Secret Websites to Make Money (That Most People Don’t Know About)

This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more in my full disclosurehere.

 

Most people already know about Uber, DoorDash, and the typical survey sites that pay pennies. But there’s a whole world of legit, lesser-known websites where people quietly earn real money without the typical gig economy headaches.

These aren’t get-rich-quick schemes or scams. They are real ways to make extra cash that most people haven’t discovered yet.

If you want low-stress ways to make extra cash on your own schedule, these “secret” websites deserve a spot on your phone.

1. Dscout

Dscout is weird at first. You’re basically talking to your phone camera about mundane stuff like what you eat for breakfast or how you organize your closet. But companies pay real money for these insights, typically $25 to $150 per “mission,” and sometimes more.

After downloading the app, you apply for missions by recording short selfie videos. A typical mission might ask you to record 60-second videos every morning for a week, talking about your coffee routine. Sounds silly, but Starbucks wants to know this stuff.

The money is decent if you can get accepted. That’s the hard part. New users might apply to 20 missions before landing one. Turn on notifications and apply immediately because those missions fill up in minutes.

Tips to increase acceptance:

• Apply immediately when a mission goes live
• Speak clearly and naturally
• Record in good lighting

Payment: PayPal, usually 7–10 business days after the mission closes.

Some people make a few hundred bucks a month once they get going. Just know that you’ll be on camera constantly, so if that bothers you, skip this one.

Try Dscout missions here

2. Prolific

Prolific is what happens when academic researchers actually pay fair wages for survey participation. Most studies pay between $8 and $15 an hour. That’s more than other platforms out there.

Sign-up takes about 20 minutes with all the prescreening questions. Annoying but worth it. Then studies start appearing on your dashboard, usually university research about decision-making, online shopping habits, and similar topics. The questions are actually interesting, not just “which soap do you prefer?”

Good studies vanish in seconds. People use the official Prolific Assistant browser extension to get alerts. Payment goes to PayPal once you hit $6, with cashouts running on Tuesday and Friday.

Some folks make $10-30 a day just checking in periodically. The waitlist to join can be months long, depending on your demographics. They need balanced participants, so sometimes they’re full up on certain groups.

Tips to earn more:

• Fill out every prescreening question
• Keep the Prolific Assistant browser extension on
• Grab studies as soon as they appear

Payment: PayPal, usually instant after your first few cashouts.

Sign up for Prolific

3. Field Agent

Remember mystery shopping? Field Agent dragged it into the smartphone era.

Open the app, check the map for nearby jobs, and grab one while you’re out. Coca-Cola might want confirmation that its display is set up at Target. Stop in, take a photo, answer a few quick questions, and earn $6.

Jobs range from $3 for a price check to $20 for a store audit. City users have plenty of options, while someone in a rural area might only see a few. The app can be picky about photos, rejecting them for small issues like bad angles or slight blurriness. After a few attempts, you learn exactly what they expect.

Payment: Cashouts are processed on business days. Funds typically arrive in 2-5 business days to your linked bank or prepaid card.

Download Field Agent

4. User Interviews

This one pays differently from the rest. User Interviews connects companies with people for research studies, and some pay up to $50-150 per hour.

Usually, these are video calls where you share your screen and talk about websites or apps. Maybe they want to understand how small business owners handle accounting. Sessions run 30-90 minutes. Amazon, Spotify, and Pinterest all use this platform.

Getting selected isn’t easy. You have to answer screening questions. It’s all a numbers game as well. From my experience, you may be chosen once for every ten studies that you apply for.

If you run an Etsy shop, you’ll get picked for e-commerce studies more than a random college student would. It makes sense.

Many of these surveys come with solid pay. Two hours talking about your banking habits can earn $200.

Payment: Digital gift cards (Amazon, Target, Visa) or PayPal, depending on the study. Most payouts arrive within a day or two, though researchers can take up to 10 business days.

Sometimes researchers cancel at the last minute. If they cancel within the paid window, you get about 25% of the original incentive. Annoying, but at least there’s something.

User Interviews is one of the platforms on here that I’ve had success with. I’ve done studies on Food, Technology, and TV ads before.

Apply for User Interviews studies

5. Honeygain

Honeygain is the laziest way to make money on this list. Download the app, let it run in the background, and it shares your unused internet bandwidth with businesses doing market research. That’s it: no surveys, no videos, no shopping trips.

You might make a few dollars per month. Many users take months to reach the $20 minimum payout threshold.

Payment: PayPal or JumpTask (crypto).

The downside is that it uses your bandwidth. Some people worry about what data goes through their network. Honeygain says it’s just for SEO research and content delivery, but if you’re paranoid about that stuff, skip it. Also drains phone batteries, so most people just run it on their laptops.

Start earning passively with Honeygain

6. Second to None

Second to None has been around since 1989, back when mystery shopping meant carrying a clipboard and trying not to look obvious.

Now there are tons of phone calls. Call a hotel about rates, evaluate customer service, and write a report. Fifteen minutes total for $10-12. Do it from your couch.

Registration takes a while, but once approved, you’ll see available shops in your area. Restaurant assignments might just cover the meal, while retail shops usually pay $8 to $20 plus reimbursement. Reports ask for detailed information, including employee names, exact quotes, and timestamps. The first few take about an hour, but you’ll get faster with experience.

Payment: Monthly via PayPal or direct deposit.

Requirements keep getting stricter over the years. But if you need steady side money, it’s there.

Apply for Second to None

Making These Secret Websites to Make Money Work Together

Nobody’s quitting their job for these sites, but you can stack them for $200–$500 a month if you stay consistent:

• Check Prolific during lunch
• Apply for Dscout missions at night
• Pick up Field Agent tasks during errands
• Do User Interviews once or twice a month
• Run Honeygain in the background

These are low-stress, realistic ways to earn extra money without driving around all day, talking to angry customers, or working late-night gig shifts.

Safety Notice (Read This Before Signing Up)

To protect yourself from scams:

• Never pay to join a platform
• Real companies never ask you to buy gift cards for reimbursement
• Only install bandwidth-sharing apps (like Honeygain) on devices you trust
• Research job details carefully—mystery shopping scams are common
• Do not give out your SSN unless the platform is well-established and requires a tax form

These sites won’t make anyone rich, but they’re genuine ways to earn extra cash without the usual gig economy hassles. No car wear, no angry customers, no fixed schedules. Find what fits you, whether that’s talking on camera or checking store displays, and stick with it for a month before deciding.