With all the time most of us spend on our phones each day, wouldn't it be great if we could get rewarded for our addiction? Well, we can, thanks to various iPhone apps out there that can help us make a quick buck, earn cash back, donate freebies to charity, get complimentary cryptocurrency or stock, and receive other types of rewards.
None of the iOS apps I'm about to show you require that you invest your own money unless you count buying merchandise and groceries that you were already going to buy, which a few apps are powered by. Some apps require a moment of your time, while others may require you to connect accounts you already have and may already spend a lot of time with.
These apps won't make you a millionaire, but they're great little side hustles that can make you little bits of cash, freebies, and other investments that can pay for a meal here and there. Just go through this list, find one that fits your needs, and you could start making money through PayPal or gift cards!
- Jump to a section: Google Opinion Rewards | Fetch Rewards | RewardsApp | Rakuten | Receipt Pal | Cash for Steps | Fancy Giveaways | Evidation (aka Achievement) | Million Steps Challenge | Coinbase Earn | Sign Up Offers | Other Ways and Why They're Not on The List
App 1: Google Opinion Rewards
Google Opinion Rewards has been around a while. First, it was an Android app that gave away Play Store cash to spend on apps and in-app purchases. It still is just that on Android, but on iOS, you're able to earn real money.
Google asks you a few short survey questions about different things you've done, so it's not entirely random. You can receive surveys after visiting certain places, and the questions will typically ask you if you purchased something and how you purchased it. You can also receive surveys by simply using Google. These survey types will ask you why you were searching for something or if you notice different search features.
- App Store Link: Google Opinion Rewards (free)
These surveys pop up periodically, and you'll receive a notification when you receive one. Be sure to have your location services set to "Always" for the app to have the highest chance of receiving a location-based survey.
You'll get a different amount from each short survey, ranging from 10 cents to $1.00. However, Google will not pay out rewards, which is done through PayPal, until you hit at least $2.00. Google Opinion Rewards will send an immediate payment to your connected PayPal account when you hit that threshold.
Similar apps worth checking out:iPoll, SurveyMonkey Rewards, Surveys On The Go
App 2: Fetch Rewards
With Fetch Rewards, you earn points by scanning physical receipts. You can also earn points by connecting your account to Amazon, so it can find applicable orders, as well as your email accounts, which the app automatically scans for e-receipts from supported retailers such as Apple, Best Buy, Starbucks, and Target.
When you get enough points, you can cash in your points for gift cards, enter into a $500 Prepaid Visa card, donate your points to charity, or enter the monthly $500 Visa Gift Card sweepstakes.
- App Store Link: Fetch Rewards (free)
At a minimum, you get 25 points per receipt Fetch Rewards receives or finds. There are also special offers going on all the time that earn you more than 25 points for specific items. With few exceptions, 1,000 points equal $1 for a gift card. You will not be able to cash out for a gift card until at least 5,000 points, but it's only 3,000 if you want to give to charity.
Similar apps worth checking out:Checkout 51, CoinOut, Coupons.com, Ibotta, Receipt Hog, Receipt Pal (see App 5 below)
Fetch Rewards has an extensive list of gift cards to choose from, which should not be confused with the retailers it accepts e-receipts from. You can redeem your points for gift cards for the following shops:
- 1-800-Baskets.com
- 1-800-Flowers.com
- 1-800-PetSupplies.com
- Adidas
- Advance Auto Parts
- Airbnb
- AllPosters.com
- Amazon
- AMC Theatres
- American Eagle Outfitters
- Apple
- Athleta
- Atom Tickets
- Autozone
- Banana Republic
- Barnes & Noble
- Bass Pro Shops
- Bath & Body Works
- Bed Bath & Beyond
- Belk
- Best Buy
- Buffalo Wild Wings
- Build-A-Bear Workshop
- Burger King
- buybuy Baby
- Cabela's
- Cake Beauty
- Callaway
- Carrabba's Italian Grill
- Casual Male XL
- CB2
- Celebrity Cruises
- Champs Sports
- Chili's
- Chipotle
- Cold Stone Creamery
- Columbia Sportswear
- Cracker Barrel
- Crate and Barrel
- CVS
- Dave & Buster's
- Delta Air Lines
- Destination XL
- Dick's Sporting Goods
- Domino's Pizza
- Dunkin' Donuts
- eBay
- EXPRESS
- Fanatics
- Fandango
- Fatboy
- Fitbit powered by InVite Fitness
- Forever 21
- Fruit Bouquets
- GameStop
- GAP
- Garmin powered by InVite Fitness
- Global Hotel Gift Card powered by Orbitz
- Go Play Golf
- Google Play
- Groupon
- Guitar Center
- Hard Rock Cafe
- HomeGoods
- Hot Topic
- Hotels.com
- Hulu Plus
- IHOP
- Instacart
- JCPenny
- Jiffy Lube
- Joann
- Kohl's
- Krispy Kreme
- Kroger eGift Card
- L.L. Bean
- Lands' End
- LongHorn Steakhouse
- Lowe's
- lululemon
- Macy's
- Marshalls
- NFL Shop
- Nike
- Nintendo
- Nordstrom
- Nordstrom Rack
- Office Depot
- Old Navy
- Olive Garden
- On The Border
- Outback Steakhouse
- Panera Bread
- Papa John's
- Paramount+
- Petco
- PlayStation Store
- Pottery Barn
- Princess Cruise Lines, Ltd.
- Pro Am Golf
- QVC
- Ray-Ban
- Razer Gold eGift Card
- Red Robin
- Redbox
- Regal Entertainment Group
- REI
- Ruby Tuesday
- Safeway eGift Card
- Sam's Club eGift Card
- Sephora
- Sierra
- SiriusXM
- Skype
- Sling TV
- Southwest Airlines
- Spa & Wellness by Spa Week
- Spafinder Wellness 365
- Staples
- Starbucks
- Steak 'n Shake
- Stitch Fix
- StubHub
- T.G.I. Friday's
- T.J.Maxx
- Taco Bell
- Target
- Texas Roadhouse
- The Cheesecake Factory
- The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
- The Container Store
- The Home Depot
- The Vitamin Shoppe
- TJX
- Tony Roma's
- Topgolf
- Uber
- Uber Eats
- Ulta Beauty
- Under Armour
- Uno Chicago Grill
- Visa Gift Card
- Walmart
- Wayfair.com
- White House Black Market
- Whole Foods Market
- Williams-Sonoma
- Wine.com
- Xbox
- Yankee Candle
- Zappos.com
App 3: RewardsApp
RewardsApp is essentially a free lottery app with two different types of lotteries. One with a $50,000 jackpot happens Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at 2 p.m. EST. The other one with a $10 million jackpot occurs Thursdays at 2 p.m. EST. You automatically receive five tickets for all giveaways just by using the app.
Note that the app will send you notifications for the Thursday, $10 million jackpot, but they will not send you notifications for the Monday through Wednesday, $50,000 jackpot.
- App Store Link: RewardsApp (free)
Depending on which lottery it is, you can win anywhere from $0.10 to $10 Million. If you win, there are no minimum payouts, and you can select from gift cards or request a cash payout via PayPal or ACH to your bank account.
The app's description says that there isn't any catch to using the app. However, the app uses your Amazon receipts to do market research, so you need to connect your Amazon account so they can analyze and compare your Amazon purchases with other users.
App 4: Rakuten
Rakuten is a popular app that gives you cash back at some of your favorite stores. The app essentially offers credit card perks at stores while using your current credit or debit card. Rakuten receives affiliate revenue each time you shop using their tracking IDs, and it gives you a cut of that to say thanks.
You can earn anywhere from 1% to even 95% cash back for using the service. Rakuten also offers a set amount of money back on some other purchases and gives coupons to different websites and retailers.
- App Store Link: Rakuten: Cash Back & Deals (free)
Using Rakuten is easy. Just install the extension in Safari or use the Rakuten app. Additionally, you can use the desktop browser extension to do the same thing.
You accumulate cash back during the three-month rolling period, but Rakuten doesn't pay right after that. Instead, as long as you have at least $5.01 in your account, it will release the payment to you two and a half months after the three-month period ends. For example, earnings from purchases made between Jan. 1–March 31 will pay out on May 15. You can request the money to be cashed out via check in the mail or PayPal.
Similar apps worth checking out:Capital One Shopping, RetailMeNot
Rakuten offers cash back and/or coupons from these popular stores:
- 1800 Flowers
- 1Password
- Ace Hardware
- Adidas
- Advance Auto Parts
- Aerie
- Alibaba
- AliExpress
- American Eagle Outfitters
- Ancestry.com
- Apple.com
- AT&T Internet
- AT&T Wireless
- Athleta
- Avast
- AVG
- Avis
- Avon
- Banana Republic
- Bass Pro Shops
- Bed Bath and Beyond
- Best Buy
- Bluehost
- Booking.com
- Boost Mobile
- Buckle
- Budget Rent-A-Car
- Buydig
- Cabela's
- Calvin Klein
- Care and Barrel
- Carter's
- Casper
- CheapTickets
- Chewy
- Chicco
- Claire's
- Columbia Sportswear
- Converse
- Credo
- Cricket Wireless
- CVS.com
- CyberGhost VPN
- Daily Steals
- Dick's Sporting Goods
- Disney+
- Dockers
- Dollar Shave Club
- Dollar Tree
- Doordash
- Dyson
- eBay
- Epson Store
- ESPN+
- Expedia
- EXPRESS
- FedEx Office
- Finish Line
- Foot Locker
- FOSSIL
- GameStop
- GAP
- GoDaddy
- Good Sam
- Great Wolf Lodge
- Groupon
- Grubhub
- GUESS
- H&M
- HelloFresh
- Hilton
- Hobby Lobby
- HostGator
- Hotels.com
- HSN
- Hulu
- Incipio
- iRobot
- JBL
- JCPenney
- JetBlue Vacations
- joann.com
- Journeys
- Justice
- JW Marriott
- Keeper Security
- KitchenAid
- Kohl's
- Kroger
- Levi's
- Liberty Mutual Insurance
- LifeLock
- Logitech
- Logitech G
- Lowe's
- Macy's
- Malwarebytes
- Marriott.com
- McAfee
- MGM Resorts
- Michaels
- Microsoft 365 for Business
- Microsoft Store
- Mint Mobile
- MLB Shop
- MoneyGram
- Monoprice
- Monster.com
- myFICO
- Neutrogena
- NFL Shop
- Nike
- Nordstorm Rack
- NordVPN
- Olay
- Old Navy
- OLLY
- Orbitz
- OtterBox
- Overstock.com
- PacSun.com
- PANDORA Jewelry
- PetSmart
- PopSockets
- Postmates
- Priceline
- Pureology
- Razer
- Red Roof Inn
- REI
- Restaurant.com
- Rosetta Stone
- rue21
- Sam's Club
- Samsung
- Sears
- SeaWorld
- Shark
- Shoes.com
- Shutterfly
- SIMPLE Mobile
- SiriusXM
- Snapfish
- Sonos
- Speedo USA
- Staples
- Straight Talk
- StubHub
- T.J. Maxx
- Target
- Tempur-Pedic
- Ticketmaster
- Tiger Direct
- Tile
- Tire Rack
- Total Wireless
- TracFone
- Tractor Supply Company
- Tripadvisor
- Uber
- Uber Eats
- Ulta Beauty
- Vans
- Vera Bradley
- Verizon Fios
- Visible
- Vrbo
- Walgreens
- Walmart
- Warby Parker
- Wine.com
- XFINITY
- Xfinity Mobile
App 5: Receipt Pal
Receipt Pal is very similar to Fetch Rewards. The app gives you points for receipts, and then you can purchase rewards with them. You can connect your email, Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart, Instacart, and Kroger accounts.
The app gives 500 points just for connecting your email, 300 points for connecting your Amazon account, and 500 points for every other retailer. For rewards, you receive 25 points per receipt, 50 points per week you scan your email, and an additional 100 points per four receipts you submit.
- App Store Link: Receipt Pal (free)
With your points, you can cash out with an Amazon or other retail gift card at a value between $5 to $100, or you can enter sweepstakes for a $250 gift card. All gift cards earned from this app are e-gift cards, i.e., electronic gift cards that may or may not be spent in-store, depending on the retailer.
You will notice that you have to wait at least 30 days of scanning to cash out one of the rewards, other than the sweepstakes.
Similar apps worth checking out:Checkout 51, CoinOut, Coupons.com, Fetch Rewards (see App 2 above), Ibotta, Receipt Hog
Receipt Pal offers gift cards from places like:
- Amazon
- Home Depot
- Lowe's
- Target
- Visa
- Walmart
App 6: Cash for Steps
Cash for Steps rewards you for simply walking. You don't even have to exercise — it can just be normal walking around a store, at home, and wherever else your feet touch the ground.
The app connects to your iPhone's Health app, and you don't even need a smartwatch or fitness band to count steps for you since your iPhone can do that itself. However, you can connect an Apple Watch, Fitbit, or another fitness tracker to the Health app, which in turn, will sync data to Cash for Steps.
- App Store Link: Cash for Steps (free)
You can earn money from the app in two different ways. For each achievement you reach five stars with, you make $1. Additionally, if you reach the top 500 users, fifty random users from the list will receive $1 each. You can cash out to an Amazon gift card or PayPal for cash, and the minimum amount you can cash out with is $10.
Similar apps worth checking out:Carrot Wellness, Charity Miles, Dick's Sporting Goods, Evidation (see App 8 below), Fancy Giveaways (see App 7 below), LifeCoin, Lympo, Million Steps Challenge (see App 9 below), Paceline, Plyo, Sweatcoin, Walgreens
App 7: Fancy Giveaways
Similar to Cash for Steps, Fancy Giveaways is an excellent app if you're a very active person. The service gives you points for taking steps and walking up and down floors. You also earn points from visiting the app, watching ads, completing surveys, sharing the app on Twitter, and following the app's social media.
- App Store Link: Fancy Giveaways & Cash App (free)
You receive a point for every 5,000 steps and five kilometers. Each time you go up the stairs five times and down the stairs five times, you receive a point for each. Surveys earn you anywhere from 10 to 25 points, and you earn a point from opening the app and selecting Daily Entry.
The app is mostly built for giveaways. However, the app also has a way of redeeming gift cards for a large amount of points. All of the gift cards range from $5 to $50.
Similar apps worth checking out:Carrot Wellness, Cash for Steps (see App 6 above), Charity Miles, Dick's Sporting Goods, Evidation (see App 8 below), LifeCoin, Lympo, Million Steps Challenge (see App 9 below), Paceline, Plyo, Sweatcoin, Walgreens
Fancy Giveaways offers gift cards for:
- Airbnb
- Amazon
- Apple
- Best Buy
- Netflix
- Nike
- PayPal
- Starbucks
- Uber
App 8: Evidation (aka Achievement)
Evidation, which was previously called Achievement before late-2021, was created to measure your health and pay you for it. The app will give you points for every activity throughout the day, and you can earn more points by completing surveys and participating in health studies.
- App Store Link: Evidation (free)
The app uses the Apple Health app or another health or exercise app, such as FitBit, to track your fitness. The app gives you your first 50 points for simply connecting a fitness app. You earn points for exercising, tracking your heart rate, walking, food tracking, logging sleep, and more. Additionally, you can complete different surveys and studies to earn extra points.
Once you hit 10,000 points, you earn $10 and can redeem the payment for PayPal cash, gift cards, pre-paid cards, bank deposit, or you can even donate it to charity.
Similar apps worth checking out:Carrot Wellness, Cash for Steps (see App 6 above), Charity Miles, Dick's Sporting Goods, Fancy Giveaways (see App 7 above), LifeCoin, Lympo, Million Steps Challenge (see App 9 below), Paceline, Plyo, Sweatcoin, Walgreens
App 9: Million Steps Challenge
Like the other fitness-based rewards on this list, Million Steps Challenge, also called Make Steps & Earn Cash Money, rewards you for every step you make. The app gives you one point for every step you make, challenging you to get to one million steps.
Without walking, you can earn bonus steps by doing a daily check-in with an advertisement, a bonus check-in with an ad, doing a survey, local offers, sharing the app on Twitter, or following them on social media. The app calls these bonus steps "Boosts."
- App Store Link: Million Steps Challenge (free)
You can hook the app up to your Health app, so it takes the steps made from all Apple devices — like your Apple Watch — or you can have the app count the steps on its own.
To cash out, you must hit the $10 mark, as Evidation requires, which is equal to one million steps, including the steps you made from Boosts. The app also limits you to 5,000 steps per day, but that can be increased by watching a "Boost" advertisement.
This app isn't straightforward whether you can earn a gift card or cash.
Similar apps worth checking out:Carrot Wellness, Cash for Steps (see App 6 above), Charity Miles, Dick's Sporting Goods, Evidation (see App 8 above), Fancy Giveaways (see App 7 above), LifeCoin, Lympo, Paceline, Plyo, Sweatcoin, Walgreens
App 10: Coinbase Earn
You may have heard of Coinbase, one of the largest digital currency exchanges. However, you may not have heard of Coinbase Earn. Established in 2018, Coinbase Earn allows you to earn money by learning about different cryptocurrency assets.
While the program is not exclusively offered for iOS users, you can download the Coinbase app to earn a bit of free crypto. You can usually make anywhere from $1 to $10 worth of crypto that can be sold or invested. Coinbase rotates and adds new cryptos offered as part of the crypto program.
There are some caveats. One example is that you must have a Coinbase account. There is also a limited amount of crypto that Coinbase gives out, so you want to act fast when you see the lessons appear. You must also verify yourself as a citizen and be of legal age in your country to participate in Coinbase Earn. Additionally, reporting cryptocurrency rewards and sales can be daunting if you file your own taxes each year.
Limited while supplies last and amounts offered for each quiz may vary. Must verify ID to be eligible and complete quiz to earn. Customers may only earn once per quiz. Coinbase reserves the right to cancel the Earn offer at anytime.
- App Store Link: Coinbase (free)
To get to Coinbase Earn from the Coinbase app, tap the menu button (or three lines) in the top corner, then tap "Learn and earn." You may also receive email alerts when new crypto lessons are available.
In the past, Coinbase Earn has had courses for the following cryptocurrencies.
- 0X (ZRX)
- Algorand (ALGO)
- Amp (AMP)
- Ampleforth Governance Token (FORTH)
- Ankr (ANKR)
- Balancer (BAL)
- Band Protocol (BAND)
- BarnBridge (BOND)
- Basic Attention Token (BAT)
- Bounce Token (AUCTION)
- Cartesi (CTSI)
- Celo (CGLD)
- Chiliz (CHZ)
- Clover Finance (CLV)
- Compound (COMP)
- Dai (DAI)
- Enzyme (MLN)
- EOS (EOS)
- Fetch.ai (FET)
- Filecoin (FIL)
- Kyber Network (KNC)
- Maker (MKR)
- NKN (NKN)
- NuCypher (NU)
- Numeraire (NUMR)
- Orchid (OXT)
- Polygon (MATIC)
- Rally (RLY)
- SKALE (SKL)
- Stellar Lumens (XLM)
- Tezos (XTZ)
- The Graph (GRT)
- Universal Market Access (UMA)
- USD Coin (USDC)
- Zcash (ZEC)
Apps That Offer Sign Up Offers
Some apps and services give you money for simply creating an account, particularly investment applications. Several hold temporary offers to encourage customers to join their service. However, sometimes you need a code to get the offer, and some offers are only good for a limited time.
Examples of free sign-up offers include:
- Robinhood: Currently gives you one share of free stock priced $3–$225 for linking a bank account, and one share of free stock for each friend you refer that links their bank account. You can receive up to $500 in rewards each year.
- Public.com: Currently gives you one "slice" of free stock valued at $3–$300 for opening an approved brokerage account and depositing funds. You also get one "slice" of free stock for each friend you refer that opens an approved brokerage account and deposits funds.
- Webull: Currently gives you one free stock valued at $3–$300 when you open a new brokerage account and two free stocks priced $7–$3,000 after making an initial deposit. It also gives free bonus stock when you get friends to join during specific promotional periods, and it also has offers to earn transfer bonuses.
Other Ways and Why They're Not on the List
There are many different ways to earn money on your iPhone. Most of them offer rewards for inviting friends to the app, like Cash App, Venmo, or even Uber Eats. However, it can be hard to earn anything with those apps because it can be challenging to find people who do not already have those apps.
You can also earn money with various crypto and market-based assets with apps like Vanguard, Robinhood (as mentioned above), and Fidelity Investments. However, those involve risking your own money. The offers above give you money, money to invest, or gift cards without having to invest a penny of your own.
Additionally, there are several different survey apps — such as Swagbucks, YouGov, Survey Junkie, and Qmee — that give you money in exchange for your opinion or information. But these usually take an extended amount of effort. The methods listed in this article are meant to be effortless (or close to it).
Cover photo and screenshots by Daniel Hipskind/Gadget Hacks
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