Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
30 Ways to Make Money Online
MoneyMagpie team
11th Nov 2024
The online world creates many opportunities, particularly when it comes to making some extra cash. Here are 30 ways to make money online:
- Make Money Online Surfing the Web
- Cashback Sites to Make Money Online
- Make Money Online with Social Media
- Make Money with Online Courses
- Sell Your Stuff
- Online Jobs to Make Money
- Make Money Online by Investing
- More Tips to Make Money
Make money online by Surfing the web
We all surf the web on a near daily basis, but you can actually get paid just to do this. Here’s how:
1. Surfing the web
Ipsos is a world-renowned consumer research company. To make money from it, just download the Ipsos Iris app. You’ll need to complete a short 5-minute survey before the app activates. And that’s it.
You’ll get a £10 bonus just for downloading the app – and up to £10 a month every month afterwards. So, without changing anything about your day, you can earn up to £130 a year!
2. Online surveys
Completing online surveys can be an easy way to make in excess of £50 a month. But, it’s not always straightforward. Check out our article explaining the dos and don’ts of online surveys.
3. Review things
You can also get paid to review things online. Companies will send you items to test – and you get to keep the item as well as receive payment for your review.
User Testing pays you to test and review websites – something there is always demand for!
4. Mystery shopper
Mystery shoppers get paid to pose as real customers and review a company’s products or services. It’s a great way to earn some extra cash in your free time.
You can sign up to become a mystery shopper on sites like this.
5. Watch videos
Sounds simple right? Well it is. Sites like Swagbucks will pay you for watching videos.
You earn points by watching videos which can then be redeemed for vouchers for companies like Amazon and Paypal.
6. Competitions
These aren’t guaranteed to earn you money or get you free stuff. But, entering competitions is quick and easy and you may win some great prizes. Just remember to set up a separate competition email address – otherwise you could be inundated with lots of spam emails!
Check out some of Money Magpie’s competitions here.
Win money whilst you do some good with Jumbo Win
Jumbo Win is a new fundraising initiative launched in 2024, which has already awarded over £175k in prizes.
Like Omaze, Jumbo Win allows supporters to win cash prizes while giving back to charity and making a positive difference in the community.
You can buy tickets to enter into their Golden Ticket Prize Draw here.
The Golden Ticket Prize Draw gives you the opportunity to win a fantastic top prize of £50,000, and the winner will be announced on 13th December 2024, with weekly giveaways in between!
Each ticket you buy for the provides multiple chances to win incredible cash prizes while also supporting their charitable partner, NHS Charities Together.
Cashback sites to make money online
These are sites which essentially give you money back for doing your online shopping through their site.
7. Quidco and Top Cashback
Two popular cashback sites are Quidco and Top Cashback.
Not only will you get money back when you shop through them, but there are also referral bonuses. Both sites currently offer a £25 bonus for each referral.
Make money online through Social media
If you find yourself spending hours scrolling aimlessly through social media, why not make that time more productive and start making money from it?
8. Become an influencer
This will take some commitment and won’t make you thousands straight away. But if you have a social media following of 1000+ you could class yourself as a micro influencer. From here, you can start reaching out to brands to collaborate on partnerships. Not all brands will pay you, but you should at least get some free samples.
As your following grows and you become more established brands might start reaching out to you directly and offering a larger payment.
9. YouTube
Much like Instagram, once you start building a following you can start making money from working with brands and promoting products.
You also have the option to make money from advertising revenue. You can qualify for this if you have 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in a single year.
10. TikTok consultant
The latest social media trend to take us all by storm is TikTok. Many influencers and brands are still struggling to get their heads round it and make the most of it.
That’s where you come in – if you’re a TikTok wizz. You could other your services as a TikTok consultant and help people grow their accounts.
11. Twitch streaming
Gamers can make money streaming their games on sites like Twitch. Essentially, you get paid to play video games. What’s not to love?
You make money by people subscribing to your channel. The amount paid by your subscribers is split 50/50 between you and Twitch.
12. Start a blog
This will take a bit of work. But, if you enjoy writing, website creation or are simply passionate about a topic, it could prove very lucrative.
You can make money from blogging by running sponsored posts and through advertising revenue. It may help to build up a following before you start approaching brands for sponsored opportunities.
make money online by running Courses
Why not use your existing qualifications and skillset to make money online? Tutoring, selling ebooks and running your own course can be great ways to help others while making some cash yourself.
13. Tutor
Online tutoring is a great way to make some extra cash and is very flexible. You can set the lesson times yourself and work around your own schedule.
You can either set up on your own or join a site like My Tutor. Most sites will expect you to have relevant qualifications – like GCSEs and A Levels – in the subjects you want to tutor.
Another option is to teach English as a foreign language.
14. Sell ebooks
Do you have expert knowledge about a particular subject? From social media tips to ancient history, there will be demand for an ebook about it.
You can write and design your own ebook and sell it online.
15. Start your own course
If you feel you have more to share than will fit into an ebook, you could run a whole course. These are relatively easy to set up online and you can sell them to anyone interested.
16. Translating
You will need to speak more than one language to be able to get work as a translator. But, if you’re bilingual, you can find plenty of work translating documents.
Another option is to be a sign language interpreter. Some webinars and courses need interpreters to help make their content more accessible.
Sell things to make money online
Selling things is one of the most straightforward ways to make money online. But, don’t worry if you don’t have lots of stuff lying around that you don’t use. There are plenty of other ways to make money from selling things.
17. Sell your stuff
Do you have old clothes in the back of your wardrobe you never wear? Or maybe books (we recommend WeBuyBooks) you don’t read or needed for courses you’ve now completed? Rather than leaving them to gather dust, get some cash for them instead.
Sites like Depop are great for selling clothes, while eBay and Facebook Marketplace are great for selling anything and everything – from books to wardrobes.
18. Sell products you create
If you’re creative, you could consider selling some products you make yourself.
Popular options are handmade jewellery, candles, and drawings. You could also design and make novelty facemasks, as we all need them at the moment!
People always like to buy bespoke products from small, independent brands, so you’re likely to be able to find a market for it.
19. Dropshipping
Dropshipping is when you start an online business and sell products to buyers without ever actually stocking the items themselves. Instead, when a dropshipping store sells a product, it purchases the item from a third party – usually a wholesaler or manufacturer – and has it shipped directly to the customer.
This reduces the risk to you as you won’t be left out of pocket from purchasing lots of stock that wasn’t sold.
20. Sell pictures
If you have a knack for snapping the best shots, you could make money by selling your pictures or videos online.
Lots of sites, like Getty Images and Shutterstock will pay you for your pictures.
Online jobs to make money
There are plenty of part time jobs you can do online to make some extra money. Here are a few examples.
21. Shepper
Shepper is a service for businesses across the UK that runs checks on their marketing, retail displays, even rental properties, to make sure everything is running smoothly.
Essentially, you accept tasks to complete. You then get a checklist to make sure you complete everything. This could be as simple as verifying that a property is empty, or performing several checks at a time.
A task pays between £2 and £20. Shepper says you can expect to earn around £10 for a 45-minute task – meaning you can earn £100 in a day!
22. Copywriting
Content is key. Any company with an online presence needs an endless stream of content to post. This is where you come in. As a copywriter, you’ll write materials a firm can use on its website, social media channels and in email correspondence.
23. Web development and social media help
This one’s for techy people. Small businesses are always looking for support setting up their websites and social media channels. You could set up a website for them in exchange for a fee.
24. Virtual assistant
If you’re organised this is the job for you. As a virtual assistant, you’ll be in charge of booking appointments, scheduling meetings, organising calendars and other similar tasks.
You could either apply for a role with one person or company or encourage people to hire you on an hourly basis when they need some extra support.
25. Virtual nanny
A slightly unusual role, but popular at the moment while parents are juggling home schooling and working from home.
Childcare.co.uk is placing virtual nannies with families to supervise children from afar.
26. Freelancing sites
These can be great for picking up odd jobs. Sites like Fiverr and Upwork have thousands of listings of freelance opportunities.
Setting up a profile is free and you can start applying for roles as soon as you’ve been approved.
27. Easy online tasks
There are sites that will pay you to do easy jobs online – from things like taking a picture to giving your opinion on a product or idea.
One site which is easy to get started on is Mobeye. You can choose tasks, complete them and then get paid.
Make money online through Investing
Investing isn’t necessarily guaranteed to make you money – your money is at risk. But, it is possible to make money online from investing.
28. Investing
Getting started with investing can be a daunting task – if you’re unsure, it could be worth seeking professional advice.
Some apps, like Trading 212, make investing more accessible and can help you get started more easily.
29. Plum
Plum is more focused on saving than investing, but can also help make you money.
The app runs savings challenges which will help you save more money each month. They also regularly run referral bonuses, where you can get £25 just for getting a friend to sign up too.
30. Matched betting
Again, matched betting is not guaranteed to make you money, but you can make money online from it.
If you’re interested in matched betting, you should check out Money Magpie’s ebook on the topic.
More Money Making Tips
If these ideas have got you wanting more when it comes to making money online – and elsewhere – try these articles next to boost your coffers further!
- Dirty Ways to Make Money in 2021
- Ten Ways to Get Free Money
- Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies Explained
- Make Money as a Doula
- Make Money as a TV and Film Extra
*This is not financial or investment advice. Remember to do your own research and speak to a professional advisor before parting with any money.
I’ve been taking online surveys in the last 2 years or so and have started selling books / CDs / DVDs online. I’ve also been earning extra PayPal / Amazon credit from scanning shopping receipts (I use the Shoppix app) where I’m currently working towards my second £5 payment. If I find any valid cash receipts while out litter picking I’ll scan these, but most people seem to pay by card these days so I don’t get as many as I used to. However, I’ll be uploading my e-receipts by e-mail and use the cashback sites when I shop with… Read more »
These ways are very effective
using cashback websites is a great tip!
Web Search Evaluator
One good tip not in this guide is affiliate links – not necessarily just for bloggers but you can referral fees from your friends
I have never heard of virtual nannies! How interesting.
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