Rewards apps pay you in gift cards for things you'd plausibly do anyway — playing a mobile game, watching a short video, answering a few questions. The tasks are real, but they don't all pay the same, and they don't all cost you the same amount of time.

Here's what each one involves and which is worth starting with.

Playing games

Game offers pay the most. You install a game through the rewards app, hit a set milestone — reach level 30, play seven days in a row, finish a certain chapter — and the reward lands in your balance.

Advertisers pay well here because they want players who stay. That's also why these take the longest: one offer can run from an afternoon to two weeks.

Three things that matter:

• Install through the app's link, never by searching the store yourself. A direct install usually can't be tracked.

• Check the deadline before you start. Most offers expire in 7 to 14 days.

• Pick a genre you'd actually play. A puzzle game you enjoy beats a strategy game you'll abandon at level 12.

Our guide on starting out and cashing out covers the first-offer basics in more detail.

Watching videos

Short ad clips, movie trailers, and app previews. Each one pays very little, but they need almost none of your attention and there's no commitment.

This is filler work — good for a commute or a wait, not a plan. It adds up slowly and only if you're consistent. There's more on what actually pays for video watching if you want the details.

Surveys

Surveys pay more per minute than videos, with one catch: screening. You'll answer a few qualifying questions, and some of the time you won't fit the panel and get sent away with nothing.

Answer honestly and consistently. Panels track response patterns, and contradicting yourself gets you screened out of future surveys, not just the current one.

Testing apps

You download an app, use it for a set period, and sometimes send feedback. Shorter than game offers, better paying than videos, and less hit-or-miss than surveys — a reasonable middle ground once you've done a few tasks.

Which one to start with

Start with a short game offer. It teaches you how tracking works, the payout is large enough to be motivating, and you'll know within a day whether the app suits you.

Once you've had one reward clear, mix in videos and surveys during downtime and save the long game offers for when you know you'll stick with a title.

Getting the gift card

Most platforms hold rewards briefly before releasing them — a normal fraud check, not a problem. Once cleared, you pick your format. On Moneycash that's Amazon, PayPal, or Google Play; the payout options breakdown explains what each one is best for.

FAQ

Do I have to spend money to earn rewards? No. Free offers are the standard. Some game offers do include paid milestones, but those are labeled, and you can skip them.

How long before my first gift card? Depends entirely on what you pick. A short game offer or a batch of surveys can get you there in days; videos alone take considerably longer.

Can I use more than one rewards app? Yes, and most people do. Just don't run the same game offer on two platforms — you'll only be credited once, if at all.