MONEY MAKING APPS FOR YOUR ANDROID SMARTPHONE

This has quickly become one of our most popular articles and, from the emails we’ve received, readers seem impressed by the options they have.

But what about all you owners of Android smartphones? Surely there must be someapps that can make you money? Yes, there are. Here’s seven of the best:

MINTCOINS

Have you ever thought it would be cool to earn money from doing something as simple as downloading an app? Well, with "MintCoins", that’s exactly what you get. But, wait! That’s not all; there are a huge number of tasks that, once completed, earn you extra cash.

The time honoured offer of cash for completing a survey is one of the standard tasks you’ll be given. But MintCoins has a range of other ways to make extra money with little to no effort. Want to be paid for watching YouTube videos? No problem, they’ll pay you for that. Want some cash for simply registering on a free site? MintCoins has it covered.

Payments are sent via Paypal. There is a cash out limit of $1, but to be honest, it doesn’t take long to hit the $5 mark.

TAPPORO

Tapporo has been around for a while now but, until very recently, they didn’t have an app available. However, after finally hitting a landmark of $500,000 in payouts they decided to go mobile.

The premise is pretty much the same as MintCoins - download apps, watch videos, etc and they’ll pay you cash in return for you time.

What I like about Tapporo is the range of payment options you can select. Once you’ve built a pot of money you can opt to have your payments sent as cash through Paypal, Amazon gift cards, FaceBook credits and a whole range of other options. It’s a pretty big list of options so I recommend you check out the full details in Google Play.

Once you’ve accumulated $5 in your account you can withdraw your funds.

GYMPACT

Ever wondered how you could earn money from keeping fit without having to train your body to the exacting standards of an Olympian athlete? Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, “That’s just a pipe dream, right?” Wrong!

Gympact is a pretty awesome app that, if you’re dedicated, will put cash in your pocket in return for keeping up your training schedule. Here’s how it works: a group of likeminded fitness enthusiasts set up a training schedule in the app and then pledge between $5 and $50 to the pot. If anyone in the group misses a workout then their money is shared between the people who stick to their training schedule.

If nothing else, it’s a great way of making sure you stick to your plan to turn your body into a well-oiled powerhouse. And don’t think you can cheat either - the app uses check-ins and geo-location to make sure you are in the gym.

CHECKPOINTS

Every time I visit my mother, I watch in frustration as she opens the home pages of various supermarkets in browser tabs and starts running side by side comparisons of prices. Only once she’s found the best deals does she actually go out and start buying. I’ve tried to educate her on the benefits of price comparison sites, but to no avail.

That said, my mother has actually taken one piece of advice: she now uses Checkpoints to earn money whilst in store. By completing a series of tasks at specific stores, she is rewarded with points that are then redeemed for a huge selection of goodies (air miles, gift cards, coupons and more).

All she has to do is check in to a specified store and scan a list of products. The irony is that she’s actually helping price comparison sites maintain an accurate price list.

EMBEE MOBILE

I love the word “microtasks” especially when it’s linked to earning money. It gives you the feeling that you’re being paid for doing almost nothing. That is, in fact, exactly what Embee Mobile does.

First, you’ll need a Facebook account to download this mobile app. In return for carrying out a series of tasks such as playing videos, completing surveys and online tasks you’ll be rewarded with free mobile phone services, mobile internet service and gift cards.

Don’t worry - most of the jobs you’re given won’t take long to complete.

IPINIONS

Did you think the days of paid surveys were long gone? I have news for you - they’re alive and kicking and iPinions makes earning money from them simple. 
The process couldn’t be simpler: once you’ve downloaded the app, simply complete your profile. Once done, you’ll be contacted via email, push notifications or phone call with information on surveys that you are matched to your profile.

For every 100 points you collect you’ll earn $1. Once you hit 500 points you can redeem them for cash. I know some people don’t like filling out surveys as they can be time consuming. But, as this is a smartphone app, you can do them at your convenience - e.g. when you’re in a doctor’s waiting room.

FIELD AGENT

Looking for something a bit more personal and closer to home? How about the chance to become a secret agent and spy on you neighbors in return for money? Ok, I was joking about becoming a spy… sort of.

Field Agent is an ingenious tool that gives you money in return for carrying out set tasks in your local area. These tasks can include carrying out surveys, checking out the state of properties in local real estate agents and doing price checks (which would be ideal for my mother). One user reported earning $6.50 for simply going to local stores and hunting down a specific product.

Written by James Redden