142+ Ways to Make Money Online

I love list posts, especially ones that can be bookmarked and revisited as a resource.  I’ve always wanted to create something like that, which is what led me to this article.  I’ve been working on this article for a couple months now, adding to it little by little.  I’m proud to be able to finally share it with you today.
The contents of this article are not in any way revolutionary.  Given enough time (this actually took much longer than I expected), you could easily compile a similar list. The concept of making money online is so broad, however, that I wanted a resource that captures most aspects of it.  Take from it whatever you’d like, or simply bookmark it for future reference.
Here’s some food for thought: If you could find a way to make just $1 per day utilizing each of the following sources, you would earn over $52,000 per year!
Side note: I could have easily used affiliate links for the majority of the items listed below, however I have decided to only use affiliate links for services that I actually use, or ones that I’ve seen highly recommended.  The vast majority of these links are not affiliate links.  I want this article to be a valuable resource, not a source of income for me.  If you use my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, but I will greatly appreciate it!
[In addition to this list, I have now published one titled “64+ Ways to Save Money Online” that I think you’ll enjoy if you enjoyed this one.]

Getting Paid for Performing Simple Tasks

1. Cash Crate – This site is pretty cool because you can get paid for doing a variety of simple tasks online.  Just for signing up, they give you a free dollar.  In addition to getting paid for simple tasks, there are also a lot of great ways to get coupons and cash back for purchases you might typically make.  For example, you can sign up for a free trial of Stamps.com, and Cash Crate gives you $9.60. Although each individual task may be small, it adds up.  This is a great place to “get your feet wet” with regard to making money online.

Getting Money Back for Regular Online Purchases You Make

It’s pretty common to shop online these days, so why shouldn’t you use this as an opportunity to make even more money online?  Here are some places you can sign up to and you’ll be able to shop at many of your favorite stores AND get cash back (in addition to whatever your credit card gives you).

1. eBates – This one is my favorite.  [Free $10 gift card after your first $25 purchase.]  I love this site because there are over 2,000 stores to choose from including Walmart, Sears, Target, and many others.  If you are doing any online shopping, you should be using a site like this. It’s free money that you wouldn’t otherwise get.
2. Mr. Rebates – Get $5 free just for signing up. This is very similar to eBates, so it makes sense to sign up for both and then when you go to shop at a store, just go to whichever one offers the better cash back deal.

Peer-to-Peer Lending

Peer-to-peer lending is an interesting concept, because it allows individuals to secure relatively large loans without getting a bank involved.  On its face, it sounds like a risky proposition, but these P2P lending sites generally have good measures in place to mitigate your risk (not to mention, you’re compensated for this risk by earning very high interest rates).  In addition, you can usually invest in someone else’s loan for a small amount (e.g. $25), which reduces the risk you take for any given loan.

1. Lending Club (U.S. Residents Only) – I’ve been talking about this site ever since I started this blog, so there’s no reason to stop now.  Lending Club is an important part of my passive income strategy.  I discuss it in all of my income reports, so you can read those for more detail.  As I’ve said several times, I believe this is my only true source of passive income.
2. Prosper – One of the other top peer-to-peer lending sites, much like Lending Club.
3. Community Lend – Like Lending Club, for Canada residents.  I have not done business with them, so do a bit of research first if you plan to invest here.