InboxDollars Review: Can You Earn Money Doing Simple Tasks?

InboxDollars is one of the most well-known online rewards websites in North America. The community has millions of users and has been awarded millions of dollars in incentives since its launch in 2000.

Yes, you heard it right.

InboxDollars users receive real money for doing simple things like playing games, receiving paid emails, completing online surveys, and many more unexpected things. Users can also get cashback offers for shopping online.

So, if you’re looking for ways to make quick money online, websites like InboxDollars are an excellent option.

Whenever a website gives you simple ways to make money, it’s natural to question its legitimacy. We’re here to answer that and any additional questions you might have in this comprehensive article. Let's get started.

Key Takeaways

• You can earn real money from InboxDollars by performing simple online tasks like viewing ads, completing surveys, playing games, making online purchases, and so on.
• Don’t expect to get rich quick – or get rich at all – from InboxDollars, if you’re living in North America, at least. The most you can do is make an extra hundred bucks per month.
• If you can spend around an hour every day on InboxDollars, you can expect to make around $50 to $100 every month.
• It's best for people who are looking to make a few bucks every day by using their spare time. Rather than mindlessly using your phone, you can use it to make some quick cash.
• You must reach the $15 threshold to redeem for the first time. After that, it’s $10 for every additional payout.
• Key pros: A wide variety of tasks, 200+ gift card options, and a $5 sign-up bonus.
• Main cons: Low earning potential in general, moderately high payout threshold, and some tasks can be tedious.

What Is InboxDollars?

InboxDollars is a get-paid-to website and has been one of the most popular online rewards websites for the last 2 decades. Here you can earn money for completing a variety of tasks like playing games, viewing advertisements, filling out cash surveys, and browsing the internet.

It has paid out more than 80 million dollars in incentives over the years, solidifying its position as one of the big names in the online rewards community.

InboxDollars has been around since 2000, and you can access it if you're 18 or older in the United States. It also has several sibling websites, such as DailyRewards in Canada and InboxPounds in the UK.

The parent company of InboxDollars, Prodege, is a major member of the paid survey market. It's the owner of two other well-known websites similar to InboxDollars that allow you to earn in your spare time: Swagbucks and MyPoints.

Company history aside, InboxDollars offers you a simple and free option to earn money in your spare time. It also offers some of the most unique methods to earn money out of all the reward sites.

How Do I Use InboxDollars to Make Money?

Now you know you can earn money with InboxDollars, here are the various ways you can do it. Let’s take a deep dive into every way you can use InboxDollars to make money.

Signing up

You have read it right – you can start earning money just by signing up for InboxDollars. You can sign up for InboxDollars if you're over 18 years old and live in the USA. It’s available on desktop and it also has an Android and iOS app.

You can create an account with just your email address and phone number. When you verify your account, InboxDollars will pay you a $5 sign-up bonus just for that. And it will be deposited into your account instantly.

So, even if you need to make $15 for your first cash out, technically, you just have to make $10. Because the first $5 is basically free money.

Completing surveys

Completing surveys is the way to earn the most money from InboxDollars.

Before you can start filling out surveys, you will need to complete a basic demographic questionnaire. This questionnaire exists so you don't get irrelevant surveys, for example: questions about retirement homes while you are still 30.

Surveys can take from 5 minutes to 30 minutes to complete. You'll get around $0.20-3 from completing each survey. It will mainly depend on the length of the survey.

Most surveys have pre-screening questions to see if you are qualified to answer the survey. If you get disqualified, you will not be getting paid; however, you will still progress towards scratch tickets that will pay you small amounts of cash once completed.

You can expect to earn around $3-6 per hour answering surveys. On top of that, surveys cover a variety of subjects, including health and entertainment, as well as many famous brands and products.

Playing games

You can earn money by playing games as well. InboxDollars collaborates with various gaming platforms, offering rewards for playing new games or progressing through them.

InboxDollars pays you to try new games and play them. Certain games pay you a small amount just for downloading them (a few cents to a dollar), and other games give you a lump sum for reaching a certain stage ($10-30).

Games include various genres like single-player, multiplayer, role-playing, word games, card games, and puzzles.

Watching videos

InboxDollars also lets you earn passive income. You can watch ads or videos for money.

You get the option to watch from a large list of videos. Once you choose a video, InboxDollars automatically plays it and gives you a small amount of cash over time.

Videos are usually around 30 seconds long and might only get you a few cents at a time. So, you can keep playing videos in the background as you do other things.

Although it won't be paying you hundreds, it's a passive activity. Since this doesn't require any attention from you, it's like earning free money.

Scanning receipts 

Here’s one of my favorites. If you’re familiar with apps like Shopkick or Fetch Rewards, you’ll be happy to know you can do the same on InboxDollars as well.

InboxDollars has a Magic Receipts section. You can earn money by shopping at affiliated brands and scanning your receipts for cash.

The platform provides receipt scanning offers from large merchants such as Walmart, Target, Costco, Kroger, etc, with payments ranging from $0.02 to $8.

This helps you save money with brands you already regularly purchase from.

It also has digital coupons. So, you can stack it with apps like Ibotta or Fetch Rewards to save even more money.

Scratching tickets

Aside from the conventional methods, InboxDollars also lets you earn money by scratching digital tickets. 

As you complete tasks, watch videos, complete surveys, play games, etc, you will slowly progress towards completing scratch tickets. When you complete enough tasks, you can attempt to try for a $10, $25, $50, or even a $100 scratch ticket.

However, don’t get your hopes too high. Most scratch tickets will only pay you a few cents. Well, it's still free money. So, if you’re lucky, you could bag $50 or $100.

Surfing the web

Since you're already browsing the internet, why not start getting paid for that as well? Turn your online browsing into cash with InboxDollars.

You can do this by browsing through InboxDollars. This option is located in the Search area at the top of your dashboard.

As you keep searching, you'll be working towards earning more scratch tickets (and we already talked about how that can help you earn more money).

Why not earn a few bucks surfing the internet through InboxDollars?

Shopping online

InboxDollars can help you make money as you shop online as well.

Under the Shop page, there are hundreds of cash-back offers available. This functions similarly to Rakuten or Honey and gives you cash back for making purchases at their affiliates.

InboxDollars gets a commission for every purchase you make – and they give you a part of the commission. That's how you end up saving money through them.

To save money, you can also use coupons.

Additionally, InboxDollars offers an online shopping extension called the Billy Button, which alerts you to discounts and cash-back offers as you browse the internet.

This extension is competing with other major apps like Rakuten and Honey to help users save money.

Reading paid emails

InboxDollars offers additional ways to earn by reading emails and participating in special offers. InboxDollars frequently sends out emails containing paid offers, exclusive deals, and other opportunities to earn money.

By completing these offers you can earn money; however, it's important to read the fine print carefully. While the rewards can be enticing, some offers may require a subscription or financial commitment. Before accepting any offer, make sure you understand the terms and conditions to avoid any unexpected costs or obligations. 

Otherwise, you might end up losing more than you've earned.

Referring your friends

Like many other websites, InboxDollars also lets you earn money with the help of referral bonuses if you invite your friends to join.

However, they won't give you the money as soon as your friend joins. Their referral program will pay you 30% of your friend’s lifetime earnings. So, if your friend earns $200, you will make $60 without doing anything.

So, the more friends you can get into InboxDollars, the more passive income you’ll be making as well.

Playing bingo

Completing InboxDollars' bingo-based challenges is one of the more entertaining ways to earn money.

Users of InboxDollars are periodically given challenges. You acquire spots on a Bingo card as you finish them, and the more rows you finish, the more money you win. Most of the spots are relatively simple like “visit this site” or “earn this much money”, but a few of them will require you to spend money.

For finishing a full board, you can receive up to $8. Though finishing a board takes a lot of effort, it can be fun to do on the side.

Completing daily goals

The final method to earn some quick cash is to complete your daily goals list.

InboxDollars recommends a few things you can do every day, such as browse the internet or respond to a survey. If you complete a certain amount of tasks, you will receive additional cash.

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How Much Can You Make With InboxDollars?

InboxDollars isn't a full-time online job, nor will it bring you serious income. At most, you can expect around $5 to $25 a day – so don't quit your job just yet.

It will pay you, at most – a few dollars every hour. For example, most InboxDollars surveys will pay you around $0.50 to $5 and it takes about 5 to 30 minutes to complete each survey. The pay is reflective of the size of the survey. So, if you manage to qualify for a few surveys every day, you can expect to earn around 10 to 20 dollars.

Keep in mind – you won’t always qualify for every survey you apply to.

You can hope to find a few high-paying shopping offers or download tasks, but even those will only pay you $2-3 maximum. How much you can earn from here will heavily depend on how much time you're willing to spend and the types of tasks you complete.

If you’re planning on completing a few tasks every day while watching TV or in your spare time, you can expect to earn around $20-70 every month. Just don't expect that you will be bringing $100 or even anything close to that every day. 

That brings us to the next question – how to redeem the money you made.

How do you redeem your earnings?

To cash out from InboxDollars the first time, you need at least $15 to request a payout. After that, you can request a payout starting at $10. You can choose the type of payment you want on the Request Payment page. You will get multiple options to pick from, such as gift cards, debit cards, visa cards, or PayPal.

Once you have chosen the type of payment option you want, you will have to follow the steps to complete the redeeming process. It can take as little as 3 or up to 19 days to complete, depending on the method of payment you have chosen.

Gift cards are the fastest option. They take as little as 3 days and you will receive them in your email. All gift cards are digital – you don't get the option to choose plastic gift cards.

You can choose from a very long list of more than 200+ affiliated companies by name, type, or amount. Your options include but are not limited to iTunes, Walmart, Uber, Amazon, Target, Nike, Best Buy, Safeway, Macy's, Delta Air Lines, Athleta, Petco, Google Play, Nordstrom, Sephora, Fandango, Taco Bell, and so on.

To request payment to PayPal, you need to have a verified PayPal account. This means that your PayPal account has to be linked to either a bank account or your bank card.

You can also donate your earnings directly to certain charities.

Are there any fees?

There are no membership fees or subscriptions to join InboxDollars. They make their money by charging fees from the partner brands. In a nutshell – they take the money from the companies, keep a share, and give you a part of it.

As for fees while cashing out, it depends on the payment method. You can transfer to PayPal without any sort of fees. However, if you choose to take it as a check, remember there is a $3 processing fee. Most of the gift cards are free of cost, though there are some exceptions. Keep this in mind before choosing your method of payment.

Read more about it before cashing out to avoid unnecessary fees.

How Do I Contact InboxDollars?

Customer support isn't a top priority when it comes to the majority of cashback websites, and InboxDollars is not any different in this case. There isn't even an email address or phone number on the website's Contact Us page. Instead, you will have to use a contact form to submit your need for help.

However, because of the high number of positive reviews on the Google Play Store, the Apple Store, and Trustpilot, you can hope that you won't need to reach out to them too much anyway.

Is InboxDollars Legit?

Before we talk in detail about how you can use InboxDollars to make money, here is some definitive proof of the legitimacy.

According to various sources on the internet, InboxDollars is as legit as it gets. It has a rating of 4.1 stars on Trustpilot from over 43,805 reviews.

The Android version of the app on the Google Play Store has over 5 million downloads and a 4.4-star rating from over 158,000 reviews as of September 2024. With a rating of 4.5 stars and 204,000 reviews, the iOS version is currently ranked #192 in Lifestyle.

InboxDollars also lists what type of data it will be collecting and how it will be using it. They keep all your personal information, and they will delete it upon your request.

By adjusting the settings, you can also control how data is collected and stored on your own device as well. By doing this though, you may limit the features of the InboxDollars app and lose the ability to do certain tasks.

InboxDollars Pros and Cons

Let’s briefly go over all the pros and cons of InboxDollars.

Pros

• Multiple ways to earn: InboxDollars gives you various ways to earn, including taking surveys, reading emails, playing games, shopping online, and more.
• Instant sign-up bonus: You get a $5 bonus just for verifying your account.
• Cash instead of points: You will get paid in cash, instead of points like many sites.
• Lots of redeeming options: You can redeem to your PayPal or bank account or get it as a check or gift card.
• 200+ gift card options: The gift card options include iTunes, Walmart, Amazon, Target, Nike, etc.
• High referral bonus: You get 30% of your friend's lifetime earnings as a referral bonus.
• Mobile apps: They have Android and iOS apps, so you can use them on your phone.

Cons

• Low earning potential: You can’t make thousands every month.
• Slightly high cashout bar: You need to accumulate $10 before you can redeem the money.
• Barely any payment for disqualification: You won’t get paid if you’re disqualified during the screening questions.
• Small fees in some cashout options: Some payment options, like checks, have a small fee.
• No direct contact channel: You can’t directly contact InboxDollars customer care.

InboxDollars User Reviews

Enough from us, now let's look at the real reviews from real people and what they have to say about InboxDollars.

• Danny (on Trustpilot) has been satisfied for 6 years: “This company is LEGITIMATE, great way to make a few extra bucks or gift cards in your spare time. Many different ways to earn AND they do pay. I've been a member for over 6 years, longer than any other app like this. Customer service is EXCELLENT. I haven't had many issues but when I do they address it quickly and efficiently.” 
• Paula (on Trustpilot) is happy with the new tracking system: “The new tracking system on Inbox is great, I can see my progress with the selected offers. When I was ready to cash out, I simply chose the gift card that I wanted and received it within a few days. It was wonderful! My only complaint is that sometimes the information in the offers is contradicting. For example, one sentence will say you have a duration of 30 days to complete the goal then a different sentence in the offer may say you only have a duration of 20 days to complete the goal.”
• Linza (on Trustpilot) complaining about the low rewards: “I like InboxDollars overall, but it seems the surveys are going down in amount & up in the length of time to complete them! Doing a 7-minute survey for only a .01 cent payout is not at all worth the time. The Bingo Board, offered as a bonus way to earn, is hard to complete for a decent amount of money unless you have installed & use the “Billy Button”, - but you can only access & use the “Billy Button” on a computer, not on your smartphone. I assume most people, like myself, use their cell phones, so that limits your use of the “Billy Button!”
• Jessica (on Trustpilot) on getting paid less than stated: “Here recently I have been having trouble getting paid for the games I play. Started Ever Legion 2 days ago, am up to level 17 and no acknowledgement of it has been posted. You can't contact them either. Previous game I bought the $5 top-up and was credited $3 less than the advertised reward. The game before that was cut off a week before it was supposed to and I was going to make my goal but didn't because of this premature act. This week $20 hasn't been posted. It's getting worse, and it needs to be regulated better. I'm sure they are getting their cut.”

Top 5 InboxDollars Alternatives

1. Branded Surveys

Branded Surveys is a popular online survey platform that offers users the opportunity to earn cash or gift cards by completing surveys. 

Branded Surveys provides an additional benefit: a loyalty program known as Branded Elite. If you take enough surveys each month, you'll receive additional points because of Branded Elite. So, if you're dedicated, it's among the top InboxDollars-like websites available for earning quick cash.

This free website is available in the United States, the UK, Canada, and Australia. The surveys typically pay between $0.25 and $1. To cash out, you need $5, which is one of the lowest out there. Redeeming options include PayPal and several popular gift cards, including Airbnb, Apple, Bass Pro Shops, DoorDash, etc.

It has a 4.1-star rating on Trustpilot with over 99,966 reviews.

• Branded Surveys Review: Can You Really Make Money With Online Surveys?

2. Swagbucks

With millions of users worldwide, Swagbucks is yet another legit get-paid-to website. Since its founding in 2008, it has paid out more than $900 million to its users.

Similar to InboxDollars, Swagbucks offers many ways of earning money, such as:

• Filling surveys
• Shopping online
• Watching ads
• Playing games
• Browsing the web
• Scanning barcodes

You earn money as SB points that you can convert to money. There are frequently $10 sign-up bonuses available at Swagbucks.

Additionally, many gift card rewards have a $1 minimum payout value, and PayPal redeeming starts at just $5.

It is a sister concern of InboxDollars and has a 4.0-star rating on Trustpilot from over 37,346 reviews.

• Swagbucks Review:Making Money With Online Surveys

3. MyPoints

MyPoints has been in the online paid survey business for a very long time. Since its founding in 1996, MyPoints has assisted over 9 million users in collecting points and rewards at 2,000 renowned stores.

Similar to InboxDollars and Swagbucks, MyPoints allows you to accumulate points by watching advertisements and videos, completing surveys, and playing games for real money.

But the Get Paid to Shop section on MyPoints is what draws users in. You can purchase online at hundreds of different stores as a MyPoints member and earn points that can be converted into money in the form of cashback.

MyPoints is similar to TopCashback or Rakuten, in essence, but it also has a fantastic section called the Deals area with discounts of at least $10 or more. Moreover, MyPoints offers a $5 welcome bonus. These points can be redeemed for a Visa or Amazon gift card. Please be aware that there’s a $25 minimum withdrawal amount on Paypal.

It's also a plus that MyPoints offers a Chrome shopping extension, so you never lose out on rewards for eligible deals. 

MyPoints has a 4.4-star rating on Trustpilot with almost 24,270 reviews.

4. Prolific

Unlike InboxDollars or other popular websites, Prolific doesn't have any screening questions. You can participate in any survey you want from a long list, without any screening questions. This removes the uncertainty of being selected for the survey.

Any survey that appears in your feed when using Prolific is up for grabs. Just open the app and start completing every survey you get.

If you're dedicated, you can earn between $4 and $5 a day. They even anticipate the duration of the survey for you based on the data of previous testers.

Since Prolific is a UK-based firm, the minimum withdrawal amount is £5, or around $6.80. Another great feature of Prolific is they guarantee you a minimum hourly rate of around $6.50 so that you don’t spend your time earning cents.

5. Pinecone Research

Pinecone Research is another InboxDollars alternative that pays you instantly for completing surveys.

It's a legit company belonging to NielsenIQ, one of the largest and most respected research firms in the world. They pay you in cash or gift cards in exchange for your participation.

You will receive $1-3 from this website for each survey you accomplish. After that, you can instantly redeem gift cards at stores like Amazon.

The payout timetable for InboxDollars, or other sites, is significantly slower when compared with Pinecone Research. However, you have to be selected first. 

Pinecone Research is available in the US, the UK, France, Canada, and Germany. You may have to wait a while if your demographics don't fit what the survey panel is looking for.

Is it Worth Signing Up to InboxDollars?

InboxDollars is not a get-rich-quick scheme. If you need actual money, you're better off getting a part-time job at any fast-food restaurant. However, it is a good way to make a few extra dollars as a side hustle.

With a few hours every day, you might be able to reach that $15 threshold and redeem it for an Amazon gift card in a week. Don't expect to make more than $15 or $20 a week unless you're willing to put in 10 hours every day, but if you have that much time, you should probably use it somewhere better.

But InboxDollars can get you some freebies every month. Complete a few surveys or passively watch a few hours of videos every day and you'll get $15 every week – that's almost $800 every year – just for using your phone while watching TV.

If this seems appealing to you, then sign up for it. Just know that if you need some big cash (a new car, a replacement for your day job, college tuition), it’s better to look for other more profitable alternatives – like Whop.

Earn Real Money With Whop

Get-paid-to websites will not replace your full-time job, but Whop will.

How can Whop give you passive income to replace your job? Ecommerce.

Whop is a social commerce platform that has people generate over $500 million in revenue in 2023 alone. Here, you can sell digital products and services online for passive or recurring income.

Are you writing an ebook? You can sell it on Whop. Did you make a course? You can sell it on Whop. Are you an influencer trying to sell a private Discord community to your fans? You can sell it on Whop. Do you want to try dropshipping or sell a freelance service? You can do it on Whop. You can do all of this right here on Whop, from one place.

Creating a digital product may take more time and effort than taking paid surveys, but it will make you a whole lot more money. For a low-effort money-maker, why not buy some PLR digital products and resell them on Whop? By once, customize with your branding, then sell over and over again for passive income. Or, if you have more time on your hands, consider creating a membership community and charging for access to it.

Join Whop today and see just how much money you can make online.

InboxDollars FAQs

Here are some common FAQs about InboxDollars.

Is InboxDollars safe?

You can trust InboxDollars. It is safe. To join, you don't need to submit any financial information, and you are free to decline offers that require money upfront as well. You can just redeem your money as gift cards to avoid giving any financial information to them.

How long does it take to get paid with InboxDollars?

It can take as little as 3 days or up to 19 days to complete depending on the method of payment you have chosen.

Gift cards are the fastest option. They take as little as 3 days and you will receive them in your email. All gift cards are digital; you don't get the option to choose plastic gift cards.

Does InboxDollars offer a signup bonus?

It might come as a surprise to you, but, yes. InboxDollars will give you a signup bonus of $5 after you verify your account. But, you will need to reach the payment threshold of $15 before you can redeem this money.

Does InboxDollars actually pay?

Yes, InboxDollars will pay you real money. It's evident by numerous internet testimonials and payment proofs. It's not a quick way to gain money, however, as it'll take quite a few hours of work to reach the payment threshold of $15.

Is there a mobile app available?

InboxDollars has both an Android app on the Google Play Store and an iOS app on the Apple Store. Both versions of the app have millions of downloads and are rated over 4 stars. So, you don't need to worry about the quality of the app.

Do I need a mobile number for InboxDollars?

Yes, you’ll need a working mobile number in the US to activate your InboxDollars account. You can’t use the app before verifying. You’ll also get a $5 bonus after you activate your new account. No VOIP, landline, wifi, or any other type of number can be used as an alternative.

Will my InboxDollars account close if I don’t access it for 6 months?

If you don’t access your InboxDollars account for 6 months, they will permanently delete it. And you can't recover this account anymore.

However, you can make a new account with the same email address and get the $5 signup bonus again.

Is my InboxDollars income taxable?

If you earn $600 or greater in one calendar year, InboxDollars will file a 1099 tax form for you. You will also need to show your tax information if you try to withdraw $300 or greater in one calendar year from InboxDollars.

Can I make money with InboxDollars?

Yes, you can make money with InboxDollars. You can make around $100 every month if you’re dedicated. However, you can’t make enough money to quit your job from this side hustle.

Is there a survey limit in InboxDollars?

You can complete 1 survey a day for each provider and 5 a day for Peanut Lab Surveys. If you constantly speed through surveys, there’s a chance your account will get flagged and you’ll stop qualifying for surveys altogether.

InboxDollars Features Summary