AppTrailers

The next app that I'd like to review is one of the more simple video/ad apps out there. It is called AppTrailers and, as the name suggests, it rewards users for watching trailers for apps. More specifically, it rewards users for watching ads between app trailers. The number of points awarded per video varies with the number of videos previously watched on a given day. The points typically start at 7 or 8 points per video and quickly reduce to 3 points per video.

Each point is worth 1/10th of a cent. So, 1000 points equals $1. The payout options include transferring points to a user's Perk account at a 1-to-1 ratio (not sure why you'd do this but it is an option), gift cards and a payout to PayPal. The PayPal payout threshold is $0.50 which is very low and relatively easy to achieve in a day with 1 device. Also, there is no fee for the PayPal payout (unlike some apps). The interesting thing about this PayPal payouts is that it pays to the nearest 1 cent instead of whole dollar amounts. For example, if you have 530 points, the app will send 53 cents to your PayPal account (typically in about 1 business day).

A few drawbacks to this app include the following:

• It asks you "Are you still watching" every so often which requires you to click "yes" to continue. This limits the users' earning potential and makes earning less passive (technically passive earning is against the ToS).
• Sometimes, the app will get stuck on a full page ad that won't automatically move to the next video. This further limits the users' earning potential and makes the app even less passive.
• It was purchased by Perk relatively recently (hence the option for Perk points). It hasn't been fully absorbed into Perk. But when it does, it will likely lose the direct PayPal payout option. This would be unfortunate because the conversion rate is much more generous on AppTrailers than it is on Perk.
• It has a 7 device limit for the lifetime of the user's account. This means that every device used with a given user's account takes away from the limit and it cannot be undone. Also, a user is only allowed 1 account.
• It doesn't seem to work with virtual machines. I have only casually tested this, though.

Verdict:

AppTrailers is definitely worth it while it remains semi-separate from Perk. It isn't the best app for multiple devices (see drawbacks above), but it is good to use on your phone while you aren't actively using it. Also, the app's payout threshold is very low and it pays out regularly (I've earned about $3 in the couple of weeks I've had it). That is about as much as you can ask for from an app like this.

InstaGC

The next earning "app" I am going to review is really a collection of apps, surveys, tasks, clicks, videos etc. that all credit back to one website. It is called InstaGC and it can be accessed via PC or phone and it gives users many different ways to earn points. It has all of the typical ways to earn including; downloading apps, completing surveys (Peanut Labs etc.), watching videos (VideoLab, EngagemeTV), completing tasks, clicking specific links and ads, etc. The nice thing about InstaGC is that it is a repository for all of a user's earnings instead of trying to get payouts from specific video or survey site in specific.

Writing a complete review of InstaGC would take many pages. So, I am going to focus on the more passive earning methods and the payout options for this post. I'll revisit InstaGC as I delve further into the depths of earning methods etc.

The two most passive earning methods on InstaGC are likely VideoLab and EngagemeTV. Both involve watching videos and ads to earn points. Both are fairly passive.

VideoLab

First up is VideoLab (found under OfferToro on InstaGC). The name for this one is somewhat of a misnomer as it doesn't really show users many videos. Instead, it slowly cycles through a series of websites, some containing videos, and spends a total of 12 minutes viewing the sites and ads before crediting 1.4 points to the user's InstaGC account. Viewing 12 minutes worth of ads/sites typically takes about 15-20 minutes total due to the counter pausing while new pages load.

Sometimes, VideoLab will work flawlessly for hours and other times it will get stuck between ads and require intervention from the user. Also, there are times when it will run out of ads (typically toward the end of the month) which will limit earning potential. Lastly, every now and then, users will get briefly banned from viewing new ads. I am not really sure why this happens. However, it usually only lasts a day or two. Videolab only allows one device to be running at a time and it requires the page showing the ads and videos to be kept on top in the browser.

EngagemeTV

Next up is EngagemeTV. This android/PC app works very similarly to PerkTV in that it shows ads between videos. It credits 1.38 points to InstaGC (or many other options) for every 6 videos watched. As with VideoLab, there are times when it will run out of ads. Typically, I'll switch to VideoLab when this happens. Also, the app usually crashes after a few hours or so which requires intervention from the user.

EngagemeTV allows users to run multiple devices. If a user runs multiple devices, the earning potential increases quite a bit. However, it doesn't allow multiple devices to be running the same video playlist (Movie Reviews, Viral Videos, App Trailers etc.). In my experience, if a user runs 2 devices, the earning potential is roughly equivalent to VideoLab.

Payout Options

InstaGC offers many different payout options including cash, gift cards, charity etc. The typical payout threshold is $5 for ~500 points. The direct deposit option is my favorite payout method as it is a very simple way to put cash in your account. The threshold is $5 (for 500 points) plus a 15 point (cent) fee to get a direct deposit to your account. This rate is pretty reasonable when compared to other apps. Also, the payout will reach a user's account within a day or two.

Verdict

InstaGC is definitely worthwhile but it isn't quite as passive or lucrative as some of the Perk apps. If you've got additional devices or computing power, it is a good way to diversify your earning options to keep from getting banned by Perk etc.

For a bonus, click the link here to sign up: https://www.instagc.com/1608447

I'd love to hear what you think about InstaGC or if there are better passive ways to earn on it.

Mobile Performance Meter

Another great passive earning app is called Mobile Performance Meter. This app pays you to run in the background and gather data to analyze how you use your phone. The data is collected and anonymized to protect your privacy.

The app takes up very little power and uses very little data. Basically, you won’t know it is running. The app pays you 10 cents per day to collect data. While not a lot, you literally have to do nothing to earn money. The payout options include store gift cards and virtual Visa cards. For the virtual Visa, the redemption rate is 100 points per dollar once you reach the $5 payout threshold (50 days). So, it doesn’t pay you quickly, but it is very unobtrusive.

Verdict: This app is a no-brainer. Install it and earn money. What more do I need to say? To earn a bonus when you sign-up, click this referral link: here.

Slidejoy

The next app I’d like to discuss is one of the most passive apps out there. It is called Slidejoy. This app installs on your phone and takes over as your default lock screen. In place of your usual lock screen, the app shows you ads and gives you the opportunity to swipe left to engage the ad (opens in web browser) or right to unlock your phone as usual. The great thing about this app is that it pays you even if you don’t engage the ads (unlike many other lock screen apps).

This app won’t earn you a whole lot. I typically average between 5 and 10 cents per day (50-100 carats) with typical phone usage. Also, the points from the previous month don’t become available for redemption until the next month (on the 18^th of the month). So, this app won’t pay out fast either.

The payout options include donations to charity, Amazon credit, PayPal and various store gift cards. The exchange rate is roughly 1000 carats per dollar depending on the option (true for PayPal at the $10 mark and above). The minimum PayPal payout is $2. So, the payout threshold is pretty low.

The last thing I’ll mention about this app is that the data usage is very low. This is despite the fact that some of the ads are moving ads. The data usage is in the neighborhood of a few megabytes per day. So, it isn’t a data plan buster.

Verdict: This app is worth it if you are playing the long game. It does take over your lock screen. So, you can’t customize the screen while using the app. Also, the ads can be a little odd at times. In my opinion, this one is a tossup. If you don’t mind your lock screen displaying ads, it is a very passive way to earn a couple of bucks per month. If you’d like a bonus when you sign up, click the referral link here to sign up: getslidejoy.com/r2/D4tBzARy6l-IcqggkDhneQ

Rewardable TV Prelim Review

Rewardable TV (referred to as “RTV” going forward) is a relatively new player in the passive earning app space. This app brought to us by the creators of the original Rewardable app that rewarded users for completing tasks and checking in at locations (very similar to the original Perk app). RTV works similarly to the PerkTV app in that it shows you ads while in between media content. However, instead of watching videos, the RTV users are shown trending GIFs with ads in between. One other difference is that the app does not confirm you are still watching. So, users can leave the app running basically all the time. Also, users receive 3 “acorns” for each GIF/ad set that they watch. 1000 acorns are equal to $1. Given that the GIFs are short and the ads play quickly, this app has a pay-out rate that is at least on par, if not greater than, nearly every Perk passive earning app (see discussion of the Perk apps under the Perk sections of this blog).

The payout threshold for RTV is $10 and the payout is via PayPal. There are no other options. This is quite a bit higher than the minimum threshold of other apps (i.e. Perk, AppTrailers etc.), but it isn’t unreasonably high. Despite the single option for payout, I feel that cash is nearly always superior to gift cards and other payout methods. Also, the conversion rate of 1000 acorns per dollar is better than the cash payout rates for Perk (1100 pts/$ for Perk Plastik & much worse for PayPal) and on par with the payout rate for AppTrailers. So, that is a plus.

One thing to note about payouts is the fact that I have not requested a payout yet. So, I have no firsthand experience of receiving money from RTV. However, the reviews I have read regarding payouts indicate that payments are received via PayPal in about 15-20 days on average. This is quite a bit longer than other apps. So, there is no instant gratification. However, the reviews do indicate that payments are received. So, the best suggestion I can make is to cash out once per month. It does appear that the cash-outs could be pretty lucrative. So, we’ll see if this app goes the way of other apps (Perk, Swagbucks TV, checkpoints) to limit the earning potential.

One thing I haven’t discussed yet is the limitation on the number of devices and accounts. As usual, users are limited to one account. However, there can be up to 7 devices per account at the same time. This is pretty generous. When the app was announced by the RTV team, via Reddit, they indicated as much. So, you don’t have to take my word for it. If you feel the urge to run the app on 7 devices at once, you are free to do so.

Lastly, I feel that I should mention that this app doesn’t play nice with virtual android emulators (Nox, Memu, Bluestacks). The app will run, but the ads will eventually cause the app to crash or get stuck and limit your earnings. If you have the ability to babysit the virtual devices, then you should be ok. If not, I wouldn’t recommend using the app in that fashion. The app does, however, work better on physical android phones with reasonable computing power (I am running a Galaxy S6 with no issues). There are some issues with the app getting stuck between videos and ads which require the process to be restarted. But the issues are fewer and farther between on physical devices. Also, after extended periods, the app can run out of ads to show which will limit your earnings. When this happens, it is probably best to switch to a new app for the day and test it out again the next day.

VERDICT – Provided that this app pays out as it promises, it is definitely worth running. Also, it is much simpler and more reliable than apps like PerkTV. It would seem like a good idea to run this on a spare or old device as it completely ties up a phone to run. Also, I know that a lot of passive earners do use multiple cheap android phones to run passive earning apps. These can be found on the cheap at Walmart, Amazon etc. I have not tried to run the app on cheap phones, but I am not aware of any reason why it wouldn’t work. I will provide an update to this post when/if I receive my first payout. 

Perk Apps Introduction

No discussion of passive or active mobile earnings/rewards apps would be complete without an in-depth discussion of the Perk apps. Trying to get by in the mobile rewards world without Perk is like sewing with one hand tied behind your back. It can be done, but it is difficult. Perk is one of the most popular mobile rewards systems. This is largely due to the sheer number available earning opportunities. Below is a nearly complete list of apps owned by Perk. Each of them offers a different way to earn Perk points; some more passive than others. I will add a review of each of the apps listed below to this site (in addition to others). But for this post, I’ll just discuss the Perk apps as a whole. 

Perk App List (click for link to full list of apps):

·         Perk
·         Perk Scratch & Win
·         Perk Wallet
·         PerkTV
·         Perk TV LIVE
·         Viggle
·         ViggleTV (web browser)
·         Perk Scratch & Win
·         Perk Pop Quiz
·         Unlock & Win (daily unlock max of 5000 perk points)
·         Word Search
·         Rewards Reader
·         AppTrailers (recent Perk acquisition)

Rewards: Perk has a large variety of reward options. These range from store gift cards to PayPal to a reloadable debit card. Each app rewards the user with Perk Points. Depending on the chosen reward, 1000 Perk points is roughly equal to $1. This is more accurate when it comes to gift cards to the myriad available stores. Another option is Perk’s Perk Plastik reloadable debit card. The card is a reloadable Discover debit card that can be reloaded directly from the Perk Wallet app at the rate of 1100 Perk points per dollar. While it is not the best exchange rate, it isn’t too bad. The Perk Plastic card is my favorite payout option because it is nearly instantaneous. The last available option that I’ll discuss is the PayPal option. This option is one of the least attractive on Perk. The exchange rate varies depending on the amount transferred to PayPal, but for $10 it’ll cost you 15000 Perk Points. So the cost per dollar is 36% higher than using the Perk Plastik debit card option. Both are basically cash equivalents. Also, you can always transfer money off of a debit card to PayPal using a PayPal money request (for 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction).  Use Referral Code 07828855 for a bonus during sign-up!

Reliability:

Generally, the Perk apps are pretty reliable earners. The earning rates have decreased steadily over time. But, there is still money to be made. Each app has its pros and cons. Typically, passivity and reliability does not go hand in hand with high earnings. The more active apps generally can pay out more but they require active participation on the part of the user. Some examples of the more passive apps that pay consistently but slowly include: PerkTV, Perk TV Live, Viggle, AppTrailers, and Perk Pop Quiz (I’ll explain when I review that app). The other apps are much more active.

Limits:

Perk is notorious for not explaining their device, account & app limits in clear terms. This is likely on purpose. They can basically ban you whenever they see fit. But, conventional wisdom is to run no more than 5 devices at once and to earn no more than 15000 points per day. It is unclear whether the device limit applies to each app or all apps running at once. The best thing to do to keep from being banned is to play it safe and keep your earnings somewhat modest.

Lastly, I’ll mention that each person is really only allowed one account. If Perk detects more than one account associated with one person, they will likely ban all of the accounts. This would be an unfortunate event for the user as there is really no way to reverse this.

Passive Earning:

One thing to note is that pure passive earning on Perk is against the terms of service (ToS). This is the case with most rewards apps. So, if you plan to earn passively, try to keep within the other limits (device, account, point earnings etc.) to avoid being banned by Perk.

Some people run multiple devices with more passive perk apps. They will purchase multiple cheap phones from Amazon or Walmart and run the apps. If you earn enough, the cheap phones will pay for themselves eventually. Another option is to run virtual android phones via MeMu or Nox. This is definitely against the ToS. But it is cheaper than the aforementioned option. Either option could get you banned if you don’t keep the earnings etc. in check.

Verdict:

Perk is definitely worth your while if you are patient and diligent. It isn’t something to make a living off of. But you can make a little extra money each month in your spare time. As discussed, passive earning is technically against the rules. So, if you intend to try it, be careful and work to keep earnings modest to keep from getting banned.

There aren’t many other earning options and apps that have so many earning options under one roof. This is advantageous because all points combine together and can be spent for the same rewards. Other apps may pay better individually, but they don’t offer nearly the options that Perk does.