How To Earn Money Online

Out on the web, there are thousands of quick and easy ways to earn money. However, many of these can be cons. In this short guide, I will show you some legit ways to earn £1,000s a year from your sofa. You can get paid to watch videos, write, search on Google and lots more; 90% of the time no skill is required which makes it even easier for you to earn quick money!

Get paid to click:

Swagbucks
Watch videos, play games and earn

• Who's it good for? 
• People who want to grab quick cash for fun tasks
• Typical earnings:
• £25/month
• Payment method:
• Cash/Amazon vouchers
• Amount you need to earn before it pays:
• 1 point (depends on reward)

Swagbucks is a fun survey site that pays you for completing short online tasks in virtual cash - you can then exchange this for real money, Paypal credits or gift cards to spend at Amazon, M&S and more. The site's huge in America, and here in the UK, many MSE forumites are dedicated users.
Tasks include filling in polls, watching videos and searching using its page instead of Google - you can even play free online games. Advertisers pay Swagbucks to publicise their wares or do market research, and the site passes a cut to you. The more dedicated you are, the more you earn, though every task pays a different amount.

Qmee
Get paid to Google

• Who's it good for?
• Folks with the patience to click ads for a few pence a go
• Typical earnings:
• £5/month
• Payment method:
• Cash via PayPal
• How much you need to earn before it pays:
• No minimum

It's possible to get paid hard cash just for searching the web with Qmee. It just involves downloading an add-on that sits on your internet browser. You then search online as you normally would on Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo! or Bing.

Qmee will show extra results or adverts alongside normal search results (see picture). Some firms pay Qmee to appear in these ads, and Qmee gives you a cut of the cash. If the Qmee result interests you, click it and you'll earn a few pence, usually 7-15p.

 

 

Gift Hunter Club

Earn hard cash for fun tasks

• Who's it good for?
• Folks who already use Swagbucks and want to join a similar site
• Typical earnings:
• £7/week
• Payment method:
• PayPal, Amazon vouchers and more
• How much you need to earn before it pays:
• £1.20ish

Online earning site Gift Hunter Club doles out points for watching videos, doing polls, entering competitions and completing other easy tasks.

You can convert these into cash through PayPal, Amazon vouchers and more. Just sign up and check the 'earn points' section. It shows the tasks available and what they pay.

 

 

Qustodian

Get paid to read adverts on your mobile

• Who's it good for?
• Patient people with a smartphone
• Typical earnings: 
• £10 every six months
• Payment method:
• Cash via PayPal or BACS
• How much you need to earn before it pays:
• £10

Free smartphone app Qustodian pays you to read adverts. Simply download the app, and plug your likes and dislikes into your profile. It then sends adverts matching your interests to your Qustodian inbox. You get paid cash when you view messages, respond to questions or watch videos.
It pays cash via PayPal or via BACS into your bank account when you earn £10. Forumites report the slow trickle of messages means it takes a while to hit this, so this app's just one for committed online earners.


Textbroker
Get paid to write

• Who's it good for?
• People who enjoy writing and have high grammatical standards
• Typical earnings:
• £50/month (if you're committed)
• Payment method:
• Cash via PayPal
• How much you need to earn before it pays out:
• £8ish (pays in euros)

Always wanted to have a crack at the old writing game? Now's your chance. Textbroker pays for content for adverts, websites and newsletters. The company acts as a middleman between clients and writers, taking a cut from each piece sold.

Typical payments are £5 to £30 per article, and forumites have written about everything from sport and wildlife to finance and casinos.


Field Agent iPhone app
Get paid to check prices, snap photos & more

• Who's it good for?
• If you've got an iPhone, and can nip out to do quick tasks
• Typical earnings:
• £10/month
• Payment method:
• Cash via PayPal
• How much you need to earn before it pays:
• No minimum

Ever fancied being a secret agent? If you’ve got an iPhone, a free app called Field Agent could be your chance. When companies need a small market research task done, it's sent out via the app.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to check prices in stores, take photos of products and pen reviews. It typically pays £4.50 per task, but sometimes as much as £10.


Write a Kindle e-book
Earn up to 70% of the LIST price when you self-publish

• Who's this good for?
• Folks who want a bash at a bestseller, though money's not guaranteed
• Payment method:
• Electronic bank transfer
• How much you need to earn before it pays:
• No minimum

EL James's Fifty Shades of Grey started as a self-published e-book – now's your chance to emulate her success. Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing tool lets you upload your own e-books instantly, for free. Every time the book sells, Amazon gives you up to 70% of the list price (excludes VAT).
While not a guaranteed money-spinner, e-books don't have to be Booker Prize contenders. If you're a specialist in a niche subject, from worm composting to rollercoaster riding, you could pocket a little extra each month.

If you need inspiration, why not try the NaNoWriMo campaign to write a novel in a month, which runs every November.