If you find yourself grabbing your phone during your idle time, you might as well monetize those minutes.
Thanks to some innovative money-making apps like Survey Junkie, Rakuten, Ibotta, and InboxDollars, we can make some extra money here and there.
I’m sure you’ve heard of these industry giants, but you might not know how they work.
That’s what I’ll tackle in this post.
We’re going to go over a brief overview of each app and some pros and cons to help you make up your mind if they’re worth using.
One money-making app won’t make much of a difference for most, so you could use these apps together if you think they’re worthwhile.
Please note that these apps are not a source of passive income.
If you want to improve your personal finance, you may want to use your free time to set up stronger income streams.
Survey Junkie vs Ibotta vs InboxDollars vs Rakuten – Under The Microscope
Before you start making extra money, you’re going to have to familiarize yourself with today’s legit money-making apps.
I’ll highlight each of these money-making apps and go over their features in this section.
Survey Junkie
Who is Survey Junkie?
Survey Junkie is a free internet community that rewards participants for taking surveys online.
The site’s purpose is to link your voice to large businesses, helping shape their trajectory.
Essentially, well-known corporations hire Survey Junkie to do market research and test new product concepts.
That way, they don’t squander money on items and services that aren’t likely to succeed.
You get to help develop product ideas, and Survey Junkie rewards you with a portion of its profits in exchange for your participation.
Related Reading: Is Survey Junkie Safe – Check It Out Here.
How Do You Make Money With Survey Junkie?
Users may make extra money on Survey Junkie in two methods, both based on market research and advising brands.
Completing Surveys
The first method is what you can deduce from the app’s name: you earn money on Survey Junkie by completing surveys.
You may start taking paid surveys as soon as you set up an account.
You won’t be answering random questions on Survey Junkie.
The questions are specific and provide you the opportunity to express yourself about certain products and situations.
As a result, brands are able to provide enhanced services.
You essentially become a market research company’s influencer!
You may view how many points an online survey will give you before you click on it and finish it.
You can also get an estimate of how long it will take you to complete the survey.
Surveys typically dole out from 10 to 200 points and might take anything from a few minutes to half an hour to complete.
These should be useful aspects that help you understand the time commitment and reward.
You can get paid if you’ve completed enough surveys to meet the $10 requirement.
You can then exchange your survey points for cash or gift cards.
Some of the gift cards are from well-known companies such as Starbucks and Amazon.
If you’d rather cash out, Survey Junkie will pay you in Paypal cash, which you can then transfer to your bank account.
The points you earn will be displayed in your Lifetime Points column on the left side of your computer screen when you complete a survey.
Please keep in mind that many other online survey sites do not immediately credit your account with points.
Sharing Your Online Behavior
Another way you can profit from Survey Junkie is through their “Survey Pulse” add-on program.
It lets you share your online activities with brands in exchange for bonus points.
This can be done using a browser extension or through the Survey Junkie mobile app with an opt-in.
Additional surveys that are relevant and personalized to you will be unlocked once the extension learns more about your browsing patterns.
So, what exactly does this money-making app keep track of?
- The sites you visit
- What you put in search engines
- The ads you view
- Your shopping habits
- The general content you consume
As a result, a number of privacy problems arise, which the company handles in the following manner:
- The information they gather is given to companies anonymously. No one will have access to your individual history.
- You can bypass the extension if you use a private/incognito window to browse in private.
- The extension doesn’t store sensitive data like credit card information, email addresses, passwords, etc.
One thing to keep in mind is that you must maintain Survey Pulse installed and enabled for 30 days in order to gain points.
That means you won’t be reimbursed if you opt-in, retain it for a few weeks, and then change your mind.
How Much Money Can You Make With Survey Junkie?
As I previously stated, each survey will award you 10 to 200 points, and the time spent on each will vary from a few minutes to half an hour.
So, let’s use a real-life example to calculate the hourly rate.
This, of course, is contingent on the number of points you can achieve in the time provided.
If you accept a 10-point survey that takes 6 minutes and each point is worth $0.10, you’ll be earning $1 every hour.
This is based on a 6-minute online survey; in many cases, you may complete the survey in considerably less time.
However, the message is clear: those aren’t remarkable stats.
When compared to other survey sites, though, this is actually pretty decent.
And how much free money you make with Survey Junkie is determined by a number of factors, including how many survey invitations you receive, how many questions you actually complete, and how long each survey takes you.
Survey Junkie Pros and Cons
Pros
- It doesn’t cost anything to sign up.
- You immediately earn bonus points for accomplishing a few quick tasks after signing up.
- You still earn points for surveys you don’t end up qualifying for.
- You have the option to get paid in Paypal cash or gift cards.
- Your points can last 12 months before they expire.
- Your answers and online activities are kept anonymous.
Cons
- You won’t get paid much.
- Most users have trouble qualifying for many surveys.
- Transfers from Paypal to your bank account may take a couple of business days.
- Survey Junkie is strictly a survey site and not a source of passive income.
- Folks outside the US, Canada, and Australia can’t sign up.
Related Reading: Survey Junkie VS Swagbucks – Check Out The Comparison Here.
Rakuten
Who is Rakuten?
Rakuten, formerly known as Ebates, is a cashback service that rewards you for making purchases on their website or through their browser extension.
Users usually earn anywhere from 1% to 40% cashback when they make purchases through the platform.
Anyone over 18 can enjoy Rakuten, which has over 2,500 retail partners.
Walmart, Sephora, Nordstrom, and Amazon are among the most reputable partners in this category.
With Rakuten, you make significant savings while continuing your regular shopping habits.
Rakuten is an organization that specializes in affiliate marketing.
When businesses pay influencers to bring customers to their website or store, this is known as affiliate marketing.
When you, the customer, buy something through Rakuten, the store gives them a commission.
Rakuten has opted to share the commission with you in order to encourage you to continue shopping with them.
In the end, everyone benefits!
How Do You Make Money With Rakuten
Rakuten isn’t your usual paid survey site. Here are the ways you can get extra cash as a Rakuten user:
Using The Browser Extension
Rakuten’s browser extension is perhaps its most beneficial feature.
Navigating all the way to Rakuten to make all of your online purchases might be an inconvenience.
Their browser plugin eliminates the need for that step entirely.
Rakuten can monitor you when you download the browser extension and visit a retail partner’s website.
They’ll show you a tiny popup at checkout to let you know if you’re eligible for cashback.
Earning rewards on your purchases is now as simple as clicking a button.
Shopping In-Store
What if you end up in a physical store of a retail partner?
That’s good news.
In-store cashback purchases are also possible with Rakuten.
The in-store deal must be activated using either the website or the app.
You must also connect your credit card to the system in order for it to track your purchase.
The shop will validate your purchase and transmit it to Rakuten once you’ve made it.
The retailer may take hours or days to confirm your transaction, but the cashback should appear in your account.
The in-store deals are only valid for one purchase, so if you plan to make another in-store purchase, you’ll need to renew them.
It’s a little more involved than making online purchases, but it’s still a viable technique to get rewards.
Rakuten Pros and Cons
Pros
- You can shop and save at many retailers.
- You can take advantage of the referral program to earn incentives.
- It’s pretty straightforward to use.
- You can’t deny the significant savings you can make without altering your spending habits.
Cons
- Cashback accruals are only paid out quarterly.
- Not all products from retailers qualify for cashback.
- Rakuten has the right to deactivate your account without giving you any warnings.
- It might encourage shopping online impulsively, which will not help you save money.
Related Reading: How To Make Money Online Without Paying Anything – Click Here To Find Out.
Ibotta
Who is Ibotta?
Ibotta is a browser extension and shopping app that lets you earn cashback when you make your everyday purchases at more than 300 online and in-store merchants.
The app has handed out over $1 billion in cash to its users to date.
That’s quite a lot of discounts!
Since its launch, the app has received two million ratings, indicating how popular it is and how swiftly it has expanded in a short period of time.
Bryan Leach established Ibotta in 2012.
The company employs approximately 800 employees and is located in Denver.
Ibotta raised $76 million in its first few years of operation.
The software has been installed over 30 million times as of this writing, and the company has a $1 billion valuation, making it an official unicorn.
How Do You Make Money With Ibotta?
You can use Ibotta to earn cash back when you shop online and at physical stores. Here’s how you go about it:
Shop In-Store
Launch the app and tap the ‘Find Offers’ button before you go shopping at your favorite merchant.
Then, in your account, add the offers that you’re interested in.
You can filter any deals related to that brand because you plan to shop at a specific location.
You may be asked to accomplish a brief survey on the product you’re adding in some cases.
It’s also possible that the app will also show a recipe for the product.
Finally, it’s time to go shopping once you’ve selected the offers that you’re interested in.
Simply go to your chosen store and make your purchases as you usually would.
After that, you must use the app’s camera to upload your receipt in order to receive cashback.
Ibotta seamlessly cross-references the offers you selected before you went shopping with the finished purchases on your receipt when you upload a receipt.
You’ll be asked if you want to redeem the offer for cashback after it detects a match.
If everything appears to be in order, process the receipt, and you’re done!
Link Loyalty Accounts
The majority of prominent retailers work with Ibotta.
As a result, it’s tied to these retailers’ loyalty programs.
Launch the app and select the retailer you want to visit to link a loyalty account.
Then, at the top of the app, select the Link Account icon to submit your existing loyalty account details or join up for a new one.
Ibotta will automatically offer you cash back for purchases made at that retailer once the process is complete—as long as you use your loyalty card to complete the transaction.
This function is pretty helpful because it eliminates the need to upload receipts after you’ve finished purchasing manually.
Shop Online
You may also use the Ibotta app to save money at over 140 different online stores, including Instacart, Casper, Kohl’s Nike, Grubhub, and Advance Auto Parts.
Open the app and go to Online Shopping to save some money when you shop.
After that, you’ll get a list of the available deals at that time.
After that, click Shop and proceed to complete your purchase as you usually would.
Cash will appear immediately in your account after the purchase is completed.
Ibotta Gift Cards
Over 120 national retailers and restaurant companies have collaborated with Ibotta.
When you utilize Ibotta gift cards, you’ll get cashback and discounts on in-person purchases immediately from the Ibotta app.
You may also save up to 10% on gift cards without having to utilize any coupons.
To do so, you have to go to the Payments area of your Ibotta account and add your debit or credit card.
After that, make your purchases and show the clerk your Pay with Ibotta gift card code at checkout.
You’ll pay for your products and receive instant cashback after the cashier scans this code.
Ibotta Pros and Cons
Pros
- Most national retailers have partnered up with Ibotta.
- The app doesn’t have any signup fees.
- It lets you save money on purchases you would usually make anyway.
Cons
- Ibotta keeps track of your location as you shop in physical stores.
- Compatible with only major retailers and prominent brands
- Customer support could be better
Related Reading: Ibotta Reviews – Read The In-depth Review Of Ibotta Here.
InboxDollars
Who is InboxDollars?
InboxDollars is a cash rewards platform that was established back in 2000.
Since then, the company has developed significantly and now has millions of subscribers all around the world.
It’s one of the most reputable services that lets users earn cash online by performing tasks.
Prodege, a considerably larger online corporation that also owns Swagbucks, ShopAtHome, and MyPoints, purchased InboxDollars in 2019.
How Do You Earn Money With InboxDollars?
InboxDollars compensates its subscribers for doing various online tasks such as surveys, games, and video viewing.
Users gradually accumulate credit in their accounts as they engage in online activities, and they can cash out whenever their account reaches a particular threshold.
Getting PayPal Cash or gift cards are two possibilities for cashing out.
InboxDollars also gives its first-time subscribers an instant $5 signup bonus.
InboxDollars is more than simply a survey site; it also gives members a variety of other opportunities to make money online.
Here they are:
Answering Surveys
The most common way for InboxDollars members to make money is by participating in paid surveys.
These surveys include everything from in-depth market research questionnaires to simple registration and opinion forms.
Payout amounts are based on the length of the survey and the amount paid to InboxDollars by the related survey advertiser.
An InboxDollars survey can be completed on your computer or using the Inbox Dollars Survey App.
Playing Games
If your idea of fun is playing games on your phone, the InboxDollars “Paid Games” platform for earning money online is for you.
Users can earn real money and win cash prizes and gift cards simply by playing games online.
They fail to mention that you may be required to install potentially intrusive third-party apps or other software in order to play these games in some circumstances.
Check anything you download to be sure it’s safe!
Watching Videos
Another way to make money online with Inbox Dollars is by watching videos and being rewarded for it.
Members can make money by viewing sponsored content and earning points.
Not bad at all!
If you’re like most folks, you might enjoy viewing videos.
You can keep up with celebrity news, entertainment, and culinary videos, as well as the latest technological and healthcare developments.
The InboxDollars App allows you to view videos on your phone, allowing you to make money while on the go.
Couponing
If you like collecting and using coupons, the InboxDollars “Grocery Coupons” portal is for you.
You’ll find coupons for your favorite brands in this part of your account.
You merely have to download or print them, and your InboxDollars account will be credited.
Shopping Online
The InboxDollars Paid Shopping portal allows online shoppers to earn rewards.
When you shop through the connected links in your InboxDollars account, huge businesses like Target and Walmart will pay the company a commission.
In exchange, InboxDollars pays you a piece of the commission.
Using The Search Engine
In case you didn’t know, InboxDollars has its dedicated search engine!
Users can begin earning rewards by surfing the web using their search engine rather than the usual search engines like Google and Yahoo.
Every time you use InboxDollars Search, you make progress on your dashboard’s Scratch and Win Bar.
Reading Emails
Members of the InboxDollars “PaidEmail” service can earn money merely by opening and reading email content.
Thankfully, members must opt-in to the service and get PaidEmails from InboxDollars directly to their email inboxes in order to benefit from this program.
Using InboxDollars ‘WinIt’
InboxDollars also has a daily event called InboxDollars WinIt, which is a lot of fun.
Users have to follow InboxDollars on social media and keep an eye out for the WinIt code that they issue every day to play along.
Users merely have to copy and paste the WinIt code into the WinIt box on their Inbox Dollars Dashboard to be entered to win a cash prize, sweepstakes entry, or contest entry.
How Much Money Can You Make With InboxDollars?
Users of InboxDollars receive money every time they complete a paid survey or interact with an offer in their account.
However, the amount you earn is determined by the amount of time you spend in your account filling out surveys and offers.
Online surveys can pay anywhere between a few cents to a few dollars.
However, some require more time to finish, and some are difficult to qualify for.
In certain circumstances, you even have to purchase something or sign up for a “free trial” to receive a larger reward of a few bucks.
Please note that if you neglect to stop a free trial, the advertiser may bill you more money than InboxDollars.
And what’s the point if you find yourself in that situation?
To receive any funds, you must earn $30 in your account at the end of the day.
Overall, it appears like making more than $30 using InboxDollars will be a rare occurrence.
Honestly, this app has a pretty limited earning potential.
Related Reading: Is User Testing Legit – Click Here To Find Out.
InboxDollars Pros and Cons
Pros
- New users immediately get a $5 signup bonus.
- Its website and mobile app make it a flexible option across all devices you might own.
- There aren’t any signup fees.
- It’s a reputable company that’s been around for 22 years.
Cons
- There’s a $3 transaction fee whenever you cash out.
- It could take as long as two weeks to receive your money.
- Accumulating $30 will take some time since many of the survey payouts are pretty low.
- Some surveys require you to purchase products, so they’re not really free.
Survey Junkie, Ibotta, InboxDollars, and Rakuten Alternatives
Are these four money-making apps not enough? I can’t blame you for wanting to use as many apps as you can to increase your earnings.
You may want to look into these other legit money-making apps too!
Swagbucks
Swagbucks is a reputable app that pays you to complete online surveys.
Swagbucks points are earned by completing survey assignments.
These points can be exchanged for cash or gift cards from merchants like Walmart and Amazon.
You can also use the app to accomplish different other activities in order to increase your profits.
The following are some of them:
- Watching videos (these last from 10-30 minutes)
- Downloading and using third-party apps
- Using the dedicated search engine for your regular browsing
- Shopping offline and online through Swagbucks
- Referring friends and family to the app using your unique link
How much money you make is proportional to how many assignments you accomplish.
Swagbucks users earn anywhere from a few cents to $100 per day.
If you want to make extra money, you must take advantage of every available opportunity.
This may require you to devote more of your free time to the app.
MyPoints
MyPoints is a points program that awards you for doing easy online tasks.
Millions of users have already benefited from the app.
You can earn MyPoints in a variety of ways, including:
- Accomplishing surveys
- Playing games on your phone
- Using the app to shop at your favorite stores
- Watching videos
- Reading promotional emails
MyPoints will match you with appropriate tasks as long as you’ve filled out your personal details.
Since your earnings are determined by the number of tasks you complete, it is beneficial to take advantage of any earning opportunity.
Your app points can be exchanged for gift cards from a variety of well-known retailers.
You can also receive PayPal cash as soon as you link your PayPal account.
Fetch Rewards
Fetch Rewards is another application that rewards you with cash for purchasing stuff you would have bought regardless.
I suggest using Fetch Rewards in conjunction with Ibotta.
You may double your rewards by scanning receipts in both applications.
Overall, Fetch Rewards is a little more user-friendly than Ibotta.
Simply snap a snapshot of your receipt, and the app will scan it to see whether it matches any of the offers on file.
Even if you didn’t buy anything with a cashback offer, scanning the receipt earns you points.
Referral bonuses vary, but if a buddy signs up using your referral link, you can earn 4,000 points ($4) right now.
i-Say
The i-Say app compensates you for sharing your thoughts.
Taking surveys earns you points.
This app is perfect if you want to express your opinions about a variety of big businesses from various industries.
To start earning, simply provide your personal information as well as household-related information.
This allows the app to determine which surveys are most appropriate for you.
By participating in polls on a range of themes, you can engage with other users.
You can also use the app to build your own polls for others to respond to.
Your survey earnings are determined by criteria such as survey length.
The majority of them take a few minutes to complete, and you’ll be awarded points right away.
Aside from surveys, i-Say offers the chance to win prizes by participating in contests.
You can exchange your earned points for electronic gift cards.
Electronic gift card redemptions are sent via email via i-Say.
You can claim them whenever you want as long as you have accumulated enough.
Google Opinion Rewards
The Google Opinion Rewards survey app, which is available for Android and iOS, rewards you with extra cash in exchange for your feedback.
You simply take brief surveys whenever you want, from wherever you are, and you will be rewarded.
To earn cash, simply download the app and fill out some basic information about yourself.
This app will provide you with various survey topics from which to choose.
Opinion polls, restaurant ratings, and brand satisfaction are just a few examples.
Google Opinion Rewards will notify you if you haven’t completed any surveys yet.
You can get Google Play or PayPal credit after completing a survey.
Google Play credits are applied to the Google Play Store account linked to the email address you provide.
Related Reading: Is Swagbucks Safe – Find Out Here.
Final Thoughts – Survey Junkie vs Ibotta vs InboxDollars vs Rakuten
Now that I’ve filled you in on the best money-making apps in the industry, it’s time to take action and start grabbing these opportunities.
It would be better to use several of these apps together to make more money as long as it doesn’t interfere with your daily life.
These apps won’t be able to replace your income, but they can help you save money and monetize your idle time.
If you’re serious about personal finance, you might want to look into setting up a legitimate passive income stream instead.
Disclaimer: While survey companies have been around for a long time, they’re definitely not the best way to make money. You will make a very low hourly rate (I did a test to see how many I could do in 60 minutes – watch it here). In my opinion, they only make sense if you have tons of free time and just like filling out forms.
