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If you need some extra motivation to reach your step count goals each day, then using an app where you can get paid to walk may be just what you need to get you moving. And with plenty of cash walking apps on the market now, finding the right walk and earn app that works for you is easier than ever.

With scary-looking headlines announcing that the amount of sitting we now do is destroying our health, we need all the help we can get to make sure we’re moving as much as possible.

And while it’s nice when your phone chirps at you that you’ve met your step count for the day, it’s often not enough motivation for many of us to get up and get moving as much as we should be.

So being able to add the ability to earn some money for doing this is a great, extra motivator for getting your heart pumping.

How can you actually get paid for walking?

Each cash walking app broadly falls into one of the two following categories:

  1. Where you get paid to walk based on the number of steps you take
  2. Where you’re paid by performing a task that involves you walking

The first one is fairly straightforward: the more you walk, the more you’re paid.

This means that you could hit the treadmill or even just schedule a half hour walk every day to increase your step count and, ultimately, increase your earnings.

The second one typically involves you taking on a normal job where you have to move in order to meet your responsibilities. This means that your main goal isn’t to walk, but walking happens to be critical to you completing your work. So, ultimately, you’re still getting paid to walk.

When wondering how to walk and earn money, most people will probably think of the first one. But, as we’ll see, both types of apps have their definite advantages.

Get paid to walk by betting on yourself

If you need as much motivation as possible to get moving, these apps may be just what you’re looking for.

This is because of how they work. You basically have to bet on yourself (with actual money!), whether it be the amount of weight you think you can lose in a given period or the amount of steps you think you’ll take.

The app will then tell you how much it will pay you if you meet your target and you’ll only get paid to walk if you reach that goal.

Which means it’s time to get up and start walking unless you want to lose your bet!

1. Healthywage

Healthywage involves you betting how much weight you can lose in a certain period of time. How it works is that you decide how much you want to lose, how long you think this will take and how much you want to bet each month. 

Based on this, the system will tell you how much you’ll win if you manage to lose as much weight as you’ve bet.

Check out Healthywage’s calculator here to see how much you can win based on your weight loss goals.

As you’ll see below, people have won literally thousands of dollars through this app. 

examples of people who won money by losing weight

And these earnings are in addition to other challenges that Healthywage offers its users. 

For example, every month you can get a team of five people together and compete against others to see which team collectively loses the most weight over a certain period, which is usually around three months.

If your team loses the most, you win $10,000!

examples of people who won money by losing weight with the Healthywage app

With results like these, it’s safe to say that Healthywage is easily the walking app that pays the most on this list.

Find out more about Healthywage here.

2. StepBet

StepBet adds an extra level to the idea of betting on your fitness success, as not only do you have to hit your step goals, but you also have to compete against other players.

How it works is that there are a list of games you can choose from, with different goals – and the idea is that the higher your step count goal, the greater the potential payout. 

You then put some of your own money into the pool (not a huge amount – it starts at around $10) and then all the players who meet their objective divide up the value of the pool between one another.

It’s a great way to motivate yourself, especially if you’re competitive. Just don’t expect to earn thousands of dollars per game; it’s more likely you’ll end up with an extra $5 to $10 in addition to your original bet. Although it’s better than nothing!

Related: Make $200 a Day Online: 17 Ways That Are Proven To Work

3. FitPotato

FitPotato is similar to StepBet, just with a wider range of activities.

That is, not only can you get paid to walk, but you can also bet on yourself to meet fitness goals that include running, going to the gym or doing yoga.

You only have to bet $5 to join each cash pool of around $1,000 with other players. But the best part is that the goals are super doable. That is, in order to win based on how much you walk, you only have to do three sessions a week of 6,000 steps each.

For betting that $5, you’ll probably only make $1 each time (on top of your original bet) so while it’s not a huge amount of cash, it may be just what you need to give you that push to get outside.

Best apps that pay you to walk

If you’re not keen on the idea of putting some of your own money towards your new walking commitment, then don’t worry, there’s an app for that.

In fact, there are a ton of apps now dedicated to the idea of letting you walk and earn money.

Some of them have better payouts than others, although they’re all broadly similar. Which means it simply comes down to finding the one you prefer so you can start getting paid to walk.

4. Sweatcoin app

Sweatcoin is one of the most popular apps that pay you to walk – or run! You don’t even have to get your steps in during one session, meaning it will recognise your step count as it’s built throughout the day as you go about your life.

The fact it tracks your steps on an ongoing basis is one of the best parts of this app, as it’s easily the best way to maximize your earnings. The Sweatcoin app itself is also very slick and, frankly, really nice to use.

screenshot of phone in Sweatcoin app of someone getting paid to walk

From there, it’s up to you to get walking so you can start earning Sweatcoins to be converted into anything from the range of offers that the app provides.

Just make sure you always have your phone in your pocket or in a bag you’re wearing so that you can accrue as many steps as possible.

Does Sweatcoin pay you real money?

The Sweatcoin app doesn’t pay you real money. How it works instead is that it pays you a set amount of the in-app currency, with a conversion of 1,000 steps equalling 0.95 Sweatcoins.

Once you’ve earned enough of these, you can then convert your Sweatcoins into things like Amazon credit, airline miles and e-books. 

QUICK TIP: If you’re looking to earn Amazon credit, an easier and faster way is to lsign up for Swagbucks. In addition to the free $5 sign up bonus, it lets you earn points from playing games, watching videos and searching the internet, which are then converted into Amazon gift cards.

How do I turn my Sweatcoins into cash?

Except for selling the items you earn for actual money, there’s currently no way to turn your Sweatcoins into cash.

The team running the Sweatcoin app has repeatedly said that they hope to eventually allow for Sweatcoins to be cashed out for PayPal funds, which is basically the equivalent of earning cash. 

Similarly, they’ve mentioned their long term vision of turning Sweatcoin into a cryptocurrency. Again, though, this isn’t currently available, although stay tuned.

How many Sweatcoins is $1?

The approximate exchange rate is that $1 equals around 20 Sweatcoins. This means that you have to walk 21,052 steps to earn the equivalent of $1.

Does Sweatcoin really give you $1000?

Theoretically, Sweatcoin can really give you $1,000. That said, getting the app to actually give you $1,000 is going to be a bit of a stretch. 

Even if you take 10,000 steps every single day, this is still going to take you 2,105 days to achieve, which is 5.77 years. Safe to say, there are definitely quicker ways to earn $1,000 – including with other fitness apps, like Healthywage.

Also keep in mind that members of the Sweatcoin app who are on the Basic account can only earn 5 Sweatcoins per day, which is around 5,263 steps. This means that you’d be almost doubling that estimated time to earn $1,000. 

You can, however, pay to upgrade to their Shaker account, which will cost 4.75 Sweatcoins, but it also lets you increase your daily earning limit to 10 Sweatcoins.

How many steps is 20,000 Sweatcoins?

You would need to take 21,052,000 steps to earn 20,000 Sweatcoins – which, as mentioned, is how much you need to earn the equivalent of $1,000.

In case it isn’t obvious, that’s quite a bit of walking.

You may be interested in: 37 of the Highest Paying Online Jobs

5. Cash for Steps

Cash for Steps does just what it says on the box – it’s a cash walking app where, you guessed it, you get cash for steps.

However, it works a bit differently from some of the others on this list.

cash for steps app on phone letting you get paid to walk

How does Cash for Steps work?

Instead of getting paid to walk based on how many steps you take, the app tracks your daily step count for you to compete against other users.

At the end of each day, if you’re in the top 200 of Cash for Steps users, you have a 10% chance of earning $1. There are also different “achievements” that, if you complete them with 5 stars, you’ll also get $1.

The best part is that the money you earn can be withdrawn as either Amazon gift cards or through PayPal, making it really the equivalent of taking steps to earn money in cash.

The Cash for Steps app is only available on iOS. But if you think you have a high enough daily step count to put yourself in the top 200, then this is worth giving a try.

6. Achievement

Achievement doesn’t only let you get paid to walk, but you can also be paid for doing a range of other exercises, including running, biking and swimming.

All you need to do is connect the app with one of its 20+ partner apps, like MyFitnessPal or FitBit and it will automatically track your activity based on what those apps are logging.

How does the Achievement walking app work?

With Achievement, you immediately start off by getting 100 free points. From there, you can earn up to 80 points per day for each activity.

In the case of walking, this involves you having to take 30,000 steps in a day to earn those points. That’s quite a lot when you consider that one mile is about the same as taking 2,000 steps.

achievement app on phone where you can get paid to walk

You can, however, also earn points by logging other activities. For example, recording what you’ve eaten as well as things like your daily weight, your heart rate and your sleep schedule can each earn you 6 points. Posting about your use of the app on social media can also earn you points.

And once you’ve earned 10,000 points, you can cash this out to be paid $10. You can either receive this as money or donate it to a charity.

If you’ve done the math, you may have noticed that this means you can earn up to a maximum of $30 per year. So it’s certainly the case that using Achievement won’t make you rich.

But as some extra cash to kickstart your new exercise habit, it’s one of the better options out there.

Related: The 42 Best Passive Income Apps to Make Money on Your Phone

7. LifeCoin

LifeCoin is another “get money for walking app” and is particularly suited for anyone who likes to accrue their daily steps outside. This is because the app works through your phone’s GPS, so won’t allow you to earn from walking on a treadmill or other inside options.

With this app, you earn LifeCoins. These can, in turn, be converted into things like PayPal or Amazon gift cards.

lifecoin app on phones

That said, a $50 gift card costs 2,500 Lifecoins. With each point being worth 1,000 steps, that means it will take 2,500,000 steps to earn that gift card. If you’re the kind of person who walks 10,000 steps a day, you’re looking at 250 days to earn that gift card.

At the same time, LifeCoin is like Sweatcoin in that there’s a limit on how many points you can earn every day, unless you pay for a higher account level. This has the effect of doubling how long it will take you to earn the card.

Basically, if you’re walking anyway, having an app like Lifecoin or Sweatcoin running is worth it. But if you’re doing this to earn gift cards, a significantly faster way is to earn them through an app like Swagbucks.

Even their free $5 welcome bonus alone makes this worthwhile – that’s equal to 50 days of walking, after all!

Swagbucks

Free sign-up bonus: $10

A great app for making extra money, including with cash back from online shopping, watching videos, playing games and more.

And given it’s paid out over $550 million through Amazon, Paypal and other gift cards, it’s 100% legit.

8. Yodo app

Yodo is another app that pays you to walk – or run. Once it links up to the step counter in your phone, it lets you earn points based on how much you move.

The best part about the Yodo app though is that it actually pays you in cash. Once you’ve earned enough points, you can trade them for actual money, meaning this app may be better for you if you’re not interested in earning things like gift cards.

Their website isn’t totally transparent though on how long it takes to earn money through the Yogo app. That said, online reviews do indicate that users actually get paid to walk, even if the earnings aren’t massive, so this is one you should at least consider trying.

screenshots of Yodo app where you can get paid to walk

Get paid to walk dogs

If you’re wondering what apps pay the most for walking, in most cases it’s not going to actually be those apps that are designed to let you get paid to walk.

Instead, doing a job where you have to walk in order to complete your tasks is almost always going to result in you earning more.

And if you’re an animal lover so you can combine your job and your walking with that? It may just be the easiest money you’ve ever earned!

Related: 13 Simple Steps to Start a Dog Daycare At Home

9. Rover

Rover is the biggest pet care site on the internet, letting you get paid to do things like:

  • Pet sitting overnight
  • Doggy day care during the day
  • Dog walking

The last one on that list is why we’re all here, although the others provide some pretty great money making opportunities too. In fact, Rover says that some of their part time sitters earn $1,000 per month, so it’s definitely something to consider too.

But dog walking is also a great side hustle, with plenty of demand for these services. Rover actually advises that a booking for a dog walker is made every four seconds through its site.

Of course, you can’t be a dog walker without, well, walking, making it the perfect way to earn some extra cash while increasing your step count.

Create your Rover profile here.

10. Tailster

Tailster is another major site that connects dog walkers with dog owners and is particularly known for the fact that it’s based in the UK. In fact, they say that over 200,000 pet owners have used their site, meaning that there are certainly opportunities here for you to be hired.

two dogs on grass

All you have to do is set up your profile then sit back and wait for dog owners to contact you. Creating a profile is free and you’ll take home 80% of your earnings, with the remaining 20% going back to Tailster as a commission.

And here’s another way to get paid: 25 Websites Where You Can Get Paid to Type

11. Wag

Wag offers the full range of services to pet owners, including dog walking, daycare and overnight sitting. They’ve provided over 10 million services to pet owners around the US, so they’re definitely popular with owners looking for people to help care for their dogs.

And that’s where you come in. By becoming a Wag Walker, you can earn up to $25 per walk. They let you be as flexible as you want with your schedule, meaning you can make this a part time arrangement that works for you whenever you’re available.

Walk and earn money while running errands for people

Another way to get paid to walk is by doing tasks for people who are willing to pay you for it.

Perhaps they don’t have the time to go and run errands themselves or maybe there are health-related issues that make it impossible.

Whatever it is, doing these small tasks can be a great way to earn a few dollars for each one. Plus, as most of them involve running somewhere around town, they very easily meet the criteria of having you walk and earn money for it.

Related: 22 Proven Ways to Get Cash Urgently If You Need Money Desperately

12. Gigwalk

Gigwalk is an app that lets you get paid to do a range of odd jobs. You simply download the app and create your profile, including selecting where you live. At that point, the app will show you which gigs are available in your area.

These are often based around tasks that are similar to mystery shopping. For example, gigs can involve:

  • Buying a product and giving comments about the item
  • Purchasing something from a particular store and providing insights on the overall buying experience
  • Checking a shop for how a particular product or product line is displayed

In cases where you have to buy something, you’ll be reimbursed the cost of the item (and get to keep it!).

shopping bags

But the broad range of tasks means Gigwalk can be as flexible as you want. They say that gigs can take anywhere from five minutes to a few hours and you can make anything from $3 to $100 or more.

Payment is made to your PayPal account, so it’s basically like a job that pays cash in hand.

13. TaskRabbit

TaskRabbit lets you get paid to run errands for people. The exact jobs available will depend on where you are, but they generally include things like:

  • Cleaning or doing repairs and maintenance in people’s homes
  • Lifting, delivering and assembling furniture
  • Working as a personal assistant for a business, including doing office administration
  • Waiting in line for someone at an event, a restaurant and more

Clearly, the jobs will vary significantly, making TaskRabbit a great way for you to get paid to do almost whatever interests you from their general list. The amount you’re paid will also depend on how long and how difficult the job is, but the average is around $20 to $30 per task. 

Just make sure you do the job up to scratch, as some task posters have complained about poor service, making it unlikely that those task doers will be hired again.

(And here’s a hint: TaskRabbit has a minimum age requirement of 18 years old. However, if you’re a teenager looking to make money, you could easily offer to do the same tasks by posting your availability in local Facebook groups or doing a letterbox drop.)

Get paid to walk around by doing deliveries

If you live in a major city where a lot of things are in walking distance or easily accessible by subway, you could use this to your advantage by being paid to walk and deliver things.

Not every app still allows deliverers to be on foot – Reddit says that UberEats has gotten rid of that option, for example. But the ones that remain offer a good opportunity to walk and earn money.

14. Favor

Favor describes their workers as personal assistants, not delivery drivers. But despite this, their tasks are focused on delivering basically anything that someone may want.

This includes food, groceries, dry cleaning, documents and more.

Average earnings are between $10 and $18 an hour, plus you get to keep all your tips. And they note that all scheduled hours have minimum guaranteed earnings, so if you mark yourself as available but there are no tasks, you won’t be completely left high and dry.

15. Postmates

Postmates also works as a delivery service for practically anything you can think of, as long as it’s small enough to be carried.

This includes getting takeout from the taco place a few miles over, picking up some Advil from the drugstore or grabbing those bananas you forgot to buy at the supermarket earlier.

And for those people delivering these items, they let you do so on foot, meaning it’s a solid way to get paid to walk. 

Just note that payment is on a per delivery basis. This means that it may be quicker to ride a bike while doing this instead of walking – which is still good for your health, just with the added benefit of making sure you’re paid more.

Sign up to deliver with Postmates here.

16. Instacart

Instacart is a grocery delivery service where people handpick the items you request from local supermarkets, then deliver them to your door.

It’s a great service for people who don’t have the time or ability to grab their groceries themselves. They’ve also got some pretty good deals on certain items that Instacart users can take advantage of.

(Although we still prefer the discounts on groceries offered by Ibotta. Their cash back rates are practically unbeatable, not to mention their free $20 sign up bonus.)

However, as a way to get paid to walk, this is also a great opportunity.

woman delivering for Instacart so she can get paid to walk
Source: Instacart

You have two options here:

  • Being a “full-service shopper” which involves working as an independent contractor, although you have to have access to a car
  • Being an “in-store shopper”, where you’re a part time employee for a store and don’t need a car 

The second one is clearly ideal for people looking to walk and earn money. The job involves doing people’s shopping for them, then bagging up the items ready for pick up.

And if you think that the fact you’re “only” walking in the store means your step count won’t be that high, you’ve probably never worked in retail or hospitality before – as trust me, you won’t stop moving the entire time.

Cash walking apps for charity

Maybe you’re not looking for you to get paid to walk. Instead, others could benefit from the steps you take every day.

So far there’s only one app below which is focused on letting you walk to earn money for charity. But it’s a start – and definitely a different kind of motivation to get you moving.

17. Charity Miles

Charity Miles is a great initiative. By logging each time you walk, run, cycle or even dance, you earn money from the app’s corporate charity pool.

They support over 40 charities supporting all sorts of causes, with the full list available here.

Just remember that you have to log your movement yourself; there’s no automatic recording your exercise like some other apps offer.

man walking next to water

Which walking app pays the most?

In terms of what apps pay the most as a lump sum, Healthywage clearly offers the highest possible payments, especially given that people are earning anywhere from $1,300 to $10,000 for achieving their weight loss goals. The other walking apps don’t pay anywhere close to that.

However, you may find over the long term that some of the task-based apps actually pay more in total. For example, Rover states that dog walkers can earn up to $1,000 per month on a part time basis.

And while this means that you’d have to walk dogs for 10 months to reach the same amount as Healthywage’s highest payout, your earning potential is basically unlimited. That is, you can essentially keep walking dogs for as long as you want, but you can’t keep losing weight.

(Which is why it’s totally fine to do both! In fact, dog walking could be a good way to lose weight, which would make it easier for you to win your bet with Healthywage.)

Related: How to Make $100 a Day: 41 Ways That Actually Work

Do the walking apps really pay you?

All of the walking apps listed here really pay you. Reviews online can be mixed about the amounts you’ll earn, but you’ll definitely get paid, even if it’s less than you hoped.

This means that the apps that pay you to walk are real and legit; no scams detected here.

What is the best free walking app?

For us, the best free walking app is Healthywage, purely because of how much you can earn.

That said, given this isn’t solely related to walking – after all, you’re free to lose weight whichever way works for you – then we’d say the best free walking app that’s specifically for walking is Sweatcoin.

While it won’t make you rich, there’s a reason it’s the most popular app of its kind in each of the app stores, so it will definitely help you get moving.

What are the steps to earn money in cash walking apps?

While the specific steps to earn money in cash walking apps differ, they generally involve doing the following:

  1. Download the app from the App Store or Google Play, depending on which phone you have.
  2. Create a profile in the app once it’s downloaded. This includes adding your payment information, which is usually simply your PayPal account.
  3. Make sure you grant the app the permissions needed for it to link to the other apps in your phone that track your movement. This is key, as otherwise the app may not register that you’re actually walking.
  4. Start moving! And keep an eye out for any bonus deals, as this can be a good way to earn extra points or additional in-app currency.

Final thoughts on getting paid to walk

Whether you’re looking at this purely as a method to make some extra money or as a good opportunity to finally improve your health, these apps where you can get paid to walk are a really great way to do both.

As mentioned, in some cases the focus is clearly on your fitness. While some may say this is invaluable (and can certainly save you a ton of money on health-related costs in future), it also means that you probably won’t earn much overall.

But in others, you can earn some great money by combining your desire to walk more with a side hustle or two.

The best way to approach this is to find one that fits your interests and your schedule. If you have the time to, say, do dog walking, then why not give it a try?

Alternatively, if you’ve just finished doing your running plan and want to stick with it (without the distraction of having to deliver things for people, for example), then another app that gives you money for walking may be a better idea.

Either way, when it’s good for your wallet and your health, you really can’t go wrong.

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