Unlike popular belief, the internet today now provides several opportunities for normal people to start generating money, without any up-front investment. You can even make money online with the use of a credit card.
You might be thinking, How is this possible? Well this article will provide you with different ways and opportunities to make money online without making use of your credit card.
- 10 Websites to Make Money Without a Credit Card
- How to Shop Online Without a Credit Card
- Ways to Make Money Online Without Credit Cards
10 Websites to Make Money Without a Credit Card
Redbubble
This is a website that allows you to make money by creating and selling custom products online.
On this website, you can sell products like t-shirts, phone cases and hoodies with your own custom design printed on top.
To start creating your own merch, you’ll first need to open a free account. Once opened, you can immediately start uploading your own personal designs to products.
You can customise things like the style, formation, product title and description.
Then when a customer purchases a product from your store…
….RedBubble’s production warehouse will print your design onto a t-shirt (or whichever product you’re selling), package it up, and then ship it out to the customer.
All of this is done automatically, without you even having to lift a finger! If you have not yet noticed, this type of product fulfilment goes by the name of print on demand.
The reason why this model is so great is because once you have created and uploaded your designs, it becomes an extremely passive source of income.
For each product that you sell, RedBubble will pay out to you a 20% commission. And because you are paid through a commission, you aren’t required to pay any fees!
Essentially, selling on RedBubble is 100% FREE. But you might be thinking “This is good and all, but what about traffic? Don’t I have to pay to advertise my t-shirt?”
The answer to this is no.
You see, similar to eBay and Amazon, RedBubble is considered what you call a destination site.
Because these sites are so well-known, there isn’t much of a need to spend money to put your products in front of customers. Customers are very familiar with these type of sites already, and so simply come to search for what they want.
Sellers on RedBubble make money through organic traffic. These are users who type in the search bar a product they are looking for, and find it through organically through the search results.
And sellers leverage RedBubbles search engine by optimizing their products for search keywords e.g. funny t-shirts, doctor t-shirts.
But again, you might be thinking, “Okay, sounds good. But what if I am not a great artist? Will my designs be good enough to sell?”
The answer? Absolutely!
Here’s the thing… To make money on RedBubble, you DON’T need to be an artist. The majority of top selling t-shirts are surprisingly very simple, plain designs.
If you have no graphic design skills, but still want to create top selling designs, the secret is to focus on selling funny t-shirts.
Because often times, simple text based t-shirts often add to the humour and make it even funnier than if it was the design was rather complicated.
So once you’ve opened your account, and recreated your own designs – how do you get paid?
RedBubble has two options. The first is to get paid directly through PayPal. And the second option is to get paid directly to your bank account.
Now, unfortunately, bank deposits are only available to a limited amount of countries. But there is a workaround: use Payoneer!
With Payoneer, you can set up a virtual US bank account that can receive money, even if you don’t live in the US.
This is hugely beneficial for those who live in foreign countries and have banks that aren’t very compatible with RedBubble.
Udemy
Udemy is a platform that lets you sell your own individual course on a topic. The difference between Udemy and platforms like Skillshare is that Skillshare is a subscription service, whereas on Udemy, people buy your courses individually.
Because of this difference, earnings on Udemy tend to be higher than Skillshare. In fact, according to Teaching Guide, forty percent of classes on Udemy have made over $5,000.
“But what if I don’t have any skills? How can I create a class and sell it?” The great thing about Udemy is that you don’t necessarily need to have a skill if you want to make money.
Instead, what we recommend is that you watch the top videos on YouTube around a topic you are interested in…
…then recreate your OWN version, and list this as a course lesson on Udemy.
You don’t need to show your face in these lessons. Neither do you need any fancy camera equipment to film your videos. So long as you have an internal microphone on your phone, and able to screen record your laptop, you’re pretty much good to go!
You can even make more money through Udemy by leveraging the power of Affiliate Marketing.
For example, if you are creating a class on how to use Adobe Photoshop, you can join their affiliate program, and share your affiliate link with people who purchase your course.
So when somebody goes through your course, and is ready to try Photopshop for themselves…
…If they sign up through your affiliate link, you earn a commission from that sale, making you even MORE money. It’s a double win as customers are paying for your course AND also using your affiliate link.
Skillshare
This is an online community for people who want to learn from educational videos.
On Skillshare, you can share your expertise to others around any topic you are passionate about, whether that is photography, illustration or even making a latte!
The great thing about Skillshare is that anyone can use this platform and start generating money with it.
In fact, on average, new teachers can make anywhere between $200 – $3,000 in their first month. Which is pretty cool, but that’s not even the best part…
…The best part is that once you have put your classes up, all that money you are earning is passive!
The way you get paid on Skillshare is that for each minute somebody watches your video, you get paid.
So if you were to spend five minutes watching a video on how to make French press coffee, the creator would be paid for each minute you spend watching the video.
Some people will become loyal subscribers and view all of your videos in your playlist. But the majority of people tend to watch a few videos that are relevant to them.
These types of viewers don’t get marked as ‘students’ in your mini-course. But this is okay as you still get paid for their views regardless of how many videos they watch.
Do you have a topic, skill or anything that you are passionate about that you’d like to share with the rest of the world? Perhaps Skillshare is the site for you.
Youtube
YouTube is another great platform to share your expertise on a topic you are knowledgeable about. But you don’t need to have 400,000 subscribers to succeed with this method. Even with a small following, you can still earn money using the right strategy.
And the best strategy is to create a tutorial on how to use a specific tool or software. This type of video requires nothing but a computer screen and your voice (which is great if you aren’t the most comfortable on camera).
And within these tutorials, you add your affiliate link, so that when people use it, you are rewarded a commission.
For example, let’s say you were teaching someone how to create an online store using Shopify.
Well, in the video description of your tutorial, you can place your own affiliate link, and then have people use it when signing up for Shopify.
The secret to creating a great tutorial is to add real value.
Rather than scraping together a half-decent tutorial (like everybody else), it’s much smarter to take your time, and focus on how you can add the best value possible in each video.
Shutterstock
Shutterstock is an online media library of photos and videos that you can sell as stock footage.
This is great if you are experienced in photography, as it doesn’t require a huge amount of effort to start earning money.
People on here make thousands of dollars per month through their portfolio. But they don’t make this money through normal photos.
Instead, the majority of their money is made through short clip videos filmed in 4k. These have the highest royalty commissions, and so as a result, earn more money than regular photos.
So if Shutterstock sounds like something you’d enjoy making money from, we highly recommend focusing on 4k video.
Fivver
Fivver is a platform where you can hire a freelancer to complete tasks for you. There are several types of freelancers on here, such as logo designers and website builders, and even graphic designers.
Usually, people steer away from making money on Fivver as they believe it is too competitive. Nowadays, you find a lot of freelancers competing for the same gigs, at the same price point, and usually for the same quality.
Which is why if you want to stand out from the bunch, it’s essential to have a lot of reviews, or you risk being just another average freelancer in the bunch.
If that is the case, then how on earth can somebody with zero money, zero knowledge, and zero reviews succeed on Fivver?
Well, the secret here is discover gigs that have high demand, but very low competition. Not many people realise that there are several services that many people require, but not many freelancers are offering.
Take this gig for example – creating designs on print on demand sneakers.
While sneakers are an incredibly popular item to sell in print on demand, as you can see, there is only one person on Fivver who is offering this service!
So, despite being the only gig in this marketplace, this freelancer is most likely receiving a lot of orders.
What does this mean for you? This means that just like this gig, there are many other services in need of freelancers to come and offer their gigs. And you could be one of them!
As mentioned before, it’s simply a matter of working smart, and identifying what services people are looking for, yet only a few are offering.
We all know Instagram as a network where we can view and share images with friends. But did you know that you can also use this as a way of making money?
While there are several methods to earn money on Instagram, there is a simple yet unique way that not many people know about.
In fact, this method that we are about to share has earned one of our good entrepreneurial friend $28,000 in the space of six months.
The way they achieved this was quite simple.
Step 1: First, they built a page around their niche.
Step 2: Next, they posted content related to their niche, with the aim of building a decent following of 50,000 followers.
Step 3: Once they built their following, they monetized this page by creating an eBook (using a free eBook creator app called Crello).
Step 4: After creating their ebook, they then built a mini website for it, using ClickFunnels. But they didn’t pay for it. They took advantage of ClickFunnels 2-week trial.
Step 5: After building a website for their ebook, they promoted their ebook on their Instagram page.
And as a result, they were able to generate $7,000 within their first week!
This is a great method to earn money on Instagram. While it does require the little investment of $8 for a website domain, the returns of your efforts can pay off tenfold, so long as you use the right strategy.
But for the sake of this article, we need to assume that we are completely broke here.
And so as an alternative method, you can create a fan page around your niche, post related content…
…but this time, promote your own third-party print on demand store inside of your Instagram bio — whether that is on Redbubble, Amazon by Merch or Teespring.
All of these print on demand marketplaces don’t require any money to start up with, making this whole business model 100% free.
Merch by Amazon
This is Amazon’s own Print On Demand service.
Similar to RedBubble that we discussed above, Amazon pays you a commission for each item you sell after removing the cost of the t-shirt and any other additional fees.
Once accepted into their program, creating and uploading products on here is easy.
All you need to do is upload a piece of artwork onto their app. And customise the features of your product, such as the size of your design, price, product title and description.
One major benefit of selling merch on Amazon is that you get to take advantage of the millions of customers who shop on Amazon every day. They take care of the marketing for you and bring the customers in.
As you probably already know, Amazon is currently the largest e-commerce store online. And so putting your product in front of customers isn’t much of a hard job.
Some people use Merch by Amazon as a source of side income, while others prefer to go all in and make this a full-fledged business.
Whichever option you choose is entirely up to you. Because at the end of the day, the biggest benefit is that the sales you make are completely passive.
The process of getting paid is similar to RedBubble. After Amazon deduct all of their fees, the remaining profit is paid out as a commission to your bank account. And this includes Payoneer!
This again is great, as you don’t require a credit card to pay for any items up-front. Amazon automatically do this for you.
Shout Cart
This is a website that allows Instagram influencers accounts to sell shout outs.
Tying back to the example above, you can monetise a big following by promoting other people’s products and services on your Instagram page.
The way it works is very simple:
Step 1: Find an influencer who has a big following in your niche.
Step 2: After picking your influencer, add them to your cart.
Step 3: Create an order by filling out a simple form, then upload an image or video for influencers to post.
Step 4: Schedule a time for your shoutout and pay for the order.
Step 5: Receive exposure!
Shoutouts are an easy, low effort way to make money on Instagram.
And if you put in the time and effort to build a following, you can have people clamouring to pay you money to advertise on your page.
TextBroker
If you live in the US, this website is a dead easy way to start earning money using nothing but your writing skills.
The way this works is that you first sign up, and then take a writing ‘sample’ test. This is a type of test Text Broker uses to gage how good your writing ability is.
The typical rating most people achieve is four stars, which on average can earn you $1.4 cents per word that you write.
Once assigned a rating, you are then officially accepted as a writer. And can now login to the orders portal, choose any of the available orders listed, and then write an article for it. Simple!
The more you polish up on your writing skills, the higher your rating will be, and you can start charging a higher price per word.
For example, a five star rating can earn you a whopping $50 an hour!
Textbroker is great if you want to start earning fast money using nothing but your words. And removes the hassle of hustling for low paying gigs on websites like Upwork or Freelancer.
How to Shop Online Without a Credit Card
To make online purchases, you must have a payment method that’s accepted over the internet. This typically means a credit card, but there are ways to shop online even without a credit card. They include debit cards, prepaid cards, gift cards, PayPal, Amazon Cash, your checking account, or even borrowing someone else’s card.
Online Shopping Using Debit Cards
Debit cards can be used to shop online as long as the card has a Visa or MasterCard logo. Input the 16-digit card number along with the expiration date, security code, and billing address (the address where you receive your bank statements).
The funds for the transaction will be deducted from the checking account linked to the debit card. If you don’t have a debit card, contact your bank about adding one to your existing checking account. Or, visit a local bank to open a new checking account and request a debit card.
Prepaid Cards
Prepaid cards are similar to debit cards, except funds are loaded onto an account associated with the card, not a checking account. Make sure the prepaid card has a major credit card network logo, such as Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express.
Prepaid cards are a great option for those who can’t (or don’t want to) get a checking account or credit card. You can apply for a prepaid card online or visit a retailer like CVS, Walgreens, or Walmart.
Gift Cards for Online Purchases
Gift cards with a major credit card network, such as Visa or MasterCard, can be used at any online store that accepts payment from that network. You can also use a retail-specific gift card to shop online, but typically only at that retailer’s website. For example, a Macy’s gift card can only be used at Macy’s.
You can purchase gift cards in the same places as prepaid cards. Many of these locations also sell retailer-specific gift cards, but of course, you can also purchase these directly from the retailer.
You can link a PayPal account to your checking account, and any purchases you make through PayPal will be deducted from that checking account.
PayPal
If you have a Paypal balance from gifts, sales, or other money transfers, purchases will typically deduct from that balance first and then from your checking account. Paypal’s website has a list of online retailers that accept Paypal as a payment method.
PayPal also offers the PayPal Cash Card, which is a debit card that you can use anywhere MasterCard is accepted. The card is linked to your PayPal account.
Amazon Cash
Amazon Cash allows you to shop on Amazon.com without a credit or debit card. You just add cash to your Amazon Balance at participating locations. You can scan a unique barcode or use your mobile phone number to identify your account and add from $5 to $500 to use for shopping on Amazon.
Your Checking Account
Though it’s not common, a few online retailers let you use your checking account and routing information to make purchases. Check the payment options for the retailer to confirm you can use your checking information. Linking your checking account to Paypal or requesting a debit card from your bank will give you more flexibility to make online purchases.
Borrow Someone Else’s Card
You may have a friend or relative who’s willing to let you use their credit or debit card for your online purchases as long as you give them the cash. When you use this option, be sure to enter the correct billing address so the payment will process correctly.
However, note that some retailers may not allow shipping to different billing and shipping addresses because of the increased risk of fraud. Some credit card issuers may flag the transaction as fraud. Indicating the purchase as a gift can dodge this problem.
Ways to Make Money Online Without Credit Cards
Learn all you can about online marketing for free
The first step to making money online without a credit card is to simply learn how to earn money online. While you might think that not having a credit card is a disadvantage, that is actually not true.
There are so many free sources online to learn about internet marketing that you do not have to purchase anything in order to learn all you need to know. In fact, those that have credit cards sometimes waste tens, if not hundreds, of dollars buying products that teach you what you can learn for free online.
Get yourself a debit card
If you do not have one already, you will want to get yourself a debit card (also known as a bank card or check card). These look like credit cards, but they are not credit cards as they take money directly out of your bank account.
Many websites online will accept payment by debit card – so you can use these to make money online, even if you don’t have an actual credit card.
Sign up for PayPal
Next, you will want to get yourself a PayPal account. With a PayPal account, you can both pay for expenses online and receive payments online. You do not need a credit card to get a PayPal account, but you will need a bank account.
Sign up for free websites
Next, you will want to create at least one free website for yourself. A website is a basic component to make money online, with or without a credit card. You don’t need a fancy website – even a simple blog can bring in some money online.
You can sign up for a free website. There are various website hosts that do not charge for hosting. Search for “free website hosting”.
Sign up for affiliate programs
You can also sign up for a free blog account. Popular free blog accounts include Wordpress.com and Blogger.
Again, since these sites are free, you avoid using your credit card.
Pay for web hosting using bank transfer or debit card
Free website and blog hosting is good for beginners, but usually have limitations. If you are very serious about making money online you can buy yourself a domain name and get low cost website hosting without using a credit card. There are many website hosts that will let you pay either by PayPal (see step 3) or by direct bank transfer. Just do a search and you will find many.
One very common way to make money online is through affiliate marketing. You simply sign up as an affiliate, insert special code on your website and make money whenever a user clicks on your link and makes a purchase. (Some affiliate programs pay you per click or lead instead of per sale.)
Lucky for you, many, if not most, affiliate programs, allow you to get paid without a credit card. Some affiliate programs will deposit money in your PayPal account and some have an option to pay you by check.
Note: Before signing up for an affiliate program, read through their payment information carefully to make sure you can will pay you without a credit card or merchant account.
Advertise your website through Adwords without a credit card
One of the best ways to advertise your website is through Google Adwords. Again, you are not limited to paying for Google Adwords with your credit card. Depending on your country, you can pay by direct bank transfer.
Make money through Google Adsense without a credit card
Google Adsense is another great way to make money online. Again, you do not need to accept credit cards in order to get paid through Adsense. Payment methods you can choose include U.S. dollar checks and electronic funds tranfsfer. See resources below for details on Google Adsense payment options.
Sell products online through Paypal
You can sell your own products online and get paid through PayPal. You do not need a credit card or merchant account to sell products through PayPal online.
Allow for alternate methods of payment for your products or services
Some customers are scared to pay by credit card online. They might be weary to pay by PayPal as well. This can be especially true if you are selling expensive products or selling to an audience that is not used to buying online. In these cases you should allow alternate methods of payment such as transferring money directly into your bank account and/or paying you using a personal or business check
Finally
Making money online is becoming easier and easier. As long as you have some technological know-how, you can make a little extra cash on the side.
We have just listed ideas above, but there are an endless amount of things you can do to make money if you get creative, even without your youtube.
