How to Make $45 Fast on PayPal Instantly

You can use this list to get some free moolah and make that quick $45 today.

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Short on cash? Don’t worry – earning $45 quickly is easier than you think. With a few simple apps like Survey Junkie, Mistplay, and Swagbucks, you can start making money today. From taking surveys and playing games to earning cashback on everyday activities, these options are quick, easy, and accessible to anyone.

Ready to boost your wallet? Let’s dive into nine simple ways to hit your $45 goal fast!

Legit Ways to Earn $45 Fast via PayPal

1. Survey Junkie

highest paying survey sites

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.

$1.6M+ monthly payout to its members
Survey Junkie
4.5
Over $55,000 Paid to Survey Junkie members daily

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.

Start Earning Survey Junkie Review

2. Mistplay

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.

100% free, no deposits required
Mistplay (Android Only)
4.5
  • 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
Start Playing Mistplay Review

3. Branded Surveys

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.

Pays by bank transfer, PayPal & gift cards
Branded Surveys
4.0

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.

Start Earning Branded Surveys Review

4. InboxDollars

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.

$5 sign up bonus
InboxDollars
4.5
Unlock your InboxDollars rewards—remember to verify your email to start earning!
  • 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
Claim $5 Bonus InboxDollars Review

5. Swagbucks

is swagbucks a scam

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.

Free $10 PayPal for Joining!
Swagbucks
5.0
Earn your Swagbucks faster—make sure to verify your email to unlock your rewards!
  • 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
Get $10 Welcome Bonus Swagbucks Review

6. MyPoints

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 $10 welcome bonus for new members if you make two qualifying purchases through MyPoints during your first 30 days of membership.

Cons

MyPoints is limited to those who live in the US or Canada.

$5 sign-up bonus
MyPoints

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.

Claim $5 Welcome Bonus

7. Upside

getupside

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
4.5

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.

Start Saving Best Gas Apps

8. Fetch Rewards

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.

$2 welcome bonus
Fetch
4.5
  • 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
Start Saving Fetch Review

9. Sweatcoin

On the off chance that you need some additional inspiration to get out the door and take a walk, or in the event that you as of now love strolling/running, you might need to download Sweatcoin.

This innovative app pays you to walk. Every step you take is converted over into Sweatcoins.

Payment

For each 1,000 steps, you will earn 1 Sweatcoins, which are redeemable for gift cards, app downloads, physical things (for example: iPhones) and, here and there, PayPal money.

Pros

Getting paid for walking, what's not to love?

Cons

Really slow earner, don't expect to make much unless you can refer a ton of friends.

Sweatcoin

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.

Get Free Gift Cards for Walking → Sweatcoin Review
We earn a commission if you make a purchase or sign up through our links, at no additional cost to you.

Wrapping Up: Your Fast Track to $45

Making $45 quickly is easier than ever with these handy apps and platforms. From sharing your opinions on Survey Junkie and Branded Surveys, to earning rewards for everyday activities with Mistplay, InboxDollars, and Swagbucks, the opportunities to cash in are endless.

Platforms like MyPoints and Fetch Rewards turn your shopping receipts into money, while Upside offers cashback at gas stations. And don’t forget Sweatcoin, which pays you just for walking.

With a mix of surveys, rewards programs, and cashback options, you’ll be stacking up earnings in no time. Start today, and see how quickly you can hit your $45 goal – and maybe even surpass it!

Got a favorite platform or a success story? Share it in the comments below – we’d love to hear how you’re earning extra cash!

Brian Meiggs
Hi, I’m Brian Meiggs! I’m a personal finance expert and founder of My Millennial Guide, here to help you build real wealth. With a background in finance, I’ve spent years guiding people on smart, practical ways to grow their money. For stock market beginners, I recommend Acorns. It’s a simple way to start investing with just your spare change, helping you steadily grow your portfolio over time without the need to actively manage it. And if you’re interested in real estate, check out Arrived and Fundrise. I use both myself—they make it easy to start investing in property without needing huge upfront capital. These platforms are perfect for anyone looking to add real estate to their investments for passive, long-term growth. I believe these tools are great for building a balanced investment portfolio, combining stocks and real estate for a solid approach to wealth-building. You can trust this advice—my work has been featured in major publications like Business Insider, Entrepreneur, The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance, NASDAQ, Discover, Fox News, and MSN Money.

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