It may sound too good to be true, but dozens of phone apps pay users real money. Of course, you’re required to put in a little effort to earn your bounty by doing things such as playing new games, watching videos and taking surveys. Here are our top 5.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a loyalty and rewards program operator where you can get gift cards or real cash payments made directly to your PayPal account. Users download the app (or use the web platform) and create an account. Then they can earn SB (Swag Bucks) for answering surveys, watching videos, searching the web and playing online games.

It’s also possible to earn SB points by shopping online and signing up for new services. Later, you can redeem your points for Amazon or Walmart gift cards or get cashback sent to your PayPal account.

Survey Junkie

Market research and acquiring consumer data is big business, which is why there are many websites and apps that pay users to complete surveys. While most of these sites aren’t worth the time and effort, Survey Junkie is one of the few where you can actually earn a bit. It won’t be a fortune, but it’s better than nothing, right?

After creating your account and completing your profile, you’ll be presented with a list of surveys. You earn reward points for taking a survey (if you qualify), and these points can be redeemed for real money.

Casino

This isn’t a single app in itself, but rather an entire industry. There are loads of casino apps that pay real money, and they are available to players all over the world.

The good news is by taking advantage of the Platin Casino jackpot games, you can see if lady luck is on your side to potentially win big, so if you enjoy playing slots, roulette, and blackjack, real money casino apps will be right up your street.

Mistplay

Mistplay is the number 1 loyalty app for gamers. The app rewards users with Units for playing mobile games. You can play and chat with friends while earning more Units. Essentially, the more you play, the more you’ll earn. However, compared to Swagbucks, Mistplay is a slow earner.

Therefore, it’s most suited to people that have a passion for gaming and like to check out new releases. When you have enough Units, you can redeem them for Amazon and iTunes gift cards and also prepaid VISA cards.

MobileXpression

If you enjoy browsing the internet, MobileXpression is willing to pay you to find out what sites you engage with and how long you spend visiting them. It may come across as some kind of spyware, but this is perfectly legit.

After downloading the app, you must grant it permission to run in the background, collecting your search history. It uses the data to provide internet ranking metrics and insights into consumer trends.

Users earn credits each week that the app is running. Once you have enough credits, you can redeem them for gift cards and other rewards.