How to Get Paid Instantly: 9 Ways to Make Money Online

These tasks won’t make you rich overnight, but they offer a reputable way to get paid instantly with relatively low effort.

1. Take online surveys

Earn extra money by sharing your honest opinion and experience in an online survey. Taking online surveys is fast – some take as little as five minutes to complete.

Payment depends on the platform. Many award points for each survey you take, and you can cash out those points for money or gift cards once you reach a certain threshold. Taking surveys won’t replace your regular job, but it can be a convenient way to earn a few extra bucks online.

Check out the following paid survey sites to find one that works for you.

2. Make a video of your opinion

Don’t want to type out your thoughts? Maybe you’d prefer to answer questions on video. All you need is your phone, tablet, or computer equipped with a webcam.

Mindswarms lets you earn up to $50 for answering 10 questions on video to help brands with your feedback. You can then redeem your rewards via PayPal.⁵

3. Get cash back and rebates

Want to get paid for buying things you already planned to purchase? It’s possible! Cash back apps help you earn money on everything from groceries and gas to online shopping.

Chime Deals^® rewards Chime members with cash back⁶ on everyday purchases like groceries, gas, and dining out. Check the Chime app for available deals near you and start enjoying the savings!

Using Chime Deals alongside some of the top cash back apps can maximize your savings, with cash back deposited into your checking account within 10 business days. Here are some examples of apps that also provide cash back programs:

• Ibotta^® lets you submit receipts for everyday purchases and cash out once you hit $20.⁷
• Upside gives you an average of 8% cash back on groceries and dining.⁸
• Rakuten lets you earn cash back from online shopping.⁹

Cash back redemption timelines vary by app.

4. Do simple online tasks

AI has come a long way, but some tasks are still best done by a human. On Amazon Mechanical Turk, also known as MTurk, companies post human intelligence tasks, or HITs, such as data validation or content moderation.

Once you sign up as a worker, you can claim and complete tasks for a fee set by the requester. You’ll receive payment once the work has been approved. You can redeem your earnings for gift cards or have them transferred directly to your bank account.¹⁰

5. Play online games

Yes, really! Sign up for Swagbucks and earn points you can trade for cash when you play new mobile games. Swagbucks also lets you take online surveys and earn cash back to maximize your earnings.

Pay depends on the task you complete – for example, you might be paid $1 to install a new game app or a larger amount to reach a certain level within a specific time frame.¹¹

Waiting a little longer to get paid – say, weekly instead of daily – can have a bigger payout in the long run. Some of these side hustles could even become your full-time gig.

6. Manage social media accounts

Get paid for putting your Instagram or TikTok skills to use by managing social media channels for businesses. If you have a knack for growing an audience, this could be a great way to earn a steady income from home.

Full-time social media managers could earn up to $96,000 per year, while freelancers typically earn $25 to $44 per hour.¹²

7. Become a freelance writer or proofreader

If you have a way with words, you can translate it into a side gig – or even a full-time career. Full-time freelance writing jobs can pay up to $109,000 per year.¹³

It could be difficult to get started. However, once you have a few articles under your belt, it’ll be easier to prove to potential clients that you have the skills they need to succeed with their content strategy goals.

8. Work as a virtual assistant

If you’re a rockstar at organization and communication, you may want to consider working as a virtual assistant. You could help busy professionals with tasks like scheduling, invoicing, and answering emails.

Virtual assistants can make up to $68,000 per year,¹⁴ depending on experience, and you can work from anywhere.

9. Help businesses with their bookkeeping

If you’re good with numbers and organized, you can help small businesses keep their books. You don’t need to be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), but knowing how to navigate software like QuickBooks could be an advantage.

Your earnings will depend on your client list and your responsibilities, but you could make up to $89,000 per year.¹⁵

Finding ways to make money from home and get paid instantly might sound like nothing more than a dream, but it’s possible. Whether you’re filling a few spare minutes with online surveys or turning your skills into a freelance side hustle, there are plenty of options to help give your finances a quick boost.

Remember, these aren’t get-rich-quick schemes, but they are real, flexible ways to make progress on your financial goals, one task at a time. In addition to these ideas, consider the best ways to make money from your phone.