The internet has a lot of side hustles available for people with the time and drive to bring in extra income.
And for those who make money online, PayPal is one of the easiest ways to get paid securely and know that your money is safe.
In this article, we’ll look at several different ways to bring in extra money online via part-time gigs, online surveys, and more.
We’ll also show you how to set up a PayPal account to get paid and securely transfer funds from your PayPal account to your bank account.
How to Get Paid Online via PayPal
To receive payment via PayPal, all you need to do is sign up for an account.
Once you have a dedicated PayPal username, people and employers can send cash directly to your account.
Let’s first discuss how to set up a PayPal account, then look at how to transfer funds to your personal bank.
WARNING: Never give out your PayPal password to anyone.
Scammers will sometimes post fake jobs and tell you that they need your password to set up your payment deposits.
This isn’t how it works — no one, especially not an employer, ever needs your password to send you money via PayPal.
Setting Up a PayPal Account
Signing up for a PayPal account is a quick process, provided you have the banking information you need and a working email address.
Here are the simple steps to sign up:
First, go to PayPal’s website.
Click on “Sign Up” in the top right hand corner.
Once there, you’ll be prompted to sign up for a personal account or a business account.
The decision on which account to sign up for is up to you.
If you plan on only using this account for business purposes — invoicing employers, accepting payments for work — and want to keep it organized for tax purposes, you can select “Business Account.”
There are accompanying fees that come with operating a business account.
You can always upgrade to a business account later if you’re unsure.
For most freelancers, the more preferable option (at first at least) is to select “Personal Account.”
From there you will need to provide your legal first name and last name, a username, and password.
After that, your account will be open.
It won’t quite be functional yet, of course.
A PayPal account is only as good as its ability to get you money.
Once your account is created, you will need to provide PayPal with personal information needed to get cash to you.
This includes a working telephone number, an address, a Social Security number, a bank routing number, and a bank account number for a personal checking or savings account.
Once you’ve set up your account and verified your information, you’re ready to start sending and receiving cash through PayPal.
All an employer will need is the email address connected to your PayPal account or your PayPal username.
Getting Your Cash
Getting PayPal cash is great, but being able to take the cash out is more important.
Luckily, PayPal makes it extremely easy to transfer money from your PayPal account to your bank account.
When you get a notification that you’ve received money, you need to go to PayPal.com or the PayPal app (available on iPhone or Android) and log in.
Then on the homepage underneath your balance you’ll see a button to “transfer money.”
Tap that, and you’ll be taken to a page that asks if you want to withdraw money or transfer money in.
Tap “Transfer to your bank.”
From there you’ll be able to select the amount of money you’d like to transfer to your bank.
Transfers usually take between 3-5 business days to arrive in your account.
Creating an Invoice With PayPal
PayPal gives you the option to easily create invoices directly through their site, and gives employers the option to directly pay you there.
For people concerned about sharing banking information with employers, PayPal invoices allow you a secure way to get paid, and all employers have to do is click a link to send you funds.
To create an invoice, first log in to PayPal, then click on “Send & Request” money in the top menu.
Once there, you’ll be taken to a page where, on the right, you’ll see the option to “Send an Invoice.” Click on that.
On the next page, you’ll be taken to a template that allows you to enter as much information as needed to generate a professional invoice in minutes.
You can choose from pre-set templates, add a company logo, select whether it will be a one-time invoice or recurring invoice, business type, and more.
It looks like this:
An important thing to note is to make sure you select “Type” from the drop down menu, whether it be shippable goods, a service, or something else.
This will make sure the invoice is itemized properly.
If you scroll down you will be able to add an itemized list of services or goods, select from a host of options for types of payment accepted, provide a note to a client and terms and conditions, attach files, and more.
Once you’ve completed your invoice, send it to the client (or you can save as a draft), and then wait for the money to arrive in your PayPal account.
7 Ways to Bring in Extra Income Online
Receiving money via PayPal is one of the safest and most secure ways to get paid online.
But what about finding the job that pays you?
Below is a list of job types that are popular for online freelancers.
(Note: Not every employer below uses the PayPal payment method as one of its payment options, but many do.)
Social Media Managing or Editing
As companies grow their digital presence, many are looking for social media strategists and content creators to interact with customers, market their products, and more via new social media platforms.
If you are a digital native with a creative streak and great instincts for the internet, it may be worth looking into jobs in this field.
Transcription
The world is awash in audio files, medical records, and other file types that need to be transcribed into clean digital copy.
For people with excellent typing skills, transcription can be a great way to bring in extra cash.
Companies like TranscribeMe are often on the hunt for new transcribers.
Graphic Design
Graphic design is a wonderful job in that it’s always needed and it can be done from just about anywhere.
Fiverr is a company that allows graphic designers, video editors, freelance writers, and more to post gig availabilities and rates (setting prices anywhere from $5 to $995 based on the scope of the work).
Companies from all over the world can hire you for your expertise.
Virtual Assistant
A virtual assistant job is great for people who thrive with organization and logistics but prefer to work at home.
A good place to look for jobs in this field (and any remote work) is FlexJobs, an online job board specializing in freelance positions.
Test Games and Software
Yes, you can actually make money playing games online.
Several companies, including Nintendo, will pay users to beta test games and software to make sure they function properly.
Online Surveys
Online survey sites are another excellent way to bring in extra cash in your spare time.
These survey sites often pay out with free gift cards that can be used at retailers like Walmart and more of your favorite stores, though some offer money deposits as well.
Survey companies like Swagbucks, Opinion Outpost, and Survey Junkie all create online survey panels, which act like focus groups to collect market information for clients.
By helping them you can earn cash or gift cards.
Cash Back for Shopping
Some companies will provide you cash back savings when shopping online, via a browser extension or if you shop through their app.
Ibotta and eBates are popular companies that provide cash back offers and savings on certain products.
There are also companies like Field Agent which pays you to do market research while you shop out in the real world, taking photos and answering questions, all to earn extra money.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is PayPal safe to use? Will my funds be secure?
It’s totally understandable to have concerns about security.
PayPal takes it seriously, offering two-step authentication (which requires that anyone signing in has to authenticate the sign-in from your personal cell phone) and a mobile pin which requires you to use a special pin to sign in through the PayPal app.
The biggest thing to remember is to never give out your PayPal password.
2. Can I get paid via credit card with my PayPal account?
If you want to be able to accept payments via credit card, you will need to upgrade to a business account.
3. How do I send money to friends with PayPal?
PayPal gives you the option to send money to your friends for free.
To do so is easy, just tap on the “Send & Request” button on the PayPal website or app.
The one thing to remember for free PayPal money transfers is that, when you’re sending money, make sure the transfer is labeled as “Sending to a friend” and not “Paying for an item or service.”
If you select “paying for an item or service” the receiver of the funds will be charged a small fee.
Earn PayPal Money Online
In this gig economy, people are always looking for ways to bring in extra cash via the side hustle.
Online jobs can be a great way to make money, and PayPal is a great way to make sure your payments are safe.
Follow the advice in this article and you can earn money and transfer it to your account safely, all online and with the help of PayPal.
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