Are there any apps that actually pay you to use them?

Yes, there are. I know it may seem too good to be true, but there are many reasons why companies may be willing to pay you to engage with their content. A lot of them have to do with marketing and driving sales.

Many money making apps have their users taking surveys in exchange for free gift cards or a small amount of money per survey. This might seem like a bad deal for the company, but then you need to keep in mind that even simple focus groups may cost a company $100 per participant every hour. Compared to that, giving web users a few dollars — or cents — in exchange for their opinions makes a lot of sense.

Other apps allow you to make money by investing sums of money large and small. Those apps help get your money on the financial market, and they often turn a profit by charging you a small fee with each transaction, offering you a premium subscription, or both.

If you’d like a list of specific apps, Teach Me! Personal Finance has an updated list of money-making apps.