39 Best Ways to Make Money Online

If you’ve got the friends, you might soon have the money, too. Friend referral programs let you make money online just by inviting other people to try or use a service that you also use.

If you have a large social media following, these money-making methods are sure to net you some real cash.

However, you can also make money with a friend referral program even if you’re sharing your code or URL with one or two people; who knows, maybe you’ll get a free Uber ride or money off your next meal.

Tip: Some of these referral programs will give you money just for signing up with the link below, even if you never refer a friend to use it!

How Friend Referrals Work

Friend referral programs are 100% legal and usually require no purchase on your end. Just make an account, find the referral link that’s unique to your account, and share it with friends.

When people sign up with your referral code or URL, you get money or credit toward the account. This is a super easy way to make money on the side online with little to no effort.

Coupon and Cashback Sites

These friend referral methods involve cashback services and apps that provide coupons to help you save money. Use these, and you and your friends will save even more.

• Ebates: Use this referral program to get $25 for each and every person who signs up with your referral link. The only catch is that they have to actually use Ebates at least once in order for you to get your cash. They’ll also get $10 free.
• Earny: Get $15 for every friend that subscribes to Earny, which is a site that issues you refunds if the price drops at a retailer where you bought something. Also supports hotel booking cashbacks, compensations when packages arrive late, and more.
• Honey: Grab 500 Gold for every friend you refer to Honey, which you can then use to buy gift cards. Honey finds the best coupons to save you money while shopping.
• Dosh: You get $5 free for anyone who signs up with your link and connects your payment information to their account. Dosh provides automatic cashback just by using your card at supported businesses.
• Lolli: You’ll each earn $10 in Bitcoin when your friend shops with Lolli, which is a cashback service that pays you in Bitcoin when you shop at over 500 stores.
• Ibotta: Earn $10 for every friend you refer to join Ibotta. There appears to be an upper limit on what you can earn, and the referral code seems to be time-sensitive.

Banks and Investments

Apps that let you store or transfer money often have incentive programs where they’ll pay you to advertise for them. Sign up, get your referral link, and share it with friends to earn some extra cash online.

• Cash App: Both you and your friend get $5 free when they sign up and use Cash App with your referral link.
• Privacy.com: You both get $5 for signing up and using Privacy.com. This is a service that lets you make on-demand debit cards so that you’re not sharing your real card number online. Give your friend these directions to make sure they use it correctly and you both get your money.
• TransferWise: You get $75 for every three friends who end up transferring over $300 with TransferWise after having signed up with your link.
• Mylo: You and your friend both earn $5 when someone signs up through your Mylo referral link. Mylo rounds up purchases and invests the spare change. Works for people with a Canadian address only.
• Discover: Share your Discover card referral link for $50 off your balance when friends sign up. Your friend gets $50 off as well, so long as they make a purchase of any amount within the first three months of opening their account.
• Chime: Get $50 and give your friend $50 when they sign up with your Chime referral link and use the service for a payroll deposit of at least $200.
• Stash: Invite friends to invest with the Stash app/website and you can earn up to $500. Friends can get up to $25 for using your link.
• Xoom: Have your friend sign up with your Xoom referral link and you’ll both receive $25. This friend referral works if the other person completes an international transfer of at least $50.

Cryptocurrencies

Want free Bitcoin? You’re probably using one of these services already, so you may as well make the most of it and earn some more cryptocurrencies.

• Coinbase: You and your friend receive $10 of free Bitcoin when the person you’re referring buys or sells at least $100 of any cryptocurrency.
• Binance: Earn 20% of all the fees that your referred friends incur throughout their transfers.
• YoBit.net: You get 20% of the commission for every trade your referral makes.

Transportation and Delivery

If you use a taxi service or food delivery program, you might like a credit to your account, which in your case is just as good as cash. Share your referral link to gain some real savings in these ride-sharing and food delivery services.

• Instacart: Give friends $10 off their order and you’ll get $10 off yours, too.
• Universal Yums: Get $5 off your order for every friend who signs up and uses the service (they’ll get $5 off their first oder, too).
• HelloFresh: Get $20 in HelloFresh credit when friends sign up and use the service with your referral link. They’ll even get $40 off their first box.
• Airbnb: Invite others to make an Airbnb account, and every person who completes a stay or goes on an experience, earns you $30 in travel credit and gets them $40 off their home booking plus $15 for them to use toward an experience (that’s worth at least $50).
• Uber: When a friend takes their first Uber ride after making an account from your referral link, you’ll get $5 off your next ride. Every new user signup from your link also gets $2 off their first three rides.
• Uber Eats: Get $20 when a friend signs up for Uber Eats with your referral code. They’ll get $7 off their first order. Use the Uber Eats discount code eats-jonf1934ue for $7 off your first order.
• Lyft: Have a friend sign up for Lyft with your special code to get $5 off their ride, and you’ll get $10 in ride credit.
• Grubhub: Share your Grubhub invite link to get $12 off for each friend that signs up and spends at least $15 (they’ll get $12 off as well!).
• DoorDash: You get $20 in DoorDash credits when your friends sign up with your link. They’ll also get $20 off spread over their next four orders ($5 off each order).
• Postmates: Both you and your friend get $100 in Postmates credit when they sign up from your Postmates referral link.
• Lime: Give a friend your Lime discount link to get you both one free unlock coupon. Lime is a scooter service.

Online File Storage Services

These are services that let you store files online for safekeeping. Share your special link to get money that you can cash out and use anywhere.

• Box.com: Get $100 for each and every friend that signs up for a free trial with Box from your link.
• Bitport: Promote Bitport to get 50% of all the first sales from each user that signs up through your link.
• FileStream.me: You get 30% of all payments that your friends make through FileStream.me, and they get 15% off their first purchase.
• Offcloud: Get cash for referring users to this online torrent client.

Shopping

If you shop online, share your referral code or special URL with a friend to get some money credited to your account for your next purchase. Some referral programs award your friends, too.

• Wish: Share your Wish referral code so that your friends can use it to get 50% off their first purchase. You can earn up to $100 doing this. Use the Wish discount code hhdssmj for half off your first order. Wish is an international shopping website and app with cheap products.
• OfferUp: Buy and sell items locally and online with OfferUp. When you share your referral link, you’ll both get $5 towards shipping.
• Sam’s Club: Become a member through this link to get a $20 eGift card. Refer your own friends and you’ll earn $10 when they join.
• Tophatter: If you like to buy things online through outbidding other people (like eBay, but faster), you can get $5 (up to $1,000) for every friend that signs up with your friend referral link. They’ll get $5 off their first purchase, too.
• Mercari: Buy and sell items from your phone or tablet, and get $10 credit for everyone who signs up with your referral link. They’ll get a $10 Mercari discount, too.

Website Builders

If you have a website, there’s a good chance your hosting provider has an affiliate program you can sign up for. This will let you make money online just by sharing your referral code/link.

• WordPress.com: This popular website hosting service awards you up to $300 for every person you refer who signs up and uses WordPress.com.

Other Friend Referral Programs

• 23andMe: Get up to a $20 Amazon gift card for every 23andMe referral. When your friend signs up to get their DNA analyzed by the service, they’ll get at least 10% off.