Survey Panels

Sign up to be a part of different survey panels and wait for surveys to come to you via email. Taking online surveys for money typically means answering questions about products and services, but some panels will ask more interesting types of questions. Survey panels usually pay anywhere from $1 to $5 per survey taken or in the form of Amazon gift codes and other types of rewards. Here's a list of reputable survey panels to try:

Opinion Outpost

Springboard

E-Poll

You Gov

Paid Viewpoint

I wrote a very detailed eBook about taking paid surveys, based on 7 years of my own experience. You can download it here.

Rewards Sites

Rewards site are fun to use and can be a great way to earn extra cash. Most of the let you earn money in a variety of ways, including searching the web, watching videos, answering surveys, playing games, printing coupons, short tasks, and more. Some pay in straight cash while others will pay you in points you can redeem for Amazon gift codes. There are lots of great rewards sites, but the five I've listed below are the oldest and most reputable, having been around and paying people for ten years or more:

SwagBucks

Inbox Dollars

My Points

Cash Crate

Usability Testing

Usability testing involves testing out websites, apps, software, etc. and sharing your feedback and/or helping developers find bugs and problems. What's great about these opportunities is that almost anyone can do them and you likely won't need any equipment you don't already have. Each site listed below pays differently, but most pay in cash — not redeemable points.

User Testing

Enroll

Erli Bird

StartUp Lift

uTest

Userlytics

What Users Do

Short Tasks

These are sites that post short tasks that pay per piece. These tasks may involve anything and everything, including data entry, writing, tagging, surveys, and more. Most don't pay much per piece, but the key to earning substantial extra money with them is getting fast at the tasks you do accept. Below are a few sites to consider trying that pay for short tasks:

Amazon mTurk

ClickWorker

OneSpace

Shopping

It's really easy these days to get paid for the shopping you do. Most of the sites listed below work by giving you a percentage or a flat rate in cash back for purchasing certain items. If you make a point to actually use the sites below, it adds up in a hurry! Here are the most reputable and lucrative:

Ebates – Read Ebates Review

Ibotta

Checkout 51

Groupon Snap

Saving Star

Shopkick

Checkpoints