Get Paid to Watch Videos: 11 Apps That Still Pay in 2026

Yes, you can still get paid to watch videos in 2026, but the earnings are usually very small.

But most apps pay only a few cents!

And some of the big names you’ll see in older articles, including Swagbucks, MyPoints, and InboxDollars, no longer pay you to watch videos.

The good news?

A few lesser-known platforms still pay, including a few that pay you for watching videos you were already going to watch anyway!

Below, I’ll show you which legitimate apps actually pay you for watching videos and ads, how much they pay, which ones I’ve personally tested, and which popular options are a complete waste of time.

Best apps to earn money watching videos (comparison table)

Here’s a quick comparison of the apps to make money watching videos online, including what they pay, the minimum cashout, and payment options.

Then, I’ll show you how each one actually works and which ones I tested myself.

App	Pay	Min	Payment Options
PrizeRebel	$0.02-$0.03/video	$2 Gift cards; $5 PayPal	PayPal, bank transfer, Visa prepaid, gift cards
JumpTask	$0.50-$5/video	$0.50 ($1 first payout)	PayPal, cards, bank transfer, gift cards, crypto
Earnably	$0.008-$0.075/video	$1	PayPal, gift cards
Paidwork	$0.01-$0.10/video	$20	PayPal, bank transfer, gift cards, crypto
Reward XP	Offer-based	$5	PayPal, Venmo, gift cards, prepaid cards, USDC
Mode Mobile	Varies	Not published	Gift cards, PayPal, Mystery Boxes
Freecash	Not published	$5-$20 ($0.50 crypto)	PayPal, gift cards, crypto
QuickRewards	About $0.0025/video	None (PayPal), $5 (gift cards)	PayPal, gift cards
instaGC	About $0.0005/video	$1 (gift cards)	Gift cards, PayPal, direct deposit, crypto
Nielsen Pulse	$3–$18/month	Not published	In-app vouchers
Media Rewards	Not fixed	Prize draws	Gift cards (Tango); PayPal for $1,000 prize only

Legit apps that pay you to watch videos

So let’s find out which platforms actually pay you cash for watching videos today.

Below is a detailed look at how these video-reward apps work, including setup steps, earning limits, and what I found when testing several myself.

PrizeRebel

• Available on: Web browser only (no mobile app)

PrizeRebel is a GPT (get-paid-to) site where you earn points by completing surveys, offers, and videos.

You can then exchange your points for cash or gift cards.

PrizeRebel uses six membership levels:

• Bronze
• Silver
• Gold
• Platinum
• Diamond
• Emerald

Higher membership levels come with perks such as faster payouts and special bonuses.

When I finished signing up, PrizeRebel showed me a pop-up saying I had earned 15 points as a welcome bonus, which basically put me at the Bronze level.

How to watch videos on PrizeRebel

The video section is easy to miss because it doesn’t appear in PrizeRebel’s main offer feed.

To find it, go to Offer Walls and select Adscend.

PrizeRebel works with several offer walls, including RevenueUniverse, inBrain, MyChips, ayeT Studios, and ToroX. However, Adscend is the one you want for videos.

You used to need a separate account on sites such as Hideout.TV to watch these clips. Hideout.TV itself was the rebranded version of EngageMe.TV, which shut down.

You don’t have to do that anymore. The videos now play directly inside PrizeRebel through an embedded Adscend player branded PixelPointTV.

What videos can you watch?

The Adscend player divides the content into several channels:

• Tech & Gaming: PixelPointTV (Tech Talk, Gaming, Sweets, Movie Buzz, Chillax, Best Life) and GamersDenTV
• Food & Lifestyle: QuickRecipesTV, RecipeNinjaTV, RecipepandaTV, VlogADay, DiscoverDenTV, and DiscoverHubTV
• Niche Content: PuppyBearTV (pets), NestMadeTV (home fixes), and LolVaultTV (funny videos)

Inside the Adscend player, select the Video filter so you can skip past surveys, free trials, mobile apps, shopping offers, and other types of offers.

Each video is a short clip paired with an ad. You need to let both the video and the required ad play through before you receive credit.

How much does PrizeRebel pay for watching videos?

I watched several videos myself and found:

• Pay: 2 to 3 points per video or ad block
• Points value: 100 points = $1.00
• Actual value: About $0.02 to $0.03 per video

So, the pay is quite low. So I would treat it as an easy way to earn a few extra points while you’re already using the site, rather than a serious income source.

Things to know before using PrizeRebel

Here are a few other important things to keep in mind:

One account per person, household, or IP address

PrizeRebel allows only one account per person, household, or IP address. VPNs, proxies, and bots are also blocked.

Payout methods vary by location

Direct deposit and bank transfers are available only in select regions, so check which payment methods are available to you before building up a large balance.

You may be asked to verify your identity

PrizeRebel can require SMS or photo ID verification before paying you. This verification process doesn’t always go smoothly for users.

For example, a Trustpilot reviewer in July 2026 said they reached the 1,000 points needed for a reward and redeemed it. They were told to expect the reward within 24 hours.

According to the reviewer, PrizeRebel closed their account the next day and asked for ID to reopen it. They said they never received a response afterward.

PrizeRebel’s own rules confirm that additional verification, including ID checks, can be required. That doesn’t verify the reviewer’s specific experience, but it is another reason to avoid letting a large balance build up.

My advice: If you use PrizeRebel, cash out regularly instead of letting a large balance build up.

JumpTask

• Available for: Android (native app); iOS (web app only, no native app)

JumpTask is a crypto-based earning app with a Watch & Earn video section.

You can also earn from microtasks, AI training gigs, social tasks, and games.

To sign up, you need an email address or a Google, Facebook, or Apple login. JumpTask also requires two-factor authentication, and you must be at least 18 years old.

JumpTask’s new payout system

As of August 10, 2026, JumpTask replaced its old JMPT-crypto-wallet-only payout system with a credit-based system through a new payout partner, GIFQ.

The new system uses fixed-rate credits:

• 1,000 credits = $1.00
• Gift card cashouts: Free
• Digital wallet top-ups: 4% fee
• Crypto: Fees vary by network

What about JMPT you already own?

If you had any JMPT in your JumpTask account when the change happened, it was automatically converted to credits at the market rate on August 10.

By the way, JumpTask says it will pull its JMPT liquidity on that date, so selling or trading it through JumpTask may become harder afterward. So if you still have JMPT in your own crypto wallet, you may want to sell or move it before September 10, 2026.

Other things to know

Here are a few other things you should know before joining JT:

First payouts may be held for review

Withdrawals under review can take up to 72 hours, though most clear within 24.

Unused credits can expire

If your account stays inactive for 6 months or more, JumpTask can remove your unused credits.

What do users say about JumpTask?

Some users report having their accounts or payouts held with little explanation.

One user on Reddit said their payout was “suspended without any warning or emails.”

Another said they were banned “without any reason.”

Not everyone has had problems, though. One reviewer who used a crypto wallet said they hadn’t run into any issues.

Now, keep in mind that these reports are from before JumpTask’s August 2026 payout change, so the process may be different now. Still, as I said it before, with any app or site you use to make extra money, cash out as soon as you reach the minimum requirement.

Earnably

• Available for: Web only; no dedicated app

Earnably (running since 2015) is a GPT (get-paid-to) site where you can earn points from surveys, videos, and other offers and tasks.

How Earnably’s video offers work

Earnably doesn’t have a dedicated video-watching section.

Instead, videos appear as individual offers on its offer wall alongside surveys and other tasks.

Each video offer has its own reward. You can see how much it pays before you start. So, unlike some video sites, you don’t earn the same amount for every video.

How much does Earnably pay?

Earnably uses a fixed points conversion:

• 10,000 points = $1.00

That conversion rate doesn’t change, although the number of points offered for each video or other offer can vary.

I signed up for Earnably myself and looked through the video offers to see real numbers. Most paid 80 points, or about $0.008 each, and a few paid 750 points, closer to $0.075 each.

The videos came from familiar partners too, including PixelPointTV, PuppyBearTV, Recipe Panda, and GamersDenTV. That’s the same Adscend Media network that powers the video offers on PrizeRebel, Reward XP, and QuickRewards.

The minimum cashout is $1, or 10,000 points, and that’s the same whether you redeem for PayPal or a gift card.

Once you cash out, you usually receive your payments within a few minutes. But extra identity checks or reward restocks can extend that wait to about a week.

Earnably referral program

If you want to boost your earnings, Earnably has a solid referral program.

You can earn:

• 10%: Of the points your referral earns from offers and surveys
• 30,000-point bonus: When your referral reaches 30,000 points

Be careful about account bans

Account suspensions and bans are one of the biggest complaints you’ll find about Earnably.

For example, a Trustpilot reviewer in July 2026 said their account had been active for more than two years before Earnably banned it “almost immediately” without explaining why. The reviewer said the account was restored only after they posted a negative review.

Months later, the reviewer said Earnably banned the account again after they had built up a balance and never responded to their follow-up.

Earnably responded to the review and explained that accounts can be suspended for reasons including:

• Running a duplicate account
• “Irrefutable proof of fraud”
• Complaints from advertisers
• Providing false information during verification

Earnably doesn’t publicly disclose which specific reason applies to an individual account.

My advice: Stick to one account, use your real and accurate information when signing up, and avoid anything that could trigger an advertiser or fraud-related complaint.

Paidwork

• Available for: Android and iPhone

Paidwork is an earn-anywhere app that pays for videos, surveys, games, and other small tasks, and it’s open to people in any country.

How to sign up for Paidwork

Create an account with an email and an 8-character password, verify your email, then fill out your profile with your name, date of birth, country, language, and payment method.

You need to be 18 or older, or 13 to 17 with a parent or guardian’s consent.

Once your account is set up, you can browse the different ways to earn.

I tested Paidwork’s video feature

I signed up for Paidwork myself to see how the video feature actually works.

On the desktop site, I went to Earn, then Watch Videos. But I got a notification telling me to download the Paidwork app from Google Play or the App Store before I could start earning from video.

So I installed the Android app, went back to the same spot, and tapped the Watch tab, which has a small “DT” logo above it. It just spun and never loaded, even after several minutes.

If you run into the same thing, you’re probably not doing anything wrong. In my test, the video feature simply didn’t load.

How much can you make watching Paidwork videos?

Paidwork limits how many videos are available each day. The limit resets daily and varies depending on your country and device.

Paidwork’s own support information says realistic combined earnings can reach $150 to $600 or more per month.

That figure is important to put into context. It comes from combining videos with surveys, games, and other earning methods. It doesn’t mean you can make $600 a month just by watching videos.

For videos alone, you’re looking at roughly $1 to $3 a day, with the daily video limit putting a cap on how much you can earn.

How Paidwork withdrawals work

The standard minimum withdrawal is $20, although some gift cards allow you to cash out for less.

Paidwork first puts withdrawals through a 24- to 48-hour review. After that, the estimated processing time depends on the payment method:

• PayPal: 1 to 3 business days
• Bank transfer: 3 to 7 business days
• Gift cards: Instant to 24 hours

So even if you reach the minimum, you may have to wait several days before the money reaches your account, particularly with a bank transfer.

One thing that concerned me about Paidwork

The clearest complaint I found wasn’t about people not getting paid. It was about getting a straight answer from customer support.

For example, a Trustpilot reviewer in July 2026 asked support whether PayPal withdrawals are sent as Friends & Family payments or as commercial Goods & Services payments.

According to the review, it took 13 days and several follow-ups to get an answer.

For the record, Paidwork sends PayPal payouts as Goods & Services. That means the payments are handled under PayPal’s rules for that payment type, including the applicable buyer and seller protections and fee handling.

By the way, if you want more PayPal options, check out my post on apps that pay real cash via PayPal.

My take

Paidwork gives you several ways to earn, and its worldwide availability makes it worth checking out. But I wouldn’t use it specifically for watching videos.

The video feature didn’t work during my test, and even when videos are available, $1 to $3 a day isn’t much. You’re likely to get more value from Paidwork if you combine videos with its surveys, games, and other offers.

Reward XP

• Available for: Android app or web (no separate iOS app)

Reward XP is a GPT site that’s been running since 2019, where video watching is one of three official earning categories alongside Play and Engage.

Anyone 13 and up can sign up with a Google or Facebook account.

How Reward XP videos work

You’ll find video watching under the Videos tab in Reward XP’s main navigation.

It currently gives you two video partners:

• Adscend Media Videos: Food, music, and general entertainment clips
• Cheddar.tv: Gaming, esports highlights, tech, and lifestyle content

Both partners send you to their own websites to watch videos outside Reward XP.

Adscend Media Videos uses the same Adscend offerwall that PrizeRebel uses for videos. So, you’ll see familiar channels like PixelPointTV, GamersDenTV, and PuppyBearTV.

After you watch the video and meet its ad requirement, Reward XP automatically adds the points to your account.

How much does Reward XP pay?

Like Earnably, Reward XP doesn’t publish a fixed amount you earn per video.

Reward XP estimates you could earn $5 to $250 a month across all activities.

Reward XP rebuilt its site recently, and the points conversion changed as part of that rebuild:

• 100 XP = $1

That’s simpler than it used to be. Before the rebuild, it took 10,000 XP to make a dollar, so if you see that old rate mentioned anywhere, it’s outdated.

Keep in mind that the $5 to $250 estimate covers the entire platform, including videos, games, and other activities.

Cashing out

Reward XP’s minimum cashout is $5 at every tier, and rewards start at 500 XP.

You can choose from 2,000+ gift cards, including Amazon, Visa, PlayStation, Roblox, and Nintendo, plus PayPal, Venmo, virtual prepaid cards, or USDC sent to a wallet on the Base network.

Your first payout is checked by a person and sent within 24 hours. After that, approvals get faster as you move up the tiers. Near the top, they can be approved automatically within minutes.

Once approved, gift cards usually arrive within minutes. PayPal and other cash payouts can take a few hours, while bank transfers take 1 to 3 business days.

Fees

• Gift cards & USDC: No cash-out fee.
• PayPal & other cash options: Start at 5%, with lower fees at higher tiers.
• International bank transfers & wallets: About 5% (minimum $0.60).
• Non-USD payouts: 2% currency conversion fee.

You also don’t need to submit ID for your first redemption anymore, even though it requires manual approval. Reward XP retired its company-wide KYC identity check in December 2024.

Mode Mobile (Mode Earn App)

• Available for: Android confirmed; no official iOS listing found

Mode Mobile is a broad rewards app that pays for music, games, offers, surveys, news, shopping, referrals, and even locking your phone screen, with watching videos being just one feature inside the app.

How Rewarded Videos work on Mode Mobile

Mode Mobile’s Rewarded Videos are short ads, usually around 30 seconds each. You get credited as soon as you finish watching a video.

The problem is that Mode Mobile doesn’t publish a fixed rate for what each video pays. It also doesn’t publish a fixed points-to-dollar conversion, so you can’t reliably calculate how much a particular number of videos will earn you in cash.

New users can earn a first $0.50 reward within 24 hours through Mode Mobile’s Kickstarter Missions path.

Facial verification can delay your first cashout

One thing I would pay attention to is the facial verification requirement. Mode Mobile requires you to complete facial verification before you can redeem your points.

This isn’t just a minor detail. Mode Mobile’s help center has three separate troubleshooting articles for users who get stuck during that verification step, so you may need to set aside some extra time when making your first redemption.

What happened to the $4 Amazon gift card?

Mode Mobile also removed its $4 Amazon gift card cashout option sometime in 2026. As of my research, Mode Mobile had not stated a replacement minimum cashout amount.

That means I wouldn’t assume the old $4 minimum still applies if you see it mentioned in older articles or reviews.

Redemptions are final.

You have 30 days to claim or use a reward and 6 months to report a problem with one. Once a redemption is confirmed, it is final.

Freecash

• Available for: iPhone, Android, and web (PC or tablet)

Freecash is a large GPT site that pays for offers, surveys, app trials, and games, and it sometimes includes paid video-watching tasks too.

How Freecash videos work

Freecash’s video feature runs through several third-party offer providers, including AdscendMedia, Tapjoy, Lootably, MM Wall, and AdGate.

It also works with account-linked partners such as Loot.tv, Hideout, and TimeWall.

To use those, you choose a video or ad offer from inside Freecash and watch it there.

Does Freecash actually pay you to watch videos?

Freecash’s own site actually contradicts itself on this.

Its “Top 9” roundup article states that Freecash “does not pay you to watch videos directly.”

At the same time, a separate page dedicated specifically to watching ads explains how its video-watching feature works.

That’s understandably confusing.

So which is it?

Can you or can you not make money watching videos on Freecash?

Here’s the explanation:

While Freecash offers video-watching opportunities, it doesn’t host the videos itself. Instead, it connects you with third-party partners such as Loot.tv and Hideout.tv, which provide the actual video and ad-watching offers.

Because these offers come from outside partners, availability can vary significantly by country, account, and available ad inventory. Offers can also disappear when there aren’t enough ads available.

So, some Freecash users may see video-watching offers in their accounts, while others may not see any at all.

Freecash cashout minimum

Freecash’s minimum withdrawal depends on where you live and how you want to get paid.

For PayPal, the minimum usually starts at $5. However, some first-time users may see a minimum of up to $20, depending on their region.

Freecash pays crypto rewards in Bitcoin, Dogecoin, or Litecoin, and Litecoin has the lowest minimum at $0.50. You can also route any crypto payout through Stake for a bonus of up to 30%.

QuickRewards

• Available for: Web (desktop or mobile browser)

QuickRewards is one of the oldest GPT sites still running, live since 2002.

I’ve been a QuickRewards member myself since around 2005. It was one of the first sites I used to earn extra cash online, long before MoneyPantry existed.

Over the years, I’ve personally interacted with the site’s owner, Dmitry, and I’ve always gotten paid quickly without any issues.

Video watching is just one of several ways to earn, alongside surveys, playing games, completing offers, paid site visits, daily trivia, and shopping cash back.

QuickRewards is only open to U.S. and Canadian residents who are 18 or older. You can have only one account per household, and VPNs aren’t allowed.

How QuickRewards videos work

QuickRewards gives you plenty of ways to earn, but if you’re here specifically for video watching, you’ll find that feature under the Watch Videos section.

From there, you can choose from QuickRewards’ video partners, including Adscend Videos, Loot.tv, and the same PixelPointTV channel family used by PrizeRebel and Reward XP.

Some of these partners require you to create an account on their own site before you can watch and earn.

Once you do, the earnings you make through those partners are converted back into QuickPoints on QuickRewards.

How much do QuickRewards videos pay?

The conversion rate is fixed:

• 1 video preceded by an ad = 25 QuickPoints
• 100 QuickPoints = 1 cent
• That works out to about 0.25 cents per video

There’s one important catch: a video only earns you QuickPoints when it is preceded by an ad. If there isn’t an ad before the video, you won’t earn anything from it.

QuickRewards cashout

I love QR for this no minimum cash out limit. You can literally cash out a cent to PayPal if you wanted to, lol.

PayPal and Amazon e-gift card redemptions usually take about 72 hours. Physical gift cards are mailed out once a week.

QuickRewards does ask members to limit themselves to two PayPal cashouts per day. Still, its no-minimum system is hard to beat compared to other fast-paying GPT sites.

instaGC

• Available for: Web only, no dedicated app

instaGC is a GPT site that pays you in points, with 1 point worth $0.01.

Video watching is one of several ways to earn on the site.

You need to be at least 18 to use instaGC, or 13 with a parent’s consent.

You’ll also need to verify your phone number before you can redeem your first gift card.

My instaGC review covers why I’ve been a member since around 2017, redeeming more than $2,000 in gift cards through the site over the years, mostly for Amazon.

So I’ve had plenty of firsthand experience with how the site works, including its good and bad sides.

How much can you make watching videos on instaGC?

instaGC guarantees 1 point for every 20 videos watched. Since 1 point is worth $0.01, that’s roughly $0.0005 per video.

So even if you reach the maximum daily cap of 2,000 videos, you’d only earn around $1 from the base video rate.

The daily cap starts at 50 videos and can increase to 500 and eventually 2,000, depending on how many ads are available that day.

You can speed things up by running two video playlists at once, one on desktop and one on mobile, which is the fastest way to reach the cap.

Just don’t expect your points to show up immediately. instaGC credits everything you watched in one lump sum between 12:05 and 12:10 AM the following day.

instaGC’s weekly video bonus

There is also a weekly video bonus. instaGC pays it every Wednesday at noon for videos watched during the previous Sunday through Saturday.

To qualify, you need to have watched at least 50 videos that week.

How do you get paid?

Gift cards are the easiest option because they are free and pay out instantly.

PayPal is less convenient. There is a $0.20 redemption fee, and PayPal becomes available only after you’ve already redeemed at least $50 through other rewards.

Direct deposit in the U.S. carries a $0.15 fee.

Watch out for the six-month inactivity rule

instaGC’s own support page says accounts with no login for six months or more can have their points wiped.

The site says reinstatement is handled case by case, and you may sometimes be able to earn the points back by reaching a small point goal afterward.

This actually happened to me. I hadn’t logged in for almost a year, and I had a few hundred thousand points sitting in my account. When I finally came back, instaGC told me the points had expired.

I contacted support, and they were gracious enough to reinstate the points so I could cash out. But I wouldn’t count on getting the same result. If you use instaGC, make sure you log in regularly so you don’t risk losing your balance.

Common complaints

instaGC has a 1.9 out of 5 rating from 39 reviews on SmartCustomer, and only 37% of reviewers said they would recommend it.

The most recent reviews, from January 2025, both describe redemption problems.

One user said withdrawals were “hard or impossible” and recommended Swagbucks or Earnably instead.

Another said redeeming rewards had “became almost impossible this year.”

And these complaints aren’t new. Reports about payment problems go back to 2018, so this doesn’t appear to be a one-off issue.

My advice: If you use instaGC, redeem small amounts often instead of letting a large balance build up.

Where most of my instaGC earnings actually come from

I’ve earned more than $2,000 from instaGC over the years, but I don’t want you to think I made that much watching videos.

Most of my earnings now come from referrals. I’ve sent a lot of MoneyPantry readers to instaGC, and the site pays a 10% lifetime commission on whatever a referral earns.

So my earnings aren’t typical of someone who simply watches videos on the site. I still use instaGC myself, but I’d treat the videos as a small extra earning option rather than a serious way to make money.

Passive video rewards: get paid for what you already watch

Not all apps that pay you to watch videos require you to actively watch them. Some work more like similar passive income apps that pay you for things you’re already doing.

Nielsen Pulse and Media Rewards run in the background and reward you for the TV, videos, and streaming content you already watch.

Nielsen Pulse

• Available for: iOS and Android, plus a CTV app for connecting your TV

Nielsen Pulse is a passive-rewards program from Nielsen that pays you for letting it track the streaming you already watch.

You don’t have to watch anything new or complete tasks to earn.

You must:

• Be 18 or older.
• Own the device or have permission to install the software.
• Have nobody in your household working for a TV network, cable or satellite provider, or other media company.

By the way, even if you meet all the requirements, you still might not get in. Nielsen uses the eligibility survey to decide who gets accepted.

Now if you don’t qualify right away, you may be placed on a waitlist instead.

How Nielsen Pulse works

Signing up takes about 2 minutes.

You create a profile, fill out the eligibility survey, and, if you’re accepted, install the mobile and/or CTV app, give it the permissions it needs, and connect your streaming services.

That’s it!

Once you’re set up, the app runs in the background and you earn points while you watch. You don’t have to do anything else.

How much does Nielsen Pulse pay?

Nielsen doesn’t publish the exact reward rates publicly. But you can see your point values after signing in.

Here’s what you can expect roughly:

You can earn around $3 a month for each connected mobile device, with a higher reward of around $18 a month for connecting a TV.

In other words, the $18 TV estimate isn’t meant to be an extra $18 on top of the regular device reward.

Nielsen lets you connect multiple devices, including your phone, tablet, and TV, and says adding more devices can increase your rewards.

Also, remember that:

• Only the head of household can receive and redeem the points.
• Your points expire after 12 months.

One important distinction: Nielsen Pulse is separate from Nielsen’s older invite-only TV, Computer & Mobile and HomeScan panels. Those programs have their own enrollment processes.

Is Nielsen Pulse legitimate?

Nielsen Pulse launched in April 2026, so there’s still very little review history.

It currently has a 4.52 out of 5 rating on Google Play from 29 ratings and 3.47 out of 5 on the App Store from 15 ratings.

Those are small samples, so I wouldn’t read too much into the scores yet.

The most common complaint is not being accepted right away, which makes sense given Nielsen’s waitlist policy and the need to balance its panel.

Media Rewards

• Available for: iOS and Android

This is as close as you can get to getting paid to watch YouTube, TV, and even listening to radio.

That’s because Media Rewards pays you for the media you already watch and listen to, but it works differently from Nielsen Pulse and typical apps that pay you to watch videos.

After you install the app and turn on Media Research, it runs in the background using audio fingerprinting to tracks your exposure to TV, YouTube, and other media.

You don’t pick videos to watch, and you don’t get paid for each view. Instead, your media exposure earns you XP (experience points).

Your XP is mainly used to enter prize draws, while having enough points may also make you eligible for premium paid surveys.

How you earn XP

There’s nothing you need to actively watch inside the app.

Just turn on Media Research and let Media Rewards run in the background while you follow your normal media routine.

Your exposure to TV, YouTube, and other media generates XP.

The important thing to understand is that XP isn’t cash.

Your points primarily determine your eligibility and chances in Media Rewards’ prize draws, and having enough XP may also lead to premium survey invitations.

How the Media Rewards prize draws work

Instead of earning a fixed amount for every video, your XP is used to enter three weekly prize draws and one monthly prize draw. Every point you earn improves your chances of winning.

You may see Bronze, Silver, and Gold in Media Rewards’ Help Center. These aren’t membership levels you need to climb; they’re the names of the three weekly prize draws.

If you win, you’ll receive reward coins based on the draw you won.

Even if you don’t win, you can get some of your XP back depending on the tier:

• Bronze: 1,000 XP
• Silver: 2,000 XP
• Gold: 3,000 XP

So, Media Rewards isn’t like a typical rewards app where you earn $1, reach a $5 minimum, and cash out. You’re entering prize draws instead.

Media Rewards’ current winners page shows rewards such as $50 and $100, although prize amounts and available rewards can vary by region and draw.

Premium surveys: another way to earn

Prize draws aren’t the only way to earn rewards.

Media Rewards also sends occasional premium surveys based on your media exposure, profile, and region.

These surveys can give you another way to earn rewards, so it’s worth keeping notifications turned on and responding quickly when one arrives. Media Rewards says survey spots can be limited.

Referral program: win together

Media Rewards also has a referral program with two different perks.

First, when a friend you refer signs up and verifies their account, you get $2.50 (or 250 coins outside the U.S.) plus 10,000 points. Your friend also gets 10,000 points.

You can earn this sign-up bonus for up to 3 friends. After that, you won’t receive additional sign-up bonuses, but there’s another referral perk that continues to work.

If a friend you’ve already referred wins a Media Rewards prize draw, you win the same prize too. For example, if your friend wins a $1,000 prize draw, you also get $1,000.

So even after you’ve reached the 3-friend limit for the sign-up bonus, the prize-matching benefit continues for the friends you’ve already referred.

How you cash out

How you get paid depends on whether you win a prize draw or earn a gift card through a survey.

For prize draws, Media Rewards notifies winners and provides a link to claim the prize. You can redeem your prizes for gift cards in the app. The Help Center lists $50 and $100 prizes, while its payment information has historically listed PayPal for the $1,000 prize draw.

For survey rewards, Media Rewards emails you a link to claim a digital gift card from available retailers. It has also used Tango, which offers gift cards from many popular brands. Available payout methods and retailers can vary by region and prize, so check the redemption options in your account.

Good to know

If you’re worried about your battery or data, Media Rewards says the app is built to stay out of your way: about 1% battery use per hour and less than 100KB of data per day.

As for privacy, Media Rewards says it never records or stores actual audio or conversations. Instead, its technology matches what it hears against known audio fingerprints, like specific jingles from ads, just to confirm you were exposed to that content.

Do Swagbucks, InboxDollars, & MyPoints pay you to watch videos?

If you’re looking for apps that pay you to watch videos, you’ll find plenty of old lists recommending Swagbucks, MyPoints, InboxDollars, and other familiar names.

The problem is that many of them no longer pay for watching videos.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks no longer pays for watching videos, but it’s still one of the biggest GPT sites out there.

My full Swagbucks review covers what it actually pays for today. Its official Ways to Earn page now lists surveys, games, shopping, receipts, polls, trivia, and Swag Codes, but not video. Its old video page also returns a 404 error.

MyPoints

MyPoints ended video rewards on June 1, 2022, as announced in its official blog post.

InboxDollars

InboxDollars ended its Videos activity in 2022. InboxDollars still has a page titled “Watch TV. Earn Rewards,” but watching TV itself isn’t what earns you money.

If you want to actually get paid to watch TV, that’s a different set of apps. The rewards on InboxDollars come from activities such as surveys, polls, games, and shopping while the TV is on.

What happened to Perk TV, Viggle, Slidejoy, and RewardTV?

Several popular apps and websites that once paid people to watch TV, videos, or ads are now gone.

RewardTV

RewardTV was a Nielsen-owned app that paid users for answering trivia questions about TV shows. I was a member of Rewards TV and loved it but unfortunately it shut down in 2014.

Perk TV

Perk TV shut down in December 2019. It was an early app that paid users to watch videos and ads on their phones.

Slidejoy

Slidejoy was a lock-screen app that paid users for viewing ads on their phones and unlocking their screens. Buzzvil acquired it in 2017, and the original rewards service is no longer available.

Viggle

Viggle rewarded users for checking in while watching TV or listening to music. Its original rewards service ended in 2019.

Paid2YouTube

Paid2YouTube used to pay users to watch YouTube videos but is now defunct.

HitBliss

HitBliss paid users to watch commercials and earn credits toward movies and TV shows. It is now defunct.

SuccessBux

SuccessBux used to pay users to view ads and complete online tasks but is no longer operating.

Bottom line: Don’t rely on old “get paid to watch TV” or “get paid to watch videos” lists. Many popular rewards apps have shut down or ended their video programs.

Why most reward sites dropped “watch and earn” video features

I’ve been researching and writing about reward sites and ways to make money online since 2007, and I’ve watched the watch-and-earn side of the GPT (get-paid-to) world shrink.

Video rewards used to pay better. But over time, sites have cut points, removed video walls, or moved video to smaller third-party partners.

So, why did this happen?

A big part of the answer is that the economics and quality of online video advertising have changed.

Ad fraud is part of that bigger picture. No reward site has said this was the reason it dropped video, so it shouldn’t be treated as a confirmed explanation. Still, video and CTV (connected TV) ads have some of the industry’s biggest invalid-traffic problems.

At the same time, advertisers have been shifting toward programmatic CTV and app-based advertising instead of the passive video views that reward apps once relied on.

Put those changes together, and it’s easier to see why getting a few pennies for watching videos is much less common today.

How to avoid fake “watch videos for money” sites & scams

Not every site that promises money for watching videos is legit. It’s part of a bigger pattern of online money scams. Scammers sometimes copy the names and logos of real apps to make fake offers look trustworthy.

Before you sign up, check the website address carefully.

Never enter your password, verification code, or other account details on a third-party site just because it uses the name or logo of a company you recognize.

Here are three real examples to watch out for:

Fake Swagbucks website

A site called swagbucks-vip.com promoted a fake “watch-to-earn” scheme in 2025. It was presented as a South Africa expansion press release dated June 5, 2025.

The release appeared on a generic PR wire and included a crypto-scam-style disclaimer. It had nothing to do with the real Swagbucks, which operates at swagbucks.com and is owned by Prodege.

Fake TikTok Lite Rewards site

tikpayout.com claims to unlock “TikTok Lite Rewards” and asks users to verify their TikTok account details outside the actual TikTok app.

That’s a classic phishing warning sign. The domain is not owned by TikTok.

Fake Freecash ads

Freecash has also been used in fraudulent TikTok ads claiming that you can make money by watching or scrolling TikTok videos.

Freecash’s own support team denied this in a support article dated March 17, 2026. In other words, those ads were not a legitimate Freecash offer.

Bottom line: Don’t click through or sign up on sites making these claims. I’m not linking to any of the fraudulent sites above because there’s no reason to send you there.

How much can you really make watching videos?

If you’re hoping to make serious money just by watching videos, I wouldn’t count on it.

Other sites covering this niche generally estimate video-watching pay at around $0.50 to $3 an hour. Based on the actual per-video rates the apps in this post publish, most fall well below that.

Here are a few examples that show just how low the rates can be:

• instaGC: Its base rate works out to roughly $0.0005 per video. Even reaching the daily video cap barely gets you to a dollar.
• Paidwork: Video watching alone can bring in around $1 to $3 a day, depending on the daily limit. Its advertised $150 to $600+ monthly earning potential comes from combining videos with surveys, games, and other tasks.

There is one notable exception…

And that’s Nielsen Pulse, since it pays passively for streaming you’re already doing rather than for active video-watching.

Third-party estimates put that around $20 or more a month with very little effort, though Nielsen doesn’t publish the exact number itself.

Do you have to pay taxes on video-watching earnings?

Yes. Money you earn from video-watching apps can be taxable, even if you only make a small amount.

You generally report hobby income on Schedule 1, Form 1040, line 8j.

And you still have to report the income even if the app doesn’t send you a tax form.

In most cases, you probably won’t get a 1099 from these apps because the amounts are usually far below the reporting thresholds:

• 1099-K: More than $20,000 in payments and more than 200 transactions for 2025 and 2026 returns.
• 1099-NEC or 1099-MISC: Generally more than $2,000 for payments made from January 1, 2026 onward.

Not getting a 1099 doesn’t mean you can ignore the income. The IRS still expects you to report it.

To make tax time easier, keep a simple running total of what you earn throughout the year, including PayPal payments, gift cards, and other rewards that have a cash value.

FAQ about earing money by watching videos

Can you get paid to watch Netflix or Hulu?

Not directly. Netflix and Hulu don’t pay viewers to watch their shows. However, apps such as Nielsen Pulse can reward you for streaming content you already watch by tracking your media activity.

Can you use a VPN to boost video earnings?

No. VPNs can violate the rules of video-reward and GPT platforms and may result in account suspension or a ban. Use your real location when earning.

Do you have to keep the video playing to earn?

Usually, yes. Some video-reward partners require the video and its accompanying ad to play through before you receive credit. Closing the player or failing an activity check may prevent the reward from being credited.

Can you get paid to watch YouTube?

Not directly by YouTube. However, passive-rewards apps such as Media Rewards can reward you for the YouTube and other media content you already watch.

Is getting paid to watch videos legit?

Yes. Legitimate rewards platforms still pay users for watching certain videos and ads, but the earnings are usually very small. The bigger problem is that many older sites no longer offer video rewards, and fake sites can impersonate legitimate companies.

Is getting paid to watch ads the same as getting paid to watch videos?

Often, yes. Many video-reward platforms pay you for watching sponsored clips or videos that include ads. However, the exact requirements and rewards vary by platform.

Research methodology

I checked each platform’s official website, help center, or support pages for pay rates, payment methods, minimum cashouts, and requirements. I also checked the official pages and announcements from Swagbucks, MyPoints, and InboxDollars to confirm whether they still pay for watching videos.

For user experiences, I checked recent reviews on Trustpilot, SmartCustomer, and other review sites. Tax information came from the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service.

When a company doesn’t publish a specific number, I say so rather than guess. You’ll see that noted in the relevant sections and the at-a-glance table.

Which app pays the most to watch videos?

Based on the rates I found while testing these platforms, PrizeRebel pays the most consistently for individual videos, at about $0.02 to $0.03 per video or ad block.

Earnably can sometimes pay more for individual video offers. I found most paying around $0.008, but a few paid about $0.075 each.

That said, what you can earn depends on the offers available to your account and location.

So, rather than simply choosing the app with the highest per-video rate, here are the three I’d pick based on what you’re actually looking for:

Best for passive earning: Nielsen Pulse

If you already stream a lot of TV or other content, Nielsen Pulse is my top pick for passive earnings.

You earn from the streaming you’re already doing instead of sitting there watching videos just to earn rewards.

Best for no cashout minimum: QuickRewards

I’ve been a QuickRewards member since around 2005 and have cashed out more times than I can count, mostly for Amazon gift cards and PayPal cash.

My favorite thing about it is the no-minimum cashout. You can cash out as little as 1 cent to PayPal.

Best traditional GPT site: PrizeRebel

My PrizeRebel review covers why it’s a good choice if you want more than just videos: clear point values, several payment options including PayPal and bank transfers, an active video offer wall, and plenty of other ways to earn.

Final takeaway

Obviously watching videos & ads won’t replace your job or make a meaningful income on its own.

But if you already spend time watching videos, it’s a good way to make some extra cash.

For the best results, stack a couple of these apps together, keep your expectations realistic, and you can get paid to watch videos enough to cover a coffee or two each month.