14 Ways to Get Free PayPal Money
Maybe you are running short on cash one month, and you do not want to dig into your emergency fund because, well, it is not really an emergency. Or maybe your hours have been cut back temporarily—due to the pandemic or for some other reason—and you need to augment your current income until things are back on track. There are a number of ways to do this. One is to use some of the opportunities available that will deposit your earnings directly into your free PayPal account, money which can then easily be transferred to your bank account if you wish. Some involve shopping as you normally do; others involve taking surveys, reviewing new products or participating in research studies; still others will also pay you for playing games, watching videos, doing your normal internet searches, and reading emails, in addition to online shopping and completing surveys.
Free PayPal Money For Shopping
- Rakuten: Formerly named Ebates, you earn cash back for online purchases made at any of the participating Rakuten merchants. If you add the Rakuten cash back button to your browser, Rakuten even notifies you whenever you have logged onto a participating member’s website. Click the button, shop as usual, and earn the cash back. Rakuten currently offers a $10 sign-up bonus that is added to your account when your purchases total $25 within 90 days of registering with the site. And when you refer a friend, both you and that friend will get $20 credited to your accounts.
Minimum Accumulation Needed for Cash Out: You need to have $5 in your account before any payout will occur.
Payment Options: Rakuten will either mail you a check or direct the amount you have accumulated into your PayPal account.
- Top Cashback: A relatively new competitor of Rakuten, Top Cashback, which was established in 2011, functions similarly. You earn money for buying online, including airport parking, hotel, and car rental purchases. Unlike Rakuten, the threshold for withdrawals is only $1. Top Cashback also offers payout bonuses of 5%, but does not currently offer a sign-up bonus. The company pays $10 to $25 for friend referrals.
Minimum Accumulation Needed for Cash Out: No real restrictions.
Payment Options: Use your earnings to buy a gift card or have them deposited in your PayPal or bank account.
- Ibotta: While your Rakuten and Top Cashback earnings are based only on your online purchases, Ibotta also gives you cash back on in-store purchases—including grocery items. Shop at some of your favorites, like Kroger, Best Buy, Cabela’s, Home Depot, Staples, and many others. According to the website, Ibotta has 1,500 participating brands and retailers. You can even get 10% cash back on gift cards, so you’re essentially paying only $45 for a $50 gift card that you can use yourself or give as a present. You can also link your loyalty cards for these retailers to your Ibotta account and earn cash back when you shop at those stores. Ibotta is currently offering a $20 sign-up bonus and $5 for every friend referral.
Minimum Accumulation Needed for Cash Out: $20
Payout Options: Use your earnings to buy a gift card or have them deposited into your PayPal account.
- Receipt Hog: Take a picture and upload your receipt, answer some questions regarding the transaction, and earn Receipt Hog coins. The receipts must be less than two weeks old. Once you have accumulated 1,000 coins, the equivalent of $5, you can cash out by purchasing a gift card or directing the money to your PayPal account. Other Receipt Hog coin equivalencies for U.S. and Canada are provided below:
2,900 coins = $15
4,300 coins = $25
6,500 coins = $40
Minimum Accumulation Needed for Cash Out: 1,000 coins = $5
Payout Options: PayPal or gift cards.
Free PayPal Money For Surveys, Research, and Reviews
- Survey Junkie: Begin by uploading your profile to enable Survey Junkie to match it with the appropriate surveys. The payment for completed surveys can vary from 100 to 4,500 points (= $1 to $45). You can also earn points by registering for Survey Junkie Pulse. Doing so gives Survey Junkie access to some of your digital behaviors, such as the websites you searched, the ads you viewed, and your online shopping.
Minimum Accumulation Needed for Cash Out: $5 (= 500 points)
Payout Options: You can choose to be paid via PayPal, bank transfer, Dwolla, or e-gift cards.
- Vindale Research: Once you complete your member profile and answer a new member questionnaire, Vindale Research will send you surveys that match your specific demographics. The payment varies from survey to survey and ranges from $0.25 to $50, according to the company’s website. One recent 55-minute healthcare/pharmaceutical survey offered a payment of $25, while a beverage preference survey, said to take 35 minutes, paid $5. You can also earn cash for reading emails and watching videos. You will be paid a $5 referral fee when a friend you have referred accumulates $1 in his or her account.
Minimum Accumulation Needed for Cash Out: $50
Payout Options: Your earnings are deposited into your PayPal account once you reach the $50 threshold.
- Panda Research: After you register on this site, you will be sent surveys, polls, and other offers in which you can choose to participate. The surveys take 10 to 15 minutes to complete and pay anywhere from $1 to $75. In addition, if you refer a friend, you will get 10% of the earnings they receive when they participate in an offer.
Minimum Accumulation Needed for Cash Out: $50
Poyout Options: Your earnings will be deposited in your PayPal account on the 1st and 15th of each month if you have reached the $50 threshold.
- Respondent.io: Once you create your profile, the company sends you research studies that fit it, and you can choose whether you wish to participate in them. You can also search the site for projects of interest to you. The time commitment for a study can range from 15 minutes to an hour, and the average annual payment for an hour’s work ranges from $100 to $700, depending on your field of expertise. The average bonus paid for referring a friend is $50.
Minimum Accumulation Needed for Cash Out: None. Your payment is sent to PayPal as soon as the researcher has confirmed you attended the session.
Payout Options: PayPal only.
- UserTesting.com: This is your chance to offer your opinion on new websites and apps. To get started, simply provide the site with your email address and pass the UserTesting Screener test. Once your application is accepted, you will be sent tests in which you can choose to participate. These typically take 20 minutes and involve answering questions regarding a video, website, or app. The payment is $10 for each 20-minute test. If you participate in an interview, the payment is even higher.
Minimum Accumulation Needed for Cash Out: None. Your earnings will be deposited into your PayPal account a week after the project is completed.
Payout Options: PayPal only.
- Slice the Pie: Sign up to review new products in a category of your choosing before they are released. Categories include music, fashion, accessories, and commercials. Your reviews are provided to the creating artist or brand who then use your feedback to tweak their product prior to introducing it to the market. The payment you receive for each review is based on the quality of the review. Payment is made to your PayPal account on Tuesdays and Fridays, but processing can take up to five working days since Slice the Pie will read your review prior to paying you. You can also earn bonus payments for reviews submitted by friends you refer.
Minimum Accumulation Needed for Cash Out: $10
Payout Options: PayPal only.
Free PayPal Money For Online Shopping, Completing Surveys, Playing Games, Watching Videos, Reading Emails and More
- My Points: My Points members earn points for their purchases at participating online stores. You can earn up to 25 points for each dollar spent when you click on the retailer’s site through My Points. You can also earn points for completing surveys, watching videos, and reading emails. The site currently has a $10 welcome bonus for signing up. After you register on the site and purchase $20 from one of their online merchants, you will get a $10 Visa or Amazon gift card, whichever you choose.
Minimum Accumulation Needed for Cash Out: $5, which is equivalent to 700 points.
Payout Options: PayPal, gift cards, or United Mileage Plus travel miles.
- Inbox Dollars: When you sign up for Inbox Dollars, you can earn cash (not points) when you shop online at a participating merchant’s site, watch videos, take surveys, and/or read emails. You can even earn cash for printing and redeeming coupons. And there’s a $5 welcome bonus when you activate your account.
Minimum Accumulation Needed for Cash Out: $30
Payout Options: PayPal, check, or gift cards.
- Swagbucks: Sign up to earn Swagbucks (SB) for shopping online, playing games, watching videos, downloading apps to your phone, and responding to surveys and polls. Swagbucks currently has a welcome bonus equivalent to $10 (1,000 Swagbucks) that you will earn after signing up and spending at least $25 at one of their participating stores within 30 days. They also pay 300 SB (= $3) when you refer a friend, and, in addition, you will receive 10% of your friend’s earnings as long as they are a member.
Minimum Accumulation Needed for Cash Out: $3 for gift cards; $25 (= 2,500 SB) for the PayPal cash out option.
Payout Options: PayPal or gift cards.
- Screenlift: Screenlift will pay you for using their app to customize the lock screen on your phone. At present, you can choose from among 11 different themes. Afterwards, you will earn lifts each time you unlock your phone or complete one of the offers. Each lift isn’t worth much. It takes about 1,200 lifts to equal $1, but it doesn’t require any further action on your part to earn a lift—just customize your screen using the app.
Minimum Accumulation Needed for Cash Out: $1.25 (= 1,500 lifts)
Payout Options: PayPal or Amazon gift card.
Related Resource
10 Ways to Convert Visa Gift Cards to Cash
