The internet brings many possibilities, not just for doomscrolling and mindless consumerism, but also for earning some extra money. It takes some courage to start, but if you are already reading this article, I’m sure you have it. Below are the seven best platforms that can start earning you money right away.

Pawns.app

We start with Pawns because it’s a great mix of active and passive income possibilities. It’s a website and an app (Android and iOS) that allows users to share their unused bandwidth and answer surveys for money. Here’s how both of these options work.

• Paid surveys simply ask you to answer questionnaires on their app. After you take twenty to thirty minutes to complete one, you are rewarded with a modest sum of money – around $1 per survey. It’s not much, but you can do it as much as you like whenever you like.
• Bandwidth sharing transforms your device into a remote access point for other users to access the internet. With it, they are able to bypass internet restrictions in their own countries. Sharing one IP address for 24 hours will bring you around nine dollars.

The payout threshold for both of these activities is $5 dollars. The best way to cash out Pawns earnings is through PayPal, which offers gift cards, bank transfers, and cryptocurrency.

ClickWorker

ClickWorker is a platform that connects businesses with people who are willing to perform micro-tasks on their own time. You can find things like writing, translating, data entry, and other things there. Everyone benefits from ClickWorker.

Companies can outsource mundane tasks to thousands of online workers and get them in time. Clickworkers can earn extra money on their own schedule. The best part is that the tasks there don’t require any formal qualifications, and you are paid per completed work.

If you don’t want or can’t work more than needed, you can simply stop and join another project. There is no need for you to get formal employment or deal with clients. You simply click and earn extra money. 

Branded Surveys

We already touched on surveys a bit. But it’s such a great online money-making opportunity that I want to recommend another site – Branded Surveys. It’s one of the leading market research platforms. Many companies come to them with the need to collect user opinions.

Expect no shortage of questionnaires on Branded Surveys. Each survey is valued in points, 40 on average, and you can cash out when you reach 500. Depending on your payout method, this is equivalent to $5 dollars. It pays in gift cards, PayPal, or bank transfers.

However, it all depends on your location and willingness to find surveys. Some claim to earn even $100 monthly with Branded Surveys; others say they barely have any. In any case, you should try as many platforms as you can to find the one that works for your location and other demographic factors.

Acrons

If you are looking for a more conventional way to make money online and already have some spare finances, Acrons is for you. It’s a micro-investing platform that allows you to purchase fractional shares. You can also open retirement savings accounts, get a debit card, and other banking services.

There is a subscription fee, but if you invest at least some spare change every now and then, the app will pay for itself each month. Besides, the knowledge you can acquire by simply using Acrons is invaluable for anyone willing to learn about money.

Runtopia

Runtopia takes ‘Active’ in active income quite literally. It uses a virtual sports coin system that converges your movements to a currency called SPC. The app uses your GPS and other metrics to determine whether you are running, walking, or doing other sports and rewards you with the appropriate amount of coins.

There are also daily tasks, such as reaching fitness goals, inviting friends, participating in the community, and so on. Basically, everything you do on the Runtopia app earns you SPC coins.

You can spend these coins on various offers. They range from fitness gear and t-shirts to online services and gift cards. I must admit that the rewards aren’t that compelling and difficult to reach. However, it’s more than enough to give me a boost in motivation for a daily 5-mile run.

Rakuten Rewards

Earning money is difficult, but spending it is easy. Cashback apps make it so that you can spend and earn a bit back with each purchase. Rakuten is the most famous cashback platform as it has a long history of helping US customers save on groceries and other spending.

The idea is simple. Rakuten has made some deals with brands and stores that will attract a certain amount of business to them. They are getting paid for it, but instead of advertisements that don’t give anything back to you, they share part of the profits.

That’s why you can earn around 20% of money spent on their partner stores back to your account every three months. You simply need to use their website, web browser extension, or mobile app to make your daily purchases.

Upwork

The most traditional way of making money online is freelancing. Programmers, designers, writers, marketers, customer service reps, and many other professionals are highly sought after. Platforms like Upwork make it possible to for companies to find and hire them easily.

If you have any skill worth selling, Upwork will make your life easier. They enforce payments, take care of the whole transaction, and give you a tangible platform to build on past customers. The only problem is fierce competition with other freelancers. It shouldn’t be a problem if you’re a good specialist.

Final Words

None of the platforms above will make you rich overnight. These things are from fairytales used by scammers to trick you out of your money. However, if you set realistic expectations, all of these options can give you consistent returns for some significant side income.