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
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Get $50 - $6,000
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Get $5 - $200 in free stocks.
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Get 15 Free Stocks Worth $30-$30,000
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How to Get $10 (Or Even More) Fast
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)
- 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.
- Power E-Trade offers investors real-time data and studies.
- E-Trade Web provides live market commentary and stock analysis.
- 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.
- E*Trade is one of the best online and mobile trading platforms among discount brokers, offering a full range of investments (including professionally managed accounts). It allows you to invest in stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options, bonds, futures, micro futures, and futures options.
- $0 commission trading for online U.S.-listed stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, Treasuries, and new-issue bonds. (Options have a 65¢ contract fee, or 50¢ at certain volume thresholds.)
- Opening an account is easy and only takes a couple of minutes.
- Bonus: Get between $50 and $6,000* when you open and fund a new brokerage account using promo code "OFFER24."
- Excellent selection of available investments
- Commission-free mutual funds and Treasuries
- Automated portfolio builders and prebuilt mutual fund and ETF portfolios
- Separate apps for power users and casual users
- Limited availability of fractional shares (only in DRIP plans or robo-created portfolio)
- No direct cryptocurrency trading
Robinhood ($5-$200 worth of free stock)
- 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.)
- Robinhood is a pioneer in the investing app world, offering commission-free trades on stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptocurrency, as well as one of the deepest libraries of investing educational content.
- Investing for retirement? Robinhood will match 1% of any IRA transfers or 401(k) rollovers, as well as any annual contributions*, made to your Robinhood Retirement account—and you can get a 3% match on any new contributions if you subscribe to Robinhood Gold.
- Want more advanced trading tools? Download Robinhoold Legend—a desktop trading platform with real-time data, customizable layouts, deeper asset analysis, and more—for free.
- Robinhood Gold also includes Level II market data provided by Nasdaq, higher interest rates on uninvested brokerage cash, lower margin trading rates, bigger Instant Deposits, and access to the Robinhood Gold Card (a 3% cash-back Visa credit card).
- Special offer: Sign up for Robinhood, link a bank account, and fund your account with at least $10, and receive a randomly selected cash amount between $5 and $200 to put toward certain fractional shares.
- Very good selection of available investments in brokerage accounts
- 1% match on rollovers, IRA transfers, and new contributions to IRAs and Roth IRAs (3% new-contribution match with Robinhood Gold)
- Automated recommended portfolios
- Intuitive interface
- Extensive educational library
- No mutual funds in brokerage or IRAs
- No robo-advisor functionality
Related: 15 Best Investing Research & Stock Analysis Websites
eToro (Get $10 free)
- 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:
- Sign up for an eToro account
- Deposit $100
- 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.
- The eToro trading platform allows you to buy and sell stocks, ETFs, and options with 0% commission, including no contract fees on options.
- Trade dozens of the most popular cryptocurrencies.
- Not sure what kind of trading strategy you want to employ? eToro allows you to replicate the trades of popular traders automatically, in real time.
- Test out your strategies with eToro's $100,000 practice account.
- $100 minimum deposit to get started.
- Special Offer: Get $10 when you deposit $100 or more.*
- Good selection of available investments
- No options contract fees
- Fractional shares
- Copy trading functionality
- Strong technical analysis tools available
- $100,000 virtual portfolio included for free
- Charges withdrawal fee ($5)
- Doesn't offer robust fundamental tools
- Unavailable in 4 U.S. states (NY, NV, HI, and MN)
Related: 15 Best Stock Research & Analysis Apps, Tools and Sites
Wealthfront ($50 Deposit Bonus)
- 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.
- Wealthfront provides the power of robo-investing for investors with a small starting deposit ($500 minimum).
- Answer just a few questions, and Wealthfront will build you a portfolio of low-cost index ETFs from up to 17 different asset classes, then manage rebalancing and trading as long as you have the account.
- Wealthfront allows you to link an outside 529 educational savings plan or open one through Wealthfront (plan is sponsored by the state of Nevada).
- Bonus: Get a $50 deposit bonus when you fund your first taxable investment account
- Low minimum investment for a robo-investing product
- Tax-loss harvesting
- Offers 529 plan management, investment account
- Few investment choices
- High minimum investment for an account
- No access to human financial advisors (CFPs)
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)
- 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.
- SoFi's Checking and Savings Account is a free, no-monthly fee account that offers an above-average yield on the savings side, and up to 15% cash back when using your checking account's debit card.
- SoFi's high-yield savings account currently pays 4.00% APY, which is 10x the national average savings rate, and higher than the average high-yield rate.
- Additional available FDIC insurance of up to $2 million is 8x the typical insured amount at most financial institutions.*
- Round up debit card purchases, and the excess is automatically sent to your savings Vault.
- Special Offer: If you set up a qualifying direct deposit within the promotion period, you can earn up to a $300 cash bonus.**
- No account fees
- Above-average yield (4.0% APY) on its high-yield savings account
- Offers up to $50 of overdraft coverage with minimum monthly direct deposits in place
- Round-ups
- Up to $2 million in FDIC insurance
- Not as competitive yield as other banking institutions
- High direct deposit threshold for maximum cash bonus
Related: 7 Best Stock Portfolio Management Software Tools + Apps
3. 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)
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:
- Open up a Chase Freedom Unlimited credit card account.
- 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.
- Chase Freedom Unlimited is a no-annual fee credit card offering generous cash-back rewards that never expire as long as your account stays open.
- Earn 5% cash back on travel*; 3% on shopping at drugstores, as well as dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services; and 1.5% on all other purchases.**
- Start with a 0% intro APR for your first 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. Variable APR of 20.49%-29.24% applies after the introductory period.
- Special offer: Earn a $200 bonus when you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months from the date of account opening.
Related: 50+ Best Money-Making Apps That Pay You Real Money
4. 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)
- 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.
- Upside lets users earn cash back on gas, restaurant, grocery, and other purchases with minimal extra effort.
- Check into the app to log your purchases, or upload a photo of your receipt, to earn cash-back rewards.
- Minimum cash-out: None, but must cash out at least $10 for gift cards or $15 for PayPal to avoid a $1 fee.
- Age restrictions: Must be at least 16 years old to participate. Teens age 16 and 17 must have parental consent.
- Easily earn cash back for everyday purchases
- Offers gift cards
- Offers cash back
- No minimum cash-out amount
- Some teens can participate (16+)
- Fees apply to small cash-out amounts
Related: 12 Best Apps That Give You Money for Signing Up [Free Money]
5. 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)
- 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 Young and the Invested 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.
- Robinhood is a pioneer in the investing app world, offering commission-free trades on stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptocurrency, as well as one of the deepest libraries of investing educational content.
- Investing for retirement? Robinhood will match 1% of any IRA transfers or 401(k) rollovers, as well as any annual contributions*, made to your Robinhood Retirement account—and you can get a 3% match on any new contributions if you subscribe to Robinhood Gold.
- Robinhood Gold also includes Level II market data provided by Nasdaq, higher interest rates on uninvested brokerage cash, lower margin trading rates, bigger Instant Deposits, and access to the Robinhood Gold Card (a 3% cash-back Visa credit card).
- Special offer 1: Sign up for Robinhood, link a bank account, and fund your account with at least $10, and receive a randomly selected cash amount between $5 and $200 to put toward certain fractional shares.
- Special offer 2: Earn 1% on any transfers from an external brokerage account to a Robinhood joint or individual investing account (2% if the margin balance is at least $10,000). Offer ends Oct. 27, 2024.
- Special offer 3: Robinhood Gold subscribers earn a 3% match on IRA transfers. Offer ends Oct. 27, 2024.
- 1% match on rollovers, IRA transfers, and new contributions to IRAs and Roth IRAs (3% new-contribution match with Robinhood Gold)
- Automated recommended portfolios
- Intuitive interface
- Extensive educational library
- No mutual funds
- No robo-advisor functionality
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.
- Branded Surveys, which boasts more than 3 million users, pays you to take surveys to share your thoughts on future products and services.
- You earn points for completing each survey and can redeem them toward cash (paid via direct deposit or PayPal), gift cards at more than 100 merchants including Amazon and Apple, or even donations to your favorite charity.
- Earn anywhere from 50 cents to $5 per completed survey (longer ones tend to pay more).
- Minimum cash-out: $5 (500 points).
- Age restrictions: Must be at least 13 years old to participate. Teens age 13 to 17 must have parental consent.
- Special offer: Get 100 free points (worth $1) for signing up.
- Pays you for easy tasks
- Offers gift cards from numerous merchants
- Offers cash back
- Teens can participate (ages 13+)
- Not a lucrative side hustle
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.
- Survey Junkie lets you get paid for taking surveys and sharing your online browsing history.
- On average, members who take 3 surveys daily and opt-in to share their browsing info earn as much as $40 per month.
- Survey Junkie points can be redeemed for rewards including cash through PayPal or bank transfer and gift cards for Amazon, Target, Walmart, Sephora, Starbucks, Visa, iTunes, and more.
- Minimum cash-out: $5 (500 points).
- Age restrictions: Must be at least 18 years old to participate.
- Pays you for easy tasks
- Offers gift cards from numerous merchants
- Offers cash back
- Some teens can participate (ages 16+)
- Not a lucrative side hustle
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: