Want to be paid for doing what you already do? These apps will do exactly that. No, they won’t wear down your phone battery life more than any other app, but they will improve your financial outlook. Maybe they’ll even help pay your phone bill.
1. Paribus can help you get price adjustments (a $60 per year savings for me).
Paribus puts effortless money in your pocket. Sure, many stores guarantee the lowest price for 7-14 days after your purchase.
The only problem? Stores don’t seek you out to make sure they follow through. Paribus is an app that makes sure they do.
Paribus scans your inbox for order confirmation emails and then scours the web for a lower price.
When they find a better price, Paribus contacts the retailer on your behalf, then you’re refunded the difference, usually via your original form of payment. Best part? Paribus is 100% free.
Paribus works with popular retailers like Target, REI, Costco, and more.
Go here to download Paribus to your iPhone or sign up through your email.
Paribus compensates us when you sign up for Paribus using the links we provided.
2. Bounts pays you $15 a year for walking.
You just connect the Bounts app to step counters like Fitbit or to MapMyRun (among others).
While they hope to sell you on a premium membership (roughly $21 per year), you can still earn for free. Points are just limited (up to 15 max. points per day).
This means if you walk 7,000 steps per day (or perform an exercise or a check-in at a gym) you can earn $5 in a few months, good toward gift vouchers for companies like Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Nike, Toys”R” Us, and more.
The reason it’s free? Bounts shows some ads, and they partner with companies who want to be affiliated with health and who help fund their business model. Winner winner (free) pizza dinner.
3. Media Insiders mobile pays $15 a month to keep up with your online activities.
Get paid to watch TV and share how media is used on your device.
The Media Insiders app captures webpage visits, videos watched, ads viewed, Facebook and Twitter activity, surveys taken, and more.
All you have to do is download the app and watch your favorite shows, knowing you’re being paid to surf and socialize.
Create your MediaInsider.com account from your PC or Mac. Select “Point Perks” as your method of payment, then download the app on up to three additional mobile devices. With four devices running at a time, I earn roughly $15 per month without doing a thing.
4. Slidejoy and ScreenPay pay you $36 – $120 a year to host ads on your mobile device’s locked screen.
Slidejoy (pictured) and ScreenPay both pay you for turning your phone’s locked screen into an ad.
Both programs can be run on your phone at the same time, but each app operates a little differently.
ScreenPay pays you a flat $3 per month, plus they give you a dollar just for signing up. Slidejoy’s pay is based on how often you see the ad. Slidejoy users average between $5 and $10, making it a better choice for heavy smartphone users. If you don’t use your phone much, ScreenPay might just be your best bet (but why not run both).
5. Bing Rewards pays $85 a year for searching the Internet.
Everyone, everywhere uses the Internet. Why not get paid for doing something you do anyway?
Break up with Google, and Bing Rewards will pay you for using Bing as your search engine. I earn 1 credit per 2 Bing searches, with a maximum of 10 credits per day on my smartphone. This means $5 earnings in 21 days. Not bad.
Related: This app saves you money so you can get your nosh on.
6. Smart Panel pays you $110 a year to creep on your Internet habits.
Smart Panel is the app that pays you to anonymously watch your favorite websites, apps, and technology so companies can improve their services and features for everyone.
You have to qualify for the program (short survey), but once you do, you get $5. Then after installing the app and using it for two weeks, you get another $5.
After that it’s a flat $5 per month (plus added bonuses along the way). Once you’re all set up, the app simply runs in the background while you go about your day-to-day business.
7. Nielsen Mobile Rewards lets you reach out and touch someone to earn $48 a year.
Nielsen Mobile Panel is an app that connects to your phone and works in the background while you do you.
It monitors the apps, games, and websites you use and how often you talk on the phone, but never the numbers you call or receive calls from.
After a year, you get about $48 worth of points to redeem for prizes or gift cards.
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