How to Get Paid to Watch Ads [10 Apps You Have to Try]

Everyone hates ads, but did you know you could get paid to watch them? Most people just tune them out, but there are ways to make money by watching short videos. Although you might not earn enough money to replace your paycheck, watching ads could be a lucrative side hustle.

Instead of mindlessly scrolling through your social media feed, reading emails, or watching TV shows, check out this list of the best apps and sites that will pay you for watching ads.

InboxDollars

InboxDollars has been around since 2000 and has paid out more than $80 million to its members for online shopping, completing online surveys, and playing games. InboxDollars is accredited by the Better Business Bureau with an A- rating. It also has a 4.1 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot out of over 30,000 reviews.

It's free to sign up with InboxDollars and you can start earning money right away. You can earn 10 to 50 cents for completing quick activities such as filling out a survey, and a few dollars (or more) for signing up for different services or making purchases.

You’ll need to have at least $15 in your account to cash out the first time, and you can cash out in increments of $10 or more after that. Earnings can be redeemed for virtual gift cards or deposited into your PayPal account.

InboxDollars offers a refer a friend program that allows you to earn up to $1 per referral for up to five friends. You also get an additional 30% on all qualified earnings made by your referrals.

Sign up for InboxDollars

…or read our full InboxDollars review.

MyPoints

If you’re ready to get paid to watch ads on your phone, MyPoints offers an intuitive and easy-to-use mobile app. It’s been in business since 1996 and has paid out over $236 million in rewards to its members. MyPoints has a rating of 4.4 out of 5 for over 16,000 reviews on Trustpilot, with many users praising the company for its customer service and ease of use.

You can earn up to 500 points per day for watching videos and earn points back on your online purchases made through its portal. You’ll even get a $10 welcome bonus for signing up and making your first purchase.

Cashing out is easy and only takes a few clicks. Once you've accumulated over 700 points, you can redeem them for a variety of gift cards for popular retailers such as Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Starbucks. To get a PayPal cash payment, you will need a minimum of $25 or 3,970 points.

To help boost your earnings, MyPoints also offers a referral program. For every friend who joins using your unique referral link, you’ll earn 25 points plus 10% of their eligible points once they start earning.

Sign up for MyPoints

…or read our full MyPoints review.

Swagbucks

If you’re serious about getting paid to watch ads or make easy cash, Swagbucks might be the answer. Swagbucks is an A- Better Business Bureau-rated site with a 4.3 out of 5 rating from over 27,000 customer reviews on Trustpilot. With its easy-to-use points system and sign-up bonuses, Swagbucks offers many ways to earn money on everyday purchases.

Established in 2008, Swagbucks has paid out over $700 million in rewards to its members. The app uses a point system with 100 points equalling $1. Points can be redeemed for various rewards, including PayPal cash ($5 minimum) and gift cards ($1 minimum). You earn five Swagbucks (SB) for each set (12 pages) of videos you watch.

For every person who joins Swagbucks using your unique referral link, completes their profile, and earns 300 SB within 30 days, you’ll earn 300 SB plus 10% of their earnings for life.

Sign up for Swagbucks

…or read our full Swagbucks review.

GrabPoints

Founded in 2014, GrabPoints is a rewards site that pays users for completing tasks, watching videos, and taking surveys. The company has paid out over $5 million in earnings and has a low minimum payout of just $3 (3,000 points). GrabPoints has an impressive rating of 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot from nearly 2,000 reviewers.

Unlike other platforms, GrabPoints does not require personal information beyond a name and valid email address. This makes it quick and easy to sign up and start watching videos. You can get paid to watch ads by flipping through their channels until you find videos that interest you. Watching videos, downloading apps, or filling out surveys can earn you from two to 10,000 points, depending on the task.

You can also earn 25 to 250 points by referring friends and family to join GrabPoints depending on the country you live in. If you know people who like watching videos and would like a little extra cash or free gift cards, you can earn some extra points through the GrabPoints referral program.

Sign up for GrabPoints

Viggle

Viggle is another reward app launched in 2012 that pays users to watch TV shows and check into live sporting events. The company has paid out over $19 million to its members.

All you need to do to start earning is download the Viggle app, which is available for both iOS and Android devices. Viggle has mixed reviews on Google Play, with some users citing bugs and issues with the app after an update. However, it still might be worth checking out whether a new update has solved the issues.

Tune in to your favorite shows and check in to live sporting events to start earning points. Viggle pays 10 points per minute for listening to music or watching shows. Each point is worth about $0.001, so it will take you about 1,000 points to earn $1. Points can be redeemed for gift cards or PayPal cash.

Sign up for Viggle

iRazoo

iRazoo is another legitimate rewards site that pays you to watch videos, take surveys, and complete tasks. With a 4.3 rating on Trust Pilot and many satisfied users, it’s an appealing option for people who want to earn money watching ads.

From playing games and watching videos (mostly app trailers and movie trailers) to taking surveys and sharing your opinion, iRazoo offers tons of easy ways to earn money online during your spare time. Download the app to get paid to watch ads on your phone or find special offers from their partner brands. You can earn 0.08 to one point per video you watch or one point per minute of gameplay.

Once you've earned 3,000 iRazoo points, you will qualify for any $5 reward. These rewards include gift cards and PayPal cash. You can also earn money and points by referring friends and family to join iRazoo. You’ll get a referral bonus of 100 to 500 points (depending on your country) whenever anyone signs up using your link and earns their first 1,000 points.

Sign up for iRazoo

FusionCash

Founded in 2005, FusionCash is one of the oldest paid survey sites. To date, FusionCash has paid out over $3 million to its members. You can get a $5 signup bonus just for confirming your email and completing a brief survey. Although it has just a few mixed reviews on Trustpilot, with some users complaining about customer service, it still may be worth a try.

If you don't want to sign up, you can still earn money with FusionCash in several ways, including watching videos, taking surveys, and shopping online. You can earn cash that can be deposited directly into your PayPal cash account after you reach the $25 minimum. To get an idea of how much you might earn, listening to the radio will earn you 3 cents, and watching videos will earn you between 1 cent and 2 cents.

You can also earn points by referring friends and family to join FusionCash. This lucrative referral program offers $1 for a referral who confirms their email, $2 for a referral who completes a “Paid to Sign Up” offer, and $5 every time a referral cashes out.

Sign up for FusionCash

ySense

Formerly known as ClixSense, ySense is another company that pays you to watch ads on your phone. From taking surveys and shopping online to watching videos and playing games, ySense has a wide range of easy ways to earn money. Users review it favorably, earning ySense a 4.2 out of 5 on Trustpilot.

To start earning, sign up with your email address and start completing short surveys and watching videos. You can earn two to three cents for every video card you complete. You can cash out your earnings through PayPal or a variety of gift cards.

Share your referral link with your friends and family to earn even more money. Each active referral will earn 10 cents or 30 cents (depending on your country) and there is no limit to the number of referrals you can have. You can also earn up to a 30% commission on what your referrals earn from selected offers, tasks, and surveys.

Sign up for ySense

QuickRewards

QuickRewards has paid out over $7 million to its members since it started in 2002 and has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Unlike some other paid survey sites, QuickRewards lets you redeem your rewards with as little as 1 cent

QuickRewards pays you to watch videos, take surveys, and shop online. You can earn 25 QuickPoints to 1 cent per video you watch. Each activity is worth a different number of points, depending on the complexity and length of the task. For example, if an activity is worth 1,000 points, the cash value would be $10. Points and be converted to PayPal cash, Amazon gift cards, or physically mailed gift cards, with no minimum required to cash out.

If you’re looking for physical gift cards or merchandise rewards such as movie tickets or magazine subscriptions, QuickRewards could be the right fit for you. As of May 6, 2022, QuickRewards does not offer a referral program.

Sign up for QuickRewards

PrizeRebel

PrizeRebel has been rewarding members for taking online surveys and watching videos since 2007. Since then, it’s paid out over $20 million dollars in rewards to its members. Out of several hundred reviews on Trustpilot, PrizeRebel has a solid 4.1 out of 5 overall rating.

Signing up is simple, and then you can get started watching ads to earn cash. PrizeRebel also offers site-wide bonuses, including monthly discounts on rewards and special global site challenges that offer bonus points. Site bonus events are a great time to double your earning activity as you can earn double or triple the points you could usually earn.

The payout minimums are low at just $2, and you can redeem your rewards for gift cards from retailers such as Amazon. You also have the option to cash out through PayPal.

Using its referral program, PrizeRebel users can earn up to 30% of what their referrals earn on the site. Just get your unique referral link and start sharing it with family and friends.

Sign up for PrizeRebel

FAQs

Bottom line

Watching ads is one of the best side hustles and can be a great way to make some extra money. Fortunately, there are plenty of reputable companies to choose from. Although you won't get rich, you can make money online in legit ways in your spare time.

Keep in mind that it may take some time before you start seeing significant earnings, but it’s a great way to generate passive income in your free time.