What Are Rewarded Play Apps — and How Can You Earn Real Money With Them?
- The Cash Bandit
- Apr 8
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 30
Ever wish you could earn a little extra just for playing games or completing simple tasks on your phone? Welcome to the world of rewarded play apps — where your scrolling and tapping can actually turn into gift cards, PayPal cash, or even cryptocurrency.
If you’re new to this side hustle, you’re in the right place. In this guide, we’re diving deep into how rewarded play apps work, how people are earning real rewards, and what you need to know to get started.
🎯 What Are Rewarded Play Apps?
Rewarded play apps (sometimes called “reward apps” or “get paid playing games” apps) are mobile apps that let users earn points, tokens, or virtual currency in exchange for completing specific in-app tasks. These tasks might include:
Playing mobile games
Downloading and trying new apps
Watching short video ads
Completing surveys or quizzes
Shopping through affiliate links
Inviting friends to join
Once you’ve earned enough points, you can redeem them for rewards — usually gift cards (like Amazon, Target, or Google Play), PayPal cash, or sometimes even crypto like Bitcoin.
Think of it as a modern version of loyalty programs, but designed around mobile entertainment and app discovery.
💸 How Do These Apps Make Money?
You might be wondering: Why would a company pay me to play games?
The short answer: advertising and user acquisition.
Many apps and game developers want to grow fast, and they're willing to pay to get their app in front of new users. Rewarded play apps act as a middleman between advertisers and users. You get a reward, the advertiser gets a new download, and the app takes a cut. Win-win-win.
Some apps also generate revenue through offerwalls, affiliate shopping, or in-app video ads. That’s how they’re able to pay users while still turning a profit.
💰 Ways You Can Earn With Rewarded Play Apps
Not all apps work the same way, but here are the most common ways to earn:
🎮 1. Play and Progress in Games
You’ll earn points by playing mobile games — sometimes just for reaching level milestones, sometimes for keeping the game installed for several days. Popular reward apps will often rotate new games and offers.
🔥 Example: Just Play, Cash Giraffe, or Mistplay pay you for progressing through partner games.
📲 2. Try Out Apps or Services
Some reward platforms will offer high-paying tasks for trying apps like Audible, DoorDash, or investing apps — often with a bonus for completing certain actions (like signing up, making a deposit, or placing your first order).
💡 Pro Tip: Use a secondary email and set reminders to cancel trials if you’re not planning to keep them.
🎥 3. Watch Ads or Short Videos
A few apps let you earn small amounts of coins or points for watching ads or trailers. It’s not the fastest way to earn, but it can add up if you’re doing it during downtime.
📋 4. Take Surveys or Answer Polls
If you don’t mind answering a few questions, survey-based tasks can pay decently — especially on platforms like Swagbucks, 5 Surveys, or AttaPoll.
⚠️ Tip: Always be honest — inconsistent answers can get you disqualified or banned from survey networks.
👯 5. Refer Friends
Most rewarded play apps offer referral bonuses. Invite a friend and you’ll earn points when they sign up and start using the app. Some apps even offer a percentage of their earnings, which can grow your passive income over time.
🦝 At The Cash Bandit, we love a good referral hustle. Stack those invites and let your earnings multiply.
🛍️ 6. Shop or Complete Offers
Some apps let you earn cashback or points by shopping through their links or completing affiliate offers (like signing up for a subscription, buying a product, etc.).
🛒 Apps like Swagbucks Live, Upside, or Fetch blend play and shopping tasks for hybrid earners.
📱 What Are the Best Rewarded Play Apps?
Here’s a quick list of some top-rated and legit apps (as of 2025):
⚙️ Setting Up Your Phone for Maximum Earnings
Want to earn faster and avoid missed points? See the full guide to phone setup for rewarded play apps here, but if you're in a hurry, here are our quick tips:
✅ Enable these:
Ad tracking (Google settings) – Many apps track progress via ad IDs.
Push notifications – So you never miss bonus offers.
Battery optimization OFF for your reward apps – To keep them running in the background when needed.
Location access – Some offers are location-specific.
🧠 Is This a Real Side Hustle or Just Pocket Change?
It depends on how much time and effort you want to put in. For most people, rewarded play apps are best as a low-effort, passive side hustle — think $10–$50/month casually, or more if you’re strategic and consistent.
Here’s what some of our users and editors have earned:
🧑💻 One user earned $42 in February from game installs and referrals.
🎮 Another cashed out $15 in just 5 days using a new app strategy.
💌 With consistent referrals, you can earn recurring income passively.
🚨 Red Flags! What to Watch Out For
Not all apps are created equal. Some red flags to avoid:
High payout thresholds with little earning opportunities
Constant crashes or slow loading times
Fake reviews or scammy behavior (e.g. asking for money to cash out)
Stick to trusted apps, check reviews, and don’t rely on them as your only source of income.
🦝 Final Thoughts from The Cash Bandits
Rewarded play apps are a fun, low-risk way to earn a little extra money — especially if you're already spending time on your phone. With the right strategy (and a bit of bandit-like cleverness), you can turn your free time into freebies and payouts.
Got an app that worked for you? Want to be featured in next month’s income report? Drop us a message or join our Discord and show us what’s working for you!
🧢 P.S. If you’re ready to start, we recommend starting with one of our beginner missions -- you'll learn about rewarded play and cashout about $20, too!
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