As an investing nerd who loves optimizing apps to make extra cash, Cash App has become one of my new favorite side hustles.
I‘ve used various rewards programs, contests, promotions and investment tools within the app to earn over $5,000 so far.
And in this step-by-step guide, I‘ll show you exactly how to leverage Cash App to start making real money too.
Cash App Usage Stats: A Mainstream Money App
Before we dive into the earnings opportunities, let‘s look at some key statistics showing Cash App‘s explosive growth and demographics to understand why it‘s becoming so popular:
||2022 Users|2022 Transaction Volume| Demographics|
|-|-|-|-|
|Cash App|Over 50 million| $4.57 billion|18-35 years old|
With over 50 million active users sending billions in payments, Cash App has gone mainstream.
The app is especially popular among millennials and Gen Z drawn to its modern design and features like free custom cards, boosts, bitcoin and stocks.
And with younger demographics flocking to the platform, Cash App continues rapid innovation to meet their needs and expectations.
This bleeding edge development makes Cash App the perfect playground for money-savvy users to take advantage of quirks and emerging programs for extra income.
Now let‘s explore those opportunities across 7 key categories:
7 Ways to Earn Money on Cash App
I‘ve personally tested and used all 7 of these strategies to earn real cash:
Below I share my first-hand experiences, top tips and analysis for each method from lowest to highest effort.
1. Get Paid to Sign Up
The most effortless way to put extra money into your new Cash App account is by getting paid just for signing up.
Cash App offers $5 instantly when you:
- Register for a new Cash App account
- Send $5 or more to a friend or entered referral code in first 14 days
Total Reward: $5
I signed up back in 2018 using a referral code from my sister. I sent her $5 right after linking my bank account.
Within ~10 seconds the welcome $5 bonus dropped into my Cash App balance:
With 50 million existing users, chances are you know people already on Cash App who can instantly exchange the $5 with you.
This adds up fast if you get your family onboard to trade sign-up bonuses.
Effort: Extremely easy
Risk: None
Reward: Guaranteed $5
2. Refer Friends for $15 Each
Now that you‘ve scored your signup bonus cash, it‘s time to get a referral train going.
Cash App pays $15 for every friend that:
- Signs up using your custom referral code
- Sends $5 within 14 days of first signing up
Total Reward per Referral: $15
I built up over $500 referring former colleagues along with online side hustle friends.
The custom link and code make it simple to spread across text, email, social posts:
Pro Tip: Post your link + code on relevant forums and subs where people discuss side hustles/apps. Offer to exchange signups for the bonuses.
Effort: Easy promotional effort
Risk: None
Reward: $15 per sign-up
3. Social Media Contests
If you want to score some big cash prizes, start entering Cash App‘s frequent contests on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook.
These are often as simple as:
- Liking + sharing a post
- Tagging friends in comments
- Answering a question creatively
Cash prizes range from $20 – $500+ for lucky winners.
For example, I won $250 answering this contest question with a funny meme:
They run multiple contests per week, so set notifications on their social accounts and check often!
Pro Tip: Get creative with video entries and humor to stand out.
Effort: Time spent browsing and entering
Risk: None
Reward: Various prize amounts
4. Cash Back & Discounts with Boosts
One of my favorite passive money makers is using my Cash Card linked to Cash App at stores.
Why? One word: Boosts.
Cash Card boosts give you instant discounts or cash back (up to 15%) when you pay with your Cash Card.
Just tap to pay and watch the savings stack automatically into your Cash App balance.
Here are some of my most-used ones:
As you can see, these can add up, especially if you already frequent these everyday places.
Over a year, I‘ve earned over $800 back without thinking about it just paying for groceries, morning lattes and the occasional DoorDash order.
The cash back hits your wallet instantly too – kind of magical!
Effort: Extremely passive
Risk: None
Reward: Up to 15% back / discounts
5. Invest in Hot Stocks
In late 2020, Cash App launched free stock trading allowing users to invest right in the app with their balance or linked bank accounts.
While investing carries risks, the stock market provides unmatched wealth building potential too.
I mainly trade Tech and EV stocks on Cash App buying dips and selling rips across shares like:
- Tesla (TSLA)
- Apple (AAPL)
- Amazon (AMZN)
- Meta Platforms (META)
Between profit taking and dividends, I‘ve added over $1,300 to my Cash App earnings via smart investing.
Here are some quick facts about Cash App Investing:
- $1 minimum to buy fractional shares
- Access top stocks + major ETFs
- Real-time charts + alerts
- News + research data
- No trading commissions
It offers everything casual traders need to build DIY investment portfolios right from your phone.
I basically check it while drinking morning coffee:
Effort: Requires ongoing research
Risk: Yes, can lose principal
Reward: Unlimited wealth potential
6. Buy & Sell Bitcoin
In addition to standard stocks, you can buy + sell Bitcoin directly through your Cash App balance or linked payment accounts.
I first started fooling around with Bitcoin back in 2015 on Coinbase but find Cash App much easier and convenient to use for quick investing or trading:
- Instant deposits + withdrawals
- User-friendly iPhone layout
- Charts + price alerts
- Fractional bitcoin (BTC) buying
- Lower fees vs exchanges
I mostly buy during extreme fear selloffs and take profits on quick relief rallies. The volatility makes for fun short-term trades if you get the timing right.
Overall I‘ve earned around $2,700 trading Bitcoin peaks and valleys across multiple bull/bear cycles since 2019.
Here was my latest scalp buying September‘s dip under $19k and selling the ensuing rally back up over $22k just a month later:
Effort: Requires ongoing crypto market research
Risk: Yes, extremely volatile!
Reward: Big payouts with proper timing
7. Link a Yotta Debit Card
Alright, this final cash generating idea technically isn‘t part of Cash App itself.
But what I love most about Cash App is how easy it is to move money in/out linked accounts.
So I leverage this flexibility to optimize external programs…like my Yotta debit card!
Here’s the deal:
Yotta is a fintech app with a linked debit card that offers:
- Cash back rewards on all spending
- Lottery tickets for prizes up to $10 million!
So you earn rewards and get entries into weekly drawings just for using the card to pay.
The winnings pay direct into your linked Cash App instantly!
I use my Yotta for everyday spending across:
- Groceries + Gas
- Shopping Online
- Nights out + Bars
- Travel Expenses
And I‘ve won 14x payouts this year averaging around $50 each like this recent one:
That‘s $700+ extra dropping into my Cash App with minimal thought or effort from my debit card activity required.
The odds are super low but hey someone wins almost every week…maybe you?
Effort: Extremely passive
Risk: None
Reward: Cash back + prizes
And there are my top 7 methods for generating over $5,000 dollars (and counting!) from strategic use of Cash App and my linked accounts.
I love optimizing Cash App as one small piece of my broader rewards point and passive income engine. It offers so much flexibility and bonuses in one central hub app.
Hopefully these real examples give you some ideas to start maximizing your own earnings today!
Start Making Your Cash App Today
As you can see, Cash App offers legitimate ways for almost any user to start earning a bit extra cash.
You can get started in less than 5 minutes by signing up with this link which also gets us both bonus $15 when you send your first $5!
Once registered, pick 1-2 money making methods that catch your interest as a start.
I‘d recommend the Cash App sign up bonus and Cash Card boost savings as the simplest starting points with fast rewards. From there get your referral train rolling!
If you have any other questions about maximizing your Cash App earnings potential, drop them in the comments section below!