If you are strapped for cash, take a breath before applying for a personal loan. There’s probably a side hustle that can help you make money fast — and even get paid the same day you work.
Whether you tap into the wonders of the gig economy or the resources in your hometown, same day pay might be closer than you think. And with many employers adding daily pay options as an employee benefit, you can say goodbye to Monday and Friday to payday. all day.
7 A Side Hustle Pays Up To $200 A Day
Getting paid every two weeks or every two months is pretty much the norm. Safwan Shah, CEO of Payactiv, a financial services company, says the daily wage comes with both financial and mental benefits. He notes that daily access to earnings can help workers avoid heavy fines in overdraft fees and predatory lending options such as payday loans. In addition, it can reduce stress by giving workers access to their wages on their own schedule, not the employer’s.
So there might be a side hustle if you imagine cash flow closer to today than once every two weeks. If a daily wage is important to your finances, you can compare gigs and find one that aligns with your talents, time, and expected pay schedule.
1. Delivery to DoorDash
If you like to deliver to the neighbors with everything from hot meals to pet supplies, a DoorDash delivery might be the cash infusion you need. And with this app, there is no shopping involved. Instead, when you accept a delivery, you will simply pick it up and deliver it to the specified address.
DoorDash offers two daily payment options: Fast Pay and Dasher Direct. With Fast Pay, you can cash out your winnings once per day directly to your debit card for a fee of $1.99. DasherDirect is a no-fee program that cashes you after every delivery. To use DasherDirect, you will need to sign up for a DoorDash Visa Debit Card. But by doing so, you’ll also get 2% cash back on your gas purchases.
average wage: $15 to $25 per hour / $120 to $200 for 8 hours per day
2. Drive for Uber
Uber gives you two different side friction options: a rideshare driver and a delivery driver. And don’t worry — you don’t have to choose. When you sign up for and get approved for Uber, you’re eligible to do one or both of these.
Whichever path you choose, you won’t have to wait long to get your winnings. Uber’s Pay As You Go costs $0.85 per transaction and lets you cash out up to five times a day. You will receive the money in your bank account through your debit card.
To qualify, you’ll need a Visa, MasterCard, or Discover debit card and must successfully complete one trip. From there, it’s a good idea to use pay as you go and see your hard-earned money in no time.
Average flight share fee: $15 to $25 per hour (varies by market) / $120 to $200 for an 8 hour day
Average delivery fee: $8 – $20 per hour (varies by market) / $64 – $160 per 8 hour day
2. Have your say on Swagbucks
You’ve heard that saying about opinions: everyone has an opinion. Now, you can get paid for your own (and more) with Swagbucks. You can watch videos, shop online, answer surveys, and play games, from the comfort of your home or on the go with the app, all of which earn you points. Then you can redeem your points for gift cards or cash back through Paypal.
Once you’re signed up and your account is verified, you can start earning Swagbucks that you can redeem for cash. You can cash out whenever you have enough points to redeem for a $5 Paypal bonus, which can be daily if you collect enough Swagbucks.
average wage: $1 to $5 a day
3. Post polls on Drumo
If you love online surveys and games, Drumo might be an app to add to your daily payday routine. When you download and sign up for the platform, you will complete a short profile survey that Drumo uses to match you with survey opportunities.
Here’s the best part: you can cash out Drumo to Paypal and receive money within 24 hours when you earn as little as $0.50. Drumo says those with long-term accounts can work their way into accessing instant payments. Drumo gives each user a quality score based on their responses in the app. The higher your score, the higher your chance of accessing higher earning opportunities and “instant” payouts.
average wage: Depends on survey and earning opportunity
4. Go shopping with Shipt
Get paid to go shopping? It is not a myth. With Shipt, you will shop for customers and then deliver their orders. And it’s not just a grocery either. One day, you might find yourself at Target and Sephora. Next, at a wine shop or PetSmart. But wherever you go, you can get paid every day with Shipt Pay as you go, which requires no additional fees.
To be eligible for Pay As You Go, which sends money directly to your bank account, you’ll need one successful weekly return through direct deposit. Once you hit that limit, you can select an instant payout once every 24 hours within the Shipt app instead of waiting for the standard weekly payout.
average wage: $11 – $20 per hour / $88 – $160 per 8 hour day
5. Serve at a local restaurant
If you like to keep things local, consider doing a few shifts at a local pub or restaurant. Although you may need to pass a food handling class to be eligible to apply, per diem tips can keep cash in your pocket each day you work.
To increase your chance of getting tips, don’t be shy about talking to the existing servers where you hope to work. You can inquire about the most profitable shifts, and possibly the average tips for a new server. If you offer table service, you may find that the tip is higher than in a coffee shop where customers pick up their orders at the register.
average wage: $14 – $16 per hour / $112 – $128 per 8 hour day
6. Work for a company that offers a daily bonus
Some employers may already be offering a daily pay feature thanks to a new wave of apps that let employees access their paychecks daily instead of every two weeks.
First, the employer needs to partner with one of the many earned wage apps such as DailyPay, EarnIn, or Instant. If they don’t already have an agreement, you can bring up the case and see if your employer plays along. And if you need fodder for your case, Tal Clark, CEO of Instant Financial, an earned wage app, has plenty of data to support your argument.
“Access to payment immediately after shift has been shown to improve employee engagement, as employees are more likely to feel connected and loyal to their employer,” says Clark. According to Instant’s 2022 Wages and Welfare StudyThe numbers on daily wages speak for themselves.
- 79% of respondents would be more interested in applying for a job that pays them the same day they work.
- 62% of respondents would feel more valued as employees if their employer provided immediate access to their earned wages after the day’s work.
- Fifty-eight percent of respondents said they had left a job in the past two years and would have stayed longer if they had been offered immediate access to a portion of their paycheck after a day’s work at no cost.
If the employer is on board, how you receive the money depends on the application. Usually, you’ll link a bank account, payroll card, or debit card during the signup process. Some apps issue their own debit card that you will use to access your funds. The amount you can be paid varies between companies and the per diem fee can be nothing, fixed or variable. For example, Instant charges no fees while DailyPay charges $2.99 per instant transfer, and EarnIn works on a tipping model where you name your fee.
average wage: Depends on the employer
7. Donate your plasma
If you want to earn extra cash and actually save lives, donating plasma can be a service to your community and your wallet. Your community probably has at least one donation center, and all you have to do to get paid that same day is relax and let the cash flow.
The process of donating plasma is similar to donating blood, so yes, there is a needle involved. It also takes a little longer at 1-2 hours per appointment. However, you are well compensated for your time. While rates vary by geographic area, you are paid on the same day by debit card provided by the donation center, as some donation centers offer rewards for new donors.
You can also donate up to twice a week, giving you multiple earning opportunities per month until you reach the 24-year donation cap set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
average wage: $50-75 per day / Donate up to twice a week and 24 times a year
Takeaway
These options are a great place to start looking for a side business that will offer you daily wages. Now you can manage your disks and find the right gig and pay for your situation.
But before you begin, it is important that you do your research. Do some digging on Reddit forums and gig economy sites that offer honest reviews of what it’s like to work at specific companies and in your area.
And if you’re on the hook for money between the time you read this article and your daily paycheck appears to be in the works, you might want to check out a prepaid app to help get you paid.