We all have downtime while waiting in line at the store or sitting at the doctor’s office. What if you could make money on your phone during that time?
Using your phone to make a little extra cash could be a better use of your time than simply checking Facebook or scrolling through Twitter.
Here are several ways to make money on your phone.
1. Take surveys
You can earn extra cash by sharing your opinion. Apps like Google Opinion Rewards allow you to share your thoughts and get rewarded. Depending on the app, you might get points or credits to answer questions about merchants or even complete opinion polls.
Rewards vary depending on the survey, but receiving up to $1 in rewards for each short survey is common. Other apps, like Branded Surveys, offer more redemption options, but you receive points for each survey and must have a set number of points to redeem for cash or gift cards.
2. Earn cash back with shopping apps
Several apps help you earn cash back when you make regular purchases. Go to the grocery store, and you can earn various amounts based on what you buy and when you go to the store. Many of these apps work by scanning your receipts, and you get points and cash back based on the brands involved and other factors.
In some cases, you can even stack your rewards. For example, you can get cash back from Ibotta while earning rewards from the Fetch Rewards app. However, it’s important only to buy what you planned to.
3. Sell your old stuff
Use your phone to sell old stuff. Use apps like eBay to post items for sale. If you have the pictures, you can create a listing while riding the bus.
Another option is to use an app like Decluttr to sell DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs and electronics. Download the app and scan the barcodes of the items you plan to sell. You’ll be offered an amount and given a shipping label. Once the items are received, you’ll receive cash via PayPal or direct deposit.
When I used Decluttr, I received between $0.50 and $10 for each DVD and Blu-ray.
4. Sell photos
If you take great photos with your phone, you can sell them online. Websites like Shutterstock allow you to license your work to others. Anytime someone downloads a photo you offer on the website, you receive a small payment. You can even use the app to take and submit photos and track your downloads and earnings.
Another app is Foap, which focuses on brands and agencies.
5. Test products and services
When you’re home and bored, you might be able to make money from your home by being a user tester. UserTesting requires you to spend at least 20 minutes on video, but you can use your phone to complete the items. You might get paid up to $10 per 20-minute video.
How much user testing you do depends on your profile and the needs of customers.
6. Walk around with your phone
If you walk a lot, you can get paid for each step you take. Sweatcoin offers the ability to earn “sweatcoins” daily based on how many steps you take. You can then redeem your coins for products.
Another app, Evidation, provides you with points when you do any number of activities designed to provide health data. You can redeem points for cash and products, with 10,000 points worth about $10 in cash redemption.
7. Investment apps
Use your phone to invest with an app like Acorns. Download the app and set it up for roundups based on how much you spend. Each purchase you make adds to your investments. Plus, it’s also possible to use the feature to get additional cash for investing when you shop at specific websites.
Over time, the money you invest through Acorns adds up, thanks to the power of compounding returns.
