Want to make money watching videos?
Watching videos for rewards – cash or other incentives – is a great way to capitalize on that time. It doesn’t require a lot of brainpower or special skills, and you can hop on and watch whenever you like.
And c’mon, it’s not like you needed to scroll Instagram or Facebook again, right?!
Full disclosure: You probably won’t make big bucks by watching videos, but it could put some extra spending money in your pocket.
Think about it like getting paid to sit through commercials. Companies want to get more eyeballs on their products, movie or TV previews, so they partner with different websites to reward you for watching.
How to Make Money Watching Videos
There are lots of ways to get paid to watch videos online, and I’ve rounded up the best options in the list below. So, grab your laptop or smartphone or sit down at your desk to start signing up and getting paid!
1. InboxDollars
InboxDollars helps you make money by watching videos. You’ll watch short snippets of content from large companies and brands.
These short videos could be movie trailers or new product features, and you may also be able to tell the brand what you think through a short survey.
As you watch videos and TV content from your computer or smartphone, you’ll earn virtual scratch-off cards to unlock monetary prizes – anywhere from a couple cents to a hundred dollars.
Videos change every day and range in content from trending news topics to cooking to sports. Each day there are typically 24-30 videos available within each category.
Besides watching videos, you can also earn cash rewards for taking surveys, shopping online, and signing up for specific offers.
InboxDollars has partnered with companies like Netflix, Target.com, H&R Block, and more to provide earning opportunities to you. They’ve paid over $80 million cash rewards since their inception in 2000.
You’ll receive $5 when you sign up for InboxDollars and can cash out when your account threshold reaches $30. Request payment via cash, gift card, or PayPal.
2. Swagbucks
Swagbucks has been around for a long time and has paid out over $500 million in rewards to its members since it started. After you sign up for an account (it’s free to join), you can get paid to watch videos in the “Watch” section of the website.
You have lots of different options for what to watch, and content varies each day. Check out a few short videos or click through to the linked web pages.
Swagbucks has lots of other earning opportunities, too: take surveys, complete tasks, shop online, or simply search the Internet.
You’ll earn Swagbucks (credits) that you can use toward gift cards and other rewards, even a PayPal cash payment. Gift cards are available for as little as 140 Swagbucks, so you can cash out pretty quickly.
Right now, you can earn a 1000 SB bonus ($10) when you sign up and activate the Bonus in the Swag Ups section of your account. (Please note that there is some fine print to the bonus.)
3. iRazoo
Another website that pays you to watch videos is iRazoo. You’ll earn iRazoo Points for each of their entertaining videos that you watch. Their video inventory refreshes daily, so don’t worry about getting bored!
You may be watching the newest ads or movie trailers and can share your opinion on them to help shape the future of entertainment.
Besides ads and movie trailers, you may also watch short films, app trailers, cooking tutorials, movie reviews, and more. They have over 50 channels of content to choose from!
You can also earn points by downloading apps, filling out paid surveys, completing offers, and playing games.
Once you earn enough iRazoo Points (3,000 or more), you can cash them out for gift cards or cash from PayPal.
Sign up to get 100 iRazoo Points free!
Related: 21 Game Apps To Win Money
4. MyPoints
MyPoints is another website that has been rewarding its members for a long time. They primarily give rewards to members who shop online through their website links, but you can also earn points by watching videos.
Sign up for a MyPoints account and click MyPoints Watch to get a short playlist of videos. You can watch these videos on your computer or mobile device and earn points every day.
Besides watching videos and shopping online, members can earn points by completing surveys as well as printing and redeeming coupons.
Redeem your points for gift cards, travel miles, Visa Prepaid cards, or donations to select charities.
Sign up for a free $10 welcome bonus! You’ll receive the bonus when you join and shop through the MyPoints website or emails (note the fine print).
5. Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel
Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel is a completely passive way to earn cash by watching videos.
You may have heard of Nielsen, specifically concerning TV ratings. Well, they also want to know more about what people watch, listen to, and buy, as well as what they do online.
That’s where the Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel comes in. You’ll sign up for an account, then install the Nielsen app on your computer, tablet, and/or smartphone.
Let the app run in the background and Nielsen will give you $50 a year per mobile device.
They also give away $10,000 each month via a sweepstakes (for computer users), and active computer users can also take home $500 for topping the list of prize earners each month.
Is it worth it to have a company see everything that you’re doing online? Well, that’s up to you. Their goal is to build a picture of internet behavior by seeing what you and people like you do with your time online.
6. Earnably
Earnably is another option to get paid to watch videos online. When you watch videos, you’ll earn rewards that can be cashed out for digital rewards and gift cards.
This website partners with Hideout.tv to help you discover, watch, and engage with creators. And you may actually learn a thing or two with these videos!
They’ve got lots of recipe videos – Puerto Rican Flan, Peanut Butter Blondies, and No-Bake Oreo Cake, to name a few – as well as funny videos, travel how-tos, gaming tips, and more.
Note that as with almost all the opportunities on this list, you’ll also need to watch the accompanying ads to earn credits. No fast-forwarding through the commercials here!
After you earn points through Hideout.tv, you’ll redeem them via your Earnably account by clicking “Start Redeem Process” under “Rewards.”
You can also earn rewards by completing tasks and taking surveys.
7. CreationsRewards
CreationsRewards is a website that rewards you for online activities, including watching videos. There are lots of videos available, and they regularly add new ones to the mix.
You may need to interact with the video while you’re watching it (clicking a button, etc.) to earn credit. They’ll credit your account within 1 to 24 hours after successful completion.
You can also earn free gift cards and cash by taking daily surveys, shopping online, exploring websites, trying offers, and more.
Redeem your points for gift cards to your favorite stores (Amazon, Walmart, and more) or request a cash payout via PayPal.
New members receive a free $5 signup bonus (1000 points). Please note that to receive your bonus, you’ll need to earn at least 5,000 points within the first 60 days of being a new member.
8. FusionCash
FusionCash offers cash rewards for completing various online tasks. Most offers are “paid to sign up” offers, but you can also earn cash by watching videos.
Now, you won’t be making big bucks by watching these videos. In fact, all the video offers I saw were 1-3¢ each. You must watch the entire video, start to finish, in one sitting.
When you finish watching a video, just close the popup window that it appeared in. Your list of available videos will refresh automatically after a few seconds.
They even have videos that reward you with ½ a cent! These are credited two at a time.
Other ways to earn cash include installing mobile/tablet apps, clicking through “paid to click” offers, completing surveys, and more. A suggestion: click the “no credit needed” tab to ensure you won’t have to pay for anything further down the road.
FusionCash has been around since 2005 and has paid out over $3 million in rewards to their members.
Get a $5 bonus when you signup and fill out your account information.
9. AdWallet
AdWallet hasn’t been around as long as some of the other companies mentioned here, but they have a refreshing approach that helps you get paid to watch videos online.
Their idea is simple: Brands want your attention, and you should make them pay for it. 😊
AdWallet rewards you for watching videos from brands you care about. And not everyone gets the same videos – the ones they send you will be tailored specifically to you.
You’ll create an account and fill out your personal profile, then sit back and wait. AdWallet will text you when it’s time to log in to watch a short video. Each video interaction will net you at least $0.50 and up to $3.
Even though you’ll get a text to watch the video, the experience is entirely web-based. There is no app to download, just log in to your account on your chosen web browser.
Cash-out when you reach $10 or more – options include a bank transfer, e-gift cards, or a donation to a select non-profit if you’re feeling extra generous.
Sign up for an account and use the promo code FAQ to earn your first $1.
10. Fiverr
Fiverr is probably the most open-ended option on this list. This website lets you advertise your own services, so you can let people know that you’re willing to make money for watching videos.
If this sounds crazy, maybe it is…just a little. But think about it: lots of YouTubers and independent filmmakers out there may need someone impartial to watch their videos and give real, honest feedback.
It can be hard to get friends and family to be brutally honest, but someone you’re paying? Sure.
You can get an idea of what other people offer for services by just searching “watch videos” on the Fiverr website. Look around and see if you could advertise any similar services yourself or if you have a unique perspective
Think about what you could do: watch videos and write reviews, give honest feedback, write subtitles, “proofread” for grammar/spelling issues…what do you bring to the table that is unique?
Searching around to see what other people do can also help you to be sure to price your services competitively so others actually take you up on your services.
Summary
You probably won’t be able to replace your salary by watching videos online, but hopefully, this list has given you some ideas of how to use those extra minutes in your day to put a little cash in your pocket.
Laura Wales is a personal finance writer who has written for over 11 years. She has written for The Coupon Project, Pocket Your Dollars, and more.