For those of us in need of quick cash for last-minute spending

If you are looking for a new source of income to supplement your budget, look no further than reward apps, which, as implied, are designed to reward your opinion and participation with payments, usually cash (via a PayPal account) or gift cards. Thanks to the app’s ability to monetize our spare time and effort by just using our digital devices, making money on the side has never been easier.

However, there is a trade-off for using such apps. Most, if not all, reward apps, including legitimate ones, will collect your data for marketing purposes. This data can range from obvious information like your name or email address to sensitive information like your health and fitness, real-time location, websites visited, browsing and search history, and many more.

If you are willing to make that trade, since you already agree to share some personal data when you sign up for almost any app, the (free) cross-platform apps listed below are well established and can legitimately reward you. It cannot replace either your full-time or part-time income, but you can earn some quick cash for those last-minute expenses.

Google Opinion Rewards

Google Opinion Rewards is a rewards-based programme released in 2012 by Google that allows you to get paid up to $1.00 by completing surveys. Google partners with famous brands (including Lowe’s, Ikea, Chili’s, and others) that want your opinions on their products, services, and content, and they do that by sending short and relevant surveys that help those companies make decisions.

Google Opinion Rewards is available in 26 countries, including the United States, Singapore, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Brazil, etc.

Ratings

Safe and Legit: 5/5
Earning Potential: 3.8/5
Per Pay Survey: 3.9/5
Payout Process: 4/5
Overall: 4.2/5

Pros

• Get Google Play or PayPal credit for each survey you complete.
• Topics include everything from opinion polls to hotel reviews, to merchant satisfaction surveys.
• Surveys are easy to complete.
• Available for Android and Apple users.

Cons

• Available only on mobile devices.
• Limited to 1 or 2 surveys a week.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks — a subsidiary of Prodege, LLC, that has been around since 2005 — is a portal that offers you reward points (known as Swagbucks points or SB) when you complete paid surveys on the go, search the web, make purchases online, and discover new products, services, and content, which you can then exchange for gift cards (for use in popular retailers like Amazon, iTunes, and Tesco) or cash. As of January 2022, Swagbucks has paid over $600,000,000 in cash and gift cards.

To get started, sign up for free at swagbucks.com. You will get a $10 bonus upon joining.

Ratings

Flexibility: 5/5; Ease of Use: 4.3/5
Company Support: 4/5
Earning Potential: 2.3/5
Overall: 3.9/5

Pros

• Simple tasks to earn rewards.
• $10 (1000 points) bonus simply for getting started.

Cons

• Not a high-earning potential.
• Depending on the activity, you can spend 20 to 30 minutes on the task.