There are many apps and websites that promise to make you money fast. You watch trailers and advertisements, seeing money pile up $10 at a time as somebody spins a virtual wheel or plays a game on their phone. People cry in joy as $132 are deposited in their PayPal account. If you have tried these apps and money-making ideas, you know that most of them don’t work. You earn money quickly until you hit $5, and then it slows down. The catch; you can’t take out any money until you hit $25.

This article suggests some apps that won’t earn a lot, but could help will the credit card bill you are $10 shy of making. How do you know this isn’t just another trick? I do not write professionally on finances or get-rich-quick schemes. These are simply ideas I have used myself.

There are some affiliate links here. That means I get a small amount of money if you join using my links; it has no effect on the money you get through the app or on the signup process. I recommend them because I have made money on them without using affiliate links, so you will not have to spam your friends with links to get your money’s worth. If your friends decide to sign up, make sure they use your link so you can get paid!

Here is a list of the options I have used. Check out the detailed descriptions below to see if they are right for you, and learn what I like about them.

1: AppStation – Download and play games through this app to get rewards.

2: Fetch Rewards – On this app, you scan receipts and get paid for them.

3: Free Rice – Okay, this is a charity. It doesn’t make money for you, but I figured it is never a bad idea to promote a charity.

4: Affiliate Links – Get paid to help promote others’ websites.

AppStation

This is an app you can install on your android device. You install games through the app, and it pays you for the time you play the games. I get paid through PayPal, but it lets you get paid through several other sources, such as Amazon.

The payments in PayPal do come in Euros, but they transfer to US dollars without a problem.

Is it Safe?

The main question I always ask when considering the trustworthiness of an app is; what do they get out of it? Nothing is free, right? So, why is somebody offering something free? In this case, it is increasing your exposure to free games that can be addictive. These games will have coins, gems, and other rewards that you can buy in-game. The app is like an advertisement.

Conclusion: It seems legit, though I’m not an expert.

Pros

• Get paid to play games
• Convenient payment methods, such as PayPal or Amazon
• Get paid after you earn as little as $0.50
• All games are accessed through a single app

Cons

• The app has crashed on some people, and support isn’t great
• Installing games uses up space on your device
• Android only
• Games can be addictive; don’t spend money in games; it defeats the purpose!

Overall, it is a good app to play if you don’t take it seriously. It may have some fun or low-maintenance games that don’t take up too much time and energy. If there is a glitch, you probably won’t get paid, so focus on games you like enough to keep playing. You may be better off getting most of your games through it, so you use less space on your phone or device.

I don’t suggest devoting hours of time to this solely to earn money, but you can get a few bucks over time.

If you refer somebody, you get extra points! Make sure to ask a friend for a referral link if they already use AppStation.

Fetch Rewards

This app lets you scan grocery receipts on your phone. It then awards you points. Simple. There is a grocery list function that encourages you to plan your purchases based on what will get you rewards and bonuses for inviting friends.

To get your payout, you go to the rewards tab and browse categories, or click on one of the amounts at the top, such as “up to 3,000 points.” You can select your payment from there.

Is it Safe?

This app does not seem to be a scam. They have lists of items and brands that get you extra points and encourage you to buy them. They pay you a little now, but they increase the chance that you will buy their product. It is like giving out coupons.

Pros

• Get money for doing almost nothing
• Cash-out with as little as $3

Cons

• Does not apply to all stores
• Get paid in gift cards; you cannot get your payment through PayPal

Overall, the app is worth it. It doesn’t take much of your time, and you get points for almost any grocery receipt.

Free Rice

This is a website that gives money to charity. You won’t get money out of it, but I felt the need to include something that benefits others.

On this site, you play quizzes, just like you might do online or on your phone. Each correct answer donates a small amount of money to charity.

Is it Safe?

Yes! It does not take any personal info, and it gives money to charity. It is good Public Relations for the people that donate.

Pros

• Free to play
• Give to a charity
• Fun quizzes

Cons

• You are not the one getting paid
• Small amounts of money

This site is worth checking out. It isn’t the best charity or the worst, but it takes up little time and energy to just log on every so often and play.

Affiliate Links

Affiliate links can be used with many sites you could have an account with. For example, I have accounts where I sell products on DriveThruRPG.com and Amazon.com. When I made these accounts, I asked to be made and affiliate. The sites gave me my own affiliate link.

Affiliate links look something like this: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/14443/Standish-Writes?affiliate_id=1936098

The important part of the link is the part after the ? or &. These parts are added at the end of a URL to tell the site owner that you are the one who linked somebody to the URL. You can share the affiliate link on a website, with a friend, or elsewhere. If they go to the site using the link and buy something, you get paid. Each site will have a different method for using the link, though, so check FAQs to make sure you will get paid.

The affiliate part of the link will appear as “?something=something”. If there is already a ? added to the link, it should use “&something=something”‘ format, instead.

Is It Safe?

To use an affiliate link, I made accounts on the websites. I looked at each website individually to decide if I trusted them with my information. You will need to do the same. Using the link itself will not cause any harm to you.

Pro

• You add the link, you get money; it’s low maintenance.

Con

• It won’t make much money unless you have a platform to get the link out to others.

I highly recommend using affiliate links if you have a website or blog to use them in.

Do you have another app or site you use? Tell us your story in the comments.