Easy Apps That Actually Pay

Before we start talking about apps that actually pay, I want you to know that these are not "get rich quick" schemes. Most apps that you find that have ads showing people winning or earning hundreds of dollars are too good to be true. I have downloaded so many apps in the last five years, and I have yet to see any money in my account from them. Generally, if you want to make hundreds of dollars, you do have to spend money (basically, a business). But, if you're interested in apps that payout without having to spend countless hours posting on social media just to make a sale, then these apps are for you. Who doesn't want some extra cash on the side?

So, let's begin.

The order in which I post these apps will be in the order of which I, or a friend of mine, has had the greatest payouts and/or the most often I, or my friend, was able to payout. I have been using most of these apps for at least a couple years each (one of which I have been using for about five years).

#1--Google Opinions Rewards

Google opinions is good for both Android and iPhone users alike. I personally use an iPhone, but I have previously used an Android phone before while using the app.

Google Opinion Rewards is an app that uses your location and search engine (google chrome) to send you surveys on places you've been and what you've recently searched for in your browser. In order to use this app, you have to have a phone with location services on, otherwise it will not send you surveys for location (which is about 90% of the surveys you will receive).

One of the most amazing parts about this app is that it cashes out almost instantly. You connect your PayPal (iPhone users) or Google Play account (Android users) and you receive your payout within a few minutes. Using my iPhone, the app will automatically deposit into my PayPal account as soon as I hit a total of $2 or more--i.e. If I have $1.95 in rewards, and I earned $0.30 on a survey, the $2.25 will be in my PayPal account in about three minutes!

When I used it on my Android phone, it was slightly different. The money was not loaded into a PayPal account, but was connected to my Google Play account, so I was able to use the money to purchase stuff online (i.e. books, games, movies, etc.).

#2--Achievement

Achievement is an app that is based on health features. Generally it involves earning points through doing activities (i.e. walking, running, and other forms of exercise). You are able to sync just about any device to the app. Some examples are Fitbits, Apple Health, Samsung Health, and other apps that track your health goals.

When I first started Achievement, I started on my Fitbit, but when my Fitbit broke, I switched to my Apple Health app. Either of them work well, and I haven't had any issues with it in the last three years that I've used it.

Achievement allows you to cash out after hitting 10,000 points. To earn points, you have to have an app that allows you to log (or automatically track) your activities throughout the day. You can earn up to 80 points per day for each type of tracked activity (biking, walking, running, swimming, etc.). When walking, you get approximately 1 point for every 350-400 steps that you take.

You can also earn up to 6 points for doing daily activities (logging food, sleep tracking, weighing yourself, sharing your health journey on social media, etc); although you can only do up to 5 daily activities per day. Generally, Fitbit is a good app to submit all of your activities and keep them straight, but Achievement is able to connect to over 20 different apps, so don't feel like you have to get a Fitbit!

Other ways to get points on Achievement is through doing surveys, offers, and aiding in research studies. Generally these range from 3 points (1 minute surveys) to 250 points (15 minute surveys). The more common ones are usually the 1 minute surveys, which I tend to receive every 1-2 days. Sometimes they send out longer surveys that offer higher point bonuses, but not very often.

Referrals are another way to earn points. Achievement does referral bonuses very often, and most of the time you can get 250-500 points per person that you refer, which is a huge leap in points!

And one final word about Achievement--the points do not expire! No matter how long it takes you to get to that 10,000 points, you will not lose any of them. So, you can save up as many points as you want, before you have to cash out (minimum of 10,000 points though).

Personally, I have cashed out three times since downloading this app. I don't walk as much as some people, and I do not log daily activities, so mine takes a bit longer to add up than it could. Potentially, you could cash out with $10 every 3 months by doing the maximum points that are allowed with no surveys.

#3--Perksy

Perksy is a survey app that is easy to use. You sign up, and every so often, you'll receive a "stack". Stacks are surveys that are almost completely generalized so most everyone can answer the questions. It's more of a "poll" app. Most of the surveys I received were about what kinds of things I liked, what kind of social media platforms I used, and what kind activities I did, etc.

The stacks usually took about 5-10 minutes to complete, and the amount of points varies.

I have cashed out once on this app for a $25 Amazon gift card. I have been using it for about a year and a half. It does take a while to receive a cash out, but overall, it's still money in your pocket!

#4--Zap Surveys

Zap Surveys is an app that pays you for taking surveys and passing by or going to certain locations. The surveys generally pay anywhere from a few cents to a couple dollars depending on length and content of the survey.

The app also includes a daily login bonus. It starts out at $0.01 for day 1, $0.02 for day 2, and then $0.03 for day 3 and after. Once you've logged in and claimed it 45 days in a row, you receive a $0.75 bonus for your log in streak.

This app also pays you anywhere from $0.03 to $0.10 by passing by or stopping at specific locations. The locations that I've noticed it pays near are Walgreens, Hyvee, ALDI, Walmart, and CVS. I'm sure there are more, but those are the ones that I would pass by frequently.

I have cashed out once with this app, seeing as I don't really do a lot of surveys, and it does take a while to get enough money racked up to cash out. But at a $25 minimum PayPal cash out, it was definitely worth it to get to that point in about 9 months!

#5--Panel App

Panel App is a pretty easy to use app that doesn't require a lot of use to earn points. Overall, it's based on location. So if you go near locations that triggers the app, it will give you points each week just for traveling around your city. You can also answer short location-based surveys for points, but these are not available all the time, only when the app wants to verify the location it thinks you were at.

Cashing out with Panel App is based on purchasing things with your points. You can use points to enter sweepstakes for higher prizes, but not guaranteed to win; or you can use your points to purchase gift cards that are guaranteed to be the amount your purchased.

Gift cards start at $1 for 2,000 points and go up to $25 gift cards for 30,000 points (the higher dollar amount, the less points you spend per dollar). The gift cards available are Walmart, Amazon, and Visa gift cards.

I have only cashed out once, and it was a $5 visa gift card. I'm currently saving up my points to get the $25 visa gift card! I've been working on it for about a year now, but I've already got a little over 20,000 points!

#6--Lifecoin

Lifecoin is another app that is based off of steps. Basically, you connect a health app (I use Apple Health) to track your steps. The only downside is it counts the number of steps that you take outside, not inside. So, in order to get your steps, you need to be doing something outside.

Calculating the conversion, you get about 1 point for each 1,000 steps you take. The maximum amount of points you can claim in a day is five points without a subscription. So it could take a while for you to receive the minimum cash out option ($50 gift card). But, hey, that's $50 you didn't have, taking steps you were already going to take in the first place!

This app also offers a "daily bonus" of 1 full point (equal to 1,000 steps) just by watching a 15-30 second ad.

I have not cashed out with a gift card on this app, but one of my friends was able to purchase a pair of earbuds for free just by walking every day. Took her a few years to get enough points, but free is free!

#7--Sweatcoin

Sweatcoin is very similar to Lifecoin. The only difference is that Sweatcoin allows you to purchase discounts on items, as well as allowing you to use sweatcoins to purchase products outright. So you are not required to save up enough to purchase the items up front, but you can get anywhere from 20%-75% off items by spending some sweatcoins! It also does not give you the option of purchasing gift cards or cashing out on PayPal (or similar platforms). Another payout option is that it allows you to donate your points to a good cause!

This app also allows you to watch an ad daily and receive various amounts of points. It also recently started a new daily task that allows you to watch multiple videos to receive higher rewards each day.

Similar to Lifecoin, the app originally only lets your earn 5 points per day with your steps; but, contrastingly, you are also able to pay for a "subscription" to earn more points per day by using points you have already earned instead of spending money.

Tiers for different levels of earning include:

Mover: earn up to 5 SC per day (free)

Shaker: earn up to 10 SC per day (spend 4.75 SC per month)

Quaker: earn up to 15 SC per day (spend 20 SC per month)

Breaker: earn up to 20 SC per day (spend 30 SC per month)

Trouble Maker: earn up to 50 SC per day (spend $1/mo or $5.50/6 mo or $10/year USD)--additional perks include earning points 2x as fast

I have only purchased a few things on this app with my sweatcoins. I am more of a "cash out for gift cards" type of person, but I did enjoy getting some wireless earbuds for $30 off (paid $40--originally $70). Overall, you can save a lot of money, and if you're more interested in the cash value, try reselling the items you get discounts on for a profit!

Payout Conclusion

As I stated before, these apps are not "get rich quick" schemes. They take time, but they do pay out! I am very happy with working with these same six apps for years. I have probably received closed over $100 per year by using each of these apps a few minutes per day. I hope that this article has helped you, and I hope you're able to start earning some extra cash!