Real Ways To Make Money On Your Phone
Technology has changed the way we live, the way we work, and the way we play. It has also changed the way many people make money.
Perform Micro Tasks from Your Phone. One of my favorite ways to make money with a smartphone is micro tasks. In most cases, you only need 15 minutes to complete the job. After each task, you get paid. And, there is a wide variety of tasks, so you should never get bored. Swagbucks is a near-universal favorite for getting paid to do. Lucktastic (iOS) allows users to play with 100% free scratch cards to win loads of free money. Just pick your theme, swipe digital scratch-offs, and test your luck to earn real money daily. This gaming app is a free and fun way to win real cash and prizes and earn rewards.
A growing number of people have started their own online businesses, hired themselves out as freelancers, or become successful bloggers/vloggers with large, devoted followings. No longer do you have to sit behind an office desk from nine-to-five and make business transactions to earn a decent living.
Technology has made us a society on the move. Every day, thousands of purchases are made on mobile devices. Work is done from coffee shops, hotels, airports, and homes. If you have an Internet-connected computer or phone, you can literally make money from wherever you are.
Here are 10 ideas to consider:
1.) Sell your iPhone or Android photos
You probably don’t want to sell your personal photos or selfies, but if you take a lot of general photos with your smartphone (e.g. nature scenes, sunrises and sunsets, cityscapes, food and drink), there are several stock image libraries that are willing to put your photos in front of paying customers.
According to Rob Dunsford, more and more stock image libraries have realized “that a great photo from an iPhone is still a great photo, even though it hasn’t been taken with an expensive DSLR camera.” Some of these forward-thinking libraries have created mobile apps which you can install on your iPhone or Android and use for adding filters or borders to your photos, sharpen your photos, and simplify the process of getting your photos into the stock image library. These apps also give you access to your library account where you can keep track of sales, rejections, and updates.
A few of the stock image libraries that accept photos include:
For more ideas on how to take and sell smartphone photos, check out iPhonePhotographySchool.com.
2.) Become a Field Agent by gathering information from stores
You can help companies improve how they serve their customers by using your iPhone or Android to collect photos, videos, and information from stores and other locations. Just download the Field Agent app, complete your agent profile, and then start working by finding jobs near you using the app’s “jobs list” or “map view.” Once you select a job, you have less than two hours to complete it, so make sure you are close to the job’s location.
Jobs include price checks, in-store display checks, and consumer surveys. For example, you may be asked to go to a certain store, locate a specific product, take a photo of it, and then answer a few questions about it. Jobs usually pay between $3 and $12 each. The money stays in your Field Agent account until you decide to withdraw it through your PayPal or Dwolla account.
3.) Become a Tasker within your local area
Are you good at doing home chores such as cleaning, making repairs, moving things, or helping assemble furniture? If so, the Task Rabbit app can help you find local jobs that you love, at rates you choose, and on a schedule that fits your life. After you register, you will receive an invitation to attend a Tasker onboarding or orientation session in your city. You can then start tasking by downloading the app and get notified of potential jobs in your area. Simply select the one you want to do, confirm details with your client, complete the work, submit your invoice, and get paid.
4.) Earn money when you buy with Checkout 51
With Checkout 51 you can save and make money by buying the brands you love. All you have to do is pick the offers you like, purchase them at any store, and upload a photo of your receipt through the mobile app. When your account reaches $20.00, you can request your money, and Checkout 51 sends you a check.
5.) Start a gym pact
If you like to get fit and stay healthy, the GymPact App uses cash stakes to help you stay on track with your exercise and health goals. Here’s how it works: After you download the app, commit to a weekly gym pact, veggie pact, or food logging pact, and set what you’ll pay other Pact members if you fail to reach it. Second, use the app to track your progress throughout the week. Third, earn real cash off Pact members who don’t meet their goals. Depending on the number of activities committed, rewards are generally between $0.30 to $5 per week.
6.) Become a Gigwalker
If you want to make a little spending money or earn a full paycheck, the Gigwalk app can help you. It provides an easy way for you to work when and where you want to, and start making money quickly. Once you download the app and register your account, you can start applying for Gigs. After being accepted, just follow the Gig instructions and submit your work directly in the app. Link your PayPal email to your Gigwalk account to get paid for the work you do. Gigs pay from $3 to $100 and can take from five minutes to a few hours to complete.
7.) Sell items you no longer need
If you have items sitting in your garage or around your house that are in good condition, but no longer use, someone else might have a good use for them. Instead of holding a yard sale or dropping the items off at Goodwill, you can sell through an app with little to no fees.
OfferUp and Mercari are two apps that make it easy to sell stuff. OfferUp provides a simple way for you to buy and sell locally. You can easily post your item(s) for sale with just a picture from your smartphone, message users securely through the app, and get notified instantly on your phone when a buyer contacts you. Mercari provides a hassle-free and secure way for anyone to buy and sell items straight from a mobile device or tablet. You can sell clothes, electronics, fashion, jewelry, handmade items, and more by simply snapping a photo and entering a few details of your listing to make it available to millions on Mercari. A bonus for using Mercari is that they do not charge any listing or membership fees!
8.) Put your skills on Fiverr
Fiverr is a global online marketplace that allows people to offer their skills and/or services beginning at a cost of $5 per job performed. With Fiverr’s mobile app, potential customers can search through over 3 million gigs and 120 product and service categories to filter, preview, and find the right opportunity.
Potential customers will have direct and instant access to your skills and/or services, can hire you in a single click, and give you feedback. The co-founder and CEO of Fiverr said the app is specially designed to make the best use of the iPhone’s unique capabilities for a whole new level of discovery and engagement between sellers and buyers. The Fiverr app is also available for Androids.
9.) Create an iPhone or Android app
Do you have a creative idea that you think people will enjoy and love? If so, developing an app is a quick and easy way to get your idea out to the public. If you aren’t very tech-savvy, there are a good number of platforms that can assist you in creating your app.
Here are a few services that can assist you:
To produce a more powerful incentive for people to buy and download your app, it may be best to create a “freemium app.” This is when you have a limited version and a premium version of your app. The limited version has basic features and can be downloaded for free. If people like the limited version of the app and want more of it, they can then buy and download the premium version of the app which comes with more features and functionality.
You can further monetize your app by including in-app purchases. For example, if you create a game app, you can require users to buy points or coins to reach the next level of the game.
10.) Drive people around
You can use apps like Uber and Lyft to make money. Of course, you’ll have to register and be accepted first. There are also some requirements you’ll have to meet such as owning a car, being 21-years-old or older, having valid car insurance, and passing a background check. But once you’re accepted, you can start making some serious money. With Lyft, you can make up to $35 an hour driving people around in your car. With Uber, average earnings per hour are around $19. Additionally, if you are a very good driver, you can earn tips!
We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my full disclosure for more information.
How many hours a day do you spend scrolling on your smartphone? Be honest.
I’ll hold my hands up. I’m a typical ‘millennial’ – I’m attached to my smartphone. Sometimes I’ll be on my laptop, decide to go to sleep, only to realise I’m now scrolling through the exact same stuff online but on my phone instead.
So…what if I told you that you could actually make use of all this time spent on your phone, and start making money with it?
Yup – totally possible!
No, I don’t mean getting paid for flicking through Instagram and Whatsapping your mates (although that sounds like a pretty sweet gig…), but there are legitimate apps and websites that will pay you in cash – and you can use them from your smartphone wherever you are.
Got a spare 10 minutes to kill in the day? A long train commute with nothing else to do? Why not earn a little cash from that time rather than waste it on social media?!
These apps are not going to make you rich. That’s just a fact – I’ve yet to find an app that could ever replace a real job. However, these are all perfectly legitimate ways to make money that don’t waste your time.
There are a lot of apps out there that are more time than it’s worth, so be selective when downloading apps that promise to help you make loads of cash. The ones listed below are, in my experience, some of the most trustworthy and efficient ways to make money with your smartphone.
Here we go – 15 ways to make money with your smartphone (and they actually really work!).
A) Surfing Online & Playing Games
7 Ways To Make Money On Your Phone
Swagbucks
Swagbucks will pay you in points that can be redeemed for cash or vouchers in return for completing online tasks such as surveys, playing games, watching videos, or simply surfing the web through the app.
It is one of the most legitimate and most popular sites for earning money online, and is a great way to earn money from your smartphone in the evenings. Sign up to Swagbucks for free now.
Nielsen Mobile & Computer Panel
The Nielsen Mobile App is a brilliant way to make money on your smartphone. It pays you and gives you opportunities to win thousands every single month, simply for having the app installed and running in the background on your phone.
Pinecone Research
Another fantastic site that will pay you in cash or retail vouchers in return for completing short surveys online. One of the better paying survey sites to sign up to – join Pinecone Research for free.
Inbox Dollars
Inbox Dollars is a great way to make money with your smartphone by completing surveys, watching videos, and playing games. This site will also give you a $5 bonus simply for joining!
B) Shopping Online
Ebates
Ebates allows you to sign up for free, shop with your favourite retailers as usual, and it will then give you cash back whenever you make a purchase through the site. This is a totally legitimate site and a great way to make money without making any major alterations to your current routine.
Read my full review of shopping online with Ebates.
TopCashBack
Another extremely popular cashback site that you can earn money from simply shopping with your favourite retailers through the app. Definitely worth checking out if you are a fan of online shopping already!
Sign up to TopCashBack for free with my link.
ShopKick
Shopkick is brilliant. It will pay you for spending time in certain shops that you probably already go to! Just scan your barcodes and get points that can be redeemed for gift cards at your favourite retailers. A brilliant way to save money on the shopping you already do.
C) Selling Online
Poshmark
Poshmark is a brilliant way of selling your brand-name clothing without hassle. You just have to take a photo of the clothes you want to sell and post them – it’s super simple and you’ll receive 80% of the selling price!
Decluttr
The place to sell your unused DVDs, books, and CDs – simply enter the barcode of the items you want to sell to get a quote from Decluttr, confirm your order, and pack up your items to ship to Decluttr for free!
- eBay
Another fab way to make money on the side by selling unused and unwanted items from around your home. Some people even make a killing by buying discount items and selling them at a higher premium on eBay – something to consider if you have the time!
D) Side Hustles
Airbnb
Airbnb is my go-to website to find great value deals on accommodation when travelling, but did you know that it’s also a great side hustle if you have the space in your home?
Make Money With Your Phone
Lily makes over $50,000 a year with her Airbnb side hustle, so definitely consider becoming a host if you have the time and a few spare rooms that could be put to use!
Lyft
Becoming a Lyft driver simply requires a car and a smartphone to accept lifts. You simply need to pass a background check and have your car signed off for a safety check and you’ll be able to quickly start accepting ride requests with the Lyft app and start making money.
Uber
Like Lyft, you need to pass a driver check and car safety test to start driving for Uber. A lot of people actually drive for both apps to get more lifts while they’re working.
Deliveroo
Deliveroo is massive in the UK. There are guys out cycling with those huge insulated boxes strapped to their backs earning money for delivering peoples orders from popular restaurant chains.
Deliveroo seems like a great way to keep fit while also earning money, and all you need is your smartphone to accept orders and a bike. Become a deliveroo driver today.
Make Money From My Phone
Postmates
The US equivalent. Sign up to be a Postmates delivery person.
For more apps you could make money from on your smartphone, check out this awesome list of money-making apps.
What creative ways do you use to make money online? Have you tried any of these apps? Let me know in the comments!