How to Make Money Online without Paying Anything: 30 Ways to Earn Money for Free

Are you interested in learning how to make money online without paying anything? Here are 30 top recommendations to help you start earning money for free today!

The internet has brought forth many opportunity to make money online. You can make money by doing surveys that pay cash instantly, using cash-back apps or sites like drop, getting a no fee credit card to earn welcome bonus and cash-back, and so much more.

Here are my best strategies and recommendations on how to make money online for free. I hope they help you earn some extra money in your pocket without having to paying anything upfront!d

Participate in market research

1. Complete short tasks with Swagbucks

Swagbucks is one of my favourite platforms to make money online. You can earn points, called SBs, by completing short tasks. They include shopping at your favourite store, searching the web, answering surveys, watching videos, or playing games. Yes, you read it right. You can play video games and make money at the same time!

The payouts of the tasks differ based on the difficulty of the tasks. You can then use the points to redeem for retailer gift cards or cash via PayPal.

Sign up here for Swagbucks and start earning free cash!

If you’d like to learn more about Swagbucks, check out my complete review on Swagbucks!

2. Earn free gift cards with MyPoints

A wonderful online money making site for you to get paid shopping online and doing surveys is MyPoints. As a matter of fact, there are 5 different ways you can make money with MyPoints: taking surveys, watching videos, shopping (MyPoints partners with over 1,900 top retailers including Walmart, eBay and Amazon), playing games, or even watching videos. You can earn points to be redeemed for gift cards! Sign up here for MyPoints!

Check out my comprehensive MyPoints review to learn more!

For a limited time, MyPoints is giving you $5 with your first five surveys. Sign up for MyPoints today so you miss the offer!

3. Earn quick money with KashKick

Who doesn’t love some extra cash in your pocket? KashKick will deposit cash directly into your PayPal account for all the fun money-making things you are doing online!

Online surveys is the best way to earn cash on KashKick. Of course, other earnings opportunities, such as finding great deals, surfing the web, and watching videos, are also available.

Check out my comprehensive KashKick review to learn more!

4. Complete surveys with Survey Junkie

You can make money online with online paid surveys with Survey Junkie. Not only can you earn some cash, but you can also share your opinions to help brands deliver better products and services. Survey Junkie is a well-established community with over 10 million members. I highly recommend that you join the community and start making some money. Sign up for Survey Junkie here!

Survey Junkie also operates SJ Pulse, which allows you to make money by sharing your digital browsing behaviours. This is a great opportunity to earn some passive income. Sign up for SJ Pulse here!

Check out my Survey Junkie review to learn more!

5. Become a Toluna Influencer

Toluna is another one of the most popular survey apps that pay instantly to PayPal. It has a mobile-friendly app that alerts you when there are surveys available, so you can take them online whenever you want. The platform also offers online focus groups and product testing options. You can leverage these additional earning opportunities to increase your earnings further.

Toluna offers a wide variety of rewards, including PayPal cash and gift cards at popular retailers!

Check out my Toluna review to learn more!

Sign up today to become a Toluna Influencer!

Earn cashbacks, effortlessly

6. Use TopCashBack to earn cash back on online purchases

TopCashback.com is one of the United States’ most generous cash back sites. In addition to passing at least 100% of the commission rate that stores pay back to their members, they also provide discount coupons that can be used in conjunction with cash back. Sign up for TopCashBack.com here. 

Get money back when you shop online! Join for free with over 15 million members saving hundreds of dollars each year from all the top 4,400 online retailers.

7. Use Drop to earn cash awards

Drop is a free app that rewards you for shopping at your favourite brands. So far, Drop has helped over 3 million users earn cash awards at stores like Amazon gift card, Netflix, and Starbucks.

For every purchase you make, you get Drop points. The earlier you start using the app, the more Drop points you can accumulate.

Want to learn more? Check out my comprehensive Drop app review today!

8. Make your purchases through Rakuten

Rakuten, formally known as Ebates, is a popular online cash-back shopping site in Canada and the US. You get some money back from every purchase you make through the site. Brands also offer hot deals and coupons specifically through Rakuten!

Rakuten has more than 2,500 stores from a wide array of categories listed, including many well-known brands like Dell, Walmart, Chapter-Indigo, and Amazon.

I have been using Rakuten since 2016, and have always been a happy member!

There are three ways to receive your Cash Back payments:

All of the methods above is completely free. Payments are sent every three months on Rakuten’s payment schedule

To get a free cash bonus with your first qualifying purchase:

9. Use a browser extension like Honey

Browser extensions, like Honey, easily help you find coupons and automatically apply them to your purchases so you can always get the best deals. You also get a great cash-back in the meantime!

Sign up for Honey today and earn 500 Gold ($5 equivalent) when you make your first qualifying purchase!

Make simple changes to your money habits

10. Park your emergency fund in a high-interest savings account

A high-interest savings account is an awesome way to make some money online without paying anything.

If you are in the US, I recommend that you check out First Citizens Bank’s free online savings account. Read my First Citizens Bank review here!

If you are a Canadian resident looking for a great savings account, you will want to check out EQ Bank, which offers one of the best high-interest savings accounts, TFSA and RSP. Check out my comprehensive EQ Bank review to learn more!

11. Invest your spare change with Acorns

Acorns is the leading micro-investing app in the U.S. It is a super easy-to-use app that enables you to invest your life’s spare money. You only need under 5 minutes to sign up, and there is no minimum investment required. You will be investing in a low-cost, diversified portfolio of exchange-traded funds, and watching your money grow effortlessly. Acorns is particularly suitable for beginners who are looking for a relatively easy solution to grow their money. Sign up for Acorns here.

Check out my Acorns review to learn more!

12. Invest with Moka if you are in Canada

If you are like me living in Canada, then you will want to check out Moka. Moka is the Canadian version of Acorns. Again, setting up your account is super easy and hassle-free. Sign up for Moka here.

13. Use a cash-back credit card

Who doesn’t love getting some cash back simply by using a credit card to make your purchases? By simply using a credit card instead of straight cash, you can earn some money without paying any extra!

If you are looking for a Canadian credit card, you may want to consider signing up for the no-fee Tangerine Money-Back credit card. It is my primary credit card that offers cash-back on every purchase, including 2% for three categories of your choice. I use the card on a daily basis, and I cannot recommend it enough. Sign up for the credit card here, or check out my Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card Review to learn more!

Take advantage of the gig economy

14. Become a DoorDash driver

Becoming a DoorDash driver can be an especially lucrative opportunity right now because of how much people love ordering take-outs.

DoorDash is an online food ordering and food delivery service platform. Of course, they will need people to help their customers pick up food orders and deliver them to their houses. As a DoorDash driver, you can set your own time and your own goals, and be your own boss.

As a DoorDash driver, you can expect to make between US$18 to $25 an hour. This is a pretty good side hustle, isn’t it?

15. Become a Rover pet sitter

Do you love pets? If so, you may want to become a pet sitter on Rover! You will be able to spend plenty of time playing with pets, and get paid for it! It is certainly a stream of healthy supplemental income. Many Rover sitters earn $1000-1500 a month with just 20-25 hours of work.

16. Become a freelance writer

Freelance writing is also hot, hot, hot right now. I myself am a freelance writer for a few publications and sites. I love the flexibility, both in terms of workload and the people that I choose to work with.

You can search for freelance writing gigs either through your existing networks or through platforms like nDash and Fiverr.

If you are good at writing, don’t be shy. Advertise your skills and start looking for freelance writing jobs today!

17. Become a freelance graphic designer

If you are great at creating visual content to communicate messages, then you should consider becoming a graphic designer. You can advertise your work through freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr. If you have a great portfolio, then chances are you will land some clients.

18. Join Amazon mechanical turk (MTurk)

MTurk is a crowdsourcing marketplace that makes it easier for individuals and businesses to outsource their processes and jobs to a distributed workforce who can perform these tasks virtually. 

By signing up for MTurk, you can work on various online jobs include conducting simple data validation and research, survey participation, content moderation, and more. This is a great way to make money online without paying anything.

19. Become a virtual assistant

Virtual assistants are in demand nowadays. They are here to help business owners with general administration, customer service, sales, cold calls, and scheduling. If you are highly skilled in tasks like data entry and social media marketing, you should leverage these skills by applying for virtual assistant jobs. Who knows, you may turn it into a bonafide career!

20. Become a transcriptionist

What is a transcriptionist? Well, he/she is a professional typist who listens to recorded or live audio files and converts into text format what he/she hears. Given the nature of the job, being a transcriptionist offers plenty of flexibility: you can choose when, where and how much you want to work.

21. Become an online tutor

If you excel academically, you can get paid very decent money through online tutoring. This is especially true if you can prove your credentials, such as awards won and advanced degrees earned.

You can advertise your service on sites like Kijiji or Craiglist, or join a site like tutor.com.

Looking for a part-time or full-time job? Click here to sign up for ZipRecruiter where over 8 million jobs are in one place!

Turn your hobby into lucrative streams of income

22. Create a free blog

If you want to make money online, starting a blog is a great choice if you have good writing skills. Many platforms allow you to start a blog for free. For example, I started my first blog with a free WordPress account. Once you have started a blog, there are many ways (I will touch on a few below) that will allow you to start earning money online.

Of course, as you go along your blogging journey, you may find that the free platforms can no longer meet your needs. For example, many free platforms have severe restrictions on how you can monetize your site. When that happens, I recommend that you self-host with a hosting company like Bluehost or SiteGround.

Here are the blogging tools I use:

  • SiteGround: This is the hosting company I use. I like it for its SiteGround optimizer plugin, the free email accounts, and the speed with my site. Sign up for SiteGround here. 
  • Bluehost: perfect for beginners who want to upgrade from a free platform (so you can start monetizing) but who also want to minimize spending. Check out my Bluehost review to see why I chose it as my first hosting company.
  • NameSilo: One of the most economical registrar and hosting companies out there. I stumbled upon this company and have been very happy with the service. It is my current registrar. Use promo code “bellawanana” at check out to get a special discount! Sign up for NameSilo here. 
  • Ezoic: This is the ad network I have joined. It pays quite a bit better than Google AdSense. If you have over 5,000 pageviews a month, you should definitely consider applying for it! Sign up for ezoic here.

23. Generate income from affiliate marketing

If done well, affiliate marketing can be a lucrative way to make money online without paying anything.

What is affiliate marketing, you may ask? Well, it is the process by which an affiliate (aka, you and me) earns a commission for marketing another person’s or company’s products. If you enjoy a certain product and service, it doesn’t hurt to let more people know about them, and get paid at the same time, right?

Of course, when it comes to affiliate marketing, you want to be selective about the vendors that you choose. Your reputation is on the line, so you want to make sure that you only advocate for the products and services that you truly believe can bring value to your readers.

A great place to start is to turn your blog into an Amazon affiliate site. You can earn a commission on basically anything that someone buys on Amazon through your link. I also see great results from Aragon Premium. Sign up for Aragon Premium here.

24. Join an ad network

Once you start seeing some traffic to your blog or website, you should consider joining an ad network.

Google Adsense is usually the first step for any new bloggers. You can get approved relatively easily as long as you have a functioning site that you update regularly.

Once you go through a simple approval process, you can start placing ads on your site. Any time a visitor views or clicks on an ad, you will receive some revenue.

The ability to join an ad network was one of the key reasons why I decided to self-host with Bluehost. Most free blogging platforms don’t allow third-party ad networks.

For me personally, I have joined Ezoic ad network. It pays quite a bit better than Google AdSense. If you have over 5,000 pageviews a month, you should definitely consider applying for it! Sign up for ezoic here!

25. Start a YouTube channel

Starting a YouTube channel is a fun way to make some extra money on the side. Many success stories have inspired me. For example, Markiplier has accumulated almost 30 million dollars of net worth thanks to his YouTube presence.

Of course, to be solely dependent upon it for your living takes a ton of hard work and dedication, but that shouldn’t deter you from making a small step forward today!

26. Become a social media influencer or brand ambassador

Are you good at connecting with people on social media? Are you familiar with the most popular social media platforms today? If you answer “Yes” to both of these questions, then becoming social media influencer can be a very good side hustle for you.

Speaking of social media, if you haven’t already, please follow me on Twitter or Instagram!

Sell what your have

27. Sell pre-owned stuff on Kijiji/Craiglist/Amazon

Selling unused stuff is a great way to make money selling online. If you have items sitting on your shelves collecting dust, then these are the perfect vehicles for you to make some money online without paying anything!

Of course, you want to make sure that you trade in a safe environment.

28. Sell your clothes on Poshmark

Poshmark is the #1 place to buy and sell fashion. If you have a closet that is a bit too full to close, you should sell the ones you haven’t worn in over a year on this platform.

In addition to selling pre-owned clothes, you can also flip clothes on the platform. If you have a pair of good eyes for fashion in your local thrift stores, you can turn this into a lucrative side hustle!

Have some fun while making money

29. Play games for money with Android app Mistplay

Mistplay is an awesome Android app that allows you to play games and make money. It is as easy as downloading the app on your Android phone, playing games, earning Mistplay units, and cashing out on gift cards. Sign up for Mistplay here.

If you are in the US: Sign up for Mistplay here.

If you are in Canada: Sign up for Mistplay here.

30. Earn free gift cards with Rewarded Play (Android)

Earn FREE gift cards for your favorite stores by playing popular games you’ll love! Play free games from the comfort of home with Rewarded Play, the one-stop app for casual games you’ll love to play. Play games, choose your rewards and get your gift cards within 48 hours! Earning gift cards really is that easy. Redeem rewards from name brand places, such as Amazon and Walmart, and enjoy! Sign up for Rewarded Play here.

Final Words

See, making money online isn’t as daunting and impossible as it may seem to be, even if you are a beginner. Whether you are a teen or not, There are plenty of ways to start making money today. If you are dedicated, it is not impossible to make several thousand dollars a year, a month, or even a week!

If you are interested in learning more specifically about Amazon platform, head to my post How to Make Money on Amazon to learn more!

Start working online today!

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5 thoughts on “How to Make Money Online without Paying Anything: 30 Ways to Earn Money for Free”

  1. I think most of the items are for US citizens, right? I tried your link “Opinion Outpost” and it loads a white page. The second one “Swagbucks” loads, I put email and password, then I get an error message. I didn’t continue the rest 🙂

    Reply

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