You’ve probably heard the saying there’s no such thing as a free lunch. But have you ever heard there’s no such thing as free PayPal money?
Probably not. I know I haven’t.
Maybe that’s because free PayPal money does exist thanks to a growing number of ways to earn PayPal money instantly.
If you ever sent money to someone online or used eBay before, chances are that you've used PayPal in the past. PayPal is a great way to send money (actually #1 ranked money transfer app).
If you think it's crazy to get free money — think again.
There are some websites, gigs, and apps that'll pay you cash via PayPal for doing little tasks or simply signing up. They are basically incentives for using the site or app, but you don't have to. That's up to you.
16 Legit Ways to Earn Free PayPal Money Instantly
If you think I've gone crazy for thinking you can get $20 PayPal now (or more) in your account – then take a look at these fool-proof methods.
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and at no additional cost to you, I’ll earn a commission. Know that I only recommend products and services I’ve personally used and stand behind.
1. Survey Junkie
How it works: So, let me preface by saying I’m not a fan of wasting my time taking boring surveys. But Survey Junkie is one of the best ways to make money on your phone, quickly. It is one of the most popular online survey sites and has a beautiful interface that makes it easy to earn money online.
Payment
You can get paid around $3 per survey and once you hit $10 you can cash out via PayPal.
Pros
Survey Junkie lets you get paid for taking online surveys from brands you use every day. You can also participate in focus groups, try new products (free stuff, yay!) and get paid to listen to new music.
Cons
Not a lucrative sign up bonus offer like Swagbucks or InboxDollars.
Survey Junkie is one of the highest-paying survey sites available. Complete three or more surveys a day, and you can earn as much as $100 monthly. With $76 Million paid out to date, Survey Junkie is one of the best survey sites available.
2. Mistplay
Getting paid for playing games sounds like a dream. But if you download Mistplay, and then download games from it and play, you earn free PayPal money.
This is a great opportunity for those looking to get paid for something they enjoy, like winning free gift cards and cash for playing games. I use it and it is legit and has over 35,404 positive reviews in the Google Play store. If you’re interested, I recommend you download the app from the Google Play store for free by clicking here.
Payment
As you level up you can earn more money for cash rewards or gift cards.
Pros
We all heard the old saying “time is money” right? Instead of playing games on your phone like everyone else and feeling bad for wasting your time — now you can get paid PayPal cash for it.
Cons
Not available for iPhones.
- Earn free gift cards just for playing new mobile games
- 100% free to use—no deposits or hidden fees required
- Discover and play games while earning rewards effortlessly
3. Branded Surveys
Branded Surveys is one of the world's leading market research communities – rewarding you for your opinion. Branded Surveys asks for information about you so that they can match you with fitting surveys. At up to $5-10 a pop for some surveys and a free 100 points for signing up, it pays to check in daily to see which ones are available to you.
Payment
Cashouts are through PayPal or gift cards. You'll earn money just for signing up and they pay you straight cash via PayPal.
Pros
Branded also offers a rewards program (Bronze, Silver, and Gold) where you can level up by collecting credits, which is exhilarating. As you level up, you can unlock higher earning opportunities to earn even more.
Cons
As with other competitor sites, some surveys will require you to visit another website to complete the task. The sites they route you to can be more difficult to use than Branded's site, which is a downfall. Also, they do not have a mobile app available, but you can take surveys on mobile web or your desktop.
Branded Surveys is quickly becoming one of the top survey sites. At up to $5-10 a pop for some surveys and a free 100 points for signing up, it pays to check in daily to see which ones are available to you.
4. InboxDollars
InboxDollars lets you can earn cash for taking surveys, playing games, searching the web, and watching videos. Yes, it is possible! InboxDollars allows you to earn PayPal cash for watching tv and movie previews. If you sign up before the end of this month, they also give you a $5 free bonus just to give it a try right into your PayPal account or another payment method. More people should be using this money-making app.
Payment
By spending just 5-10 minutes per day on this (either on your lunch break or during TV commercial breaks) you can earn and earn an extra $50 per month and get paid via PayPal, gift card or check.
Pros
InboxDollars offers a plethora of ways to make money, including getting paid to play games. It was listed highly on our list of game apps to win real money, it's a legit money maker.
Cons
It'll require a ton of time to reach the minimum payout of $30.
- Earn real cash by taking surveys, playing games, and watching videos
- Get paid directly via PayPal or gift cards for your activities
- Join millions of users turning their free time into extra money
5. Swagbucks
There are a lot of sites like Swagbucks but nothing can beat the king of reward apps. Here you can earn a special currency called Swagbucks for completing offers, answering surveys and logging online activity.
You can redeem the currency for gift cards or cash rewards once you’ve accumulated enough. This is one of the best apps that pays you through PayPal. You can read our full Swagbucks Review here.
Payment
Swagbucks offers a great opportunity to earn free PayPal money with little work. A popular way to earn is through referrals. You and your referral get a 300 SB bonus when your referral earns 300 SB within their first 30 days. Plus, you'll also earn 10% of their SB earnings for the life of their account (cha-ching).
Pros
I personally use it and usually earn money taking surveys while watching TV, and it does add up. They even give new members a $10 sign up bonus with a qualifying $25 purchase.
Cons
You won't qualify for every task or survey and users often report getting kicked out of surveys randomly.
- Earn points by taking surveys, playing games, and shopping online
- Redeem rewards like PayPal cash or gift cards to top brands
- Join millions who’ve earned over $800 million with Swagbucks and get a $10 welcome bonus
6. MyPoints
MyPoints has it all — whether you want to shop at all your favorite retailers from the convenience of your phone or take surveys on the go, the MyPoints app has you covered. You can even find coupons and deals for many big-name retailers including Amazon, Target, and Best Buy.
Find a fancy hotel or shop for a new pair of kicks at your favorite retailer. Shopping not your bag? Like to share your opinion? Who doesn't? Share feedback on a variety of topics including movies, TV shows, shopping experiences and even new products and services. Reward yourself with great experiences as well as free gift cards with MyPoints.
Payment
Paypal or gift cards.
Pros
You can earn money through cash back shopping and through taking surveys, reading emails, watching videos and more. They offer a $5 welcome bonus for new members.
Cons
MyPoints is limited to those who live in the US or Canada.
MyPoints pays you when you shop online at your favorite stores and delivers the rewards through free gift cards. You can also earn $1 on average per survey you complete. Offers over 10 different ways to earn money. Pays by gift cards, PayPal & travel miles.
7. Rakuten
Rakuten is where you can get cash back for shopping at over 2,500 stores. Stores pay Rakuten a commission for sending you their way, and Rakuten shares the commission with you as cash back. You can get paid every three months, plus earn a cash bonus when you join and shop. Rakuten is a popular way to get cash back whenever you shop online and right now they are offering a $10 sign-up bonus through this link.
Payment
Every time you shop online, start at Rakuten and then get cash back deposited into your PayPal account. Hello, free PayPal money.
Pros
Thanks to the internet, there is an endless number of ways to make money online (and offline) for free. Did you know that you can get cash back for items you would have bought anyway? You can do this by shopping online with Rakuten.
Cons
Rakuten members receive their Big Fat Checks or PayPal payments every three months for cash Back from store purchases. This is a long time to wait.
Rakuten offers cash back for shopping at over 3,500 stores, free to join, and shares commissions with members as cash back, paid quarterly. Members also get a $30 sign-up bonus. Since 1998, Rakuten has paid out over $1 billion in cash back.
8. Upside
Upside is a gas rebate app that saves you money on things you need – like gas & groceries – and restaurants you love. Getting paid for getting gas sounds like a dream. But this free cash back app for gas is saving users an average of $124 in a year. There is no minimum for cash outs, but a $1 fee will be made on withdrawals under $15.
To score the best gas prices, grocery prices, and restaurant offers with Upside, all you need is your phone and your receipt. There’s no limit on how much you can earn, and you can even use it with other coupons, discounts, and loyalty programs.
Payment
Paypal or gift cards.
Pros
It's a free app, and thousands of gas stations are offering cash back.
Cons
You can earn cash back on gas in over 40 states, but if you want to earn using its grocery stores and restaurants features it is more limited.
Upside (which used to be called GetUpside) lets you save up to 25 cents for every gallon of gas you buy at certain gas stations. You can also get up to 35% back when you shop for groceries or eat out at over 45,000 places that work with Upside. If you use the app a lot, you might earn more than $100 in a year.
9. Fetch Rewards
Fetch Rewards works directly with popular brands to bring you everyday savings on thousands of products throughout any grocery store. You can earn points and save without jumping through hoops. Buy what you want, where you want, and save.
They work directly with popular brands to bring you savings on thousands of products every day, no matter where you get your groceries. Just scan your receipts and make money fast. Once you scan your first receipt, you'll get 3,000 points which you can claim for a $3.00 Visa Gift Card. If you want to get cash from a Visa gift card, you may have some options.
Payment
Visa gift cards or retailer gift cards.
Pros
You can use this cash back app with any receipt. The app's interface is marvelous to use and earning money with Fetch Rewards is fun as they offer plenty of incentives and monthly bonuses/sweepstakes.
Cons
Your cash back earnings can't be withdrawn via PayPal, however, you can convert your Visa gift cards to cash if you really wanted to.
- Snap receipts to earn points for every purchase
- Redeem points for gift cards to top stores like Amazon
- Get a $2 bonus with promo code C1JAV
10. Sweatcoin
If you need extra motivation to get moving or already enjoy walking or running, Sweatcoin is a great app to try. This innovative app rewards your outdoor steps by converting them into Sweatcoins, a digital currency you can redeem for various rewards. The app tracks your outdoor steps using your smartphone’s GPS, ensuring you’re rewarded for staying active.
Payment
For every 1,000 steps, you earn 1 Sweatcoin, which can be used to claim gift cards, app downloads, fitness gear, physical items like iPhones, and even PayPal cash on select offers.
Pros
Getting paid for walking, what's not to love?
Cons
While getting paid to walk sounds appealing, it’s worth noting that earnings can be slow unless you refer a lot of friends to boost your rewards. Still, for those who love walking or need an extra push to stay active, Sweatcoin offers a unique way to make your steps count.
Sweatcoin wants a healthier you on a healthier planet. They achieve this by converting your steps into a currency to spend on cool products and services.
Free PayPal Money FAQs
You can free money deposited into your PayPal account by getting paid to watch videos, take surveys, online shopping using sites like Swagbucks, InboxDollars, or Survey Junkie.
PayPal themselves do not give you free money, and there is no such thing as a working PayPal money generator.
You can get $10 fast from PayPal by using the apps and sites listed in this article. Consider using one that has a low minimum withdrawal amount so you can get your PayPal deposit rather quickly. We suggest going with Survey Junkie or Swagbucks.
One of the easiest ways to get free PayPal money without doing anything is by downloading a browser extension like Honey or Rakuten, which can give you cash back for shopping. You can get money without doing anything, other than your normal shopping.
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The Bottom Line
Ever since the digital world evolved, PayPal has become one of the easiest methods of sending money across the world.
From grocery bills to sending payments, all kinds of transactions take place on PayPal.
But you can also use the platform to earn free money. Just make sure you are up to date on the best ways to avoid PayPal fees so you can maximize your earnings.
There are so many ways to earn free cash via PayPal — so what's stopping you?
