There are times when many of us find ourselves in a bind and we need money today, even if it's just a couple of bucks. Fortunately, there are some websites you can use to earn fast cash online.
I'm not going to lie to you, many of them are just extra cash online and will never replace your income. Regardless, they can save you in a pinch when you need it most if you use them regularly and allow the money to build up.
Below is a list of sites that just about anyone can use that will pay daily or at least once per week:
Swagbucks Pays In Ten Days Or Less
I almost didn't list Swagbucks here because, while it's a great rewards site, they list in their terms that you can't expect for up to 10 days after you cash out. However, it's still an option to earn fast cash because some people report getting paid much faster than this.
You can redeem you SB (Swagbucks) for Amazon codes, Paypal cash, and gift cards to popular merchandisers among other things.
These points build up quickly thanks the the large number of things you can do on the site to earn. I've used this site and been paid many times.
You can read my review of Swagbucks here or sign up here.
Swagbucks Redemptions
You can easily make $100 or more per day in just 3 hours. This is one of the best apps to make money fast. I did a full review of Instacart and you can check it out to learn more, or you can just apply to become a shopper here. If you like Instacart, you’ll definitely love Shipt. Elite: Dangerous is a massive game full of opportunities. But, if you want to make money fast to get that new ship you've been pining for or want to work on getting a Fleet Carrier, then here's. To make money fast, try having a yard sale or selling things online to get rid of stuff that you don't need anymore, like books, electronics, video games, and old jewelry. You could also offer to help your neighbors with yard work, babysitting, or caring for their pets for some cash. There are numerous food delivery apps such as Postmates, Uber Eats, and DoorDash that are a great way to make some extra cash without requiring you to work for a food establishment. With the flexibility to select when, where, and how much you want to work, food delivery apps make it possible to make quick side money.
Check out this list of some of my redemptions below. I usually opt for Amazon over Paypal.
Online Surveys For $3 a Pop With Pinecone Research
Pinecone is one of the best survey panels out there for earning fast cash, and they pay quickly — usually by the next day — for the surveys you complete. The surveys don't come every week, but it's a nice little bonus when they do because of how fast they pay.
Right now Pinecone is open, but there is no guarantee you'll get in just depending on what demographic they need right now.
Go here to sign up or learn more about how to join Pinecone Research.
Pinecone Payment Proof:
Earn Fast Cash Online With Ibotta
Ibotta is an app that pays you back for things you buy at the grocery store. The reason I'm listing it here is because when you cash out, the money goes instantly (or almost instantly) to Paypal.
I've never had to wait longer than five minutes to get my money from Ibotta! You can also earn from referrals there, too. However, you must have at least $20 in your account to cash out. Still, cashing out every week isn't unrealistic with consistent use.
You can sign up for Ibotta here or read my Ibotta review here.
Ibotta Payment Proof:
Slice the Pie Pays Twice a Week
Slice the Pie is a site I've used frequently. All you do is listen to music and rate/review it. You'll get paid anywhere from six to seven cents up to sometimes seventeen cents per song you review just depending on if they have any promos going on.
It only takes a few minutes to review a song. They pay out on Tuesdays and Fridays and you must have a minimum of $10 to withdraw your earnings, but this is very possible to do twice per week.
You can sign up for Slice the Pie here or read my Slice the Pie review.
Slice the Pie Payment Proof
InstaGC Offers Fast Cash Instantly
InstaGC is a rewards site you can use to redeem instantly for Amazon gift codes (and all kinds of other gift codes). With this site, it's possible to earn money for doing all sorts of things which include short tasks, surveys, watching videos, listening to music, and more.
What I love most about this one is that when you do redeem, there is NO waiting. You just ask for your code and it's there waiting for you on the next screen.
It's also possible to request a check for a cash payment, but you will have to wait several days for that to show up in the mail.
I have not yet reviewed InstaGC, but Work at Home No Scams has a very detailed review of how it works here.
InstaGC Payment Proof
Qmee Pays Instantly
This is a browser extension you can install that will occasionally show you sponsored advertisements on your sidebar when you search. Each advertisement is worth a few cents or more.
If you visit the ad shown, you receive the dollar amount shown in your Qmee virtual “piggy bank”. You can cash this out at anytime, there is no minimum.
Also, the money shows up in your Paypal account pretty much instantly after you ask for it. I put this site on this list because even though it's not a big earner, you can get paid quickly.
Go here to sign up for Qmee or read my Qmee review.
Update 9/27/19 – Qmee now offers paid surveys as another way to earn!
Qmee Payment Proof
Amazon MTurk Has $1 Minimum Cash Out
This is another task-based site that makes it possible to earn fast cash online. They have a variety of work to choose from in several different categories.
They pay with bank transfer and it can take about two days for money from there to hit your account, but you only need $1 to request a payout. The way to get money in your hands often from here is to request a payout every three days.
Then, within a few days, you'll start seeing a few weekly deposits from MTurk to your bank account. Is it easy to make $10 a day on Amazon MTurk? It actually is.
I don't use this site anymore, but you can see below that I was able to generate almost $500 in extra income using it off and on for a few years. And many people earn much more than that using it multiple times per week.
You can get signed up here.
Amazon mTurk Payment Proof
Transcribe Me Pays Weekly
This is a site where you can sign up to transcribe audio files. They pay new transcribers $20 an audio hour (remember this is quite a bit longer than a regular hour).
You can get in with no prior transcription experience, you just have to take a short test which I believe you can retake if you fail it the first time.
You only need $1 to cash out, hitting the withdrawal button for payment weekly as long as you have $1 earned. It might be one of the best ways to make money fast today if you can pass the skills test.
I don't have any payment proof for this site because I've never done enough work here to get paid, but they are legit and do pay according to many of Real Ways to Earn's readers.
Read my review of Transcribe Me or sign up here.
Need More Than Extra Money?
I send out twice-weekly work at home job updates via my emailed newsletter. This is free to receive, and I'm told by subscribers it's pretty helpful. You can start getting it here.
Good luck to you if you decide to sign up and try any of these!
Post originally published April 30, 2012. Updated and republished on February 3, 2020.
Looking for ways you can make money right now? If things are tight and your back is up against the wall, there's a path forward. In fact, there are many. Especially when it comes to generating that income online. The best part? We're so interconnected that there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of ways you can make money, almost immediately, from the comfort of your home.
What do you need? You might not even need a laptop for the most part. A tablet or a smartphone might just suffice. And, of course, you do need an internet connection. A sound mind might help you as well. Along with the ability to stay focused and be persistent no matter what happens.
So if you're determined to generating some much-needed cash and you can't wait weeks or months, then here's what you need to do. First off, don't expect to snap your fingers and get rich. That isn't what this article is about. Now, in general, making money on the internet can be boiled down into the following categories:
Selling products: You can sell all types of products on the internet. You don't need a laptop. But, a smartphone is crucial. You can source these products from places like Alibaba's aliexpress.com and re-sell them on eBay, Amazon or build your own Shopify store or ecommerce funnel.
Related: 10 Lucrative Side Gigs for Millennials Looking to Earn Extra Money
Selling services: Most people earn their money online by selling services. This can range from low-ticket services through sites like Fiverr, to more expensive high-end services on Upwork or through your own coaching or consulting funnel.
Do tasks for others: You can always do tasks for others. If you're simply looking to make a quick buck and not have to wait or have to build an email list or a sales funnel, there are plenty of tasks you can perform, right now, that will put money in your pocket.
Selling information: Information products are huge. Massive, in fact. You could quite literally get rich selling information if you know what you're doing. If you're a ninja online marketer, then you can expect that. But, even if you're not, there are ways to turn your ideas into stacks of so-called paper.
Make Real Money Fast Online
Leverage the sharing economy: Turn your existing assets into money right now. Leverage your home or your car or your recreational vehicles, even, to make a bit of money quickly.
Related: 15 Easy Ways to Make Extra Money at Home
How to make money starting now.
The strategies that you'll find below will help you make money either right now, within hours, or some within days or weeks. The truth? You're not going to get rich employing these strategies overnight. But, if your back is against a proverbial wall, they might help you out of a bind, and fast.
Whether you're looking to make money quickly or you're okay with having it take a bit of time, stay persistent. You can't snap your fingers and expect money to materialize. But, then again, if you focus on the right thoughts, you'll eventually get where you need to go. Remember, mindset is everything.
1. Sell products online
Make Real Money Fast
There are a variety of ways you can sell your products online. Use Facebook's marketplace for instance. You can also leverage eBay and sell things at auction. Plus, there's always Craigslist. The trick? Use quality photography and great lighting. Build sensory-rich descriptions that entice people to purchase whatever it is that you're selling.
Related: 10 New Ideas for Making Money on the Side
2. Sell used books on Amazon
Amazon is a great way to unload used books. But, you can also sell a variety of other items on Amazon as well. You could opt to start an Amazon FBA. You could source products on Aliexpress and drop-ship them from Amazon. That gives you a near-hands-free method of running an ecommerce business without much of the hassles of personally dealing with returns and customer service.
3. Start a Shopify ecommerce store.
Why not build a full-blown Shopify ecommerce store? Create a niche and sell a variety of products directly on your store. Advertise it using Facebook ads. There are an endless supply of blue-ocean niches that are far less competitive than some of the more crowded red-ocean ones that have spawned an endless sea of merchants vying for the consumer's attention.
4. Build a free-plus-shipping ecommerce sales funnel.
Use ClickFunnels to build a free-plus-shipping offer. Create a low-ticket front-end offer that will draw in the customers. On the next step of the funnel, hit them with your core offer. After that? An upsell. Maybe a down-sell if they don't take that. Maybe even a high-ticket up-sell at the very end. Once you get the hang of sales funnels, the sky really is the limit.
Related: A Complete Guide to the Highest-Paying Jobs, Companies, Freelance Jobs and More
5. Do gigs on Fiverr
If you're looking for a quick fix, sell gigs on Fiverr. Everyone knows about the gig economy. It's evolved over the years. And today, they're not just five-dollar gigs that you're selling. But, you need to build credibility first. Deliver real value. Go out of your way. Get stellar reviews. Then. And only then. Can you really kick things into high gear.
6. Sell services on Upwork or 99Designs
Upwork and 99Designs are great ways to sell higher-ticket services. If you're a seasoned web developer, designer or have skills in other arenas such as the law or accounting or elsewhere, try your hand here to make a bit of money quickly. You will need some sort of track record. But, if you have existing clients, ask them to retain you here so that you can build up your online credibility quicker.
7. Build a high-ticket coaching or consulting funnel.
Another way to make money now would be to sell high-ticket coaching or consulting services. If you're an expert in a particular arena, sell your services. If you understand business, coach entrepreneurs. If you understand finances, help people navigate their debt and expenses, maybe even their investments.
Related: 10 Side Hustles Ideal for Making Some Spare Cash In the Evenings
8. Manage social media, SEO or Facebook ads for clients.
Want to make some serious money? Manage social media. Do SEO. Run Facebook ads and other paid ads on YouTube or Google for instance. There is loads of money to be made if you know what you're doing. If you can attain huge conversion rates, then people will happily pay you a hefty percentage of that ad spend.
9. Walk dogs or house-sit.
Use a service like rover.com to walk dogs. Offer up your services and go out of your way to make clients happy. Build up credibility and rapport. Get raving-fan reviews and you won't have a problem making money quickly no matter what day of the week or month it might be.
10. Babysit, be a nanny or become a daycare professional.
Great with kids? Want to be a nanny? Maybe a daycare professional? Use a website like care.com to easily source gigs for babysitting. Use can also use the site, along with many others out there, to find work as a housekeeper and even a senior care giver.
11. Use Amazon's Mechanical Turk to do micro-tasks.
Take up menial tasks on Amazon's Mechanical Turk platform. They're micro-gigs. Small tasks that don't pay much. But, they also don't require much brain power. String them together and you just might make a few extra bucks. Great if you're in a bind and you need that cash right now.
Related: Are You Ready for a Side Hustle? Here's How to Know.
12. Do virtual tutoring or assisting.
Speak a second language? Know a musical instrument? You can make money online with just your laptop and an internet connection. Use Skype or Zoom or Google Hangouts to teach to one or more people at the same time. You could also become a virtual assistant, especially if you're highly organized and are great at completing tasks and being time effecient.
13. Rent your house as a vacation rental.
Have a home in a popular vacation destination? Why not drop it on AirBnB? You could also have a professional property management company that specializes in short-term rentals like InvitedHome or Luxury Retreats, or any number of others, to help you manage and rent out the property.
14. Drive for Uber or Lyft.
If you need fast cash in a hurry, why not drive for Uber or Lyft? You could easily make a few hundred or even a few thousand extra per month. If you have a newish car and a clean driving record, this is a viable option. You won't get rich. But, it does pay the bills.
15. Rent your recreational vehicle.
A lesser known segment of the sharing economy has cropped up with sites like RVShare. The truth is that most people who own recreational vehicles have them sitting around collecting dust. Why not rent them out and earn an income from that asset?
16. Create information products.
I've had a mild obsession with information products. They're boundless. Limitless. Not only can you make money fast with them, but you can make an obscene amount of it. No warehousing costs. No fulfilment costs. No manufacturing. Nope. None of that. Pure profit. For the most part at least.
17. Build an online course.
Build a member-based course and sell it online. You can use existing platforms like Udemy or Teachable or Kajabi to do this. Or, you can build your own through software like ClickFunnels and even other cloud-based membership platforms. What can you sell in a course format that would help you deliver real value to others and in turn make a serious amount of money?
18. Create an evergreen webinar.
Webinars are a thing of beauty. You can easily make money online by building an evergreen webinar. Use GoToWebinar, by far the best webinar software out there, to build a webinar that will help you earn money on autopilot. Combine that with software like ClickFunnels and powerful email sequences and watch as your income rockets through the roof.