If your *BS* antenna goes up whenever you come across an opportunity to get “free money fast,” you are not alone.
The idea that you can get free money right now should definitely always cause you to pause and check…especially if it’s being offered on the internet.
There are numerous side hustles I have used to make extra money over the years. And making money often requires putting in work!
That being said, the reality is that there are ways to get ‘free money’ online that require minimal effort on your part.
You won’t get rich, but you can rack up some free cash and collect your money using PayPal or have them mail you a check.
How To Get Free Money
In this post, I cover 25 ways to get free money fast in Canada and the United States.
Some strategies involve signing up for services with free sign-up bonuses, cash back shopping apps, investment apps, and market research apps.
You will also learn about how to find unclaimed free money from the government, maximize your existing assets, and get automatic refunds.
Generally, these tips offer you ways to get free cash without needing to make a payment or while spending money you would otherwise spend anyway on shopping or investing.
Get Free Money With Cash Back Shopping Apps
I use the best cash back apps to put money back in my wallet whenever I shop. Not only that, but these apps also give you money when you sign up.
Cash back offers available through these apps can approach 50% on some offers, so it adds up over time.
1. KOHO ($40 welcome bonus)
Available in Canada.
This free cash back app and prepaid card offers up to 5% cash back on purchases and also pays 2.50% savings interest on your entire balance.
New users get a $40 bonus when they sign up with our referral link and make their first purchase of any amount.
KOHO Prepaid Mastercard
$40 welcome bonus after first purchase (use GETCASH promo code during sign-up)
$0 monthly fee*
Earn up to 5% unlimited cash back
Get up to 4% savings interest on your balance
Unlimited Interac e-Transfers and debit transactions
Low cost international money transfers
Free budgeting app and access to credit building
2. Swagbucks ($5 to $10 Sign-Up Bonus)
Available in Canada and the United States.
Swagbucks is the ultimate rewards site with opportunities to earn cash when you shop online, surf the internet, provide your opinion, and more. The site has an A rating with the Better Business Bureau and has paid its members over $920 million.
You can cash out your bonus using PayPal or redeem it for a free gift card.
Join here and get $5 to $10 just for signing up.
Read our complete Swagbucks review for more information about the site.
3. Rakuten (Up to $30 sign-up bonus)
Formerly known as Ebates, Rakuten is one of my go-to cash back sites when I’m shopping online.
To make the most of Rakuten, visit their site (Canada and the U.S.) and click on your favourite retailer’s store and shop as you would normally do. Cash back is automatically credited to your account, and you can redeem it via check or PayPal money.
New users get a $30 bonus after completing their first online purchase of $30 or more, depending on the current offer. You can check out my Rakuten review.
4. Caddle ($1 sign-up bonus)
Available in Canada.
Caddle is somewhat similar to Checkout 51 but is only available in Canada.
The app makes it easy to earn cash back when you purchase groceries and other household items at multiple stores, including Walmart, Costco, Loblaws, Sobeys, and several others.
You also get paid to watch video ads and take surveys from retailers.
After redeeming your first offer, you receive a $1 bonus.
Get Free Money With Opinion Sites and Apps
Online survey sites are notorious for paying very little for time spent. However, considering that most of the tasks you need to complete to earn cash are mindless, it may or may not be worth your time.
Already mentioned in this post is one of the top sites for paid surveys – Swagbucks. You can use them to earn cash by taking surveys and doing more than ten different activities.
Here are other survey sites that reward you with cash.
5. Pinecone Research ($3 to $5 per survey)
Bonus – Available in Canada and the United States.
Pinecone Research does not offer a sign-up bonus; however, they pay more than the average market research panel with a flat earn rate of at least $3 per survey you complete.
Their minimum payout threshold is pretty low at $3. You can choose to cash out via PayPal, check, gift cards, or prepaid virtual Visa.
The one downside is that membership is by invitation-only, and you can use the links below to sign up.
Ways To Get Free Money Fast
You can get ‘free’ money by leveraging your existing assets, ensuring that you are not paying more than necessary for services, staying fit, and more.
6. Open a High-Interest Savings Account ($300+)
The big banks are not paying a lot of interest on savings accounts, and they have not been paying for the better part of a decade.
Find an online bank with a high-interest savings rate and earn more money.
Some of these online banks with better rates may also offer a sign-up bonus (such as $400), e.g. Simplii Financial, Tangerine and EQ Bank – both in Canada.
Simplii No-Fee Chequing Account
$300 cash welcome offer
No monthly account or maintenance fees
Unlimited debit transactions & Interac e-Transfers
Access to high interest savings account (CAD&USD)
Access to free FX transfers, investments, GICs, mortgages, line of credit, credit cards, and more
Free personalized cheques
EQ Bank Personal Account
Earn up to 3.50% interest (non-promo)
No monthly account fees or minimum balance
Free unlimited debit transactions and e-Transfers
Free cashback Mastercard & no ATM fees in Canada
Access to investing, mortgages, FX transfers, USD accounts, GICs
Supports mobile cheque deposits
7. Use a Cash Back Card ($500+)
The best cash back cards offer rewards for everyday spending, and many do not even have an annual fee. Every year, I score anywhere from $800 to $1,000 in free cash from using my credit cards.
Of course, remember that you need to pay off your monthly balance for this strategy to make sense.
8. Get Paid To Lose Weight
If you are already working on reducing your waist size or need the incentive to do so, try HealthyWage.
HealthyWage allows you to set personal weight loss bets or participate in a team weight loss challenge. Winners can win up to $10,000 in addition to the benefit of improving their health.
You can also check out the top-rated free app, Sweatcoins, to earn rewards while you walk.
9. Rake In The Birthday Freebies
Why spend on your birthday when you can get tons of freebies?
Check out my list of over 30 birthday freebies you can score in Canada (worth $100+). Here are some freebies specific to Vancouver and Toronto.
10. Cash-in On Baby Freebies
If you are an expecting mom, you can save money by scoring free baby stuff, samples, gift boxes, and coupons available online.
Check out this list of over 15 baby freebies!
Get Free Money From The Government
Canadians and Americans alike can access opportunities to get free money from the government.
With all the taxes we pay, this one is a no-brainer. Get what you can, when you can.
11. Get Free Money For Your Kids Using The RESP ($500/year)
When you open a Registered Education Savings Plan (Canada) for your kid’s future education, the government matches 20% of your contributions up to $500 every year.
This grant money (aka Canada Education Savings Grant) amounts to a free $7,200 that your child can put towards their tuition and college expenses later on.
U.S. citizens can use similar tax-advantaged 529 plans.
12. Maximize Your TFSA Account
The only things that are certain in life are…taxes and death.
But, at least, with the Tax-Free Savings Account (Canada), you can avoid paying taxes twice, first on your salary and then on your investment returns.
Starting at age 18, you accumulate the TFSA contribution room and can invest in various assets within your TFSA account. Income earned on the account is free from taxation for life.
In the U.S., an account that works similarly is the Roth IRA.
13. Use The Benefits Finder Tool
Available in Canada.
From housing programs to employment insurance, free health programs, and worker’s compensation, the Canadian government’s Benefits Finder tool can help you find what’s available federally and provincially that you qualify for.
14. Claim All Your Tax Deductions
Pay only the taxes you are required to by claiming all the tax deductions relevant to your situation.
Use effective tax software like TurboTax that guarantees you will get the maximum tax refund possible.
15. Claim Your Uncashed CRA Cheques
Approximately $1 billion in unclaimed cheques are being held by the Canada Revenue Agency. You can easily check to see if you have cheques from previous years that have been sent to the wrong addresses and have not yet been cashed.
I have covered in detail how to claim your uncashed cheques via CRA MyAccount.
16. Claim Forgotten Money
Available in the United States.
There is around $42 billion in unclaimed funds, CDs, trust funds, wages, and uncashed checks sitting around in the U.S., as per the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administration.
Check out Unclaimed Money Search, unclaimed.org, and missingmoney.com to see if you are owed money.
Install an App For Free Money
Install market research apps on your phone that gather data and earn free money.
While this data is supposedly aggregated anonymously, you should probably read their T&C and privacy policy pages to be sure you are comfortable with the collected data.
17. Mobilexpression ($5+)
Available in Canada and the United States.
Mobilexpression pays you to install their app on your phone for a week to qualify for a free $5 Amazon gift card.
If you keep the app installed for longer than a week, you continue to score rewards.
18. Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel ($50)
Available in the United States.
This app is managed by one of the world’s leading market research companies, Nielsen. Simply install the app on your devices and get rewarded for using it ($50/year).
You can uninstall the app at any time.
If you are a Canadian resident, check out the Nielsen Homescan app, which is also managed by The Nielsen Company.
This app rewards you for scanning the barcodes on your grocery purchases, and you can get up to $180 in Visa Prepaid cards. My wife received $15 every month ($180 for one year) for scanning once every week.
This was in addition to other points and rewards.
Get Free Money With Investment Apps
We know that the best investment apps can help you build wealth and become rich. It’s, therefore, an extra perk when they also offer free money in sign-up bonuses at the same time.
19. Wealthsimple ($25 bonus)
Available in Canada and the United States.
Wealthsimple is one of the most popular online wealth management services (also known as robo-advisors) in North America.
Their low-cost investment service makes it easy for average investors to invest in globally diversified ETFs without the hassle of needing to re-balance their portfolios.
The Wealthsimple app has a roundup function that automatically saves or invests your spare change based on your preferences.
When you sign up for a new Wealthsimple account, you get a $25 cash bonus after depositing at least $500 in your account.
Read our detailed Wealthsimple review.
Related: How To Get Free Money From The Government.
