Want to start making free money from your mobile phone?
Here’s a round up of the best UK money making apps.
I discovered that you can make money from your mobile when I started overpaying my debt. There are so ways to make money instantly online and apps that pay are right at the top of the list!
Can you earn money fast from money making apps?
It depends on the app!
I’ll be honest, you won’t get rich quick using the majority of apps that pay out. This is because the work you complete on most money making apps is pretty simple.
However, there are some apps out there where you can earn a lot. You may to brush up your skill set to use them, and that’s why they pay more.
In this post, I’ve included both types of apps. Making money on these will range from simple surveys and snapping receipts, right through to setting up an online business or marketing strategy.
How many money making apps do I need to use to earn decent money?
With survey and receipt scanning apps, regularly using about 4 or 5 should net you an acceptable side hustle income without putting in too much effort. Having a few money making apps on your phone means that when work isn’t available on one, you can usually earn on another.
As I said, these types of apps won’t result in huge payouts. But you also won’t have to dedicate much time or effort to them, either.
For the apps that you can earn a lot more on, you will need to put in effort. You may need to upskill. But let me tell you, the rewards are huge. You can earn a lot of money from home.
And there is even one app on this list- that you might already have on your phone- where you can make a ton of passive income! Imagine making money while you sleep?
With the more time-intensive apps on this list, you only need to use one to earn an income. They require effort- and lots of it. But put in the groundwork, and your effort will pay off big time.
So let’s get started with my list of UK money making apps
Best for… Low effort and easy money
YouGov
YouGov is a survey app where users complete surveys for Government research. You earn points and cash out when you hit £50-worth. It is slow to cash out but you are literally paid to give you opinion- so you can do this while watching TV.
If you like YouGov, you might also like Prolific (a website, rather than an app). Use it to participate in research in exchange for cash. It pays out a bit quicker, too.
Swagbucks
Swagbucks pays you to complete online tasks in ‘swagbucks’ which you can then cash in for actual money. It’s one of the easiest and most popular free money apps around.
Shoppix
Shoppix rewards points for scanned reciepts, which you can revert to cash when you earn enough points. Another slow burner, and you will wait quite a while to cash out. But this work is so easy that it’s almost a shame not to do it- it takes mere moments, even when you’ve got a week’s worth of receipts to scan. Receipt Hog is a similar app that pays less, but if you don’t mind scanning, you might like both.
Sweatcoin
Sweatcoin is pedometer app that converts steps into Sweatcoin currency which you can then redeem. Another slow burner, but it’s a pretty useful app to have in the background of your phone, particularly if you are active anyway.
Best for… Selling your stuff
eBay
If you haven’t used the eBay app yet- install it now! It’s super simple to use and great for having a declutter.
Depop
Another great app for selling your clothes.
Facebook (Marketplace)
More and more people are turning on to the magic of Facebook Marketplace. The app makes it incredibly easy to connect with people in your area who want to buy the stuff you no longer need. It’s a bit like selling on Gumtree, but with the social media aspect, it makes transacting a bit more personable.
Best for… Food
I’m going to hold my hands up here and say that neither of the apps I will recommend pay money. Instead, they save money on groceries. In our house, free food is as good as cash! So here’s hoping you appreciate grocery discounts, too.
Shopmium
Shopmium is my must-have app that everyone needs on their phone. It offers discounts and freebies on groceries, household and beauty items. I have saved a grand total of £507 using the app. In my terms, that means Shopmium has paid our entire food bill… for two months!
Simply, you scan the item on offer, and your reciept, and Shopmium will reimburse you. Great for anyone who appreciates a freebie or bargain. You will also get a free gift by using my referral link. (… and thanks if you do!)
Checkout Smart
Checkout Smart is similar to Shopmium, but with a larger amount of offers. Some are great- for example, recently, users were able to claim a free Kingsmill 50/50 loaf every single day for about a week.
Best for… Perks and freebies
O2 Priority
Again, this is another app for freebies rather than actually paying out in cash terms. But it’s so good that it needs to be mentioned.
O2 Priority has a ton of offers and perks for users. The most popular of which is a free weekly coffee. They also offer great freebies from Thortons from time to time, like a free personalised chocolate slab on Valentines Day, and a chocolate advent calendar at Christmas.
You don’t even need to be an existing 02 customer to get that app. If your phone is unlocked, you can order a free 02 sim online and use it.
Best for… Side hustles and special skills
Now let’s get down to some serious business. If you want to make a generous online income, these are the money making apps you need.
Remember I said you might need to learn new skills? These are the apps that this applies to. This might sound daunting, but like any job, there is on-the-job training, so see this in the same way. If you put in the effort, you might just find that your new side hustle could pay more than your current job!
Amazon
Love it or hate it, it’s undeniable that the Amazon app is incredibly popular.
When I first started blogging about money, I discovered that lots of people sell via Amazon’s Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) programme, where you supply the products and they do the hard work.
If you are a bargain hunter at heart, you can turn your skills into a profitable business using FBA.
Remember how I said at the beginning of this post that there were some apps that you could turn into a business? This is one of them.
At the same time, be prepared to put in the work. You will need to source items to sell, requiring an initial investment.
However, do this well and you could earn a full time income within a matter of months.
Fiverr
Fiverr is an app that connects freelancers to a marketplace full of customers who need their skills and services.
Focused on tech freelancers, this is the app that customers come to to find anything from website design to cooking lessons.
If you’re reading this and think Fiverr doesn’t apply to your skills- check it out first! You’ll be surprised at the range of services they offer. And even if you don’t have the skills to offer yet, this is where you need to start upskilling yourself. Put in the work, and you’ll be rewarded.
Take Charlotte as an example. Charlotte, who runs LookingAfterYourPennies.com, has been able to turn Fiverr into her full-time job. Read more about her Fiverr story here.
Etsy
If you enjoy being creative, Etsy is the way you can turn a hobby into a business.
Like Fiverr, you might need to start by brushing up on your skillset, or learning something completely new. But ask yourself, what are you already doing that other people would love?
I’ll tell you a story here: two years ago, an aquaintance who was getting married told me about her ‘wedding planner’. This was, in her words, a simple worksheet in which she tracked everything wedding related- from bookings to costings to reminders. This wedding planner covered everything, because, going through the process of planning her wedding, this gal knew every damn detail.
Now, she sells this the same planner on Etsy. She doesn’t dedicate any time to selling it. The sales tick away, providing her with a small passive income. All she did was put in the groundwork to get it ready for sale, created an optimised sales page, and submitted it for sale. They key to more sales? She encouraged customers to leave reviews, which clinches more sales (if they are honest reviews… and good, of course!)
So put in a bit of groundwork, and Etsy could be your ticket to some extra cash on the side for not very much ongoing effort.
Best for… a passive income
Yep, this one surprised me too! In this list of the best apps for making money, Pinterest is my surprise app of choice.
You might already have Pinterest on your phone. Are you now wondering how much money you could make from it?!
A lot of money!
So how do you make money on Pinterest?
We all know that bloggers use Pinterest to pin their content. Those pins drive traffic to their blog, which in turn can generate income via the income channels they use.
BUT… you actually don’t need a blog to make money on Pinterest.
The reason you don’t need a blog to profit from Pinterest?
You can link your pins to anything on Pinterest.
So you could link to a blog, OR to products and services that earn you an income. Such as items you’re selling (see above re. Etsy!), or through affiliate marketing with affiliate links. You will then make money if someone clicks your link and makes a purchase through it.
How does making money with affiliate marketing work?
So let’s go into affiliate marketing in a bit more detail. You’ll get a commission on sales on products or services that you affiliate with, if people purchase via your link. This could be a flat fee, or a percentage of the sale.
The key to affiliate marketing is to affiliate only with brands and items that truly serve you and your audience. You need to be authetic when you recommend something. Only recommend things that you would pay full price for- and ideally have already done just that.
Recommend any old thing, and people will turn off. This is why people are so sceptical with influencers in 2020- many will affiliate with brands that reach out to them, rather than the other way around.
Remember that you will also need to ensure that any affiliate links are clearly declared.
It’s a lot easier than you might think to get started as an affiliate marketer, too. A network I use that I can highly recommend is Awin, which houses a huge amount of household brands. Another one that’s pretty simple to get started with is Amazon Associates.
Making money from Pinterest takes time.
So this is another app where you will need to put in some graft. But do it right and your pins will serve you well. If you create just one pin that goes viral, you could earn a lot of money passively from that pin.
The key to doing well on Pinterest is to create pins that stand out from the crowd. Pins that make users want to click and repin. Ones that are helpful, informative and relevant to them. And above all, pins that are visually appealing.
If you are wondering where to start with designing pins, I recommend Canva. It has a free version, and you can create some truly beautiful graphics with their templates.
Once you have your pins, a list of affiliates that you want to sign up to and a Pinterest account, you’re good to go. Using Pinterest for business can be really time consuming so I would highly recommend utilising Tailwind. You can sign up for a free trial here.
So this is a light touch of making money on Pinterest! For more information, read this post from Blog Blossom.
So this has been my round up the best free money making apps out there right now!
Let me know in the comments if you’ve used any of these and what you think. And please get in touch in the comments if you think there’s a money making app that I need to feature in my guide!
Enjoyed this post? Check out this related post about making £500 in one month.
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