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They say nothing in life is free, but I beg to differ. When you earn money through sign-up bonuses and cash back, that extra cash requires no additional effort.

Sometimes you need a quick win. So I’ve compiled several ways you can earn a little money (at least $10) fast—in many cases, by doing things you might have already been planning to do. In most cases, these sign-up bonuses and cash-back offers will make you much more than $10—and in a few cases, you can earn even more money after the initial bonus.

Take advantage of the offers below to make at least $10 fast and give your finances a near-instant boost. The more deals you utilize, the more money you can make.

Best Ways to Earn $10 Quickly—Our Top Picks


Active Investor Platform
Stock Trading App for Beginners
Broker for Intermediate Traders
4.5
4.5
4.2
Get $50 - $6,000
Get $5 - $200 in free stocks.
Get 15 Free Stocks Worth $30-$30,000
Active Investor Platform
4.5
Get $50 - $6,000
Stock Trading App for Beginners
4.5
Get $5 - $200 in free stocks.
Broker for Intermediate Traders
4.2
Get 15 Free Stocks Worth $30-$30,000

How to Get $10 (Or Even More) Fast


hamilton 10 dollar bill

Below, I’ll go through a number of ways you can easily score $10—or in most cases, even more—pretty quickly, and sometimes even instantly.

1. Investment Account Sign-Up Bonuses


First up: Sign-up bonuses for starting an investment account. This is a very common way for online stock brokers to attract fresh customers—most brokers offer some sort of giveaway or bonus, though they often change over time.

Below are a handful of our favorite brokerage sign-up bonuses.

E-Trade ($50-$6,000 Deposit Bonus)


etrade signup invest
E*Trade
  • Promotion: Get $50 – $6,000 for meeting various deposit tiers

E-Trade is a tried-and-true investing platform which has led the retail investing industry for many years.

Of note, E-Trade provides access to educational resources which can assist you with learning how to choose from your multiple investing options, conducting investment research software and analysis, trading stock futures and diversifying your portfolio.

They have additional trading options and data as a result of acquiring OptionsHouse. This can assist with making more-informed options investment decisions.

As another service, E-Trade also offers retirement planning to clients as well as in-person informational sessions annually in certain areas.

E-Trade has three platforms. All are free and have no minimum investment limit.

  1. Power E-Trade offers investors real-time data and studies.
  2. E-Trade Web provides live market commentary and stock analysis.
  3. E-Trade Pro gives you strategy scanners and back-testing.

Each program gives you access to a dashboard where you keep track of your accounts, investments, and make your trades. E-trade does have small fees for options contracts and some fees involved with retirement accounts.

→ How to Get E-Trade’s New Account Deposit Bonus

Getting a free bonus from E*Trade only requires you to open an account and deposit/transfer/rollover funds: click the “Open Account” button below to open and fund your new account. The E*Trade sign-up bonus ranges as follows:

Currently, the service offers a cash bonus in the following increments:

  • $1,000-$4,999 earns $50
  • $5,000-$19,999 earns $150.
  • $20,000-$49,999 earns $200.
  • $50,000-$99,999 earns $300.
  • $100,000-$199,999 earns $600.
  • $200,000-$499,999 earns $800.
  • $500,000-$999,999 earns $1,000.
  • $1,000,000-$1,499,999 earns $3,000.
  • $1,500,000-$1,999,999 earns $5,000.
  • $2,000,000 or more earns $6,000.

 

 

Robinhood ($5-$200 worth of free stock)


robinhood sign up

  • Available: Sign up here
  • Platforms: Web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
  • Promotions: Free stock worth between $5 and $200

Robinhood is a pioneer of commission-free trading, jumping into the investing public’s consciousness in 2013 when they rolled out commission-free trading. They remain a standout option for cost-minded investors thanks to their continued $0 commissions on stocks, ETFs, and options, as well as for its fractional trading, which allows people to invest with as little as $1.

→ How to get your free stock with Robinhood

Robinhood offers anywhere between $5 and $200 in free stock, just for signing up and linking an account.

Once you’ve signed up with this link and are approved for a brokerage account, simply link your bank account or debit card, and Robinhood will give you between $5 and $200 that you can use to buy fractional stock, chosen from a list of “20 of America’s leading companies.”

(Note: You must wait three trading days to sell your gift stock. Once you’ve sold your stock, you can use the money to buy other stocks right away. But if you want to withdraw the funds for cash, you have to wait at least 30 days.)

Related: 15 Best Investing Research & Stock Analysis Websites

eToro (Get $10 free)


etoro signup

  • Available: Sign up here
  • Platforms: Desktop app (Windows, macOS), web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
  • Promotion: Get $10 when you deposit $100

Most trading apps keep you in one place: Your account. But eToro wants to change that.

eToro has made investing social by giving you the chance to engage with other traders, creating a social trading network designed to share ideas on the publicly traded markets. You can trade stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and options commission-free, and you can also get exposure to cryptocurrencies. (In non-U.S. markets, you can also trade currencies, as well as contracts-for-difference, or CFDs.)

eToro is known for its CopyTrader service—a novel product that allows you to copy the trades of experienced investors automatically. No more guesswork on making trades yourself; you simply follow the leader and let the app handle the legwork for you. While this might not interest advanced traders, it’s an appealing feature for beginners looking to replicate the performance of popular traders on the platform. (Editor’s Note: Even though this can make for a fun trading experience, you should still be fully aware of the risks entailed through this feature—namely, the potential for losses.)

Of course, you don’t have to copy anyone—you can trade on your own ideas. This intuitive investing app began with a strong crypto focus, but you can now make self-directed trades across a host of other assets.

Opening an account is quick and simple to do. Simply visit eToro’s website to open and fund an account. From there, you get access to their commission-free trading platform for stocks, ETFs, options, forex and crypto.

→ How to get $10 free with eToro

For a limited time, you can get $10 when you deposit $100* in your eToro account. To get your free $10 bonus, you’ll need to:

  1. Sign up for an eToro account
  2. Deposit $100
  3. Explore stocks, ETFs, and crypto

You’ll automatically receive $10 directly to your account balance. The deposited funds must remain in your account for a minimum of 90 days following the date of deposit in order to receive the one-time $10 reward deposited in your eToro account.

Related: 15 Best Stock Research & Analysis Apps, Tools and Sites

Wealthfront ($50 Deposit Bonus)


wealthfront signup
Wealthfront
  • Available: Sign up here
  • Platforms: Desktop web app, Apple iOS and Google Android.
  • Promotion: $50 deposit bonus

Wealthfront is a popular robo-advisor that offers numerous account types, including individual, joint, and trust taxable brokerage accounts, Traditional, Roth, SEP, and Rollover IRAs and 529 plans.

While some of its robo-advisor competitors have a relatively high minimum balance requirement of a few thousand dollars or much more, Wealthfront requires a fairly small initial deposit of $500 to open an account. (Again, that’s high for an investment account, but low for a robo-advisory product.) So if you don’t have a huge sum invested already to move into the account or to rollover from an existing account like a 401(k) or other IRA, this account might be a good choice.

Wealthfront offers some valuable perks with its accounts, including automatic tax-loss harvesting, automatic rebalancing, automatic trading, and the option to customize your expert-built portfolio. This top robo-advisor also offers access to a 529 plan (or the ability to link an external one to your account) to help with saving for educational expenses. This is an uncommon feature for most standalone robo-advisors outside of a traditional brokerage, so it’s well worth noting.

If you’re considering putting this on your shortlist, just note that Wealthfront does charge a 0.25% annual management fee across the board. That’s more affordable than some robo-advisors, but it’s also not free. Learn more on Wealthfront’s website.

→ How to Get Your $50 Deposit Bonus on Wealthfront

You can receive a $50 deposit bonus from Wealthfront. If you open a new taxable brokerage account with Wealthfront and fund it with $500 or more within 30 days of account opening and leave the funds there for at least 7 days, you’ll receive a $50 deposit bonus in your account.

Enjoy this deposit bonus by opening an account with Wealthfront through our link and making a qualifying deposit.

 

2. Bank Account Bonuses


It’s also very common for banks to offer sign-up bonuses, typically on checking and savings accounts.

SoFi Checking and Savings Account (Up to $300 in free cash)


sofi checking savings signup new

  • Available: Sign up here
  • Platforms: Web, mobile app (iOS, Android)
  • Promotion: Earn $50 to $300 in free cash

The SoFi Checking and Savings Account sounds like your run-of-the-mill bank account, but it’s more: It’s also a high-yield savings account that earns 10 times the national average percentage yield (APY) and more than the average high-yield account. Better still, it boosts your ability to save right off the bat by rewarding you with $50 to $300 upon sign-up.

Sofi Checking and Savings covers all of the basics: no monthly account fees, no minimum balances, and website and mobile app access. But it also has several perks that match or top the competition. Features include:

  • Early paycheck reception when you sign up for direct deposit
  • FDIC insurance of up to $2 million (vs. $250,000 for most accounts)
  • Up to 15% cash back when you spend with local retailers
  • No-fee overdraft coverage up to $50
  • Round-ups on debit card purchases, which are deposited into your savings “Vault”

And right now, you can get a head start on your savings with qualifying direct deposits.

→ How to get your free money with SoFi

First, you’ll need to Sign up with SoFi. Then you’ll receive $50 in bonus cash if $1,000.00 to $4,999.99 is sent to your account within a 25-day period, starting from when you receive the first direct deposit. That number jumps to $300 when you receive $5,000 or more.

The higher cash bonus requires you to hit an admittedly high threshold, but the $50 is still a reasonable bonus for a much more manageable threshold.

Related: 7 Best Stock Portfolio Management Software Tools + Apps

3. Free Cryptocurrency


As I mentioned above, many online brokers frequently offer free stocks or cash as sign-up bonuses. However, on occasion, they also try to reel in customers by offering free cryptocurrency.

SoFi Invest ($10-$100 in free Bitcoin, $5-$1,000 in free stock)


sofi invest signup
SoFi

Invest as actively or as passively as you’d like with SoFi Invest.

The Active SoFi Invest Brokerage Account has no required minimum balance, charges no commissions on stock, ETF, and options trades, and its options trading is free of contract fees, too. SoFi also offers 24/7 trading of 30 cryptocurrencies, access to initial public offerings (IPOs), and fractional stock buying for as little as $5.

Want to put your portfolio on autopilot? SoFi’s robo-advisory services will create a portfolio for you free of charge (that can be designed to address one or several goals) and auto-rebalance it for you as necessary over time.

And one thing that sets SoFi apart is your ability to handle many financial tasks within the very same app. SoFi’s app allows you to tackle anything from banking and investing to student loans, insurance, and mortgages.

→ How to earn free Bitcoin with SoFi Invest

You can earn between $10 and $100 worth of Bitcoin when you sign up and make your first cryptocurrency trade. Here’s how:

  1. Open a new account with SoFi.
  2. Buy a minimum of $50 worth of any cryptocurrency within seven days.

The following trade sizes earn the corresponding Bitcoin bonuses:

  • $50-$99.99 earns $10 worth of Bitcoin.
  • $100-$499.99 earns $15 worth of Bitcoin.
  • $500-$4,999.99 earns $50 worth of Bitcoin.
  • $5,000 or more earns $100 worth of Bitcoin.
→ How to earn free stock with SoFi Invest

You can also earn between $5 and $1,000 worth of free stock from SoFi Invest. Here’s how:

  1. Open a new account with SoFi.
  2. Fund your account with at least $10 within 30 days of opening it.

Once you fund your account, you’ll receive $5, $10, $25, $100, or $1,000 worth of stock. (Prize level awarded at random—the greater the prize, the lower the odds.)

 

Related: 75 Cryptocurrency Statistics Show Crypto’s Gone Mainstream

4. Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses


Many premium credit cards offer sign-up bonuses for new users who spend a minimum amount of money within a predetermined time frame. Assuming users only make purchases they would have regardless of the new card, the sign-up bonus is free money.

However, some credit cards have a potential catch: Namely, those with generous sign-up bonuses often charge an annual fee. While this fee is usually waived the first year, it can eat up your sign-up bonus. My advice? Ignore great promotional freebies on annual-fee cards, and instead seek out simply good bonuses on no-fee cards.

Chase Freedom Unlimited ($200 in free money)


chase freedom unlimited signup

You don’t have to pay to get a Chase Freedom Unlimited credit card—and in fact, if you spend enough, they’ll pay you $200.

Chase Freedom Unlimited is a no-fee credit card that offers generous cash-back rewards:

  • 5% cash back on travel purchases booked using the card through the Ultimate Rewards program
  • 3% cash back on purchases at drugstores and restaurants
  • 1.5% cash back for every $1 spent in all other categories (excluding gambling)

And points never expire as long as the account remains open.

→ How to earn free money with Chase Freedom Unlimited

You can earn a healthy $200 in free money from Chase in two easy steps:

  1. Open up a Chase Freedom Unlimited credit card account.
  2. Spend $500 on qualified purchases within the first three months after you open an account.

That $500 threshold is quite low compared to many other credit cards, which sometimes require thousands of dollars in spending to receive a bonus—putting you at risk of running up credit card debit just to nab some extra cash.

Related: 50+ Best Money-Making Apps That Pay You Real Money

5. Cash-Back Apps to Earn Money While Shopping


You’re going to shop anyway. You might as well get some of your money back. Cash-back apps are simple: Spend money, then get some of it back. The “free money” from cash-back apps is, of course, the cash-back rewards you earn, but some of them even offer immediate bonuses for signing up.

Related: 17 Best Investment Apps and Platforms [Free + Paid]

Upside (Earn cash back)


Upside signup new

  • Available: Sign up here
  • Platforms: Mobile app (iOS, Android)

Upside lets users earn cash back on purchases with minimal extra effort.

Upside can provide cash back at grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, and it can work alongside other discounts, coupons, and loyalty programs. And there’s no limit to how much you can earn.

Here’s how it works: You claim an offer through the app, then pay as you normally would with a credit card or debit card. From there, you either “Check In” your purchase (or upload a photo of the receipt), and cash back will be deposited into your Upside account. Finally, you can cash out as you wish via e-gift card, PayPal cash, or bank transfer.

Upside currently doesn’t offer a bonus, but you can still easily make $10 simply by making the purchases you normally make.

Related: 12 Best Apps That Give You Money for Signing Up [Free Money]

6. IRA Matches


You might be asking yourself, “Wait, what do you mean an IRA match?”

Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are a type of retirement account that enjoys certain tax benefits. However, unlike with 401(k)s, which are run through employers and often offer a match, you directly open up an IRA through a broker. So whereas you might very well receive an employer match when you contribute to a 401(k), brokers, generous as they might be, don’t pony up money for your IRA.

Or at least, they didn’t … until recently.

Robinhood (1% or 3% IRA match)


robinhood sign up

  • Available: Sign up here
  • Platforms: Web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
  • Promotion: 1% match on IRA contributions (3% match with Robinhood Gold)

Robinhood has evolved from a bare-bones app appealing to mostly beginner investors to a fuller-featured account suitable for a wider range of experience levels. For instance, Robinhood now offers individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and Roth IRAs via Robinhood Retirement.

And Robinhood is back to innovating by becoming the first IRA to offer a match on contributions.

→ How to get your free money in an IRA with Robinhood

If you open up an IRA with Robinhood Retirement, Robinhood will match 1% of any contributions, IRA transfers, or 401(k) rollovers into your account—and 3% if you pay for the Robinhood Gold service ($5 per month). The match, which typically hits your account almost immediately, applies to any contributions up to the IRS’s annual limits but does not count toward your contribution limit. So for instance, if you’re under age 30 in 2023, and contribute the maximum allowable $6,500 …

  • If you have a Robinhood Retirement account, Robinhood would match 1%, giving you an additional $65 in IRA funds.
  • If you have a Robinhood Retirement account and subscribe to Robinhood Gold, Robinhood would match 3%, giving you an additional $195 in IRA funds. (That’s $130 more than the normal account, more than paying for the $60 per year you’d spend on Robinhood Gold.)

(Friendly message from your YATI tax expert: The reason the IRA match doesn’t count toward your annual IRA contribution limit is because Robinhood treats it as interest income in your IRA.)

Robinhood’s IRA itself doesn’t offer as many investment options as other brokerages’ IRAs (for instance, you can’t get mutual funds through Robinhood), but if all you need is stocks and exchange-traded funds, it will get the job done. You can choose your IRA investments yourself, but Robinhood’s Portfolio Builder can also provide you with a custom recommended portfolio made up of five to eight ETFs.

Get your free IRA money by signing up for a Robinhood retirement account today.

Related: How to Invest Money: 5 Steps to Start Investing w/Little Money

How to Get Paid $10 Instantly: FAQs


Can I make 10 dollars fast completing paid surveys?

Yes. Online surveys are an easy way to make extra money. The more paid surveys you are qualified to take, the more money you can earn. If you’re looking for two of the highest-paying survey sites, join Branded Surveys and Survey Junkie.

Branded Surveys rewards users with points when they complete surveys. The points convert to cash at a ratio of 100 points to $1. While some of Branded Surveys’ paid surveys only pay out 50 points, longer surveys can pay out several hundred points, and members who are part of the loyalty program can earn even more.

Most surveys pay between $1-$3. Branded Surveys offers payment through free PayPal money, direct deposit, gift cards, or nonprofit donations.

According to Survey Junkie, if you complete three online surveys daily, you can earn as much as $40 per month. You’re not going to become rich just from taking surveys, but if you qualify for longer surveys with either company, you definitely have the potential to make 10 dollars fast. Users can get paid with PayPal cash, bank transfers, or free gift cards.

Related: 7 Best Wealth + Net Worth Tracker Apps [View All Your Assets]

How else can I make money online?

You can also earn extra cash if you watch videos, play games, and shop online through specific apps and browsers. These tasks can be done whenever you have a little free time, such as waiting for food in a restaurant or during a commute. If you’re watching videos or playing games every chance you get, you can make $10 fast.

How are you paid when you earn money online?

When you make a little extra money online, you’ll earn either cash prizes or equivalent rewards. Those prizes can come in many forms. Depending on the app, you’ll be paid through one, some, or all of the following methods:

  • Direct deposit
  • Free PayPal money
  • Gift cards
  • Stock
  • Cryptocurrency

Before you sign up with a site that awards points you then trade in for extra crash, get to know their point conversion systems. Some systems are overly complicated, obscuring how much you’re actually earning.

Related:

About the Author

Riley Adams is the Founder and CEO of Young and the Invested. He is a licensed CPA who worked at Google as a Senior Financial Analyst overseeing advertising incentive programs for the company’s largest advertising partners and agencies. Previously, he worked as a utility regulatory strategy analyst at Entergy Corporation for six years in New Orleans.

His work has appeared in major publications like Kiplinger, MarketWatch, MSN, TurboTax, Nasdaq, Yahoo! Finance, The Globe and Mail, and CNBC’s Acorns. Riley currently holds areas of expertise in investing, taxes, real estate, cryptocurrencies and personal finance where he has been cited as an authoritative source in outlets like CNBC, Time, NBC News, APM’s Marketplace, HuffPost, Business Insider, Slate, NerdWallet, Investopedia, The Balance and Fast Company.

Riley holds a Masters of Science in Applied Economics and Demography from Pennsylvania State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Finance from Centenary College of Louisiana.