Nobody hands out money for nothing. Every dollar on this page comes from a company that wants you as a customer, or from money that was already yours. Sound too good to be true? Mostly it’s not, but there are catches, and each card spells them out.
The fastest way is a sign-up bonus. Testerup, Freecash and Swagbucks each put $10 in your account when you join. The biggest checks come from banks. Current pays $75 with code WELCOME75 and SoFi goes up to $475, but both want your paycheck.
Then there’s money you didn’t know about. Unclaimed property and no proof class action settlements are free to check, and they’re the only things on this page that could turn out to be worth real money.
I’d start with Testerup, then Freecash, then Bigcash. All three are worth a free sign up to see which pays best for you. Pick an offer and run it for a few days.
None of this replaces a paycheck. But it’s real extra money, and it works best if you pick two or three and stick with them.
TesterupWhere I would start$10 to start · up to $129 per offer2
FreecashSecond stop, big game offers$10 to start3
BigcashApp tests, $1 minimum cash outPays per app4
CurrentEasiest bank bonus$75 · code WELCOME755
SoFiBiggest bank bonusup to $4756
Unclaimed moneyAlready yours, free to checkFree search7
BrandedGames that pay per goalPays per game8
SwagbucksOne app, lots of ways$10 bonusSign-up cash: the quickest money on this page
These apps pay you to try apps and games. The $10 bonuses are the easy part, and the bigger money is in the game offers, which pay when you hit a goal inside the game. So which one first?
I’ve used every app in this section. Most are built for phones, so open the links on yours.
Testerup
Where I would start
Biggest payouts per game offer.
Testerup pays you to test mobile games and apps. The $10 welcome bonus lands the moment you sign up. Offers pay up to $129 each, most take 15 to 20 minutes, and one goal in a popular game can pay more than $200. You can cash out to PayPal, a gift card, or your bank, and payout requests get approved within hours.
The catch is simple. You’re playing games for it, so if you don’t want to, skip it.
Sign up and the $10 lands in your account
Pick a game or app offer
Request a payout to PayPal, a gift card, or your bank
Want the fine print? What it pays, how fast, and what to watch
Free. $10 at sign up, offers up to $129 each, payouts approved within hours.
Freecash
Second stop, big game offers
Best if you want $10 now and more tonight.
Freecash gives you $10 when you sign up, then pays for playing games, trying apps and taking surveys. Every offer lists its payout up front, so sort by the highest and skip the rest. A single game offer can pay $20 or more. Cash out to PayPal, a bank transfer, or crypto once you hit the minimum.
The game offers are where the money is. The surveys pay less.
Sign up and collect the $10
Sort offers by the highest payout
Work the game offers and cash out at the minimum
Want the fine print? What it pays, how fast, and what to watch
Free. $10 at sign up, then sort by highest payout and skip the rest.
Bigcash
Third on my listBest if you want to see the payout first.
Bigcash pays you to install and try new apps and games, and each offer shows its payout before you start. Most take a few minutes, and the bigger game offers pay more the further you get. The minimum cash out is $1, and you cash out to PayPal.
It’s a phone app, so open the link on your phone.
Sign up for Bigcash on your phone
Pick an app or game with the payout you like
Hit the goal and cash out to PayPal
Want the fine print? What it pays, how fast, and what to watch
Free to join. $1 minimum cash out, paid to PayPal.
Branded
Games that pay per goal
Good fit if you like games.
Branded pays you to download mobile games and hit goals inside them. Each game shows its payout up front, and the longer you play the more it can pay. Cash out to PayPal or a gift card.
It’s a game app, not a survey site. If games aren’t your thing, start somewhere else.
Sign up for Branded
Download a game and hit the goals inside it
Cash out to PayPal or a gift card
Want the fine print? What it pays, how fast, and what to watch
Free. Payout shown up front, cash out to PayPal or a gift card.
Swagbucks
One app, lots of ways
Best if you want one app that does a bit of everything.
Swagbucks gives you a $10 welcome bonus, then pays points for surveys, videos, games, shopping, and even searching the web. The surveys are the steady earner and the game offers pay bigger. Redeem points for PayPal cash or gift cards.
Surveys pay a little at a time, so think side money, not a quick payout.
Sign up and take the $10 welcome bonus
Run surveys for steady points and game offers for the bigger payouts
Redeem for PayPal cash or gift cards
Want the fine print? What it pays, how fast, and what to watch
Free. $10 welcome bonus, then surveys, videos, games and more.
Bank bonuses: bigger checks, slower
Banks pay the most, and the catch is always the same. You have to move your direct deposit. Get paid by an employer? Then this is the biggest free money here, and it’s worth the ten minutes it takes to switch. No direct deposit, skip this section.
Current
Easiest bank bonus
Best if you can move your direct deposit.
Current pays new members $75 once your payroll deposits total $1,500 or more in the first 35 days. It’s cumulative, so two normal paychecks usually clear it. You have to enter code WELCOME75 at sign up or the bonus doesn’t apply. The money posts within about 10 business days of crossing $1,500.
Current is a financial technology company, not a bank. Your money sits at partner banks that are Member FDIC, and you can get paid up to two days early once direct deposit is set up.
Open Current and enter code WELCOME75 at sign up
Point your paycheck at the account
Cross $1,500 in payroll deposits within 35 days
Want the fine print? What it pays, how fast, and what to watch
Free to open. Code WELCOME75 at sign up or the bonus does not apply.
SoFi
Biggest bank bonusBest if you want the biggest check.
SoFi stacks three bonuses for new members that add up to $475, and most of that total is tied to how much direct deposit you bring over. Open the account, point your paycheck at it, and the tiers pay out over the following weeks.
SoFi lays out the exact tiers on its own page. Read them before you decide how much to move.
Open SoFi Checking and Savings
Point your paycheck at it
Collect the tiers as they pay out
Want the fine print? What it pays, how fast, and what to watch
Free to open. Read the tiers on SoFi’s page first so you know how much to move.
Got $10,000 or more sitting in savings? Raisin pays up to $1,000 with code STACK when you deposit $10,000 or more, and the platform has no fees. It’s a different game than a quick $50, but if the money’s sitting there anyway, it’s worth a look.
Free money you may already be owed
Unclaimed money
Every state holds money for people who never claimed it. Old paychecks, forgotten deposits, refunds, uncashed checks. Billions of dollars sit in these accounts, and searching is free.
Search your name, and any old names and addresses, in every state you’ve lived in. This unclaimed money guide walks through where to look. Real unclaimed property sites never charge you to get back what’s yours, so if anyone asks for a fee, walk away.
Class action settlements
Plenty of settlements let you file without a receipt or any proof you bought the product. The checks vary a lot, from a few bucks to real money, and you only get paid if you actually qualify. Filing is free.
Check the claim deadline and what the settlement covers before you file. The list of no proof class action settlements shows what’s open.
Help with a specific bill
If a bill is the problem, a grant never gets paid back. The hardship grants list covers rent, utilities and medical costs.
Beyond that, LIHEAP helps with heating and cooling bills, the Federal Pell Grant pays for college, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program covers kids in families that earn too much for Medicaid. Apply through the official program sites and never pay anyone to apply for you.
Cash back and the smaller stuff
Cash back on what you already buy
Rakuten pays 1% to 10% back at stores like Walmart, Macy’s and Best Buy, depending on the store and the week. It pays four times a year by PayPal or check, so it’s slow money for things you were buying anyway.
Upside pays cash back on gas, groceries and restaurants. Claim an offer in the app, pay with a linked card or snap the receipt, and the cash back lands in your account. I’ve been using Upside for years.
Fetch gives you points for scanning any receipt from any store. The points go to gift cards, not cash, so it’s best if you’d shop at those stores anyway.
More apps when the first ones dry up
Prograd gives you a $5 gift when you sign up and lists more than 800 offers, with the biggest games paying up to $1,200. You can cash out at $5 by PayPal or a Visa card. I’ve used it.
InboxDollars pays in dollars, not points, for reading sponsored emails, taking surveys, playing games and watching short videos. It’s slow, but it’s easy to see what you’ve earned.
KashKick pays cash for surveys, game downloads and offers, with the payout listed next to every task. The game offers with milestone payouts are the ones worth doing. Payments go out by PayPal.
Nielsen, the TV ratings company, pays up to $50 a year per device to measure how you use the internet, plus sweepstakes entries. You do nothing after setup. Leave the app running for the first 24 hours so it registers.
Where to find more bonuses
ReferralWallet lists sign-up bonuses that are paying right now. Each one I tried paid out, and the partner pays you, not ReferralWallet.
SavingLoop gives you one free spin a day on a wheel of real sign-up bonuses worth up to $75. No deposit, and it resets every day.
MoneyAnswers sends a free money email every morning, two minutes to read, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
Every app on this page, side by side
| App | You get | Cash out | Get started |
|---|---|---|---|
4.5 | $10 at sign up | PayPal, gift card, or bank | |
4.5 | $10 at sign up | PayPal, bank, or crypto | |
4 | Pays per app test | PayPal, $1 minimum | |
4 | Pays per game goal | PayPal or gift card | |
4.5 | $10 welcome bonus | PayPal or gift cards | |
 4 | $5 gift at sign up | PayPal or Visa card, $5 minimum | |
 4 | Pays in dollars | PayPal, prepaid card, or gift card | |
 4 | Pays per task | PayPal | |
4.5 | $75 with code WELCOME75 | Bank bonus, $1,500 in payroll deposits | |
4.5 | Up to $475 | Bank bonus, direct deposit |
| App | You get | Cash out | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5 | $10 at sign up | PayPal, gift card, bank | |
| 4.5 | $10 at sign up | PayPal, bank, crypto | |
| 4 | Pays per app test | PayPal, $1 min | |
| 4 | Pays per game goal | PayPal, gift card | |
| 4.5 | $10 welcome bonus | PayPal, gift cards | |
| 4 | $5 gift at sign up | PayPal, Visa card | |
| 4 | Pays in dollars | PayPal, prepaid, gift card | |
| 4 | Pays per task | PayPal | |
| 4.5 | $75 with code WELCOME75 | Bank bonus | |
| 4.5 | Up to $475 | Bank bonus |
Where to start
Bottom line: do these three things, in this order.
Search your name for unclaimed money, because that’s the one thing here that could be worth a lot. Then sign up for Testerup or Freecash, take the $10, and spend an evening on the game offers. If you get a paycheck, move it to Current or SoFi and collect the bank bonus.
And everything else on this page is extra you can add once those are done. If you want the apps that pay straight to PayPal, free PayPal money sorts them that way.
If free money isn’t enough
If you need real money now, Upstart lends $1,000 to $75,000, and checking your rate is a soft pull, so it doesn’t touch your score. A loan costs interest, so look at the APR before you accept, and compare it with the best personal loans first.
Free money FAQs
Sign up for an app that pays a bonus. Testerup, Freecash and Swagbucks each put $10 in your account when you join, and most people cash out after finishing a few offers. A bank bonus like Current‘s $75 pays more, but it waits on your direct deposit, so it takes a few weeks.
Testerup, Freecash, Bigcash, Branded and Swagbucks all pay cash for small tasks, and most give you a bonus just for signing up. Rakuten, Upside and Fetch pay you back on things you already buy. Every one is free to download.
Start with unclaimed property. Every state holds money owed to people who never claimed it, and the search is free (unclaimed money guide). Then look at hardship grants for rent, utilities and medical bills, LIHEAP for energy costs, and the Pell Grant if you’re in school. Grants don’t get repaid. Anyone who charges you a fee to apply for free government money is running a scam.
Some settlements let you file without a receipt or proof of purchase. The payouts vary, and you only get paid if you qualify, so check the claim deadline and what the settlement covers first. This list of no proof class action settlements shows what’s open and free to file.
The apps and banks on this page are real companies paying for real things, like your attention, your deposit or your purchases. The scams are the ones that ask you to pay first. Never pay a fee to claim a prize, never give your bank login to a stranger, and never send money to unlock a bonus. If an offer promises hundreds of dollars for doing nothing, close it.
Oh — and if you want to actually get paid while you're at it, there are dozens of new apps and offers right now where top earners made $300+ last week. Check them out here.
