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Five bucks might not seem like a lot of money. But if you can earn $5 quickly, and you can do it over and over again, those $5 earnings will really start to add up.

Heck, let’s say it takes you just five minutes to earn $5. That’s $60 per hour. Not bad, right?

Fortunately, there are many ways to earn 5 dollars fast that are easy—and plenty of them are downright fun to boot.

Today, I’ll go over several ways you can get a free $5 instantly (or at least pretty darn quickly). In fact, you’ll find that you can monetize several of the activities you’re already doing! You can do one or two, or take advantage of more offers to make more money.

Whether you’re trying to save money for an important expense or just need a few dollars more to afford a luxury, you’re in the right place. Let me show you how to make a little extra cash.

Best Ways to Earn $5 Quickly—Our Top Picks


Popular Micro-Investing and Financial App
Stock App for Intermediate Investors
Earn With Games and Surveys
Paid Surveys + Other Ways to Earn
Primary Rating:
4.2
Primary Rating:
4.9
Primary Rating:
4.1
Primary Rating:
4.0
Earn a $20 bonus when you set up recurring investments.
New investors get $3-$300 in stock, 1 month free Premium, and 1 month APY boost
Earn a 100-point ($1) bonus when you sign up with our link, earn money easily.
Get a $10 bonus when you sign up with our link, earn money easily.
Popular Micro-Investing and Financial App
Primary Rating:
4.2
Earn a $20 bonus when you set up recurring investments.
Stock App for Intermediate Investors
Primary Rating:
4.9
New investors get $3-$300 in stock, 1 month free Premium, and 1 month APY boost
Earn With Games and Surveys
Primary Rating:
4.1
Earn a 100-point ($1) bonus when you sign up with our link, earn money easily.
Paid Surveys + Other Ways to Earn
Primary Rating:
4.0
Get a $10 bonus when you sign up with our link, earn money easily.

 

Other Ways to Earn $5 Fast


1. Free Stocks + Cash Bonuses on Stock Apps


Sign up. Make a deposit. Profit.

Acorns ($20 Bonus)


acorns invest page.
Acorns
  • Available: Sign up here
  • Platforms: Web, mobile app (iOS, Android)
  • Promotion: $20 bonus when you set up recurring investments

Acorns is a micro-investing app geared toward young adults and millennials that’s perhaps best-known for its “Round-Ups” program.

With Acorns Round-Ups, the app rounds up purchases made on linked debit and credit cards to the nearest dollar, investing the difference on your behalf. For example, if you purchase a coffee for $2.60 on a linked credit card, Acorns automatically rounds this charge up to $3.00 and puts the 40-cent difference aside. Once those Round-Ups reach at least $5, they can be transferred to your Acorns account to be invested.

The Acorns investment offering itself is a simple, automated platform that uses pre-built portfolios of ETFs to keep investors exposed to stocks and bonds, which is similar to many robo-investing offerings. Acorns’ basic approach makes it one of the best investment apps for beginners.

Here’s more about what you can expect from Acorns’ varying subscription options:

  • Acorns Bronze: Includes an Acorns Invest investment account, as well as Acorns Later for tax-advantaged investment options such as Roth IRAs. Also includes Acorns Checking, a bank account that has no account fees, lets you withdraw fee-free from more than 55,000 ATMs nationwide, and is paired with a debit card that can go into your digital wallet; Smart Deposit, which allows you to automatically invest a bit of each paycheck into your Acorns accounts; and, of course, Round-Ups.
  • Acorns Silver: Everything in Acorns Bronze (Acorns Invest, Later, Checking, etc.), plus Premium Education, which includes live Q&As with Acorns’ expert investment team, invite-only sessions with the Acorns Support Team, access to a quarterly market report, and more; Emergency Savings with a high APY; and a 25% bonus on Acorns Earn rewards (up to $200 per month).
  • Acorns Gold: Everything in Silver, plus custom portfolios that allow you to hold individual stocks; live Q&As with financial experts; a 50% match on Acorns Earn rewards (up to $200 per month); $10,000 in life insurance; even the ability to set up a will for free. Parents also get Acorns Early access for up to four children. And Gold is the only way to unlock Acorns Early Invest: a custodial account for your child that lets you invest for them while they’re a minor.

Silver and Gold also feature a powerful way to accelerate your savings: Later Match. While most people are aware that employers will sometimes match funds you contribute to your 401(k), “matches” are virtually unheard of in retirement accounts like IRAs, where there’s no employer to kick in extra cash. However, Acorns itself will match 1% or 3% on new contributions to IRAs for Silver and Gold subscribers, respectively. 

Learn more in our Acorns review, or use our link to sign up with Acorns today.

    → How to get your bonus with Acorns

    Acorns offers $20 when you set up recurring investments. It’s one of the best investment bonuses currently on offer because there’s no luck involved to earn the maximum amount. To earn $20 from Acorns, you have to complete a few steps:

    1. Sign up for an Acorns account.
    2. Set up recurring investments ($5 minimum)
    3. Make your first successful recurring investment.

    Your $20 bonus will be awarded within 10 days of the following month.

    Related: How to Make $20 Fast [14 Legit Ways to Get Free $ Instantly]

    Webull ($3-$300 in Fractional Shares, APY Boost + Free Premium)


    webull homepage.
    Webull
    • Available: Sign up here
    • Platforms: Desktop app (Windows, Mac, Linux), web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
    • Promotion: 1 free month of Premium, 1 month of boosted APY, 10 fractional shares worth $3-$300

    Webull is a wallet-friendly brokerage account that offers no-commission stocks, ETFs, and options, charges $0 contract fees on many options, and requires no deposit minimums.

    It also offers fractional-share investing, which allows investors to start buying for as little as $1. That means beginners working with small dollar amounts can still easily diversify their portfolio across numerous investments. Newer investors can also learn trading skills through the courses in Webull’s education center, and even practice their skills via Webull’s paper trading service.

    Webull is available across just about every platform, allowing you to research, trade, and track your stocks on your smartphone, tablet, or desktop. Other features include charting tools, customizable screeners, free real-time stock quotes and stock alerts, preset lists, voice commands, and more. It also offers extended trading hours (pre- and after-market trading) and 24/7 online help.

    You can also subscribe to the paid Webull Premium tier, which provides a higher APY on uninvested cash, IRA rollover and transfer matches, higher IRA contribution matches, better margin rates, and more.

    On top of all that, Webull frequently runs promotions that typically involve earning free stock.

    Currently, Webull is offering new users a litany of bonuses connected to making an initial deposit. Here’s how to collect a free month of Premium, an APY boost, and $3-$300 in fractional stock: Use our link to sign up with Webull and get a free month of Premium just for opening your account. Deposit at least 1¢ and get one month of boosted APY in Webull Cash Management. Deposit at least $100 and receive 10 fractional shares worth between $3 and $300.

    → How to get Webull’s various bonuses

    Currently, Webull is offering new users a litany of bonuses connected to making an initial deposit. Here’s how to collect a free month of Premium, an APY boost, and $3-$300 in fractional stock:

    • Use our link to sign up with Webull and get a free month of Premium just for opening your account.
    • Deposit at least 1¢ and get one month of boosted APY in Webull Cash Management.
    • Deposit at least $100 and receive 10 fractional shares worth between $3 and $300.

    Related: 8 Best Instant Sign-Up Bonus Apps [Grab Free Cash Instantly]

    Moomoo (Up to $1,000 in NVDA Stock)


    moomoo homepage.
    Moomoo
      • Available: Sign up here
      • Platforms: Desktop app (Windows, Mac), web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
      • Promotion: Up to $1,000 in free NVDA stock with qualifying deposit

      Moomoo is a cost-friendly trading platform that offers no-commission stocks, ETFs, and options, and no contract fees on equity options.

      While Moomoo is great for advanced traders, offering powerful tools to empower your trading insights and strategies, its differentiated approach (simple interfaces and high ease of use) make it a match for some intermediate and beginner investors, too. The desktop platform is highly customizable, while the mobile app is straightforward, allowing you to search for stocks and trade with minimal hassle.

      But again: Moomoo has more than enough under the hood for advanced traders to get the job done. Its charting system, for instance, includes 62 technical analysis indicators and 22 drawing tools. You can set up alerts based on changes in price, bids, turnover ratio, and more. Free Level 2 market data helps you get a greater understanding of a stock’s value, determine how liquid a stock truly really is, and better time your trades. You can even enjoy 24/7 financial news handpicked by Moomoo’s editorial team.

      → How to get your free shares on Moomoo

      Moomoo is currently offering new users a deposit bonus of up to $1,000 in free NVDA shares. Here’s how to collect it:

      1. Use our link to open a new brokerage account with Moomoo.
      2. Make a deposit within the promotional period. Amount of stock is determined by deposit size; $100 or greater gets $20 in stock; $2,000 or greater gets $50 in stock, $10,000 or greater gets $300 in stock, and $50,000 or greater gets $1,000 in stock.

      For Moomoo disclaimer, please see the fine print at the bottom of this article.

      Related: 11 Best Stock Trading Apps & Platforms [Free + Paid]

      Upromise ($5.29 Sign-Up Bonus, $25 Linking Bonus)


      upromise homepage.
      Upromise
      • Available: Sign up here
      • Platforms: Web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
      • Promotion: Get a total of $30.29 ($5.29 for signing up, and $25 for linking a 529 plan)

      Upromise makes it easier to save for your child’s future higher education expenses, and has helped families save more than $1 billion for college to date.

      After you create a Upromise account, you link it to either your 529 plan, or a checking or savings account. You can also apply for a no-monthly-fee Upromise Mastercard that earns you cash rewards when you shop, eat at restaurants, and more, and the service will automatically deposit both your cash rewards and any monthly contributions into your 529 plan or linked bank account. You’ll also earn more in cash-back rewards with the Upromise Mastercard than you will with any other linked debit or credit card.

      Also, every month, Upromise gives five families a $529 college scholarship. Every dollar of earned rewards gets you an entry.

      → How to get your free money on Upromise

      As soon as you use our link to sign up with Upromise and verify your email, you’ll be awarded $5.29. To receive an additional $25, you must:

      1. Link a 529 plan account within 30 days.
      2. Keep the account active through the first cash-back rewards redemption cycle.
      3. Make sure your cash-back rewards account balance meets the minimum transfer amount to be able to transfer rewards into the linked account.

      Related: 9 Best Free Investing Apps [No Fees to Start Saving]

      SoFi Invest® (Up to $1,000 in Bonus Stock)


      sofi invest homepage.
      SoFi Invest
      • Available: Sign up below
      • Platforms: Desktop, web, mobile (iOS, Android)
      • Promotion: Up to $1,000 in bonus stock

      SoFi is a multi-faceted financial company that offers everything from credit cards and insurance to student loans and mortgages … and they also allow you to trade and invest through its SoFi Invest app.

      With SoFi Invest, you can invest as actively or as passively as you’d like. The SoFi Active Invest Brokerage Account has no required minimum balance, charges no commissions on stock, ETF, and options trades, and its options trading has no contract fees, either. Want to put your portfolio on autopilot? SoFi’s robo-advisory services will create a portfolio for you for an annual 0.25% assets under management fee (that can be designed to address one or several goals) and auto-rebalance it for you as necessary over time.

      The interface is still very much geared toward younger, less experienced investors—everything is focused on simplicity and ease of use, rather than an expanse of sophisticated tools. SoFi also offers budget-friendly features such as fractional shares, which allow you to invest for as little as $5. And SoFi even provides a social element, such as bringing SoFi members together at exclusive events.

      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. Better still, you can subscribe to SoFi Plus to unlock an additional $1,000 per year in extra value across all of SoFi’s financial arms.

      → How to earn bonus stock from SoFi Invest

      SoFi Invest allows you to win a randomly selected dollar amount, up to $1,000, worth of bonus stock. To qualify:

      1. Click the link below to open a new brokerage account with SoFi.
      2. Fund your account with $50 or more within 30 days of the account opening.

      Your bonus should post to your account in 10 business days.

      Related: 11 Best Apps That Give You Money for Signing Up [Free Money]

      2. Sign-Up Bonuses on Survey Sites


      Join for the sign-up bonuses. Stick around for more easy money.

      Swagbucks ($10 Bonus)


      Swagbucks homepage.
      Swagbucks
      • Available: Sign up here
      • Platforms: Web, mobile app (iOS, Android)
      • Promotion: $10 sign-up bonus

      Making money online through Swagbucks is simple. Swagbucks lets users earn Swagbucks points (SBs) by completing simple tasks—that includes taking surveys, yes, but also shopping online, playing video games, or even just doing web searches.

      Users can redeem SBs for gift cards from popular retailers, such as Apple, Amazon, and Target; the website awards more than 7,000 gift cards every day. However, if you just want cash, you can redeem points that way, too, and receive the money in a PayPal account.

      You can typically earn a free bonus for signing up for Swagbucks via our link. You can also earn additional money by referring friends to the app.

      → How to get your $10 bonus on Swagbucks

      New users receive a $10 bonus for signing up and spending with Swagbucks. Here’s how:

      1. Use our link to sign up with Swagbucks.
      2. Spend at least $25 at a store featured in Swagbucks.com/Shop within 30 days of registration. (You must receive a minimum of 25 SB for the purchase.)

      You’ll receive a 1,000 SB bonus (equivalent to $10), which should post to your account in 10 business days.

      Related: 25 Best Jobs for 15-Year-Olds [In-Person + Online]

      Sproutful ($1 Sign-Up Bonus)


      Illustrated image of a potted plant holding a smartphone.
      Sproutful
      • Available: Sign up here
      • Platforms: Desktop, mobile web (Apple iOS, Android)
      • Promotion: 100-point sign-up bonus

      Sproutful is a free platform that offers you real money just by playing mobile games and sharing your opinion. And it features one of the most flexible sets of payout options in the industry.

      Getting started is simple: You sign up for free. Then you start taking paid surveys, or playing a variety of games (casual, puzzles, board games, adventure/RPG, slots, and more). You earn points, which you can redeem once you’ve accumulated just $5 worth of earnings.

      Sproutful allows users to cash out via PayPal or Venmo, or get paid via gift cards from literally hundreds of brands, including Airbnb, Amazon, Apple, DoorDash, Google, PlayStation, Spotify, Starbucks, Uber, and Walmart. That’s one of the broadest payout selections among paid-survey sites we cover.

      While this is one of the newest such apps on the market, it has quickly built up a sterling reputation, earning an “Excellent” rating on Trustpilot.

      → How to Get Your $1 bonus on Sproutful

      Getting your $1 bonus on Sproutful couldn’t be easier. Just sign up with our link, and you’ll start with a free 100-point bonus (worth $1).

      Related: 7 Best Paid Surveys for Kids and Teens [Online Surveys]

      InboxDollars ($5 Sign-Up Bonus)


      inboxdollars homepage
      InboxDollars
      • Available: Sign up here
      • Platforms: Web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
      • Promotion: $5 for signing up.

      InboxDollars helps users make extra money from doing simple tasks. Like with other money-making apps, brands pay InboxDollars for consumer opinions—which is where you come in. You can earn free cash by participating in several activities, including taking surveys and reading emails.

      You can also earn cash-back rewards for online shopping, buying groceries, even spending on games. InboxDollars is partnered with GSN Casino, and users earn 18% cash back with InboxDollars for every dollar they spend on GSN games.

      Better still: There’s no complex points system. Your earnings show up as real cash. Simple as that.

      This passive income app isn’t a substitute for a full-time job, but it’s a great way to earn some extra money with only a little additional work on your part. And to entice new customers, InboxDollars is currently offering a $5 bonus to get started.

      → How to get the InboxDollars sign-up bonus

      InboxDollars gives you $5 free cash just for activating your account when you use our link. After you sign up, watch for your first PaidEmail® in your inbox (which might take a couple of minutes). Confirm that you received the email, and that’s it!

      Just note that the minimum cash-out amount is $15, so you’ll have to complete a few surveys or other small tasks to earn enough to cash out your bonus.

      Related: 9 Best Stocks for Beginners With Little Money

      3. Other Survey Sites


      Not all survey sites offer sign-up bonuses, but they can still help you make money quickly.

      Surveys On The Go (Survey App That Pays)


      Surveys On The Go homepage.
      Surveys On The Go
      • Available: Sign up here
      • Platforms: Mobile App (Apple iOS, Android)

      Surveys On The Go is a simple paid-survey app that rewards you for other activities and even doing nothing.

      As the name suggests, surveys are at the core of this rewards app. Surveys pop up on your phone and you get paid for the ones you take. You can also find surveys in the Surveys section of your Home tab. Diary surveys, which are completed over multiple days, are worth the most, with payouts ranging from $20 to $50.

      Surveys on the Go also has a pair of data-sharing programs:

      • With Link & Earn, you connect accounts such as Gmail, Amazon, and ChatGPT; every merchant pays you a welcome bonus, as well as a monthly payout for every month you’re active and meet activity requirements.
      • Payday is a separate program within Surveys On The Go that encourages weekly data-sharing. After you enroll, which means granting location and digital survey access, you receive weekly Payday rewards. The longer you’re active, the more you earn. Sometimes, Bonus Gigs, such as app downloads, are also available and earn points. 

      Your data is anonymized, meaning it can’t be traced back to you. 

      To earn even more, you can do in-home product testing or even refer your friends. And you can cash out through PayPal, Amazon, Venmo, Visa, or Starbucks once you’ve earned as little as $10. Use our link to sign up with Surveys On The Go.

       

      4. Playing Games on Your Phone


      You read that right. You can get rewarded just for playing games on your phone. Your mother won’t believe you, though.

      Scrambly (Play Games, Try Apps, Earn Money)


      scrambly homepage.
      Scrambly

      Companies need to conduct user testing, and they’ll pay to have it done. All you need to do is find paid gaming opportunities through a website that connects companies to players.

      Scrambly rewards you for a number of tasks, including completing online surveys, testing companies’ products, and playing games on their phones.

      In exchange for completing tasks, you get coins that can be exchanged for cash back to a PayPal account, Visa gift cards, or gift cards to a small number of vendors, including Amazon, Google Play, and Apple. And if users invite friends, they earn a commission on their friends’ lifetime earnings.

      The survey aspect of the site is pretty straightforward—you’ll receive questionnaires similar to what you get with other paid survey sites. But what makes Scrambly stand out is the ability to earn money by trying out products and services from the likes of AARP, Cash App Taxes, and Disney+.

      There is no minimum or maximum amount of time you have to spend. You can do this occasionally for just a bit more spending cash or more frequently to rack up rewards faster.

      Related: 30 NFT Statistics to Understand [Market, Sales & Trends]

      5. Cash-Back Apps


      You’re going to shop anyway. You might as well get rewarded for it.

      Pogo (Cash Back on Everything)


      Pogo homepage.
      Pogo
      • Available: Sign up here
      • Platforms: Web (extension), mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)

      Pogo is a wide-ranging rewards-and-cash-back app that’s easy to use (and in many cases, automatic).

      You can link your cards to Pogo and accumulate rewards from the shopping you do already—no opt-ins or coupon-clicking necessary. The app also automatically rewards you for playing games, scrolling your favorite social apps, and even for chatting with a connected ChatGPT account.

      Among other ways to earn:

      • Scanning receipts
      • Linking your email and retailer accounts for e-receipt rewards
      • Paid surveys and interviews about brands
      • Class action settlements (beta)

      Some of the most popular cashout methods are PayPal and gift cards to Target, Walmart, and Amazon, but there are dozens of other options to choose from. You can redeem rewards from the mobile app as soon as you reach at least $3.

      In addition to earning you money, Pogo can save you money too. It can scan your bank account for sneaky fees you can be reimbursed for, helps you find lower auto insurance rates, and sends location-based offers straight to your phone when you enter a store.

      Sign up for Pogo to enjoy passive earnings. (Note: If you’re signing up from a desktop, go to “Pogo for Consumers.”)

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

      Read More on Young and the Invested


      Disclaimers


      Moomoo

      Moomoo’s parent company is Nasdaq-listed Futu Holdings Ltd (FUTU). Their subsidiaries are licensed and regulated in the United States, Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong.

      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.