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When it comes to side hustles, it’s best to find work that aligns with your lifestyle and interests.
Like driving? It probably makes sense to get behind the wheel for Uber or Lyft. Love pets? Look into walking dogs for Rover.
Similarly, if you text chat like it’s the end of the world and enjoy phone chats and online chats, you may want to explore a side hustle that pays you to converse with strangers.
Believe it or not, there are plenty of companies that will pay you to online chat with people. Keep reading to learn the top ways to get paid to text message and chat in your spare time.
17 Legit Ways to Get Paid to Chat
1. Best for serious shoppers: Swagbucks
Swagbucks is a popular cashback site that offers paid surveys and also pays users to participate in focus groups.
If you’re new to the idea of focus groups, here’s what to expect: You basically sit in a chat room with a handful of other people and talk about products and services.
For example, a fitness and lifestyle company may ask you questions about your exercise regimen or clothing preferences. Companies do this to collect market research they can use to inform their marketing campaigns, product development, and packaging.
You can earn $30 to $50 per focus group with Swagbucks. The company pays in points, which you can redeem for gift cards and cash payments.
If this kind of work sounds interesting to you, you may also want to check out Survey Junkie and InboxDollars — both of which offer paid surveys and text chat focus groups.
2. Best customer service gig: LiveWorld
LiveWorld is a social marketing agency. The company hires part-time workers to get paid to chat with customers online over social media.
In this type of role, you’ll monitor clients’ social media channels and keep your eye out for engagement opportunities. For example, someone might write to a clothing company about a problem with their order.
LiveWorld agents make $9 to $12 per hour. So this isn’t the most lucrative line of work. But it can be a way to make some extra cash when you’ve got time to spare.
3. Best for helping people: Premium.chat
Premium.chat is a site where experts like doctors, lawyers, and mechanics can text or hold a video call with clients for extra cash.
If this sounds interesting to you, check this out: You can set your own rate and make your own schedule.
Premium.chat lets you offer paid online chat services across a range of topics. So if you’re an expert in medicine and law, you can offer commentary on both topics.
To work for Premium.chat, you’ll need a webcam or a smartphone. Of course, you’ll also have to be knowledgeable in a specific topic or two.
4. Best site for subject matter experts: JustAnswer
JustAnswer is very similar to Premium.chat. This is a chat service where experts can offer their advice and opinions to customers.
As a new expert, you’ll receive 20% of what the user pays. Over time, this can increase to as much as 50%. To make sure the work is worth your while, you can see how much a user is willing to pay before you agree to help.
JustAnswer comes with a rigorous approval process. You have to demonstrate that you’re an expert to use the site.
But as long as you have the requisite qualifications, you can bring in $2,000 to $7,000 per month using this site. Take my word for it: That’s good money for a side hustle.
5. Best for passive income: McMoney
McMoney is a company that focuses on improving mobile communications.
Simply install the app, sign up, and register your phone number. Once that’s done, the company sends text chat messages to your phone. The coolest part is you don’t even have to respond to them.
One thing worth noting: The service only works with Android devices. And don’t expect to become filthy rich using McMoney; you’ll only receive a few cents per SMS.
That said, the money can accumulate over time. This is a set-it-and-forget-it type of app, and it enables you to earn money for doing almost nothing. It’s truly passive income.
Another company that offers this type of service is I Spy Plates, which helps banks and repo workers find and locate vehicles. Some people move to different areas to run away from their responsibilities, making it very difficult to track and locate them.
The company currently has a program that pays you to receive text messages. Sign up for free and you’ll receive money every time you get a message. The company claims that users can make around $200 or more per month.
In addition, I Spy Plates is actively hiring information collectors. You can make money identifying license plates and entering them into the I Spy Plates database. If you’ve got a bit of a sleuthing streak in you, why not give it a whirl?
6. Best for talkers: Accolade Support
Accolade Support is a call center services provider that offers both customer and technical support.
When working for Accolade, you’ll take calls or hop on live chat to engage directly with customers. In most cases, you’ll need to answer their questions or help troubleshoot issues. In some instances, you might have to deal with irate customers who are calling up to complain.
Accolade Support agents typically make $10 per hour. It’s not the highest-paying gig in the world, but it can still help you get paid to chat.
7. Best for digital nomads: Amazon
Amazon has a global presence with more than 75 service locations around the world. If you’re into the digital nomad life, Amazon could lead to steady and reliable work as a customer service representative engaging with users over live chat.
When working with Amazon, you’ll have access to the latest tools, data, and technology. This is a good thing because you can expect your workload to be action-packed and fast-moving, and having the latest tools helps you get more done.
When you’re just starting out, expect to make about $11 per hour. Over time, that number could increase. And who knows? You might even be able to use this experience to springboard into a higher-paying position with corporate.
8. Best for teachers: Cambly
Cambly is a site that helps non-native English speakers improve their conversational skills. Most of the job entails chatting with people and offering feedback and answering simple questions.
Unlike most tutoring sites, Cambly doesn’t require you to have any certifications or teaching experience to qualify for a position. All you need is a winning attitude and a desire to work with others and help them improve.
Cambly pays $0.17 per minute, or $10, per hour teaching adults and $0.20 per minute, or $12 per hour, teaching kids. Again, it’s not the most money in the world, but it can add up when you get paid to chat over time.
9. Best for techies: Apple
Apple has a decent remote work opportunity through Apple At Home. As part of this program, remote advisors can help iOS users provide troubleshooting and customer support over email, chat session, or phone.
Apple has strict requirements about where you work. For example, you need to have a desk, a high-speed internet connection, and an ergonomic chair. In other words, this isn’t something you can do at a coffee shop or on the beach.
Apple At Home advisors make $19 per hour to start, making it one of the best-paying options to get paid to chat on this list.
10. Best for short-term gigs: Fiverr
Fiverr is an online marketplace for discovering gigs and short-term work. It’s one of the top sites that freelancers and contractors use to find jobs.
For example, you can use Fiverr to find social media gigs and engage with customers on Twitter and Facebook.
Word to the wise: Fiverr takes a 20% commission on your earnings. But the site can be an excellent source for finding a lot of gigs. So if you like to move around and work with different brands, it’s worth looking into.
Upwork is another marketplace that’s very similar to Fiverr. If hustling is the name of the game, you should be active on both platforms.
11. Best seasonal opportunity: 1-800-Flowers
Do you like flowers? If so, you may be interested to learn that 1-800-Flowers usually ramps up its customer service team before holidays like Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day when more customers make purchases.
In this light, the company occasionally offers full-time jobs to high performers. Knock it out of the park and you may be able to land a rosy at-home customer service job.
With 1-800-Flowers, you can work flexible hours and make $10 to $21 per hour. Plus, you’ll never forget to buy flowers for that special someone.
12. Best for people who like to video chat: Fibler
Fibler is another site that connects customers with experts. By becoming a verified Fibler expert, you can make money hopping on video calls and facilitating text chats with global customers.
Part of what makes Fibler unique is its high-quality video chat feature available with most webcams. The site also makes it easy to chat over voice calls.
If you’re interested in flexibility, you’ll love to learn that you can set your own minutes on Fibler and video chat with people on your own time. That way, you won’t have to worry about minimum hourly requirements or sticking to a set schedule.
13. Best for psychics: MeetYourPsychic
MeetYourPsychic offers an app that provides psychic readings. The company offers services across several categories — like career and finance, love and relationships, money and health, and loss and grieving.
To work for this chat app, you need to have psychic experience and go through a 10- to 15-minute evaluation. The company works with a range of advisors, including pet psychics and clairvoyants.
Are you the type of person who can’t get enough of Tarot cards? This could be your dream gig. Believe it or not, the company offers limitless commissions and claims that psychics can make over $1,500 per week. Cha-ching!
14. Best for social butterflies: RentaCyberFriend
RentaCyberFriend is a social meeting platform that connects individuals looking for friends with people like you, who get paid to chat with them.
You’ll meet all types of individuals on this site. Some are lonely people who just want to talk and make virtual friends. Other people may want to learn new skills and hobbies.
For example, someone might “rent an online friend” before moving to a new city to learn about the area and pick up some local insider advice like where to eat or shop.
This is an outstanding way to meet people from all over and make money doing it. If you’re the kind of person who’s up for a virtual friendship, why not give it a whirl?
15. Best for pro chat representatives: Working Solutions
Working Solutions is looking for people to get paid to chat from home as customer service agents. The company now has a network of more than 150,000 agents across the U.S. and Canada.
With Working Solutions, you can set your own hours and make $15 per hour chatting with customers from major global brands. It’s a good way to get solid customer service experience while earning steady cash.
16. Best for survey lovers: 1Q
1Q is a top customer engagement platform. You can get paid to chat by answering surveys over text messages.
That said, you won’t bring down a ton of extra cash with this site. Unfortunately, the company pays between $0.25 and $1 for every survey that you take.
Still, you might find that it’s a good way to bring in some easy money. It’s easy to sign up, and you can cash out via PayPal, so why not give it a whirl?
17. Best full-time way to get paid to chat: The Chat Shop
The Chat Shop hires chat agents to provide customer service for different clients across multiple industries.
If you’re looking for flexibility, you might want to look elsewhere. The company wants people who can work at least 35 to 40 hours per week, so this is ideal for people who want to put in a full week’s work as a chat agent.
The Chat Shop pays $10 an hour, with potential for increases over time.
Quick Tips If You Want to Get Paid to Chat
As with any side hustle, you’ll want to be savvy about your business decisions. These tips should help.
Learn More:
Watch out for scams
It’s best to be upfront about this: The internet is full of scams. If an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is, so it’s best to avoid it.
To stay on the safe side, be cautious about connecting your bank account. Instead, use PayPal to keep your sensitive financial information secure.
You can also look at the Better Business Bureau to see a company’s rating. And before downloading an app, check out its rating on Google Play or App Store to make sure it’s not going to cause you endless frustration.
Check your cell phone plan
Before you sign up for a text messaging service, double-check that you have unlimited texting through your wireless carrier.
This is important when sending text messages at volume through your phone. The last thing you want is to get hit with an unexpected overage charge for excessive texting — especially if you’re roaming around outside of the U.S.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I get paid to text online?
There are tons of ways to make money by chatting and texting online (see above). Not only can you help customers troubleshoot issues, but you can also even get paid to become someone’s virtual friend.
Does chatting online make a good side hustle?
It largely depends on who you work for and how much you work.
For example, you can make decent money texting if you work for a contact center as a customer service specialist, which can be a great home job you can tackle from the comfort of your couch.
At the same time, some companies will only pay a few cents per interaction.
For the best results, always research the pay rate before working as a chat support representative. If a job doesn’t pay well, it’s probably better to move on to greener pastures.
Is it safe to chat online with strangers?
When it boils down to it, you need to find a provider that protects your privacy. Professional chatting should always be anonymous and secure.
Remember, some people can be very persuasive when chatting online. To avoid doing something you end up regretting, make it a habit to never give your personal information to a stranger online.
What skills do you need to chat online?
To thrive in an online chatting role, you need to have excellent communication skills. It helps to have a basic understanding of customer service and know-how to carry on a professional conversation.
Always be courteous when chatting online with customers. Oftentimes, companies hire investigators to perform quality control. So, it pays to always be respectful and give each customer your best effort because you never know when they might be grading you.
The Bottom Line
If you’re the type of person who loves texting and chatting with anyone and everyone, an online chat job seems like the perfect side hustle. You actually can bring in real cash by making phone calls and receiving text messages.
At the end of the day, there are tons of ways to make money online, and chatting is just one of them. Look around, research your available options, and you’re bound to find something that matches your personality and skills.
Here’s to landing a couple of side hustles that supercharge your journey to financial freedom!
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