13 Ways for Android Users to Bank Extra Cash This Week

Do you have an Android phone? Do you scoff at iPhones?

Well, good for you! Android phones are easier to customize, have expandable storage and generally cost less than iPhones.

A whopping 99% of smartphones these days run on one of two operating systems — Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS. In this tug-of-war between tech giants, I’m here to stick up for Android.

With an Android phone, you have nearly 3 million apps to choose from. (That’s more than Apple has, NOT THAT WE’RE COUNTING OR ANYTHING.)

That’s, um, a lot of choices. To help you out, here’s our list of the best Android apps that will put more money in your wallet.

1. 1. 1. Scratch Off A Free, Digital Ticket
      

      Once you’ve watched some videos, rest your eyeballs by checking out a free app called Lucktastic.

      Each day, it releases a new assortment of digital scratch-off tickets. Instant wins range from $1 to $10K. You can also earn tokens, enter contests and play games.

      The app is free to download — and play.

   2. 2. Let This App Negotiate Your Cable and/or Internet Bill

      On the phone with your cell phone or internet provider, trying to haggle a lower monthly bill?

      Go ahead and hang up. (We know you’re probably listening to crappy music while sitting on hold, anyway.)

      Download TrueBill, an app that’ll negotiate your bills, cancel unwanted subscriptions and refund your bank fees.

      After downloading the app, create an account and link your bank account and/or credit cards. Turn on the bill negotiation and outage protection features. Boom. TrueBill is already searching for potential refunds — it might get you a refund even when you didn’t know an outage occurred.

      On average, Truebill customers get $12 in credits off their cable bills each month.

      The app will also remind you of all those sneaky subscriptions you’ve signed up for through the years, so you can cancel what you don’t use and reclaim your monthly budget.

      Signing up and using the service is free, though there are some paid premium services that are totally optional — but could totally be worth it.

   3. 3. Stop Deleting Your Emails
      

      It turns out deleting your emails could be costing you money. Intrigued?

      One of our secret weapons is called Paribus — a tool that gets you money back for your online purchases. It’s free to sign up, and once you do, it will scan your email for any receipts. If it discovers you’ve purchased something from one of its monitored retailers, it will track the item’s price and help you get a refund when there’s a price drop.

      Plus, if your guaranteed shipment shows up late, Paribus will help you get compensated.

      Disclosure: Paribus compensates us when you sign up using the links we provide.

   4. 4. Get Rewards for Paying Your Bills on Time

      Clarity Money* is a free app that helps you see, organize, and take control of your finances.

      The way it works is simple. You just download the app, connect your existing accounts, and get ready to learn more about where your money’s disappearing to… and how to keep more of it.

      Clarity Money analyzes and uses your spending history to provide budgetary insights. It’ll show you exactly how much you spend in different categories, like bars and restaurants, as a percentage of your total expenses.

      But it’s not just a recap of your weekend spending with pretty graphics.

      It also gives you the tools and information you need to start making better financial choices. And they’re all super-easy to use, and accessible right inside the app.

   5. 5. Squeeze Money from Your Shopping Receipts

      Shopping in person? How vintage.

      Ibotta is an easy-to-use cash-back app that’s partnered with more than 50 retailers, just about anywhere you’d do any kind of shopping.

      Before heading to the store, search for items on your shopping list within the app. Strawberries? Check. An ear of corn? Check. Add each cash-back opportunity to your list in the app.

      Then shop.

      When you get home, snap a photo of your receipt and scan the items’ barcodes.

      Bam. Cash back.

      Some cash-back opportunities we’ve seen include:

      • 25 cents back for any item
      • 25 cents back on strawberries
      • 50 cents back on frozen fruit snacks
      • $1 back on a box of tea
      • $5 back on a case of Shiner Bock beer

      Notice a lot of those aren’t tied to a brand — just shop for the staples on your list, and earn cash back!

      Ibotta is free to download. Plus, you’ll get a $10 sign-up bonus after uploading your first receipt.

   6. 6. Cash in on Your Old Stuff

      Are your closets and shelves packed to the brim with stuff you never use — or even look at?

      You can sell virtually anything on Letgo. This intuitive app lets you snap a photo and upload your item in less than 30 seconds. It removes a lot of the hassle of selling things online, and it’s 100% free to use.

   7. 7. Play Games, Save Money

      Blast is a savings app for Android made by gamers for gamers. It allows you to save, earn and win cash for playing games.

      It works with every game in the Google Play Store, as well as top PC games, including Counter Strike Global Offensive.

      The app is free, with no hidden fees.

      While you play, the app works in the background and transfers small sums from your checking account into a high-yield Blast savings account based on “triggers” you set — things like the number of opponents you defeat or enemy bases you destroy. You can earn extra cash by completing “missions” that allow you to test new games or take familiar games to the next level.

      Your Blast savings account earns 1% interest, is FDIC-insured and is secured by bank-level encryption. You can withdraw your money anytime or just let your savings grow.

   8. 8. Play Free Scratch-offs — and Win Real Money

      You know that feeling when you find a $20 bill hiding in the pocket of those jeans you wore last week? Yeah, that’s the feeling of a lucky day. The Lucky Day app is just like that. Have fun on your phone, just like you do anyway, and you might just pocket some extra dough.

      Lucky, indeed.

      You could win up to $10,000 playing digital scratch-off tickets or even a whopping $100,000 in the daily lotto. You’ll also have a lot of chances to win gift cards to cool places like Amazon, Walmart, Dunkin and Target.

      It’s all free to play, with no in-app purchases. The company has already awarded more than $3 million in prizes to winners since 2014.

      Seriously, you could have that “I just found money in my pocket” feeling today just for playing games and having fun on your phone.

   9. 9. Get Paid to Share Your Opinion

      Surveys aren’t our favorite way to make money, but if you’re just vegging out on the couch — or shielding your eyes while being forced to watch “Final Fantasy 113” — why not click a couple buttons and earn a few bucks?

      There are a bunch of paid survey sites out there, but one of the best we’ve found is InboxDollars. It offers several short, daily surveys, and you’ll get a $5 bonus for signing up. Plus, you get to earn cash, so you don’t have to worry about exchanging points. Check out how one college student pocketed $600 with InboxDollars. Her secret? Persistence.

   10. 10. Snag a Free $10 Walmart Gift Card
       

       One of our favorite ways to save is with Ebates, a cash-back site that rewards you nearly every time you buy something online. For example, Ebates gives you 10% cash-back on online purchases at Walmart.

       Plus you’ll get a free $10 gift card to Walmart for giving the site a try.

       To earn your gift card:

       1. Sign up for Ebates with your email or Facebook account.
       2. Use the Ebates portal the next time you need to buy something. It’s connected to thousands of stores, including Walmart, Amazon and Target. You’ll need to make your first purchase through the site within 90 days and spend at least $25.
       3. Your account will be credited with rewards points you can cash in for your $10 Walmart gift card.

   11. 11. Take a Walk Downtown

       No extreme physical activity or pulled muscles required for this money-making trick. All you need to do is download the Shopkick app.

       Once you sign up, the app pays you in “kicks” for walking into certain stores (including Walmart, Target, TJMaxx and more). You can redeem them for gift cards to a number of retailers, including Amazon, Target, Walmart, Starbucks, Sephora and Best Buy.

       It pays you even more kicks for photos of receipts that include qualifying items you purchased in-store with a connected credit or debit card. You can also earn kicks for online purchases. You don’t have to do anything; your linked cards will automatically apply your kicks.

       But don’t make the mistake of buying things you don’t need just for kicks, you know better than that.

   12. 12. Winter Is Coming. Save Your Acorns

       So, how’s your Android phone doing so far? It’s working great, isn’t it? That’s what I thought.

       Now let’s step up your savings game. Whaddaya say?

       Open a micro-investing account with Acorns. Once you connect it to a debit or credit card, it rounds your purchases up to the nearest dollar and funnels your digital change into a savings and investment account.

       Because the money comes out in increments of less than $1, you’re less likely to feel the impact in your bank account. (You can also set it up so it doesn’t round up every single purchase.)

       When you sign up, you get a free $5 to start investing.

   13. 13. Bank Smarter to Earn Money on Your Savings

       There’s no law that requires you to bank the old-fashioned way — at a brick-and-mortar bank with a crummy interest rate on your savings.

       It’s time to move your money into the 21st century. An iOS app called Varo Money combines traditional banking tools with modern technology to help its customers become financially healthy.

       Here’s the best part: Pair your Bank Account with a Varo Savings Account where you’ll earn 2.10% annual percentage yield. That’s 35 times — repeat, 35 times — the average savings account, based on a 0.06% average reported by CNN Money.

       Varo goes easy on the fees, too. As long as you use one of its 55,000 ATMs across the world, you’ll never pay fees.

       Additionally, you’ll pay no monthly service fees, no minimum balance fees, no foreign transaction fees and no cash replacement fees. You’ll just pay any fees charged by out-of-network ATMs and cash deposit fees if you deposit cash in-store through Green Dot.

   Disclosure: Clarity Money compensates us when you download the app using the links we provide.

2. Mike Brassfield (mike@thepennyhoarder.com) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder. He has owned both Android and Apple phones.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

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