My 7 Favorite Apps That Put a Little Extra in My Pocket – easy ways to earn cash and gift cards

After trying dozens of apps over the years, below are my favorite apps with the best payout options and earning potential.

Hey there, fellow money-making enthusiasts! Today, I’m excited to share my top seven favorite apps that have been making a real difference in my life. While they may not make me rich overnight, they sure add some delightful perks to my days. These apps help me earn enough to treat myself to coffee shop delights, indulge in a stash of beautiful yarn, and other little extras without reaching into my own pockets. So, let’s dive in and discover these digital gems together! **Remember, using my links below typically benefit you but also helps me towards my current goals like getting adult braces and visiting all 50 states and not paying for Starbucks**

Rakuten

Lifetime Earnings (August 2023): $906.49

Payout Methods: Check or PayPal

I have been with Rakuten for 5+ years and use both the app and web browser extensions to maximize earning. My favorite part about the app and extension is that it includes promo codes and automatically applies best coupon code it can find. They automatically pay quarterly.

Join now and earn a $30 bonus after you join and spend $30! Click Here to start earning now!

Upside

Lifetime Earnings (August 2023): $242.27

Payout Methods: Bank deposit, PayPal and gift cards

I have been using Upside (previously GetUpside) for years and love earning cash back on gas and now inside the convenience store and at restaurants. They also have generous referral network where you continue to earn from people who use your referral code.

Use this link or enter my promo code FKTY8 to get an extra 15¢/gal in free gas the first time you use the app

Ibotta

Lifetime Earnings (August 2023): $287.56

Payout Methods: Bank deposit, PayPal and gift cards

You have to save up $20.00 to “withdraw” or redeem, but that isn’t hard with the number of stores now on the Ibotta app and the additional bonuses you can complete. Earn more by connecting all digital saving cards to stores that allow it. Then, I am not upset when I lose a receipt. Tip: You can use your mobile receipts by taking a screenshot.

Join to start saving when shopping and earning bonuses now, plus extra $5 bonus for using my code! Enter my code “uhgsxhl”

Eureka Surveys

Lifetime Earnings (August 2023): $83.23

Payout Methods: Bank deposit, PayPal and gift cards

One of my all time favorite survey apps, with a large number of quality and high-paying surveys. I earn about $5.00+/month just by opening the app daily on my morning drive for location notifications and complete the daily poll. I can currently cash out at just $5, while other users I know can cash out at $10.

Use my code QCZ9H8 on Eureka Surveys and unlock a short $1 survey just for signing up! 

Drop

Lifetime Earnings (August 2023): $750+

Payout Methods: Gift Cards

This is an app where you connect your credit cards and are rewarded for shopping at a variety of different traditional and online stores. It used to be easy to cash out for gift cards every $25, but they are now doing a gift card “drop” once a week. This makes it harder to redeem, but still worth it for a $25 gift card to Amazon or one of many other options.

Use my link here or code “niqot” to get $5 in points to get you started!

Google Rewards

Lifetime Earnings (August 2023): $48.66

Payout Methods: PayPal deposits

This is one is a little more odd. It works on iPhone perfectly, but it automatically deposits anything over $2.00 to PayPal and resets to $0. These are super short, mostly location-based surveys that pay $0.10-$0.41. I have been using it for about two years and enjoy my micro deposits adding up in PayPal.

SurveyMini

Lifetime Earnings (August 2023): unknown

Payout Methods: Gift Cards

This one I keep around because they are always customer service centered surveys based on places you have visited. Whether you had a very positive or negative experience, it is nice to give your opinion and earn some money in the process. I always save up for the $25 tier, and never cash out for less than 25,000 points and they have the smallest and most obscure collection of gift cards, but I’ve never let a Marshalls/HomeGoods gift card go to waste!