12 Fast Pay Side Hustles for Quick Cash

When the rent’s due and your bank account is empty, you may want to know about fast-paying side hustles for quick cash. These are side gig sites that pay you within 24 hours of completing a job.

And, while a few are stingy with earnings, most pay considerably more than minimum wage. Besides, when your wallet is empty, even $15 or $20 can make a difference. 

Here’s an alphabetical guide to a dozen fast-pay side gig sites for those times when you need your money in a hurry.

Amazon Flex

Amazon Flex enlists freelance delivery drivers to bring packages, Amazon Fresh and Whole Food orders to customers. Drivers are able to sign up for “blocks” of work, which range from 2 to 6 hours. Each block is listed with a rate of pay that’s based on the estimated time it will take to deliver all the packages in the block. The site estimates that drivers earn between $18 and $25 per hour, depending on how quickly they work.

How quickly you get paid is up to you. You can choose to be paid weekly or immediately after you complete a block. Pay is sent via direct deposit.

BeeBizy

BeeBizy is a party-planning site that encourages caterers, cake-makers, bartenders, DJs, and entertainers of all types to register and offer a service on the site. These services can range from making charcuterie trays to face-painting; providing character actors for kids parties to bounce houses.

Service providers set their own rates. And, while getting your first jobs might take some time, this fast-paying side hustle delivers your earnings within 24 hours of completing a service.

Biomat

Biomat, which has been rebranded as GrifolsPlasma, pays you to donate plasma, the yellowish liquid that carries nutrients through your blood. Donating plasma is much like donating blood. But, where it takes roughly 6 to 8 weeks for your body to replace the red blood cells you lose with a blood donation, your body replaces the plasma nearly immediately. This allows you to donate as frequently as twice a week.

Plasma donations can also be highly lucrative, paying between $50 and $100 for each donation. (However, exact payments can vary based on your location and demand.) Payments are made immediately following the donation via pre-paid gift card.

DoorDash

DoorDash is a delivery service that enlists freelance drivers to pick up and deliver meals to customers. Dasher pay is made up of a small delivery fee and a tip. While some drivers complain that there are so many “Dashers” in many urban areas, that pay has dropped below minimum wage, particularly after accounting for expenses. In fact, like many delivery jobs, how much you earn per hour depends likely on how much the consumer tips. You do know the pay before you take the gig, however.

And, if you sign up for DasherDirect, your earnings are paid instantly.

GrubHub

Like DoorDash, GrubHub enlists freelancers to deliver food to your door. You’re paid a delivery fee, plus tip. And, you can choose to get paid immediately, by signing up for Instant Cash Out.

Instacart

Instacart enlists shoppers to buy and deliver groceries for the site’s clients. Shoppers are told what they’re buying, where and where it must be delivered before they accept an order. Orders also say how much they pay, which generally amounts to a flat fee plus the consumer’s tip. Shoppers can accept or reject the gigs.

Generally, shoppers are paid once weekly via direct deposit. However, the site added Instant Cashout in the U.S., which allows shoppers to get paid within hours of completing a delivery.

Ivueit

Ivueit enlists freelancers to take photos of commercial property so that property owners can see the status of maintenance and repairs. Most gigs pay $5 to $35, but may require only a few minutes of work. Payments are made within 24 hours of completing an assignment.

Jitjatjo

Jitjatjo is a staffing company that hires workers in hospitality, health care, retail, education and warehouses to work flexible schedules with the company’s employer partners. The site generally pays once weekly, but offers Instant Pay for qualified workers who want to sign up.

Lyft

Although Lyft drivers are paid weekly by default, you can sign up for one of two fast-pay options. Express Pay sends your money to a debit card within 24 hours of completing a shift. Lyft Direct involves opening a separate bank account, but pays almost immediately. (Competing ride share giant, Uber, also provides instant payouts, but charges a $1.10 fee when drivers use them.)

Octapharma Plasma

Like Biomat, Octapharma pays you to donate plasma — a blood product — as frequently as once a week. However, Octapharma pays based on your weight. The more you weigh, the bigger your payment. A 110-pound individual (the lowest weight to qualify) earns $45 per donation; a 200-pound person would get paid $70 per donation. Payments are made to a pre-paid debit card within 24 hours of donations.

Prolific

Earn between $6 and $15 an hour taking surveys on Prolific, a site that links primarily academic researchers with consumers willing to answer questions about a wide array of topics. You will out a detailed questionnaire when you sign up, then Prolific sends you surveys that you qualify to take.

You’ll know exactly how long the survey takes and how much you’ll earn before you accept the survey. Payments are made automatically to your PayPal account within minutes of completion.

Qwick

Hospitality workers looking for on-demand shifts as wait staff, bartenders and cooks, can sign up with Qwick, which connects them with caterers and planners hosting events. Workers are paid automatically once weekly. But you can also link a debit card to get your wages within 30 minutes following a shift. There is a 3% processing fee for the service, however.