Make Money Gaming Apps

Cash Alarm Review [2024]: Do They Actually Pay?

Cash Alarm is among the many get-paid-to-play apps available today. It has a decent star rating, but trouble with payouts may lower its rating soon enough.

Updated Aug. 1, 2024
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Cash Alarm

Cash Alarm

OUR VIEW

Finding ways to make extra money is high on most people’s lists today, and playing games is one of the most fun ways. Cash Alarm takes the work out of searching for games that pay users to play, but it’s inconsistent in its payout efforts.

If it’s one of many apps you download and use, you may not lose too much time if you don’t receive a payout, but consider other similar options like Cash Giraffe when trying to make extra money.

Pros

Free to download and play
Offers access to many games that pay you to play
Earnings depend on playing time, not skill

Cons

Only available on Android devices
Inconsistent payout efforts by Cash Alarm
Pays PayPal only in Euros
How we evaluate products

Cash Alarm is a mobile gaming app that allows you to earn cash for time spent playing mobile games through the platform. Like most gaming apps, you won’t get rich using Cash Alarm, but it could be a fun way to earn a little extra money.

Cash Alarm is only available through the Google Play store and on Android devices. It is currently not offered on iOS (Apple), Samsung, or other platforms, including Steam. It has over 10 million downloads and over 281,000 reviews, with a 4.3 out of 5-star rating in the Google Play store, but recent reviews claim players aren’t receiving their payouts in a timely manner or no longer have the option to use PayPal to cash out.

What can you play on Cash Alarm?

Cash Alarm is not a game itself but offers multiple types of games through its app, including strategy, casual, puzzle, adventure, arcade, and action games. To earn money or prizes, you must download the offered games, access them through the Cash Alarm app, and play for a certain amount of time.

The games depend on your location and other demographic information, such as age and gender. Recently available games include Bingo Blitz, Match Masters, and Coin Master.

How does Cash Alarm work?

Cash Alarm works by partnering with various developers and offering their games through the app. The longer you play various games, the more opportunities you have to earn coins you can trade for cash or gift cards.

Cash Alarm is free, and unlike other game apps, you don’t have to add money to a wallet or bank to earn money. Instead, you grant permission for the app to track your usage, allowing Cash Alarm to determine how long you play each game.

You earn coins by playing games through Cash Alarm for a set amount of time. You can trade the coins in for cash or gift cards. However, some specific game apps have in-app purchase requirements or may request access to your Facebook or Google accounts separately from Cash Alarm.

Note
You must download both the Cash Alarm app and the game apps offered through Cash Alarm, so make sure you have enough space on your phone and your internet connection is fast enough to handle the download.
The loading screen for the game Bingo Blitz in the Cash Alarm app.

After downloading the game app, you will only collect coins if you access your chosen game through Cash Alarm. It does not allow users to add other apps or games to the platform — you can only play what they offer.

The app tracks your coin balance across all games and is transparent about how long you must play each game to earn coins.

Who can use Cash Alarm?

Cash Alarm is only available for Android devices and requires software version 6.0 or higher. It's rated teen and older, but users must be at least 18 to accept the terms and conditions in Cash Alarm and some of the games within the platform. Cash Alarm is currently only in English, but it’s available globally.

Although Cash Alarm is not a gambling app, some games may fall under that category. If your state limits get-paid-to-play games, you may be unable to access some of the games offered.

How much can you earn with Cash Alarm?

Learning how to make money by playing online games can be tricky because there are no guarantees you’ll actually make money. Cash Alarm is no different, and its terms of use state that players may not make money or have access to cashouts.

While there are many legit ways to make money playing video games, none are a get-rich-quick scheme. Consider the potential earnings from Cash Alarm enough to fund your next trip to Starbucks.

Note
 Please note: Some recent reviewers state they have yet to receive their payouts, even after waiting 5 - 7 business days. If you try Cash Alarm, consider cashing out when you earn $0.50 to see if you receive your payout before wasting too much time if you don’t receive payment.

How to earn coins on Cash Alarm

The Cash Alarm app awards coins based on the amount of time you play the various games offered. For instance, one of the games, Bingo Blitz, says that if you play for 120 seconds, you can earn 607 gold coins. Another game, Coin Master, offers 2,386 coins for 268 seconds (or slightly more than four-and-a-half minutes) of play.

The game entrance screen for Coin Master in the Cash Alarm app.

The lowest amount you can request from the payout section is 50 cents, which costs you 4999 coins — that’s roughly the same amount as the welcome bonus we got for signing up. Payouts can range from 9,898 coins for $1 to 182,667 coins for $20.

You can also trade coins for vouchers to various places, such as 93,188 coins for a $10 Google Play store voucher or 456,668 coins for a $50 Xbox gift card. You may have to play hours of games to earn $20 or more, so the likelihood of turning this into a lucrative side hustle is small.

Cash Alarm rewards cash-out screen showing PayPal rewards options for various coin amounts.

You can also invite friends to try the app and be rewarded for referrals when they sign up. According to the app, you earn 25% of the coins your friends earn. Your friend will also earn 25% of the coins you earn, so there’s not a lot of incentive to invite others.

Be aware that all payouts through PayPal are only deposited as Euros, and your payment is subject to current exchange rates, so it may reduce your ultimate deposit. Payments can take up to five days to receive, and once you submit a payout request through the app, you cannot cancel it.

How to cash out your Cash Alarm coins

To cash out your coins, visit the Payouts section under the app’s main menu, and select the item you want. You must verify your email, and may have to provide a selfie in addition to your email address to confirm you’re a real person and not a bot. This can feel like a violation of privacy for some people.

For PayPal cash-outs, you’ll log in on PayPal to complete the transaction. Some users are reporting the PayPal option is no longer available to them. If you aren't interested in gift cards, double check you see a PayPal option before you start collecting coins. If you request a gift card, you’ll receive an email with a security code and redemption URL to access your prize within seven business days.

Alternatives to Cash Alarm

If the games in Cash Alarm don’t appeal to you or you worry about not receiving a payout, check out other games that pay real money. Note that some apps may fall under gambling laws or restrictions and may not be available in all states.

Cash Giraffe

Cash Giraffe is an Android-only app that pays players pocket money to try new games and apps. All you have to do is download the app and choose your favorite games. You’ll earn gems for playing games you enjoy and redeem them for gift cards to my favorite store, Amazon. They also offer the option to cash out via PayPal.

Mistplay

Mistplay is another Android-only app that pays you to download and play games. Like Cash Alarm, you won’t pay the bills playing games, but some players earn $10 - $15 in their first few hours of playing. Mistplay takes a couple of days to pay out, but you have the option to redeem your points or units, as they call them, for gift cards or PayPal.

This Gaming App Paid Out Over $3.8 Million Last Year

Get rewarded to try out new games and apps. Free to download and use.

Download Cash Giraffe

Try Out New Games and Earn Gift Cards

The longer you play, the more gift cards to Amazon, Paypal, and more you could earn.

Download MISTPLAY today

FAQ

Is Cash Alarm legit?

Cash Alarm is a legit app that allows players to earn real money or gift cards to places like Amazon, Walmart, or the Google Play Store by playing various games on the platform.

Cash Alarm is not a game but offers access to other developers' games based on user information. It collects data regarding the time you spend in each game and awards coins accordingly.

Is Cash Alarm gambling?

Cash Alarm is a gaming app with a get-paid-to-play format and real cash rewards. In-app purchases or adding money to a wallet to play games isn’t necessary, but some games involve things considered traditional in gambling, such as bingo or dice. Some partner games available in Cash Alarm may have in-app purchases or fall under the casino app category.

Is Cash Alarm worth it?

You won’t get rich playing Cash Alarm, and some users are unhappy with their payout options and speed. If you request PayPal and receive it, know that it will be in Euros and the funds are subject to currency exchange rates if you’re in the US.

Bottom line

Playing online games for money might seem like it’s up there with some of the best side hustles, but there’s no guarantee that you’ll make enough to make it worthwhile. Pay attention to the terms and conditions of each online game so aren’t unpleasantly surprised after spending time playing the game.

Cash Alarm offers a way to unwind while waiting in line or sitting on the couch, and you might earn a little bit of money, but don’t count on Cash Alarm as your ticket to easy living.

Author Details

Kate Daugherty

Kate Daugherty is a professional writer with a passion for providing others the head start they deserve on their financial journeys. Largely self-taught, Kate relied on books, blogs, and trial-and-error to learn how to budget and save for the future, all while working to pay back about $15,000 in student loans.

Author Details

Samantha Hawrylack

Samantha Hawrylack is a writer with more than five years of experience. Her work has been published in Newsweek, MarketWatch, USA Today, Rocket Mortgage, BiggerPockets, Crediful, and many more. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a Master of Business Administration from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, and she was previously a brokerage investment professional with Series 7 and 63 licenses at Vanguard.