Let me just say this upfront — I didn’t expect much. I’ve seen those “make money with your phone” ads before, and most of them just seemed too good to be true. But I kept wondering — what if one or two actually work?
So I cleared out a few gigs from my week, grabbed my phone, and decided to commit. I picked five Get-Paid-To (GPT) apps that people kept mentioning online. For one full week, I used them like I would scroll Instagram — casually but consistently. Here’s exactly what happened.
The Setup
To keep things simple, I downloaded all five apps on a Monday morning. I didn’t go in with high hopes — just curiosity. My only rule was: I’d spend no more than an hour a day total, spread out however I wanted.
Here’s what I tried:
- Swagbucks
- ySense
- CashKarma
- InboxDollars
- Poll Pay
All of them claimed to pay for things like answering surveys, watching short clips, or downloading apps. Some even had bonuses for referring friends or completing “high-value” offers.
Day 1 to 3: Mild Hope, Some Annoyance
Swagbucks started off alright. I got 50 points just for signing in and clicking around. The surveys were hit-or-miss, though. Some kicked me out midway, and that got frustrating fast. I earned about $1.25 after an hour — not bad, not great.
ySense felt more straightforward. The interface was cleaner, and I qualified for more surveys than I expected. I made about $3.10 across the first three days.
CashKarma was a little more game-like. You earn points for watching ads or checking in daily, and there’s a scratch card feature that adds a bit of fun. But man, the ads! They were everywhere. Still, it got me around $1.80 in points by Day 3.
InboxDollars had this old-school feel to it. It literally paid me 5 cents for confirming my email. I earned another 20 cents watching some weird ad for a vacuum cleaner. It’s not much, but it adds up, slowly.
Poll Pay was my “in bed before sleep” app. Super chill interface. Short surveys. Fewer rejections. I actually liked it. Earned about $2.70 in a few days, just messing with it while half asleep.
Day 4 to 7: The Reality Kicks In
By Day 4, I had already figured out the rhythm. Some surveys were legit. Some were clearly time-wasters. I got more selective — no more clicking on 30-minute surveys that paid 30 cents. That’s just pain with no gain.
Swagbucks started offering me those “sign up and spend” deals. Stuff like “Buy this meal kit and get 1000 SB.” I passed. I wasn’t here to spend money to make pennies.
InboxDollars kept dangling video offers, but they were either too long or repetitive. Honestly, I got bored.
The surprise? ySense kept performing. By the end of the week, I had crossed $5 — which they let me cash out through PayPal. That made a difference. The rest either had high withdrawal thresholds or asked for weird verifications.
Final Tally (Rough Estimates)
Here’s how much I made in one week:
- ySense – $5.23
- Poll Pay – $3.60
- Swagbucks – $3.15
- CashKarma – $2.10
- InboxDollars – $1.40
Total: Around $15.48
Not life-changing. Not even a dinner. But if I were stacking this with other mini gigs, it might start to look like something.
What I Liked and What I Didn’t
The Good:
- ySense and Poll Pay felt worth the time.
- No upfront investment. Just your phone and time.
- Surveys were sometimes oddly satisfying. You feel productive, even if you’re just clicking options.
The Not-so-Good:
- Disqualification was a buzzkill. Especially mid-survey.
- Some apps were painfully slow or filled with ads.
- A few offers felt shady — like “download this weird VPN and keep it for 30 days” shady.
Final Thoughts
Trying out GPT apps was an eye-opener. They can work, but they’re not magic. You’re trading your time and attention for small rewards. If you’re scrolling TikTok for 30 minutes a day anyway, these apps might make you a few bucks instead.
But here’s the thing — I wouldn’t rely on them as my main hustle. They’re more like filler income. The kind you earn while watching Netflix or waiting in line. Still, it’s honest money, and sometimes that’s all you need.
So yeah, they do pay. Just don’t expect a payday — more like digital pocket change.
