Teens smiling looking at cell phone

How to Make Money as a Teenager Without a Job [2024]

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Saving money during your teenage years is an important step toward financial independence. However, only 55% of young people aged 16 to 24 were employed as of summer 2023. The challenges of school and extracurricular activities often leave teens with little extra time for a job. 

Even if you’re too busy for a job, there are still ways for teens to make money online. Here’s how to make money as a teenager without a job, all from your computer or smartphone. 

How To Make Money as a Teenager Without a Job 

As a teenager, busy schedules may not leave time for a job. However, there are still ways for teens to save money and work toward financial independence using the internet. Here’s how to make money as a teenager without a job online.  

Swagbucks 

Minimum Age Required to Participate: 13 years old

Survey sites like Swagbucks are a convenient way for teenagers to earn some extra cash in their free time. Many market researchers are very interested in teens’ opinions, making them a sought-after demographic for survey sites. 

With Swagbucks, teens can earn points for participating in surveys, playing games, or watching videos. These activities are easy for teens to do using a phone or computer when they have a break during the day, as they don’t take very long to complete. 

Swagbucks also offers cash-back rewards for shopping at major retailers. While teens aren’t always doing a ton of shopping, it’s still helpful to earn some cash back when you do make a purchase. 

Once you’ve amassed enough points, you can redeem them for a reward. Swagbucks offers direct payments through PayPal as well as gift cards to major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Apple, Target, and more. 

Like many other online rewards platforms, activities on Swagbucks don’t pay much, so it’s not a way to get rich quickly. However, the rewards on Swagbucks add up over time and can help you work toward your savings goals. 

Branded Surveys 

Minimum Age Required to Participate: 16 years old

If you’re wondering how to make money as a teenager without a job, trusted survey sites like Branded Surveys are a great option. This is one of our favorite apps that pay cash because it offers slightly higher reward amounts for surveys than other platforms. 

Branded Surveys pays up to 300 points per completed survey, and surveys take five to 30 minutes to complete. 100 points is equivalent to $1 in the Branded Surveys reward system, so taking just a few surveys per week could earn you enough for an extra drink from Starbucks. 

Branded Surveys also offers other ways to earn points, including taking daily polls and referring friends. You can also earn bonuses for completing “survey streaks,” which require you to complete a certain number of surveys each month. 

You can redeem your Branded Surveys rewards for a direct deposit to your bank account or PayPal account. Branded Surveys also offers gift card rewards for major retailers, including Amazon. 

The biggest challenge with Branded Surveys is that you need to answer screening questions to qualify for surveys. Qualifying for surveys can be tricky, as you need to fit a certain demographic, and you won’t earn points for screening questions. However, for teens with some patience and extra free time, Branded Surveys is a convenient way to make extra money. 

The signup page on the MyPoints website featuring a $5 welcome bonus offer and gift cards you can earn, including Walmart, Starbucks, Target, and eBay.
MyPoints lets teens 13 and older earn cash and gift cards for taking surveys and shopping online.
Source: MyPoints

MyPoints 

Minimum Age Required to Participate: 13 years old (with parent’s permission)

MyPoints is another popular market research site where you can learn how to make money as a teenager without a job. This site allows you to sign up at just 13 years old, although you’ll need your parent’s permission to do so if you are under the age of 18. 

There are many ways to earn MyPoints and redeem them for popular rewards. 700 MyPoints is equivalent to roughly $5, although the conversion rates vary slightly between reward types. MyPoints offers gift card rewards for dozens of popular stores and restaurants. For those who prefer cash, you can also redeem your rewards via PayPal or prepaid Mastercard.  

The primary way to earn money on MyPoints is by taking surveys. You can earn up to 2,200 points for each survey, although exact reward amounts vary. On top of that, you can earn points for playing online games, opening daily emails, and referring friends. MyPoints also has a cash-back shopping program where you can earn rewards for your online purchases.  

Survey Junkie 

Minimum Age Required to Participate: 16 years old

Survey Junkie is another popular survey site you’ll probably like if you’re wondering how to make money as a teenager without a job. Older teens can make money by sharing their valuable opinions about popular brands and consumer trends. 

With this platform, members earn money by taking surveys via a mobile app or through their web browser. It’s a straightforward, easy way to earn a little extra cash in your free time. Surveys pay anywhere from 10 to 200 points each, with 500 points being equal to $5. 

Unlike many other platforms, Survey Junkie offers rewards for taking screening questions, so even if you don’t qualify for a survey, you’ll still earn some points. You can also earn bonus points for completing your profile. 

Survey Junkie also has a browser extension that can help you qualify for more surveys. This extension matches you with surveys as you surf the web, so you don’t miss out on any earning opportunities. You’ll be paired with more surveys based on the sites you visit and the products you purchase, if any. You’ll also earn points just for having the browser extension installed! 

This platform offers several reward options, including bank transfers and PayPal. You can also redeem points for gift cards to popular retailers. 

The sign-up page of the Freecash website offering to pay users for testing apps, playing games, and taking surveys.
With Freecash, teens 16 and older can earn cash and gift cards for tasks like playing games, taking surveys, and shopping online. 
Source: Freecash

Freecash

Minimum Age Required to Participate: 16 years old

Are you wondering how to make money as a teenager without a job online by playing games? If so, we have great news! Freecash is a site where teens can earn money by testing mobile games and completing online offers. 

So is Freecash legit? Yes, this platform is a legitimate way to earn rewards and make money online. To earn rewards, users must follow the offer instructions closely. In most cases, this means playing an online game for a certain amount of time or reaching a certain level. 

There are some Freecash offers that require users to make purchases up front. Teens should read the fine print for each offer closely before starting to avoid any problems. 

On Freecash, users can cashout via bank transfer, PayPal, or gift cards to major retailers. These include Amazon gift cards and prepaid Visa gift cards. Freecash is also unique in that users can earn cryptocurrency or skins for their favorite video games. 

Rewarded Play 

Minimum Age Required to Participate: 16 years old

Rewarded Play is another popular site where users can earn gift cards by playing games. Many teens are avid gamers, making this a fun way to earn some extra money without the time commitment of a job. 

On Rewarded Play, you’ll earn points for playing popular mobile games. The platform has games available in many different genres, including action, strategy, puzzle, and more. You must open the games through the app to get your rewards, rather than downloading them separately through the app store.  

To earn points, you’ll need to complete certain tasks as you play. These include playing for a certain amount of time, reaching a specific level, or watching in-game ads. Once you earn 45,000 points, you can redeem them for a $5 gift card to popular retailers like Amazon and Walmart. Unfortunately, Rewarded Play does not offer any cash rewards. 

Cashyy 

Minimum Age Required to Participate: 18 years old

Still wondering how to make money as a teenager without a job? Cashyy is another popular app where teens can earn money by playing fun mobile games. In our Cashyy app review, we found that this platform offers a wide variety of games to choose from, including puzzle, arcade, strategy, and adventure games. The games are easy to play on your smartphone when you have a break during the day. 

Cashyy is a fun and convenient option for older teens looking to make a bit of extra money. 

With Cashyy, you’ll complete missions to earn points. The missions are very straightforward — in most cases, you’ll need to play a game for a specific amount of time to earn in-app coins. You can then redeem these coins via PayPal or choose from a variety of popular gift cards, including Amazon and Steam. 

The sign-up page of the LifePoints website discussing paid surveys and the rewards they offer.
Teens 16 and older can earn cash and gift cards for taking surveys with LifePoints.
Source: LifePoints

LifePoints 

Minimum Age Required to Participate: 16 years old

If you’re wondering how to make money as a teenager without a job, LifePoints is a popular survey site that accepts users aged 16 and up. Like with many other survey sites, teens can make money on LifePoints by answering questions and sharing their opinions. 

The best way to earn LifePoints is by taking surveys. Most surveys take less than half an hour and pay between 100 and 200 LifePoints. You’ll also earn points for answering polls and completing daily challenges. On top of that, LifePoints offers “boosts” for completing certain activities, which can help you earn even more. 

LifePoints offers a variety of rewards, including cash transfers to your PayPal or Venmo account, Amazon gift cards, or charitable donations. You’ll need 550 points to earn a $5 reward. 

InboxDollars 

Minimum Age Required to Participate: 18 years old

If you’re wondering how to make money as a teenager without a job online and you’re an older teen, InboxDollars is a great option. InboxDollars is another popular site where teens can earn instant cash for gift cards and other rewards by sharing their opinions. 

On InboxDollars, you can earn money by completing a variety of online tasks. These include taking surveys, playing games, testing ads, and opening marketing emails. InboxDollars also has a cash-back platform for online shopping. 

While reward amounts on InboxDollars are generally low, they add up with daily use. Surveys can pay anywhere from $0.50 to $5, with other tasks paying just a few cents each. There are many ways for teens to earn money on InboxDollars each day. The platform has an app for iOS and Android, which makes it easy to complete tasks on the go. 

Commonly Asked Questions About How To Make Money as a Teenager Without a Job 

Ways To Make Money as a Teenager Online? 

If you’re wondering how to make money as a teenager without a job online, you have plenty of options. These include:

How Can a 15 Year Old Make Money Busy? 

If you’re wondering how to make money as a teenager without a job online, you have options! Even if you’re busy, a 15-year-old can still make money online. With just 30 minutes a day, you can earn a little extra money taking surveys on sites like Swagbucks (read about the best survey sites like Swagbucks) and MyPoints. 

Can a 14 Year Old Make Money?

Yes, 14-year-olds can make money by taking surveys and participating in other online tasks. Sites like Swagbucks (read about the best survey sites like Swagbucks) and MyPoints accept users 13 years of age and older. Just be sure to get a parent’s permission. 

How To Make 500 Dollars Fast as a Kid?

If you’re wondering how to make money as a teenager without a job, the easiest way to do this is by signing up for multiple survey platforms that pay you to play games. Individually, they don’t pay much, but when you use multiple platforms, the rewards add up quickly. 

Ways To Make Money as a 14 Year Old Online? 

There are many ways to make money as a 14-year-old just using your computer or smartphone. These include: