17 Best Ways to Get Paid to Surf the Web from Home

There are all kinds of ways to earn money while surfing the internet, from getting paid to watch videos to researching and writing blog articles to sell to other websites.

But, I bet you didn’t know that you could get paid just for searching the web.

Some companies pay to surf websites because doing so benefits their business efforts.

Usually, it’s market research companies that pay money for this type of work.

They make money from advertisers and, by you surfing the web and navigating to their sites or ads, you make those companies more money, and you get to reap some of the profits!

Other companies have specific tasks you need to do that require browsing the web. Since you’re helping the company with its tasks, you get paid.

Almost anyone can complete these gigs, too, which is what makes them even better.

You usually won’t need any special skills (although some might require a few) to get paid to use the internet.

Get Paid to Surf the Internet: 14 Fun Gigs

Ready to learn how to make money while browsing the internet?

I’ve got all the information for you right here!

InboxDollars (review)

Eligibility: Worldwide, 18+

You’ve probably heard of InboxDollars before. It’s one of the leading rewards sites on the web.

I love it because there are so many tasks I can do daily, which keeps me from getting bored or running out of things to do to make extra money.

One of the tasks is searching the web through its built-in search bar!

So, instead of Googling everything, you can sign onto InboxDollars and use its search tool to search the web.

You’ll get paid for your searches, making it a bit more profitable than a Google search.

Combine that with the many other ways to earn on InboxDollars, like taking surveys, shopping online, playing games, and watching videos, and you’ll get your first payment in no time.

You need $30 to cash out, but you can manage to get that fast here.

Swagbucks (review)

Eligibility: USA, UK, Canada, Germany, Australia, France, India, 18+

Swagbucks is another popular rewards sites with possibly even more to do than InboxDollars, although many of its tasks are similar.

The good thing about Swagbucks is you need very few points to get a reward.

A $3 PayPal transfer, for example, is only 300 points. I can sometimes get that in a few minutes of completing tasks on the site.

Swagbucks can also become your primary web search tool.

If you can’t remember to use it instead of Google or another search tool, you can set it as your homepage in your web browser.

Use the search bar in Swagbucks to look up what you need, and you’ll earn SBs (points) for your searches.

Want even more ways to earn with Swagbucks?

Download Swag IQ, a fun trivia game app that gives you a chance to earn SBs if you make it to the end (or even for answering some questions right!).

MyPoints (review)

Eligibility: Several countries, 13+

MyPoints is an online shopping portal that pays you when you shop online!

If you’re anything like me, that’s often.

Once you sign up for MyPoints, you can begin browsing its catalog of partnered retailers.

Make a purchase by clicking the link from MyPoints and buying what you want.

You’ll then get points added back to your account, just like cash back.

You can redeem points for a wide range of gift cards to online retailers (maybe even the one you just purchased from!).

You’re not technically browsing the web for cash, but you make money by shopping with your favorite stores, just like you would anyway.

You may even find new ones in the process!

SendEarnings (review)

Eligibility: Worldwide, 18+

SendEarnings is from the same company that brings you InboxDollars, so it works similarly.

In fact, many of the tasks you can do at InboxDollars are ones you can also do on SendEarnings, including browsing the web.

Use the SendEarnings search bar to look up information online and research as you normally would and get paid.

You can even use both sites together to double your earnings!

Survey Savvy (review)

Eligibility: Worldwide, 13+

Survey Savvy is an excellent survey panel.

It’s also more, thanks to its app called SavvyConnect.

This app is one you can install on your mobile device to earn $5 each month, per device (yes, you can install it on more than one!).

Once it’s installed, you browse the web, as usual, using your phone or tablet, the app collects information about where you go, and you make money.

It’s available on both the App Store and Google Play.

Amazon Mechanical Turk

Eligibility: Several countries, 18+

Amazon Mechanical Turk is probably the most popular microtasking site.

Not sure what microtasking is?

Basically, it’s completing quick tasks online that pay.

The tasks can vary greatly depending on what the requester needs but can be anything from researching for an article to screenshotting information you find on the web.

Most microtasks require you to know your way around the web and be efficient with researching.

You might need to look up company information, for example, and should know how to do that.

The great thing about quick tasks is that they are varied, which means that you could do something different every day while still getting paid to browse the web.

Your earnings through Amazon Mechanical Turk can go to your Amazon Payments account or straight to an Amazon gift card.

Read More: 10 Sites Like Amazon Mechanical Turk That Pay More Money

Appen (review)

Eligibility: Worldwide, 18+

Appen pays researchers for web search evaluation tasks.

As a web evaluator, you’ll need excellent research skills and an ability to pay attention to details.

You’ll essentially be evaluating whether search results match up to a search query to help improve the search engine algorithms we use every day.

Some tasks are also geared toward evaluating ads and social media searches instead of search engines.

The qualification process is pretty in-depth, so be sure to read through the guides and follow instructions. Set aside several hours to complete the full application.

You can expect a few hours of work each week, with a typical rate of between $12 and $15 an hour.

Leapforce

Eligibility: Worldwide, 18+

Leapforce offers similar work as Appen, and for a similar wage.

You can become a search evaluator with the company, rating search engine results from the comfort of your home office.

You should know how to browse the web efficiently and what constitutes a good result.

High-speed internet access, the Chrome browser, and an updated antivirus software are must-haves before you begin.

Independent contractors should block out about 20 hours per week for this work, although the actual hours may fluctuate.

Microsoft Rewards

Eligibility: 21 countries, 18+

Microsoft Rewards, formerly known as Bing Rewards, is a site that pays you to do Microsoft-related tasks.

One of those tasks is using the Bing web browser, which is one of the most popular search tools right behind Google.

You’ll get 5 points per search, so be sure to log into your Microsoft account and search with Bing instead of another search engine.

Microsoft Rewards also gives you cash for completing trivia questions by researching with Bing, which is a fun way to boost your account balance.

Then, make more money by shopping online with Microsoft, playing games, and participating in daily offers.

Your earnings can go toward one of several rewards in Microsoft’s catalog, including video games, consoles, gift cards, and more.

MobileXpression

Eligibility: Worldwide, 18+

MobileXpression is a market research company with an app that you can install on your mobile device.

Keeping the app on your phone allows MobileXpression to learn what you do with your phone and what sites you visit on a regular basis.

It then sends that information to other companies for their research purposes.

You get paid just for keeping it installed.

You’ll get weekly credits from MobileXpression that you can use toward your choice of gift cards and other prizes.

As a bonus, for each active member of the research panel, MobileXpression donates a tree to Trees for Knowledge!

You just have to remain a member for at least 90 days.

Nielsen Digital Voice (review)

Eligibility: USA, UK, Germany, Brazil, China, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, 18+

Nielsen used to focus its research efforts on what families and individuals liked to watch on TV.

It’s since branched out to the web, too, since most people use the internet regularly.

Through Nielsen Digital Voice, you can earn points by downloading, installing, and running an app on your mobile phone or tablet.

The app tracks your internet usage (keeping your personal data safe) to see what you typically do on the web each day. It then shares this information with people in the industry who need it.

Your points can go toward sweepstakes entries, which include both $1,000 and $10,000 grand prizes.

You’re not guaranteed any cash or prizes here, but it’s a good way to try to get cash for something you do all the time anyway.

Qmee

Eligibility: UK, US, Canada, Australia, 18+

Qmee is a fun and easy way to earn money by browsing the web.

It’s a browser extension that knows whenever you search for a specific product online.

Qmee then pops up information about where you can find that product (or similar ones) online and the prices different retailers offer.

You’ll get paid whether you choose to buy any of the recommended products or keep browsing, although you’ll make a little more if you buy something through Qmee.

There’s no minimum balance amount, so you can send your earnings to PayPal whenever you want.

Small Business Knowledge Center

Eligibility: US only, 18+

You check your email every day and probably click on a few links in emails, browsing the web as you go.

In that case, you should sign up for Small Business Knowledge Center, which pays you to send in any mail you consider junk mail – and yes, it also accepts your email.

The purpose is market research, of course, so you may also get invited to surveys about the kind of mail you receive.

All participants are eligible to earn points. You’ll do this by sending in direct mail or forwarding emails.

You can also refer friends to join and get more points.

If you’re self-employed, you may be able to earn more by participating in the business owner panel too.

Wonder

Eligibility: Several countries, 13+

Wonder if the ultimate way for people who love research to earn cash online.

The company looks for people to answer questions others pose. They can be about anything, from science questions to queries about the law.

Your job as a Wonder Researcher is to provide an in-depth response to the question using research-backed information you find online.

Depending on how good your research skills are and how quickly you type, you could turn this into a lucrative gig.

It’s an especially good side hustle for people who love to learn new things.

The top researchers for the company earn about $2,000 per month, but you can work when you want and claim projects when you have spare time.

The pay for each question depends on how challenging it is to find the answer, but you’ll see the amount before you begin.

UserTesting (review)

Eligibility: Worldwide, 18+

UserTesting is a popular platform that allows you to earn money by providing website or app feedback through user testing.

As long as you’re 18 years old or above and have access to a computer or mobile device with an internet connection, you can participate in tests.

UserTesting provides instructions for each test, and you’ll need to browse websites or use specific apps while recording your screen and providing your thoughts and feedback.

The platform pays around $10 per test, and payments are typically made via PayPal.

Honeygain (review)

Eligibility: Worldwide, 18+

Honeygain is a passive earning platform that allows you to make money by sharing your unused internet bandwidth.

As long as you’re at least 18 years old and have a device connected to the internet, you can participate.

By installing the Honeygain app on your devices, you contribute your internet bandwidth to the Honeygain network.

The platform uses this shared bandwidth for various purposes, such as web intelligence and content delivery.

In return, you receive credits that can be converted into cash. The amount you earn depends on the amount of bandwidth you contribute and the demand for it.

Brave Browser and BAT (Basic Attention Token)

Eligibility: Worldwide

Brave Browser is a privacy-focused web browser that rewards users for their attention and engagement with advertisements using Basic Attention Tokens (BAT).

Anyone from around the world can use the Brave Browser and participate in the BAT ecosystem.

The browser blocks unwanted ads by default and allows you to opt-in to view privacy-respecting ads.

By choosing to view these ads, you earn BAT tokens. These tokens can be used to support content creators, or you can convert them into other cryptocurrencies or fiat currency.

Brave Browser offers a unique way to browse the internet while potentially earning some additional income.

Conclusion: Get Paid to Surf the Web

Now that you know exactly what you need to do to make money surfing the internet, you can get started!

The above websites offer a good variety of tasks that help you get extra cash just by using the web – something you probably do daily anyway.

What other ways do you use the internet to make money?

Do you freelance? Take surveys? Blog for yourself or someone else?

I’d love to hear all about your web-friendly, money-making ventures.

Leave a comment below!

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