January 21, 2025
Written by Catherine Hiles
Certified Financial Education Instructor®
Certified Financial Education Instructor®
Catherine Hiles, CFEI®, originally hails from the U.K. and currently resides in Ohio, where she writes about finance, parenting, pets, home improvement, and more. In her spare time, Catherine enjoys running, reading, and hanging out with her husband, two young children, and energetic dog.
You can earn extra money from home by doing online tasks like surveys and playing games; many platforms offer instant or same-day payouts.
Cash-back and rebate apps like Ibotta® and Rakuten are an easy way to get paid for purchases you were already planning to make.
If you have specific skills, freelance work can provide more substantial income with quick payment cycles.
Third-party brands and companies are mentioned for informational purposes only. Chime does not sponsor, endorse, or partner with any of these brands or companies, and they do not sponsor or endorse Chime.
Making money instantly from home might sound like an impossible dream, but it doesn't have to be. There are several online jobs you can do from the comfort of your own couch in your spare time, and many even pay you the same day you do the work.
If you need to make some extra cash quickly, consider these ideas to earn money online and get paid today.
These tasks won't make you rich overnight, but they offer a reputable way to get paid instantly with relatively low effort.
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.
Site | Description |
|---|---|
Redeem points for gift cards, PayPal payouts, or bank transfers once you reach 500 points ($5).1 | |
Redeem points for gift cards, PayPal payouts, or bank transfers once you reach 500 points ($5).2 | |
Redeem points for gift cards once you reach the points equivalent of $10.3 | |
Surveys pay 10 to 250 points each. Redeem rewards once you reach the points equivalent of $50.4 |
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Yes, you really can! Many micro-task sites and survey platforms are set up for this. Once you complete tasks and earn enough to meet their minimum payout amount (which can sometimes be just $5), you can often request your money right away through PayPal or a gift card.
Yes, many can be legitimate. The key is to stick with well-known and trusted apps like Rakuten, Ibotta®, or Swagbucks. Check out recent user reviews on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, or reputable sites like TrustPilot before you start to make sure they have a solid reputation for paying out on time.
It depends. You could try taking a few online surveys on a site like Survey Junkie or Branded Surveys. Sometimes a single, more in-depth survey or a video opinion on a platform like Mindswarms could pay more and may even let you cash out the same day. But it may take longer to find a survey that is seeking responders matching your demographic group.
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This guide is for informational purposes only. Chime does not provide financial, legal, or tax advice. You should check with your legal, financial, or tax advisor for advice specific to your situation.
Information from Survey Junkie’s “Take surveys. Get PAID.” as of Aug. 5, 2025: https://www.surveyjunkie.com/
Information from Branded Surveys’ “The Free, Fun Way To Get Paid For Your Opinion” as of Aug. 5, 2025: https://surveys.gobranded.com/
Information from Pinecone Research’s “Hi, Welcome to Pinecone Research” as of Aug. 5, 2025: https://www.pineconeresearch.com/
Information from Opinion Outpost’s “get rewarded your way” as of Aug. 5, 2025: https://www.opinionoutpost.com/rewards
Information from Mindswarms’ “We believe everybody is an expert in something” as of Aug. 5, 2025: https://mindswarms.com/services/
Information from Ibotta’s “How to get cash back with Ibotta” as of Aug. 5, 2025: https://home.ibotta.com/how
Eligibility requirements and limits apply. See Chime Deals® Terms and Conditions.
Information from Upside’s “Upside is smarter cash back” as of Aug. 5, 2025: https://www.upside.com/
Information from Rakuten’s “Shop like always. Save like never before.” as of Aug. 5, 2025: https://www.rakuten.com/
Information from Amazon Mechanical Turk’s “Amazon Mechanical Turk” as of Aug. 5, 2025: https://www.mturk.com/
Information from Swagbucks’ “Making life a little richer” as of Aug. 5, 2025: https://www.swagbucks.com/
Information from Glassdoor’s “Social Media Manager Salaries” as of Aug. 1, 2025: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/social-media-manager-salary-SRCH_KO0,20.htm
Information from Glassdoor’s “Freelance Writer Salaries” as of Aug. 1, 2025: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/freelance-writer-salary-SRCH_KO0,16.htm
Information from Glassdoor’s “Virtual Assistant Salaries” as of Aug. 1, 2025: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/virtual-assistant-salary-SRCH_KO0,17.htm
Information from Glassdoor’s “Freelance Bookkeeper Salaries” as of Aug 1, 2025: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/freelance-bookkeeper-salary-SRCH_KO0,20.htm
Third-party trademarks referenced for informational purposes only; no endorsements implied.
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