We’ve rounded up eight ways to make money online. Some of these harness your skills (photography or typing) and some are just ways to make money doing what you already do (shopping and searching). These aren’t sketchy get-rich-quick schemes. They’re all legitimate businesses and opportunities that can help you pull in a little extra cash when you need it.
1. Stock photography
You’re an ace with a camera. You capture eye-catching images and you know how to set the scene. You can turn that skill into online income by listing your images on stock-photography sites like Shutterstock and Adobe Stock. You receive a royalty when customers purchase the right to use your work. These sites are always looking for a variety of images, whether it’s lavish food photography or eye-catching scenes of natural beauty.
2. Swagbucks
You already watch plenty of videos online, so why not make a little extra money while you’re doing it? Swagbucks is a site that rewards its users with gift cards for taking surveys, watching certain videos, or conducting web searches with its search engine. You earn points by participating in Swagbucks activities and you can then redeem those points for gift cards or cash back from PayPal. Swagbucks also offers a mobile app that lets you use the service on the go.
3. Ebates
4. SpeakWrite
Do you have blazing fast typing fingers? Online transcription company SpeakWrite hires independent contractors and lets them set their own hours and work from home. SpeakWrite said its typists on average earn around $300 per month, while the top earners pull in over $3,000. You must first pass a typing test that judges you for speed and accuracy and requires you to have some previous experience in transcription and word processing.
5. UserTesting
UserTesting hires contractors to try out websites and offer their thoughts and opinions through feedback videos. Companies use this as a way to see how well their sites work and to try out new re-designs. Workers typically get paid $10 per test. Some testers report that opportunities can be a bit sporadic and you need to jump on them when they become available, but it can work well as a side gig when you’re already online anyway. Try out these easy ways to get cash back for the shopping you already do.
6. Paribus
Many online retailers offer adjustments when the price of an item you’ve purchased drops within a certain amount of time. Paribus is a free service that takes advantage of this fact. Paribus monitors your purchases, watches for price adjustments or late deliveries, and requests refunds when applicable. Those refunds go back into your pocket. You have to allow the service to scan your email for receipts, but it works with a variety of big retailers, including Target, Nordstrom, Walmart and Costco.
7. Society6
Artists and designers upload their original work to Society6, which then prints the images onto items ranging from t-shirts to pillows to wall hangings and even duvet covers and iPhone cases. Society6 handles all the fulfillment while artists just provide the designs and receive a commission on anything sold with their art on it. It’s a little bit like Etsy, but you don’t have to deal with physically creating or shipping your work.
8. Mechanical Turk
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