Imagine the concept of making money without putting much effort into the process. Passive income earning allows you to do just that, as it is one of the most popular methods of bringing in extra cash. With the great advances in technology, it is possible to earn money from your cell phone or computer.
In this article, we’ll discuss different types of income as well as a few interesting passive income apps that you absolutely need to check out.
The Three Main Categories of Income
The three main categories of income are:
- Passive income: regular earnings from a source other than an employer or contractor, requiring minimal labor.
- Active income: salary earned from specified duties or services performed according to an agreement to complete tasks within a specific timeframe.
- Portfolio income: money received from investments, dividends, interest, and capital.
Passive Income
Passive income is money earned while investing minimal time or effort into an actual business. The individual earner does not take part in daily activities performed to maintain a business or corporation, but they reap the benefits of incoming profits.
People misunderstand the concept of passive income as being a labor-free process; that isn’t the case. There is no surefire way to make money without doing anything at all.
Passive income requires effort from you to earn. You can do this by completing acts as simple as downloading an app, reviewing paperwork, contacting a client, or updating the app now and then.
Types of Passive Income
- Real estate or rental activities
- Digital content creation
- Writing books
- Creating online learning courses
- Blogging
- Crowdfunding
- Selling content and merchandise through an online platform
Passive Income Is Not a Get Rich Quick Idea
Keep in mind that you will not likely get rich by using passive income apps. It’s simply a way to have control over your time spent making money. Passive income apps are a great way to generate small earnings in the form of cash, gift cards, or bitcoin payments.
People who utilize passive income earning usually combine it with other methods of acquiring money. That’s not to say that a person can’t sustain a lifestyle with passive income.
Some forms of passive earning may gain vast success over time, like renting property or selling published novels.
Active Income
Active income includes mechanical involvement in the daily growth or maintenance of a business. School teachers, barbers, store clerks, and garbagemen, for example, actively contribute to their places of employment.
To earn a living, they must frequently perform some act of labor. This includes hourly or salary-based payment that is directly tied to an individual’s time. Meaning that income earned is directly tied to acts performed.
Types of Active Income
- Salaries
- Tips
- Fees
- Commissions
- Allowances
Portfolio Income
Portfolio income is any money earned from investments. In some cases, money in the form of royalties counts as portfolio income.
Silent Partner
A silent partner contributes only financially. These individuals have no part in business matters beyond providing capital funding.
They are also referred to as limited partners. Limited partners experience limited liability of the business, usually equal to how much they invest.
Types of Portfolio Income
- Investments
- Interest
- Dividends
- Capital gain
Is Passive Income Taxable?
Just like income generated from a full-time job, the IRS taxes passive income. The difference lies in how you generate income.
Several factors determine tax rates for passive income. It depends on the source of the income and the amount of money invested into the business.
How To Use Passive Income Apps
You can make money directly from your phone by downloading apps and performing the necessary actions. Think of this as the “set it and forget it” method of making money. After performing said actions, you can earn money while you sleep.
Some apps will run in the background while your phone is on. Others will require permission to share your information.
Why Is This Method Considered Passive?
Passive income earning is not directly tied to your time. People will often find that they are already making frequent use of certain apps and never realized they can use them to earn cash. Some apps will pay you to do things that you already do daily!
Let’s review some passive income apps you absolutely need to check out.
Popular Passive Income Apps
Most passive income apps are free to sign up and require your time more than your money. There are several opportunities to make a little extra cash in your spare time, and a lot of it is mindless.
Keep in mind that some apps may ask you to invest a certain amount of startup money or pay an upfront fee. These particular apps may be scams or at the very least, unlikely to give you a viable return on the investment.
Speaking of scams, before you download any apps, look for warning signs that it’s a fraudulent site.
- Read the fine print to determine what is free and what will cost you. Tough to cancel subscriptions and automatic enrollment schemes can cost you.
- Check the app’s reviews. You should see a mixture of ratings instead of all four and five-stars. Also, check the negative comments because they can tell you a lot about the app.
- Avoid apps that try to get you to buy or download other apps because it’s often a scam.
- Make sure you download the legitimate app from an official app store, like the App store, or Google Playle.
If you find a fraudulent app, make sure you report it to the app store. Google Play users can flag apps and Apple users can “report a problem” on the app’s page.
Survey Apps
Survey apps are a great way to earn extra cash. You can download and join as many sites as you desire. Most survey apps pay via PayPal.
You can earn points by performing certain tasks like signing up, referring friends, and completing surveys. You can redeem points for cash or gift cards.
Each paid survey site or app is different; some pay you upon completion of surveys, while others require qualifications for a payout based on the user’s answers.
Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie connects you with companies that collect data for research purposes. You can earn points to redeem for cash payments in exchange for completing surveys.
Most surveys take only a few minutes to complete and each point earned is equal to $0.01. That isn’t a lot of money, but most surveys are worth at least 10–200 points. The more you complete, the more you earn.
You’ll receive notifications when new surveys are available and decide when to participate and which survey to complete.
Branded Surveys
Branded Surveys is another popular paid survey app. You earn points for each survey you complete and redeem your points through PayPal.
This app allows you to advance to higher levels of earning. If you advance to the highest level, you have a higher earning potential via better surveys.
Swagbucks
Another prevalent survey website is Swagbucks. There is much potential to earn and grow on this site. You immediately earn a $20 sign-on bonus to redeem once you reach a certain number of points.
Swagbucks offers a wide variety of readily available surveys. It is common to complete a survey and not receive payment because of qualification requirements.
InboxDollars
InboxDollars offers you a slightly higher pay rate than most other survey apps. Participants can expect to earn between $0.50 and $5.00 per survey.
In addition to completing surveys, this app also offers payment for other activities like playing games and viewing videos.
Google Opinion Rewards
This app does exactly as its name implies. In exchange for completed surveys, Google will reward Google Play Store points or credits to use on books, videos, games, and more.
Your surveys depend on which activities Google determines that you like best. You will complete surveys based on their likes and preferences as recorded by Google.
Exercise Apps
Apps that pay you to walk or exercise are great for those who are serious about staying healthy. You do not earn a ton from these apps, but the benefits are great. Exercise apps are a prime example of passive income earning. You can profit just by doing what you regularly do.
Lifecoin
Lifecoin is an app that rewards you for walking and working out. The more GPS-calculated steps you take, the more money you earn. Lifecoin pays you with gift cards and reward points.
Walking is something that most people do every single day. Wouldn’t it be great to get paid to perform activities that you’re already going to do? This app is not only useful but beneficial too, as it can encourage you to remain physically active.
Sweatcoin
Sweatcoin pays you in cryptocurrency for every 2,000 steps taken. You can redeem the currency for cash, gift cards, and other rewards.
Your steps register via GPS tracking; the app does not count steps taken indoors.
StepBet
StepBet is a fitness app that allows you to set personal fitness goals. You will bet a set amount of money and strive to achieve your goals within a specific time.
If you meet your goals, you keep their initial payment and also earn extra cash. If you fail to meet your goals, you lose your cash. StepBet is a great way to stay motivated; no one likes losing money!
Real Estate Apps
Owning real estate is a highly trusted method of earning income. It is one of the oldest forms of passive income and offers a variety of options and opportunities.
You can now utilize real estate investment apps directly from a cell phone or computer. These apps assist with finding real estate, choosing investment options, and maintaining business connections.
Most, if not all, real estate investing apps require you to submit a minimum startup amount.
Fundrise
Fundrise is a real estate app that allows you to invest in several lucrative real estate projects without owning entire properties. You reap the benefits of progress without the risk of loss if something goes wrong.
Investors can get started with as little as $10.
Arrived Homes
This app is a quickly growing real estate crowdfunding platform. You do not take part in property maintenance or communication with tenants. The app is easy to navigate and you are only required to make investments and collect your share of profits.
Sign-up is free and there is a minimum startup cost of $100.
AcreTrader
This particular app offers investment options for farmland. Sign-up is simple and quick. AcreTrader provides features to help you research available farmlands and make wise investment choices.
Streitwise
Streitwise helps you invest in low-risk commercial real estate. Investors obtain shares in projects that should steadily increase in value. Fees are reasonable and straightforward.
Groundfloor
This app requires an initial investment of only $10, and there are no management fees. In this sense, it’s great for beginners. Another advantage that those who are just starting to invest is that it allows you to earn a profit in a shorter term than others.
Are Passive Income Apps Safe?
The best way to determine the safety and legitimacy of any application or website is to do some research. Most passive income apps are well known and proven safe for use.
Before downloading any app, be sure to check with the BBB (Better Business Bureau), and search for online reviews. Millions of people have used most of these apps so there is no shortage of personal reviews.
Electronic communication is a huge practice and is growing. This has opened doors for scammers, fraudsters, and identity thieves. Be sure to do extensive research before entering any online business agreements and always protect your personal information.
Final Notes
Income is vital for everyone who lives in society; we must all garner profitable revenue. Among everyday necessities, the high cost of living and inflation has increased the need for many people to acquire extra income.
Passive income earning is an effective way to do just that. It may not catapult you to millionaire status, but it is a great side hustle.