your opinion, and these apps, also called survey apps, operate a bit different from cash back apps.
You don’t have to purchase anything to start making money with these survey apps. All you need to do is to share your opinion as a consumer.
Survey apps are paid by companies who want to know your opinion to improve their products or services.
These apps then compensate you for the time you spent for answering questions like “Which of these coffee products do you often buy?” or “When will you likely buy a new car?”
3. Apps that save you money or make you money
These apps are designed to help you save money but I have also included apps that make you money in this category, including micro-investment apps.
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for any purchases made through these links at NO additional cost to you. Please read my Disclosure for more information.
Best Legit Apps that Pay You Real Money with Your Smartphone
Best Legit Apps that Give Free Cash
1. Ibotta
Ibotta is one of my most favorite money-earning apps because you get cash back for grocery items. You buy groceries every week so there are lots of opportunities to earn money using this app.
This free money app has paid me over $800 in cash back and bonuses from buying groceries alone!
How does Ibotta work?
Ibotta works just like couponing without the need to clip coupons. All you need to do is upload your grocery receipts on the app and earn cash back on grocery items such as milk, meats, vegetables, bread, cleaning products and more.
Ibotta has recently expanded and they are now offering cash back not only for in-store purchases but also online. Among the new categories you can earn cash back from are clothing, travel, eating out (restaurants) and home.
Important: You’ll only get this bonus after uploading your first grocery receipt. If you cannot find any offer that you like on the app, you could buy a toilet paper or Colgate and you’ll still come out ahead.
Want to know more? Read my Ibotta Review here!
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2. Rakuten (Ebates)
When you shop online, use this free money-making app to earn up to 40% cash back on your purchases at any of their 2500+ partner stores!
Not only will Rakuten pay you for using their app for shopping, they will also pay you $25 extra for each person you refer to them.
They also offer a lot of awesome bonuses. For example, if you ride Lyft through Rakuten, Rauten will give you $20 on your first ride, plus a $10 bonus for downloading the app here and signing up.
I’ve also made over $300 in cash back for simply using this app!
Real Apps That Pay Cash
Want to know more? Read my Rakuten Review here!
3. Dosh
Dosh is an app that automatically collects cash back from your purchases from partner stores into your credit or debit card.
Dosh is free to use, and sign up is easy. It’s best to link your most-used credit or debit card with Dosh to accrue cash back rapidly. Use that card to pay for purchases and then get cash back ranging from 2% to 10%, depending on the store. Whether you use the card to pay for in-store or online purchases, Dosh runs on autopilot, so you can keep getting cash back as you shop.
Apart from paying your purchases with the Dosh-linked card, you may also book hotels with the same card and enjoy $25 cash back on your very first hotel booking.
When you refer a friend to sign up for Dosh, you’ll get an additional $5 cash back.
You can withdraw your earnings when you reach $25 of cash back and deposit the funds to your PayPal account.
4. Paribus
Ever paid full price for an item, only to find out a day later that its price dropped? Use this free app called Paribus so you’ll never miss any savings when prices drop.
The best thing about Paribus is that it automatically gets the adjustment amount for you! There’s no need to scan receipts or waste time finding out whether there’s any price drop.
It also even helps you get paid for late Amazon deliveries. You can check it out here.
Legit Survey Apps that Pay Money
Survey apps are some of the best money making apps out there, and they’re legit too! The great thing about survey apps is that they’re pretty easy to use, they’re usually free to sign up, and collecting points is super easy.
5. Swagbucks
I personally use this app to earn money via Paypal, or earn Amazon or Starbucks gift cards.
Swagbucks is the biggest research panels on the internet that will reward you for doing things like completing surveys, watching videos, searching the internet, playing games and shopping online.
Swagbucks gives you SB points which you can redeem for gift cards or Paypal cash.
It is free to join and if you join below, you’ll receive $5 FREE after confirming your email.
6. Inbox Dollars
Inbox Dollars is another rewards company that works like Swagbucks, offering you a few options to earn points, from watching videos, playing games or completing surveys.
This company has paid over $57 million in rewards and is currently offering a $5 sign-up bonus!
Like Swagbucks and other rewards sites, Inbox Dollars also offers a cash payout or gift cards as an option to redeem your points.
Download the app below and make sure to confirm your email to get your sign-up bonus!
7. MyPoints
Another survey app that pay money is MyPoints, which is also just as fantastic because they give you $5 when you sign up. You can also redeem your points in a variety of ways, including cash, travel miles and gift cards.
Most of these real money apps allow you to earn in different ways. So, apart from taking surveys, you could also earn from shopping online, watching ads, playing games, searching the web, and referring other people.
Legit Apps that Save You Money and Make You Money
8. Trim
If you think canceling a subscription you no longer use is such a hassle, you can let the app called Trim to do it for you.
Trim is a fascinating smartphone app that analyzes all your bills so you can see which of them continues to charge your account even if you aren’t using them.
Got a gym membership costing your account month after month, but you don’t go to the gym? Trim will remind you of that. Even better, the app can cancel the subscription on your behalf, so you don’t even have to bother doing it yourself.
Trim can also help you negotiate your cable bill. If you think you are getting ripped off on cable or internet, download this free app that helps you save money.
Trim works with Comcast, Time Warner, Charter, and any other provider, and has helped its users over $1,000,000 over the last month!
9. Decluttr
If you were quite the hoarder of electronic things, DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, gaming consoles, and tablets (and surprisingly, legos too!), you might find disposing of them somewhat painful and regretful.
But a cash incentive in exchange for them might convince you. And that’s what the money earning app called Decluttr aims to do.
Decluttr is both an app and a website that accepts the abovementioned products and pay you with cash. You just fire up the app on your phone, scan the product’s barcode, and Decluttr tells you how much they offer for each item.
If you like what they offer, Decluttr will send you a pre-paid box and shipping label to attach to your box, and then ship the box free of charge. Once they receive your items, they will go through them, and then send you the money through a check, PayPal, or bank deposit.
10. Airbnb
If you have a second home, a vacation home, or even a spare room in your house, you can earn money from them by listing them up on the Airbnb app, one of the best real money making apps for those in real estate business.
First, you need to create a description of the rental property, post photos, set the price, and availability. When the listing goes live, people can make sense of what your property looks like, and if they like it, they’ll book through the app.
Using the Airbnb app is an excellent way to establish yourself as the landlord as well as create a sense of trust with the potential guests. The app also comes with a rating and feedback feature wherein guests can rate and comment about their experience in your property.
11. Sweatcoin
Sweatcoin is known as an app that pays you money for walking. It’s a fantastic platform that motivates you to become fit and healthy while earning money at the same time.
In reality, the app pays you a digital currency called sweatcoins, which you could use to buy Paypal vouchers to turn your earnings into real cash.
Sweatcoin works by tracking your steps through the app’s GPS feature and then rewards you with sweatcoins.
The app does not count steps taken indoors, so make sure to gear up for a walk around your neighborhood. Once you’ve accumulated enough coins, you can visit the app’s marketplace to purchase something you fancy, ranging from random knickknacks to a smart television, iPhone 6, or $1,000 worth of PayPal money.
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12. Acorns
Need help saving money and investing your savings? I highly recommend using Acorns, one of the most popular investing apps for beginners.
You need to link your credit or debit account with Acorns, and then the app will round up your purchases using those cards, take the spare change, and invest them.
For example, if you spent $3.80 for a coffee using your linked credit/debit card, Acorns will see the transaction, transfers the spare change of $0.20 to your Acorns account. When your account hits $5, Acorns will withdraw the money and invest it.
I’ve been using it for awhile and here’s a screenshot from my account after a few weeks:
I’ve accumulated over $280 of spare change from my weekly purchases and gained $6.32 from that little investment.
If you want to save and save money without thinking, Acorns is definitely one of the best ways to go most especially if you are new to investing as well. You’ll also receive$5 FREE from Acorns hereafter making your first investment of $5.
13. Robinhood
Robinhood is a free trading app that allows you to invest in stocks, ETFs, and options. As a mobile app, Robinhood gets you to invest with $0 account minimum and commission-free stock trading. It’s an excellent app, especially for beginner investors who are looking to maximize their trading profits by eliminating commission fees from the picture.
Additionally, Robinhood has been intuitively designed so that users can schedule deposits, monitor day trades, and perform advanced orders. As a smartphone-based trading platform, Robinhood is one of the best legit money making apps that allows you to invest right from your fingertips.
14. Poshmark
If you’ve outgrown a couple of your designer clothes, you may sell them on Poshmark. Poshmark is a smartphone buying and selling app, and most of the products traded herein are mostly designer clothes.
This is the ultimate for the fashionista, whether one has accrued more than clothing than your closet can handle, or you’re looking to purchase high-end clothes at a lower price.
Have a couple of clothes to sell? You can set up your own store wherein people can like and comment on your items.
LegitApps That Pay You Real Money: Are They Worth It?
The smartphone is such a powerful device that lets you do so many things, and having legit apps that pay you real money is one of the best ways to maximize your smartphone use. Whether you like to get fit, sell old products, shop online, or answer surveys, as they say, “there’s an app for that.” And if that app gives you money, then you’re in great luck!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive a commission when you click on them, but this is at no extra cost to you. Read our privacy policy for more information.
Want to Make Extra Money?
- Survey Junkie: Earn up to $50 per survey with the highest-paying survey site on the web. Join Survey Junkie Now
- Swagbucks: Make money watching videos, taking surveys, shopping online and more. Join Swagbucks Now & Get a $5 Bonus
- Mistplay: Earn free cash by playing games online with friends from your mobile phone. Join Mistplay Now For a 50 Unit Bonus
- MobileXpression: Earn free money (passive income) just by leaving an app installed on your phone. Join MobileXpression Now & Get a Free Gift Card in One Week
Now it’s even easier than ever to earn free gift cards from apps.
Earn cash from completing simple tasks from your phone. This includes, watching videos, scanning receipts, or even just walking into a store.
The best part? They’re all 100% free to join, so you won’t lose any money to make money. Some even pay you with PayPal cash!
It’s important to note that these apps won’t be a replacement for your day job. However, they can help you make $100 or more per month if you use more than one consistently.
I currently use seven of the apps on this list when I have free time. On average, I make about $150 per month total for a few minutes of my time with each app. It’s not much, but it’s a decent side gig.
Want to skip the list and get started immediately? Here’s a short list of some of our favorite free gift card apps:
- Ibotta ($10 bonus after redeeming your first offer)
- ReceiptPal (get paid to scan any receipt)
- Shopkick (250 kick sign-up bonus – many ways to earn for shopping)
- Swagbucks ($5 sign-up bonus – complete tasks from your phone)
- Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel (earn $50/year in passive income)
- More Below…
With that said, let’s get started. Here’s a list of 28 free gift card apps.
Table of Contents
1. Ibotta (Get Paid To Scan Receipts)
Ibotta is currently one of the most popular receipt scanning apps out there. Get paid to scan your receipts when buying electronics, groceries, prescriptions, meals at restaurants and more.
The best part? You get a $10 bonus when you scan your first receipt.
Ibotta has expanded and now you can even get paid to shop through their partner apps.
For example, let’s say you want to buy something at Groupon. Go to the Ibotta app and click on Groupon to be redirected to their app (or asked to install it if you don’t have it already).
From there, make a purchase on the Groupon app like you normally would. Earn 10% in cash back on your total purchase price. This amount will be deposited directly into your Ibotta account.
Ibotta has expanded and you can now earn money for shopping online as well as linking your loyalty cards.
When you reach a minimum balance of $20 in your account, cash out for Amazon, Target, Starbucks, Best Buy and many other gift cards. You can also cash out for PayPal or Venmo.
2. Shoptracker (Earn $36 Per Year For Doing Essentially Nothing)
Shoptracker has to be one of my favorite apps on this list, essentially for its easy of use.
If you’re an Amazon shopper, you can easily earn an extra $36/year by having the Shoptracker app track your Amazon purchases.
In order to get started, all you have to do is fill out a short survey about your Amazon shopping experience. From there, install the Shoptracker app to your phone and link your Amazon account. You get a $3 bonus for completing this step.
From there, for each month that you leave the app installed, you get an additional $3 bonus per month. This totals out to $36 per year in passive income ($39 the first year with the bonus).
Each reward is given in the form of a Visa gift card for free.
3. Shopkick (Earn Gift Cards for Completing Shopping Tasks)
Shopkick is one of the best rewards apps out there when it comes to shopping. Get paid to walk in stores, scan barcodes, link your credit cards, refer friends, scan receipts and more.
It seems as if Shopkick is always expanding on their ways to earn. In fact, a few weeks ago they were giving away 2 free $75 gift cards per day. Unfortunately, this promotion has since ended. However, they often have offers like this, so keep your eyes peeled.
Each time you complete a task with Shopkick you earn a certain amount of points called “kicks.” These kicks can be exchanged for cool cash prizes or for a gift card of your choosing. Gift cards include Best Buy, Target, Starbucks and many more.
Earn a 250 kick bonus when you sign-up as a new user, and you also earn 250 kicks for referring your friends. Shopkick is the perfect app for people who love to shop.
4. Swagbucks (One of the Quickest Ways to Earn Gift Cards)
You can use Swagbucks via the web or on your iOS or Android device. This app happens to be one of my favorites, since there are so many things you can do to earn SBs, the Swagbucks currency.
Two of the most lucrative tasks you can do on Swagbucks include cash shopping and completing offers. Swagbucks has tons of them to choose from and offers great rewards, sometimes even offering bonus rewards for certain offers or retailers.
Gift cards cost different prices, but you can purchase some for as little as 85 SBs, which won’t take much time to earn with surveys, paid games, watching videos, and the many other tasks available.
All the tasks that you can do on the website, you can also do on the mobile app.
5. Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel (Let Nielsen Track Your Activity for Points)
Nielsen Mobile is a program that rewards you for keeping the mobile app on your phone. As you use your phone, the app tracks what you do and uses the information for market research purposes.
You’ll rack up points every month as long as you keep the app on your device. The rewards include gift cards to Amazon or Target, or you can even redeem them for electronics, like TVs.
The only downfall is that you’ll only earn up to about $50 per year, but it’s still easy money just for installing an app.
6. MyPoints (The App That Rewards You on the Go for MyPoints Tasks)
MyPoints isn’t just for your PC or laptop. There’s also an app for Android and iOS devices that lets you do the same tasks wherever you are.
If you use your phone or tablet to shop online, do it through the MyPoints app to get credit for your purchases. You’ll earn points the same way you would for shopping on your PC through the MyPoints website.
MyPoints offers tons of gift card options, like AMC, Bath & Body Works, and Amazon.
7. The Panel Station (One of the Few Reward Apps Available All Over the World)
The Panel Station is for iOS and Android users in various countries around the world. This app rewards you for sharing your opinions through surveys on your phone.
Apps That Pay You Real Money Through Cash Approval
The app sends you notifications when new surveys are available, which has its advantages over emailed survey invites because you can get to them quickly before they fill up.
In addition to redeeming your earnings with various payment methods, you can also choose from some gift cards, like Amazon and Flipkart.
8. FreeMyApps (Over 50 Gift Card Rewards to Choose From)
FreeMyApps is another app that pays you to download new apps to your mobile device.
But, this app has a few extra ways to earn points, such as referring friends and entering contests. You can also complete free and paid offers if there aren’t any apps you’re interested in downloading.
FreeMyApps has some of the most rewards to choose from, including free gift cards to Steam, iTunes, and Amazon.
This app is currently only available for Android.
9. Adme (Get Paid to Unlock Your Phone)
The Adme app is as simple as it gets. Unlock your phone and rack up cash to put toward a PayPal payment or one of several types of gift cards, from Walmart to Google Play.
The app works by displaying ads on your lock screen. It’s one of the first apps that uses the concept of paying you to show you ads on your phone.
You get $1 in your account just to download and start using the app. From there, you’ll get paid randomly when you unlock your phone, rather than on every unlock, to ensure that people are using the app fairly.
To read our full review of the Adme app and how to earn with it, click here.
10. FeaturePoints (One of the Best Referral Bonuses)
FeaturePoints has several gift cards available for you to redeem your points for. Some of the options include PayPal, Amazon, Google Play, and PlayStation.
You’ll download the apps from partnered developers and try them for a minute or so. There’s no obligation to keep the apps you download, as long you try them for the specified amount of time.
This app has a 50% referral bonus, meaning you earn not only your points, but also half of your friends’ points when they earn. FeaturePoints is available for iOS and Android.
11. Fronto (Read News and Get Coupons on Your Phone for Rewards)
Fronto is one of the most popular lock screen apps that pays you to use your phone in many of the ways you do already.
For example, you can get points by reading trending articles, getting coupons for online retailers, and viewing advertisements.
The app will learn your interests over time as you either swipe the screen to pass the advertisement, or engage with what’s on your screen. Then, you’ll start seeing more things that interest you.
You’ll earn points whether or not you interact with what you see on your screen, but you’ll get a bit more for interacting with it.
Fronto offers PayPal cash and Amazon gift cards for rewards and is available on Google Play.
12. Honey (Earn Amazon Gift Cards for Shopping Online)
Honey is a browser extension that can work on your Mac, PC, or laptop. A mobile app isn’t currently available, but it’s in the works.
This app not only saves you money when you shop online, but it also rewards you for using it while shopping. Download the extension and, when you shop at an online retailer, Honey will search its database for money saving coupons.
If it finds one, the Honey will apply it to your cart and reward you with a bonus for using it. If it doesn’t find anything, you can still sometimes earn a bonus from Honey just for trying to save with the app!
Honey also has rotating bonuses with retailers where you can earn even more Honey Gold for shopping. Exchange your Honey Gold for Amazon gift cards. You only need 1,000 to redeem, which will give you $10.
13. Mobee (Get Paid to Mystery Shop)
Mobee operates on the idea of “missions,” which are basically mystery shops that require you to complete specific tasks in nearby stores. You might need to provide your thoughts on a customer service experience or take photos of an in-store display.
Most missions will only take a few minutes and will give you five to ten questions to answer. Your answers get sent back to the store to improve the customer experience.
Within 24 hours, Mobee approves most missions. Then, you’ll get your points credited, which you can redeem for various gift cards. This app is for iOS and Android.
14. AppKarma (Get Apps, Get Rewards!)
AppKarma offers another simple concept for an app that rewards you with gift cards. You’ll complete offers, which usually consists of the download and use of apps, to earn points.
You’ll also get some extra points for actually using the apps you’ve downloaded daily, so the app rewards you for keeping those apps on your phone. Earn more by unlocking achievements and increasing your reward level.
AppKarma also has a great referral system that gives you 30% of everything your referrals earn!
Turn in your points for PayPal cash or one of several gift cards from top retailers. The app is available for iOS and Android.
15. Panel App (Easy Surveys for Reward Points)
Panel App works on iOS and Android devices, paying you to complete surveys, enter sweepstakes, and refer friends.
You can also earn rewards for background reporting, which pays you to use information about your device and your mobile activity. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to use the app if you don’t agree with it tracking your location and usage.
Trade your points in for various gift cards to Old Navy, Dominos, Olive Garden, and more.
16. Perk (Get Rewarded for Binge-Watching TV)
Perk gives you a way to earn gift cards for doing something you likely do every day: watching TV!
Remember to visit the Perk app before starting a show. You can watch a live or streaming show on cable, Netflix, or whatever medium you choose.
As you watch, Perk will rack up points in your account. You just have to go through the ads that come on intermittently on the app and click through when they’re done to get rewarded.
Perk offers numerous gift cards, from eBay to Starbucks.
17. Perk Unlock & Win (Perk’s Version of Screen Lock Reward Apps)
Perk Unlock & Win is a sister app of Perk that rewards you for unlocking your phone screen, working much like other lock screen reward apps.
The app will show you ads for brands, new products, apps, and more. You’ll get rewarded for viewing the ads and interacting with them. You can turn your points in for one of over 180 gift cards, or save them up for other Perk rewards, like electronics or airline miles.
The best part is that this app will sync your points to your Perk account, so everything you earn from it and Perk TV will go to the same account.
This app is currently available for Android devices only.
18. PocketFlip (Mobile Giveaways and Rewards)
PocketFlip is quickly becoming one of the most popular iOS and Android reward apps.
There are a few things you can do with it to earn Coins, like take quick surveys, download apps, take photos for various companies, and more. You can also shop through the app to earn cash back on your purchases.
PocketFlip offers popular gift cards as rewards, like Amazon and iTunes.
19. Qmee (Earn Cash Just for Viewing Recommended Products)
Qmee is one of the easiest ways you can possibly earn cash online, and it’s available for your computer and mobile devices!
Qmee rewards you for shopping. But, you don’t even have to make a purchase. Just use the Qmee browser extension or mobile app to search for products. The app will show you recommended products, and you’ll get real cash just for seeing them.
If you purchase any of the recommended products through Qmee, you’ll get even more. You can earn more cash by participating in surveys.
Qmee usually pays your earnings to PayPal, but sometimes has offers for cashing out with a gift card. If the option is available, you’ll see it in your account.
20. QuickThoughts (Take Easy Surveys for Electronic Gift Codes)
QuickThoughts offers paid surveys for iOS and Android devices.
The app has both quick surveys that are only a few questions long and long-form surveys that will pay you more points for completion. You can get up to $3 per survey and can cash out with $10 in your account.
One of the most popular rewards is an Amazon gift card, but there are more gift card rewards to choose from among your favorite restaurants and retailers.
21. Receipt Hog (Share Your Receipts for Points)
Let Receipt Hog gobble up your receipts through the iOS or Android app. Your receipt can be from any retail store or restaurant!
Scan your receipts and you’ll get Coins, sweepstakes entries, and turns at the virtual slot machine. The scanned receipts help influence brands through market research. The app even stores your receipts so that you don’t need to hang on to the paper copy.
Receipt Hog rewards you with PayPal cash or Amazon gift cards.
22. Receipt Pal (Snap Receipts for Gift Cards and Cash Bonuses)
Receipt Pal is similar to Receipt Hog in that you get rewarded for scanning your receipts, which also is for market research purposes.
With this app, you can even connect your email inbox to it to find emailed receipts and credit you.
You fill out “cards” by scanning your receipts. A full card gives you rewards, and you can have up to five cards at any time. You even get new cards to fill up every week.
You’ll also earn sweepstakes entries when you fill out cards that can give you bonus rewards.
23. Slidejoy (The App That Rewards You Just for Using It)
Slidejoy is one of the few lock screen apps that pays you the same for every task, no matter what you do with your phone. There are no extra rewards for engaging with the news and ads displayed on your device; you get the same amount for skipping over them.
Slidejoy has 12 reward options, from PayPal cash to gift cards. You can cash out your rewards every month.
This app is currently available only for Android users.
24. Google Opinion Rewards (One of the Best Options for Android Users)
If you want to earn Google Play gift cards for your Android device, Google Opinion Rewards is the way to do it. I use it for mine and gather quite a bit of Google Play credits from it alone throughout the year.
Google Play will send you quick surveys to take on an as-needed basis. They’re usually only three to five questions long and many pay between $0.10 and $0.50 each. I’ve had a few pay $1 or more for only a few questions.
Surveys don’t come very often, but I usually get one or two a month, giving me some quick Google Play credits for a few seconds of my time.
25. Viggle (Get Double the Perk Points)
Viggle is an app like Perk that pays you to watch live or streaming TV. But, it also rewards you with Perk Points, which is Perk’s currency, so you get a chance to earn even more rewards for your Perk account with a different app!
Viggle is available on iTunes and Google Play. You can redeem your Perk Points for gift cards directly through Viggle, so you won’t have to switch to Perk to do so.
26. AppNana (Download Paid Apps for Free AND Earn Rewards)
AppNana partners with other app developers to bring you paid apps for free. When you download them, you’ll get “Nanas,” which is the app’s currency, similar to a point system.
You can trade in your Nanas for real gift cards to Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, and Xbox. Essentially, you’re getting paid apps for free PLUS gift cards, just for downloading and using new apps.
AppNana has a referral program, too, for top influencers to make even more money using their YouTube or other social media accounts by referring people to the app.
AppNana is available for iOS and Android.
27. App Trailers (Watch Trailers and Download Apps for Cash)
App Trailers is an app for iOS and Android devices that pays you to complete tasks through the app. Mostly, you’ll download and try other apps to make money.
You can also watch videos and advertisements, refer friends, play trivia games, and watch movie and app trailers to earn points.
Your points then go toward one of the rewards in the App Trailers catalog, featuring popular gift cards like Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play.
For extra chances to win, be sure to enter the current sweepstakes. And, you’ll get bonus points every day for participating in the daily bonus questions.
28. Bing (Search the Web for Free Gift Cards)
Bing is an incredibly easy way to earn gift card rewards by doing something you do anyway: searching the web! This is Microsoft’s search engine, and does basically the same thing Google does by finding you the information you need.
Bing used to be available only on the web, but it’s now an app for iOS and Android, too. The app also has additional functionality, like the ability to scan barcodes as you shop to compare prices.
But, the best part is that Bing rewards you for using the app to complete your searches when you’re signed into your Microsoft account. Use your points for gift cards for things like Walmart and other retailers, Skype credits, or save them up for gaming devices.
You can also use points to enter sweepstakes to win great prizes, like laptops and gaming bundles.
Maximizing Your Earnings with Free Gift Card Apps
Apps that reward you with gift cards aren’t all created equal. Some offer better rewards for your time than others and some even end up being scams in the end. The ones on this list, however, have all proven to pay as they’ve promised, based on various user reviews around the web.
If you find other apps that promise free gift cards but aren’t sure if they’re legit or worth your time, here are a few things you can look for:
- Sign-Up Bonus. A good app doesn’t have to have a sign-up bonus, but it sure does help you get a good start with your rewards. I like seeing at least a $1 bonus for signing up.
- Privacy Terms. It’s a good idea to check out the app’s privacy terms. How does it use your information? Is it going to spam your email inbox? The apps on this list are legitimate and won’t use your information in shady ways, but that doesn’t mean all apps will do the same.
- Cash-Out Thresholds. How long an app takes to send you your reward says a lot about it. Look for ones that send your gift card within a few days to a couple of weeks, at most, after you cash out, and don’t require a ridiculous amount of points to cash out.
- Most Importantly:Never Pay! You should never have to pay to sign up for a website or mobile rewards app. If one requires payment, run.
Remember that many of these apps do similar things, like reward you for shopping or unlocking your phone screen.
There’s no point signing up with more than one similar type of app, since you won’t be able to get cash back shopping from more than one app at a time, or have several apps showing things on your lock screen at a time. Instead, try a few out and pick the one you like the best.
Final Thoughts
These apps may not give you rewards fast enough to get a gift card every week, or even every month. But, the good thing about them is that they reward you just for doing things you do anyway, like shop online, use your phone, and watch TV.
Try some apps on the list that look interesting to you. Stick with the ones you like and remember to use them when you have spare time to rack up easy rewards.
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Do you know of other free gift card apps? We’d love to hear about them! Please leave us a comment and let us know what your favorites are. Thanks for reading and happy frugaling!