American philosopher Ralph Emerson once said, “money often costs too much.” But Emerson probably didn’t expect that a little something called the internet would come and change everything in one swoop. Google Play and the Apple App Store are flooded with apps you can download for free to make money. Sure, you won’t become rich in a month, but if you remain consistent, you should be able to stop worrying about a few small expenses.
Mercari
You can use Mercari to sell any unused items in your household like clothing, beauty supplies, toys, or anything else. But there are two distinct features that separate Mercari from other online marketplaces. First, you can negotiate a price with the seller. On other websites, sellers quote a price and you can either take it or leave it. Mercari, however, lets you counter the asking price with an offer of your own. The second difference has to do with how as a seller you’ll get paid. With Mercari, both the buyer and the seller have to rate each other in order for the system to trigger the payment. However, if a party doesn’t rate the other in three days, Mercari will go ahead and make the payment anyway. Mercari takes a 10% commission on sales, and if you’d like a direct deposit of under $10, a $2 processing fee will be applicable as well.
Bananatic
Play games and make money. Most such apps also throw in a few other ways to earn some extra cash, as does Bananatic, but it is mostly focused on games. The registration process is easy and takes only a few minutes. One you’re in, you’ll notice that each game in the app has a reward. And if you’d like to win this reward, you’ll have to read the instructions carefully. In most cases, you’ll be required to reach a certain level or complete a specific mission. You can also watch videos and participate in cashback offers to make money. Bananatic gives you an in-app currency called Bananas as a reward for your activity. There’s also a referral program in place that you can use to amplify your earning. All you have to do is refer a friend or a family member. If they join, you earn Bananas, which can be redeemed for PayPal cash or various gift cards.
Achievement
Adopt a healthy lifestyle or take surveys and make bank. Achievement connects to Apple Health to track your activities, and you’re rewarded with points that can be converted into cash. Signing up is easy and you’ll be required to give your name, email, zip code and birthday. You can earn up to 80 points daily, but if you start logging your meals, weight and sleep, you can earn additional points. If you refer someone and they sign up, you’ll be rewarded with 250 points. In addition, you can also earn money by completing surveys. 10,000 points will get you $10, which can be redeemed for PayPal cash or gift cards. On Achievement, surveys offer a better earnings potential and you can occasionally even make $200 off of them.
Swagbucks
Swagbucks offers several ways to earn money like completing surveys, watching videos, playing games, making online purchases, and browsing the web, among other options. Each activity is rewarded with SB, an in-app currency that can be redeemed for PayPal cash or gift cards. One SB is equivalent to $0.01, but that ultimately depends on how you choose to redeem. For reference, gift cards offer a better SB-to-dollar redemption rate.
FeaturePoints
You can get cash back when shopping online through FeaturePoints, and you can take surveys and download apps to earn money. You can get paid via PayPal cash or gift cards. And if you’re a crypto aficionado, there’s good news: FeaturePoints allows you to redeem points for Bitcoin as well, but the payment threshold is $10. For PayPal, however, you’ll only need $5 in your account. You can also refer people, and if they join, you’re paid as well. For reference, 600 points make out to $1. A word of caution: if your FeaturePoints account remains dormant for 60 days, you lose all the points. So make sure you’re staying active on the app.
