I've seen quite a few threads lately from people who are worried about their finances/ looking for ways to make extra money, so I thought it might be useful to share this guide.
I know when people typically think of using sites/apps to earn a few extra quid that "50p surveys" are the first thing that comes to mind, so I'm sharing this list to show that there are much better options out there for folks in the UK who have some spare time on their hands and could use an extra few hundred pounds.
So with that said, I decided to create this guide detailing how I would approach a few different scenarios because, after 3 years of earning money from online work and having tried out many different means of generating extra income, I'd like to think I can offer some advice in this area.
The 3 Scenarios are:
(1) How I would go about Earning £200-£300 in the next 30 days if I had no money to spare.
(2) How I would go about Earning £400-£500 in the next 30 days if I had £100-£200 to spare.
(3) How I would go about Earning ~£150 from referral offers. 1-2 days needed to complete, Payout times vary from one day to several weeks.
Part 1: Earning £200-£300 in 30 days (No money needed)
If I was dead set on making an extra £200-£300 in the next month or so, the sites below would be my target for online earning. Of course, I can't guarantee exactly how much I will earn from using these sites every month, but below you can see how much I earn on average from using them.
I don't have any special skills or qualifications. When I started working on these sites, I had no experience in any of the types of work that I do now. If I can work on these sites and Earn £200-£300 per month, then you definitely can too.
(1) Usertesting (£30-£60 per month)
With this site, you test out the usability of apps and websites and get paid for it. Many of the tests only take 10 minutes and pay around £8.50 per, which is really good. Of course, you won't qualify for every test you apply to, but even if you apply to 10 and only qualify for 1, you're still going to be earning around £8.50 for that half hour of your time, as it only takes a minute or two to apply for each test. There are also longer tests you can apply for, which pay much more.
Your work consists of interacting with 'prototype' or ‘in production’ websites or mobile apps while speaking out loud to share your thoughts, emotions, criticisms, and suggestions. For the longer tests, you will sometimes have to video call with someone while you are completing the user test, which may sound a little offputting at first, but you'll find that this actually makes the hour go much faster than if you were doing an hour of shorter tests.
(2) Userlytics (£30-£60 per month)
Like with Usertesting, you are getting paid for your feedback as you test out the usability of apps and websites. Again, you will have to have your microphone (and sometimes video) enabled while you share your impressions of the video, website, prototype, app, etc. that you are testing.
This site also pays quite well for the time you need to put in per test. Typically, the shorter tests pay around £4-£8, while longer tests can pay up to around £70, though qualifying for these is not a common occurrence in my experience. It's important to note, that with this site and all testing sites, different people will qualify for different tests based on the answers they give in the screeners, which determine if you are a suitable candidate for the test you're applying for. With this in mind, my advice is to stay determined and keep applying, because you never really know when you'll be the perfect candidate for a test, and sometimes the test you're a perfect fit for will be one of the highest paying.
(3) User Interviews (£30-£120 per month)
User Interviews is a site where you get paid to take part in various studies. There are normally a lot of studies available to apply for and the screeners are usually short and sweet.
This one has a high earning potential, due to the vast variety of study topics offered on the site. If you check your homepage frequently enough, it won't be long before you find a study that is looking for an applicant with your background/interests. Studies can pay anywhere from around £8-£200.
(4) Appen (£50-£150 per month)
This is a site where you can apply to work on various projects online, including social media evaluation, translation, data collection, surveys, paid conversation and many more. The rate of pay is very competitive, with some jobs paying up to £20 per hour. Most jobs pay around £11-£15 per hour (which is still great for online work) and I have not found it difficult to qualify for projects.
The potential earnings from this site over the course of a year can easily enter the £100s or even £1000s, so if it's not on your radar it really should be.
Apply for as many projects/tasks as you can, it's well worth taking the time to apply because even if you get one project, that can be hours of work at a great hourly rate.
(5) Prolific ( £40-£90 per month)
This is definitely one of the top paid study sites around. With Prolific you get paid cash for engaging in the research of Academics and Universities from around the world. There are Surveys and studies about scientific research, new products and public opinion. From minutes to hours, to multipart studies over longer periods, there's a respectable range of studies to participate in.
This site pays out to Paypal, it has a range of interesting surveys, and studies pay a minimum of £6.50 per hour. Each study or survey tells you the amount you'll be paid for completing the task and also gives you the hourly rate of said task, which is very useful.
If you compare Prolific to other Study/Research sites, like Respondent or User interviews, for example, you might at first notice that the pay per task is much lower. However, what sets Prolific apart from sites with higher paying studies is the frequency with which you'll receive tasks. I often leave the Prolific tab open while I'm working on something else, and it's not unusual to receive 5-6 short studies over a 2-3 hour time period. The advantage here is that you'll receive tasks based on the information you've entered on your profile, whereas on other paid research sites, you would be applying for higher paying tasks with screeners, but it may not be often that you get accepted for the studies you apply for.
(6) Respondent (Payout varies quite a bit but definitely has high earning potential)
I'm sure some of you have heard about Respondent, It's a site where you get paid for taking part in various studies. The studies can be both remote and in-person but these days most of the available studies are remote.
It doesn't take long to apply to studies so even if you don't qualify, you haven't wasted too much time. Also, the pay is excellent when you do qualify, with studies generally paying between £10-£150, depending on the type of study and the amount of time it takes (Generally ranges from 15-90 minutes).
It's not really a site that you can depend on for frequent payouts, but even if you land a few studies that pay £60 or £70 each, you're doing very well for the time you put in, so I do think this one is worth checking every day if you have 5 minutes to spare.
(7) Neevo (£30-£50 per month)
Companies submit projects to Neevo to help improve their AI systems. When you’re a match for a project, you’ll be asked to complete a set of simple tasks, which could be in the form of text, audio, images or even video.
It's a straightforward 'task for pay' site. They payout through Paypal and the variety of jobs is good. I check this site every now and then, I know it's a smaller earner so I don't like to give it too much of my time. My advice would be to keep your eyes peeled for higher paying jobs that come along, Some of the lower paying tasks aren't really worth it for the time you need to put in.
(8) Dscout (£30-£40 per month)
So with this site you are rewarded for helping with Market Research. The way this works is that you are given "missions" where you offer your opinions/feedback on various products or services in exchange for payment.
The Pay is good and the payout is received promptly through PayPal. I also like that you answer photo and video questions, it keeps me a bit more engaged.
Although the pay per task is reasonable, I wouldn't say that the frequency of available tasks is its strong point. Check as often as you can for available missions and apply for all of them. It may take a little bit of time to get your first mission but once you do, more and more will appear.
Also:
These Earners are a little different to your typical 'online work', but they have served me well in the past too...
Facebook Marketplace:
Sell your old stuff. This one should honestly be mentioned in every thread where someone has asked how to make some extra cash in a hurry.
We all have stuff we don't use anymore lying around the house and as obvious as it may sound, the items that seem old and worthless to you will be new and exciting to someone else.
I'm talking anything, literally anything: Old clothes, books, plant pots, gadgets you don't use anymore, furniture, homemade crafts etc.
Old Clothes seem to really sell fast, which isn't surprising because people get excited when they see something that's their style and really cheap. So clear out your wardrobe.
If you're into crafts, you could sell stuff you've made there too. I once made large painted flower beds out of pallets and sold them, just because I had some pallets and paint laying around at home.
The point is, You could easily make £50-£100 or more if you do a thorough sweep of your house for stuff you don't want/use anymore.
Vinted:
This is a great Site/App where you can sell your old clothes. Maybe it doesn’t sound like your thing or you don’t think you have anything fashionable enough to sell. Believe me, You can sell any item of clothing here.
I’ve sold clothes here in the past and have been pleasantly surprised with a nice few sales. The process of signing up and getting started selling is very easy, and the items of clothing you list will likely receive attention even if you aren’t a top seller.
Fat Llama:
This is a site where you can rent out pretty much anything. I first discovered it when I was trying to find a cheap place to rent some tools.
You can browse the site and see what kind of things other people are renting out, you'd be surprised by the number of items in your own home that you might not have use for but others would be happy to rent from you for the day.
Fiverr
Offer your services as a Freelancer and get paid. You can earn a lot from the "gigs" you post, but you'll need to have some kind of service you can offer that people will pay for. I'd recommend taking a look at what other people are posting and seeing if you could offer similar work.
You'll need to think of some kind of service that you can charge money for, but this can be just about anything. This also means that there's unlimited earning potential because you're creating your own work.
Rover:
This one is quite a great site where you can offer your services as a dog sitter/dog walker. You can have dogs dropped off at your home and get paid to look after them for a duration of time.
It's ideal for people who miss having pets or who get a bit lonely working from home, etc. The pay is usually around £20 per day for dog sitting, maybe £6-£10 for dog walking. If you're at a loose end anyway or just feel like having a furry companion during your free time, This site is a nice way to earn a little money and make some canine friends.
You just make a profile and enter your address so people in your area can find you, Bonus points if you have a dog in your profile photo with you.
My Tutor:
MyTutor is an online-tutoring site, I don’t see this site mentioned a whole lot but it really is a gem. This one is ideal for students and recent graduates, but if you have skills or knowledge in any teachable subject then you should check it out. You don’t need any previous experience as a tutor to work here.
You can earn up to £20 per hour and the work is rewarding and meaningful because you are helping others to learn. It’s also very “social” online work, which some people may see as a nice change.
Also, If you like the idea of tutoring but don't have knowledge in any of the teachable subjects listed on My Tutor, There is also the option of teaching ESL, which you can do a quick TEFL course on and may be worth the investment if you think you'd be interested in that type of work. It can be quite a good earner too. You can do these classes freelance or work for an online company such as Preply or Hallo.
Part 2: Earning £400-£500 in 30 days (£100-£200 needed)
This one is quite a unique means to make extra money in a short period of time, It's called Matched Betting. It's a very simple process but it's imperative that you read the Guides in full before you begin.
Matched Betting is where you use bookmaker sites to complete various 'Free Bet' offers (e.g Bet £10, Get £30 in Free bets), but the whole idea behind the process is that every time you "make a bet", you match that same bet on the exchange (meaning the value of your qualifying bet will always be returned to you).
So for example, if I bet £10 for Real Madrid to win on the Bookmaker Site at odds of 2.5, I then also make a Matched bet on the Exchange (This is a separate site such as Smarkets or Betfair) where I bet for Real Madrid not to win at odds of 2.5 (or as close as I can get to those odds). In this way, I am covered in all outcomes (win, lose or draw), and it allows me to fulfill the requirements of the bookmaker's offer (e.g Bet £10 and get £30 in Free bets). The money from my initial bet has now been returned to me and I also have a £30 free bet credited to my account.
When I receive my £30 free bet, It's the same process of matching again but this time using my free bet on the bookmaker site. This is where I secure a profit, because I'm not using 'real money', and even if I lose on the bookmaker site, I will be paid out on the exchange. This process is explained in more detail in the Guide linked above.
This one is great if you can spare some money to get started. Your money isn't 'invested' or 'tied up' in anything, It's just that you'll need cash in order to complete the various free bet offers. You can withdraw your money at any time, but most people leave £100-£200 in their accounts just because it's easier than depositing money every time you want to do an offer. Over the course of 30 days, that £100-£200 or so will grow to £600-£700.
The main advantage of Matched Betting is that it really doesn't take a lot of time to hit that £500 profit mark. Over a 4 week period, I worked my way down through the list of welcome offers, nice and handy, and having completed 20 offers at 15 minutes per offer, I came out at £470 for 5 hours total of work.
Not to knock paid projects/survey sites, but if you don't have the time or desire to invest in that kind of online work, the obvious advantage with Matched betting is speed and simplicity.
Part 3: Earning ~£150 from Referral Offers
The offers below will allow you to earn a minimum of ~£150. This is a handy list if you need to earn a decent amount of money in a short amount of time. For a lot of these offers, you can withdraw the money you earn back to your bank account in the same day, but for some of the larger paying offers, it will take longer.
Important: In order to get the bonuses from the offers below, you will need to sign up to each app/site through a referral link. On the Popular social media site Reddit, there is a subreddit called 'beermoneyuk' where you can find referral links for any of the below-mentioned offers by searching the subreddit for 'Monzo', 'Luno', 'Zilch' etc. and you'll find plenty of posts with referral links and more detailed steps on how to complete each of the offers below:
Zilch (£5): Sign up through a referral link, Verify your ID and you will see 500 points (worth £5) appear in your account.
Shares (£5): Sign up through a referral link and verify your ID. Deposit £1 and you will Instantly receive £5 which you can withdraw after 30 days.
Snoop (£5): Sign up and link a bank account. After 28 days you will receive an amazon voucher by email worth £5.
Luno (£40): Sign up through a referral link & verify ID (5 mins). Make sure you sign up through a £40 referral link. Deposit £100 and buy £100 worth of Bitcoin ( You can sell your £100 back to GBP afterwards). £40 in Bitcoin will instantly be credited to your account as 'pending' and will be available in your wallet after 30 days. You can then do whatever you like with this £40 worth of Bitcoin.
Monese (£5): Deposit and spend £1 to receive £5 to your account.
Monzo: (£5) Deposit and spend £1 to receive £5 to your account.
Cashapp (£10): Free £10 when you sign up through a referral link and send £5 to another Cashapp user (Someone you know who will send the £5 back to you).
Wombat (£10): Sign up and open a general investment account, you will receive £10 for free. Invest your £20 and hold it for 90 days.
Coinbase (£35): No deposit or purchase needed, just go to the site and earn ~£15 by learning about different cryptocurrencies. Earn an additional £20 by signing up to the site through Top Cashback and making a single transaction. There is no minimum amount for this transaction, simply buy the smallest amount of a cryptocurrency that you can on Coinbase and you will be eligible for the cashback.
Revolut (£12): Sign up to Revolut and go to the "learn" part of the crypto section of the app, you can earn around £12 for completing the cryptocurrency quizzes, which you can then convert to GBP and withdraw.
Go Henry (£20): Sign up, Deposit £20 and get £20 Free.
Tik Tok (£15): Sign up to Tik Tok through a referral link and receive £15.
Swissborg (€1- €100): Deposit £100/ €100, Don't buy anything. As soon as you make the deposit you will get a Reward Token, you 'scratch it' to reveal an amount between 1-100 euros in the app's currency, sell it back to euros/GBP and instantly withdraw your original deposit + profit.
And that's it, I hope this guide will be of help to some people, if you have any questions or suggestions don't be afraid to comment.
Thanks for reading.