For those who want to make money in an accessible way, the app offers many options to consider. You can use your smartphone to take surveys, get side jobs, sell unwanted items, and much more.

Here's information about seven free money-making apps. NerdWallet considers an app with at least four stars and 25,000 reviews on Google Play and the iOS App Store.

How it works: With Ibotta, you can get cash back on in-store and online purchases from over 2,000 supported retailers. Originally for groceries, it has expanded to include clothing, entertainment and dining out, pet supplies and other categories. Offers can be product or store specific - and some are applied automatically. Others require you to complete additional tasks, such as watching a video or completing a poll.

There are three possible ways to earn in-store cashback: Add offers and send your receipt in the app after your shopping trip, link your store loyalty account, or purchase store gift cards through the Ibotta app. For online purchases, you shop through the app or with the Ibotta browser extension on your computer.

Payment: PayPal, digital gift card or direct to bank account.

Benefits: You receive instant refunds for in-store purchases - usually within 24 hours. Ibotta also offers new users welcome bonuses, referral bonuses and various payment methods.

Cons: Making money can be a slow process. You must have at least $20 cash back to redeem your earnings (some gift cards require at least $25 earnings). For online shopping, the waiting time to get your cashback differs per retailer.

How it works: Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates) rewards shoppers with up to 40% cash back on purchases from well-known retailers, restaurants and food delivery services. Users can also earn cash back on travel, gift cards and more. It’s straightforward: Create an account, tap on the store where you want to shop in the app, then make the transaction through the portal. You can also link a credit or debit card to your Rakuten account to earn cash back in-store — as long as you activate the deal through the app first. Rakuten credits the cash back to your account after it confirms the purchase with the retailer, which it says can take a few hours to several days.

Payment: PayPal or check.

Pros: Thousands of stores and purchases are eligible for cash back, so you’ll likely find deals where you already shop. New users can earn a $10 welcome bonus after their first qualified purchase. You can also earn sign-up and referral bonuses.

Cons: As with most cash-back services, you have to spend money to make money. You won’t see your earnings right away, either; Rakuten sends out payments every three months, and you need at least a $5 cash-back balance to get paid.

How it works: Swagbucks is a cash-back and rewards app. You earn points, called "SB," by shopping, taking polls, watching videos, playing games or fulfilling other tasks through Swagbucks. You can redeem those points for gift cards or get cash back to your PayPal account. The total points awarded can vary by task. For example, surveys are typically worth about 40 to 200 SB points each. The minimum balance required to redeem depends on the payout option you choose, but some gift cards are available for as low as 110 SB.

Payment: Gift card or PayPal.

Pros: Swagbucks offers many easy ways to earn rewards, and there’s no waiting period to cash in. Payments usually arrive within 10 business days after redemption. You can also get a $10 bonus with a qualifying $25 purchase when you join.

Cons: It doesn’t pay much; one SB is worth about a cent. With many tasks valued at pennies, it can take a fair amount of time and effort to make substantial money. Additionally, you won’t qualify for every survey or task. Users often report getting kicked out of surveys in the middle of taking them. This can be due to demographics or dishonest or inconsistent answers, according to Swagbucks.