Free money sounds amazing – but almost too good to be true. So, how can you get free money on PayPal?
PayPal cash is great for many uses and it’s often a payout option for many get-paid-to sites. I prefer it over gift cards because you can use PayPal cash however you want.
While nothing is free in life, there are several platforms that offer easy ways to earn PayPal money.
16 Ways to Get Free Money on PayPal
Here are the best ways to earn free PayPal cash in 2024:
- Swagbucks
- Branded Surveys
- Survey Junkie
- InboxDollars
- Rakuten
- PayPal Referrals
- PrizeRebel
- Dosh
- Honey
- Mistplay
- Shopkick
- Pinecone Research
- Receipt Hog
- Skillz Game
- Opinion Outpost
- Grindabuck
1. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is a get-paid-to site that pays you to answer surveys, play games, accept offers, and shop online.
How It Works:
Swagbucks pays users in SBs or Swagbucks. One SB is one cent, so 100 SBs is $1. They require just 300 SBs to cash out, which is the equivalent of $3. In addition, you can cash your SBs out for free PayPal cash or gift cards to some of the most popular stores.
You’ll earn the most SBs by shopping or answering surveys, but you can fill the gap by playing games, watching videos, and accepting offers.
Pros
- They offer a $10 sign-up bonus
- The tasks are simple and can be done while watching TV
- Only surveys and shopping online pay a decent amount
Cons
- It can take a few days to receive your PayPal cash
- Surveys fill up fast
Learn more:
- Read our Swagbucks Review
2. Branded Surveys
Branded Surveys is a market research company that works with top brands to get the opinion of consumers like you about their products and services.
How It Works:
Brands approach Branded Surveys to survey their demographic. Brand Surveys then reaches out to their members to take the survey. To qualify, you must meet the demographics the company requires.
You’ll get more opportunities for surveys if you offer as many details as possible in your profile and answer the screeners immediately.
Branded Surveys pays in points that you can redeem for PayPal cash or gift cards when you’re ready to cash out.
Pros
- They pay out fast
- You can take as many surveys as you want
- They offer bonus points for referring friends, taking daily polls, completing challenges, and achieving Elite status (a loyalty status)
Cons
- They don’t have a mobile app
- Some surveys lead you to another survey site which can be harder to navigate
Learn more:
- Read our Branded Surveys Review
3. Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie is one of the most popular survey sites online today. They offer online surveys and focus groups, which may pay more than an online survey if you qualify.
How It Works:
Survey Junkie pays members points for answering surveys or participating in focus groups. You can convert the points to PayPal cash or gift cards. You only need to earn $10 before you can cash out, and they offer the most significant number of surveys.
Pros
- They have a mobile app to make it easier to complete more surveys
- The payout threshold is low
- They pay well for each survey
Cons
- There’s no sign-up bonus
- There’s a lot of competition for the surveys
Learn more:
- Read our Survey Junkie Review
4. InboxDollars
InboxDollars is a get-paid-to site that offers many opportunities to earn money. They started as a company that pays members to read emails (aka ads) but have branched out and now offer many opportunities to earn money from your computer or phone.
How It Works:
You can earn money by answering surveys, playing games, watching videos, shopping online, or grocery shopping. InboxDollars pays members in dollars, not points, but you can’t cash out until you’ve earned $30.
Pros
- They offer many opportunities to make money
- $5 sign-up bonus
- Some of the highest-paying surveys online
Cons
- It can take a while to hit the $30 threshold
- You’ll pay a $3 fee if you request your payout via check
Learn more:
- Read our InboxDollars Review
5. Rakuten
Join Rakuten, and you can earn cash back at over 3,500 stores. You must shop through the app to earn cash back, but they pay as much as 30% at some stores.
How It Works:
Sign up for a Rakuten account online or download the app. Then, each time you shop online, go through your Rakuten dashboard. For example, you’ll earn cashback if you shop at a partner store. The dashboard tells you how much you’ll make.
Rakuten pays your cash back quarterly, so you can receive a nice chunk of change in your PayPal account for shopping every three months.
Pros
- It’s easy to earn cash back at your favorite stores
- You don’t have to activate anything; just shop through the app
- It’s nice to get a large chunk of money at once
Cons
- You have to wait as much as three months for your earnings
- Must shop through the app; you don’t get credit for your purchase otherwise
Learn more:
- Read our Rakuten Review
6. PayPal Referrals
You can even earn free money on PayPal from Paypal. All you have to do is refer friends or family to the platform and make money!
How It Works:
Share your referral link from your PayPal account with friends or family that don’t already have an account. If they sign up using your link, you’ll earn $10 after they spend at least $5.
You can earn up to $100 or invite up to ten friends. The money goes directly into your PayPal account, allowing you to earn free money.
Pros
- You don’t have to do much to earn $10 and up to $100
- The money goes directly into your PayPal account
- It’s a fun way to help others
Cons
- There’s a limit of $100 in referral bonuses
- You must wait until your referrals spend at least $5 with their new account.
7. PrizeRebel
PrizeRebel is a market research company offering thousands of monthly surveys that pay members for answering. Occasionally, they also have offers that can earn you more PayPal cash if you take advantage of them.
How It Works:
After joining PrizeRebel, you can access a wide selection of market research surveys. Answer the screeners, qualify for a survey, and you’ll earn points for your time. In addition, you can redeem your points for prizes, including PayPal cash and gift cards to your favorite stores.
Pros
- They work with some of the largest companies in the country
- Surveys are updated in real-time, so you can check back several times a day
- Payout instantly when you redeem your earnings
Cons
- Qualifying for surveys can be challenging
- There’s a lot of competition in each demographic
Learn more:
- Read our PrizeRebel Review
8. Dosh
Dosh pays you for spending money. It sounds crazy, but it’s a cashback app that pays you for the things you do most often. Members love this app because it requires little work on their part after they sign up.
How It Works:
Link your most used cards to the Dosh app, and when you pay with your card, you’ll instantly earn cashback if it’s at a store offering a promotion in Dosh. You don’t have to worry about activating offers or shopping through a specific portal. Just link your card, and Dosh does the rest.
You can cash out your earnings to your PayPal account once you reach $25.
Pros
- You don’t have to track offers or upload receipts
- There’s a small sign-up bonus after you make your first purchase
- You can donate your earnings to charity
Cons
- You have to use a credit or debit card to earn cash back
- Debit cards must be used as credit to qualify
Learn more:
- Read our Dosh Review
9. Honey
Honey is a browser extension that helps you save money before checking out. It also has a coupon function that automatically applies coupons to your online orders saving you the time it takes to search for promo codes.
How It Works:
Honey has two ways to make money. The first is through the extension and automatic promo codes. You don’t have to do anything except activate the extension. If there’s a coupon for the retailer you’re buying from, they’ll apply it.
To earn cashback, you must activate Gold Rewards. You create an account and activate offers before you shop. After your purchase, you’ll earn ‘Honey Gold,’ which are points you can redeem for PayPal cash.
Pros
- It’s free to use and save or earn money
- You can double-dip, using a promo code and earning cash back
- Works with all browsers
Cons
- It can take a while to get your earnings
- You must activate the offers to get the cash back
Learn more:
- Read our Honey App Review
10. Mistplay
Gamers love Mistplay because it rewards them for their loyalty to playing games. You can try new games or play your favorites.
How It Works:
Mistplay pays gamers for consistent play, so the longer you play, the more money you earn. They also pay when you reach certain milestones within certain games. So the more you play, the more you’ll make because you’ll naturally get better at the games the more often you play.
Mistplay pays in points, but you can redeem your points for PayPal cash.
Pros
- You need only $5 to cash out
- It’s a fun way to earn money
- You can find new games you like to play
Cons
- It’s an Android-only app
- You won’t make much for your playing time
11. Shopkick
Shopkick is another fun way to get free money on PayPal. They pay you for shopping but also offer small payments for things like walking into a specific store or scanning items in a certain store. It’s a get-paid-to-site, but most of the tasks are in-person.
How It Works:
Shopkick pays members to take pictures of displays, scan products, or verify prices on a specific product. The most common stores they ask members to walk into are grocery stores, but there are other options too.
You can earn cash back for shopping, scanning receipts, and watching ads to increase your earnings.
Pros
- It offers creative ways to make money
- You can find offers to make money while you’re out if you share your GPS information
- You can earn money in person and online
Cons
- You can only shop online through the mobile app
- It can take a long time to earn enough points to cash out
Learn more:
- Read our Shopkick Review
12. Pinecone Research
Pinecone Research is a highly coveted market research platform. You can join by invite only, but they send invites out (on banners and other marketing materials online) periodically.
They pay $3 – $5 for short surveys, so you can make money faster on this platform or use it to supplement your other ways to get free money on Paypal.
How It Works:
As I said, you must be invited to Pinecone Research. So if you see an invite, take advantage, because they don’t come around often.
To qualify, you must complete a questionnaire that will take around 20 minutes. Once you’re accepted, you can accept and answer surveys in your free time.
Pros
- They offer high-paying surveys
- You only need a $1 balance to withdraw your Paypal funds
- They pay out fast
Cons
- You can only join by invitation
- The surveys fill up fast
Learn more:
- Read our Pinecone Research Review
13. Receipt Hog
If you don’t like tracking purchases or activating offers, consider Receipt Hog. You get paid for uploading receipts from any store; it doesn’t matter what you bought.
How It Works:
Receipt Hog pays you coins for uploading your receipts. The amount they pay per receipt varies, and they also offer options to earn bonus coins. Your earnings add up, and you can convert your coins to PayPal cash.
Pros
- You can earn points no matter where you shop
- You don’t have to track purchases
- Receipt Hog keeps track of your receipts which helps when you lose your receipt and need it for a return or your records
Cons
- You won’t earn a ton uploading receipts
- They aren’t transparent about what they pay per receipt
14. Skillz Games
Skillz Games is another platform that pays you to play games. You can join tournaments, and if you win, you win cash prizes.
How It Works:
Choose one of the five million daily tournaments to join and show off your gaming skills. Skillz Games pays out over $100 million in prizes monthly and includes games of luck and skill.
Pros
- You can get paid to play games
- The prizes can be high if you’re good at the games you play
- The most popular games are on the platform
Cons
- If you don’t play well, you won’t win
- It’s a prize contest; there’s no guarantee you’ll win
15. Opinion Outpost
Opinion Outpost is a large market research company that pays members to answer market research surveys.
How It Works:
Sign up for a free Opinion Outpost account and join the 2 million existing members. Start answering surveys, and you earn points. Even if you don’t pass the screener, you earn points.
You can convert your points to free PayPal money just for providing your opinion and helping large brands shape their products and services.
Pros
- It’s easy to join and find surveys
- They pay fast
- You can cash out at $10
Cons
- There’s a lot of competition
- Sometimes it’s hard to qualify for surveys
Learn more:
- Read our Opinion Outpost Review
16. Grindabuck
Grindabuck is another get-paid-to site that offers many mini-tasks to make money. For example, you can earn money by taking surveys, trying new products, watching videos, and trying new apps.
It’s a newer site to the get-paid-to industry, but it offers many ways to make cash.
How It Works:
It’s easy to sign up for Grindabuck and start earning money. But, first, create your account and look for surveys, videos, and other money-making opportunities. As soon as you complete the task, Grindabuck credits your account.
Pros
- You can cash out with just $10
- They pay a small sign-up bonus
- They offer a tiered program that may increase your earnings with more use
Cons
- The pay is somewhat low
- Many people are competing for the same surveys
Frequently Asked Questions
Learning how to get free money on PayPal can raise many questions. Here are the most common questions I get.
How Can I Get Free Money in my PayPal account?
PayPal cash is money in your PayPal account. When you complete a task on a get-paid-to site, they either pay you points or add cash to your balance on their platform. After meeting the minimum payout threshold, you can request that they send your earnings to PayPal.
You can use your PayPal balance to shop at your favorite online stores or transfer the balance to your checking account.
Just log into your account using the email address you signed up with and your created password. Then, on the dashboard, you’ll see your balance and the latest activity, so you can confirm you received your payout.
Learn More:
What Places Is PayPal Accepted?
100+ stores accept PayPal. Many stores accept it for online payments, but more stores are allowing you to use it in-store, including Urban Outfitters, American Eagle, Sephora, Walgreens, and Home Depot.
What Are Some Restrictions on PayPal Cash?
You can use your PayPal funds for whatever you want, but if the store you’re shopping at doesn’t allow payment, you’ll have to transfer the funds to your bank account first. It can take a few days to transfer, so keep that in mind.
Can I Use PayPal Gift Cards for Items Paid Through PayPal?
Yes, you can use PayPal gift cards anywhere PayPal is accepted.
Is PayPal Free to Use?
PayPal is free when you send money to friends and family. If you receive money for providing a service, they take a small fee. However, the funds you transfer from any get-paid-to sites are free. The only fee you’d pay is if you want the funds instantly, as they charge a small fee versus their free 2-3 day transfer.
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