Make Money

Over the last few years, technology and apps have made making money on the side easier than ever before. And the demand for these platforms has also grown for a few reasons:

• The convenience factor for busy families
• A great way for others to make money
• How easy it is to use or become a gig worker

But this demand has truly skyrocketed due to COVID-19 and the rise of social distancing in 2020. This caused many people to, unfortunately, lose their jobs. And for others, it created the need to get their shopping done in alternative ways and to have less contact with people.

But one way many people are making some supplemental income is by becoming a Shipt Shopper. For those looking to dive into more gig economy apps, Shipt is potentially a solid choice for you to try.

And Shipt has been a great option for those staying home but still need groceries or other items for their household.

So what is Shipt? How can you make money as a Shipt Shopper? Is it worth trying? Below you’ll learn the answer to all those questions and more!

What Is Shipt?

If you are new to how apps can make you money and the idea of Shipt, stick with me here briefly before we get into the finer details.

Shipt is a delivery service acquired by Target in 2017, which allows users to request groceries and other household items from various partner stores. You can also be a Shipt Shopper, where you’ll be assigned orders right through the app. You’ll shop and deliver the items in the given timeframe.

Common items that can be delivered using Shipt include groceries, snacks, dairy, beverage (alcohol as well, but must be 21+ to shop and deliver for that), pantry, household essentials, frozen, baby, and more.

What Stores Does Shipt Work With?

Since Target owns Shipt, naturally, one of the partnered stores is Target! But the app and service are not just limited to that one massive store.

In fact, Shipt has a solid choice of partnership stores, including Petco, CVS Pharmacy, Costco, Winn Dixie, HEB, Crest Foods, Meijer, and more!

How Does Being A Shipt Shopper Work?

As a Shipt Shopper, you’ll have complete control over when you’d like to work, as well as which parts of town in your local area that you’d like to shop.

What’s cool about being a shopper with Shipt is you can also set your own schedules that you are willing to work. So the amount of money and work you’d like to do is in your control. Almost like being your own boss!

Here’s how you would get started shopping

Once you are approved as a Shipt Shopper and join the community, you choose how many orders you plan on shopping for.

Within the app, you can select dates, times, and areas you are interested in shopping. And you can set up the schedule a week in advance or on the same day.

After your schedule is set up, you’ll begin to receive offers for orders based on your schedule and the various rates you will be paid.

What’s cool is new shoppers will receive a prepaid card along with a Shipt Shopper shirt in their welcome pack. This is how you’ll pay for orders that come from Shipt. The card is funded with the order amount (and a bit extra) before your delivery time begins.

In the order section of the app, you’ll see order notes that provide details of drop-off information and requests. You can also message the member who ordered when you are on your way to deliver.

With COVID-19, Shipt currently only ensures the items are dropped off at the front door instead of face-to-face delivery.

How Much Do Shipt Shoppers Make?

By becoming a shopper through the Shipt app, this could become a solid part-time job for you or just a casual side hustle to bring in some extra money.

But the question is, with any gig economy job, is how can you make it?

According to Shipt, their more experienced shoppers can make anywhere from $16–$22 an hour. This is in addition to any tips they may receive, which the shopper keeps 100% of those profits.

To make this easier, I broke it down into a few common questions around how Shipt members make money.

How does Shipt determine pay?

As a Shipt Shopper, you’ll be an independent contractor and are paid on a per order basis. Each order will be offered with an estimated payment based on the time and effort to complete a given order.

Do Shipt Shoppers get tips?

As a shopper with Shipt, you can get tips from people you deliver to, either in the form of cash or through the app directly. As a shopper, you keep 100% of the tips, which can be a nice extra on your payment. It’s not required by the person who ordered items, so you may not always get tips.

Do Shipt Shoppers get paid weekly?

There is no minimum threshold with Shipt, so you will get paid weekly on a Friday from anything you earned. This will include your payment for any delivered orders and any tips that were sent through the app.

Does Shipt take taxes out?

Since you are an independent contractor, Shipt does not withhold taxes on any weekly paychecks you may receive from them. This means you will be responsible for filing your own taxes appropriately. But Shipt will send you a 1099 form if you earn above a certain amount at the end of the year.

Will I get reimbursed for mileage with Shipt?

Currently, Shipt does not reimburse for mileage on any of your deliveries. But since driving is related to your work, you can track mileage and file that with your taxes, lowering your tax burden. If you plan to drive a lot with Shipt, definitely consult a tax professional on the best way to do this.

The Benefits of Becoming A Shipt Shopper

Now that you know more about delivering items with Shipt and how it works, what are the benefits of becoming a Shipt Shopper? No app or service is perfect, but there is plenty to like about this company and its work.

You can work on your own schedule

With Shipt, you are an independent contractor and can work for what best suits your needs. You can choose to shop and deliver orders as much as little as you’d like. It’s pretty cool to be in control and only you can determine how much money you’ll make.

You work alone without traditional distractions

Do you prefer to work alone and not be distracted by other co-workers? Then this could be the right job for you.

There will be some interactions at the stores when you purchase items, and you need good communication skills, but otherwise, you are on your own. Becoming a Shipt Shopper is a great job for introverts.

You can make decent money

As mentioned earlier in this article, many shoppers make $16-$22 per hour shopping and delivering items. Additionally, customers may even tip (although it’s not required, it is encouraged by Shipt), which can add some additional money to your pocket.

Excellent support for anything you need

Shipt has 24/7 customer service support for both the members and contractors. That way, no matter when you are shopping, you have access to a team who can help you with anything.

So if your card doesn’t work for some reason, questions come up, or anything else — you’ll have fast answers to your needs.

Additional perks when you are a shopper

Besides solid pay and flexible work schedules, Shipt gives you additional perks by being a member of their team. Things like discounts on insurance, prescriptions, and more.

These are just bonus benefits offered to you, which you can choose to participate in or not.

As you reach new shopping and delivery milestones, you’ll get other rewards like gift cards, t-shirts, and other various things.

Shipt Shopper Application Process

If you are interested in joining Shipt as a shopper, you’ll need to go through their application process. You will also need to meet a few requirements first before you can be considered into the program.

Before you consider applying, make sure you fit their requirements for becoming a shopper. The last thing you’d want to do is waste your time on the application when you don’t meet their initial standards.

The minimum requirements include:

• You’ll need to be at least 18 years of age
• A valid U.S. driver’s license and auto insurance are a must
• You will need a reliable vehicle (1997 or newer)
• iPhone (iOS 10 or newer) or Android (5.1 or newer)
• The basic knowledge of produce selection
• Must be able to lift to 40 pounds

If you don’t meet these requirements, then, unfortunately, Shipt might not be for you right now. However, if you do, then you can move on to applying right online.

Your hiring process happens in three simple steps.

You’ll first fill out the very short application on their website. It will take you a minute to do.
Someone from Shipt will reach out and schedule an interview with you. To make sure you are a good fit and ask any additional questions.
When all goes well, you’ll be approved. Then you can download the app and start accepting jobs and start earning money.

Does Shipt or Instacart Pay More?

Naturally, Shipt is not the only app in the delivery and grocery delivery game. Another popular one you might have heard of is Instacart. Each offers similar services and value to both the contractor and the person using it to get items delivered.

Shipt and Instacart are quite similar when it comes to paying, where the average seems to land between $16-$20 per hour. Most new shoppers on either app will not make the high-end of that until they are consistently shopping and delivering orders.

Both also offer tips for deliveries, which you keep 100% of any tips that you make on top of the hourly pay for the job.

If you are unsure about Shipt or Instacart, you can also try each app out and see which is creating the best ROI for you. There may also be features you prefer on one app over the other.

Is Driving for Shipt Worth It?

If you are looking for work or to make extra money and don’t mind the delivery services, then becoming a Shipt Shopper could be a good gig for you.

And if you meet their requirements and you enjoy shopping or driving, then it’s worth signing-up and giving it a try.

With the pandemic causing havoc on the economy and there are tons of multi-level marketing scams trying to take advantage of people, Shipt is a good way to generate some extra cash.

Remember, Shipt averages anywhere from $16-$22+ an hour for experienced shoppers and you can set your own schedule. Obviously, like so many jobs in the gig economy, you’ll make more money with the amount of effort you put into it.

This article originally appeared on Your Money Geek and has been republished with permission.

During my free time, I usually load the latest app on my phone and start tapping away. I have earned several impressive scores on the latest games, which means – pretty much nothing. I have nothing to show for it other than a high score no one cares about.

A buddy of mine recently told me about Crowdtap and how I can earn gift cards by using my free time to answer my mobile phone surveys. In exchange for providing my feedback about brands and products, Crowdtap sends you electronic gift cards you can use at popular online stores.

I’m not talking about all the other gimmicks people try and sell you; I’m talking about an actual app I have used to get real gift cards.

Crowdtap’s History and Beginnings

Founded in 2009 by Brandon Evans and Kareem Kouddous, the Crowdtap headquarters is located in New York, New York. Brandon and Kareem’s vision was to increase communication between consumers and brands, which would increase value for all involved. Increased communication helps companies understand what customers want, and Crowdtap users are incentivized for providing valuable feedback.

With that vision, Crowdtap was born. The software application is the middle man that connects brands to valuable customers who are willing to give honest feedback. Brands receive valuable feedback on their products and ideas while customers are rewarded with prizes like gift cards and products.

Investors quickly saw the value in Crowdtap and were willing to contribute to their initial Series A funding. In July of 2011, Foundry Group and Tribeca Venture Partners contributed $7 million to the company.

What is Crowdtap?

As previously stated, Crowdtap creates a link that brings brands and consumers. Crowdtap users share their opinion after testing out new products or answering surveys about potential products or ideas. This helps brands create unique content that customers want.

While other survey programs focus on a wide range of topics, Crowdtap focuses primarily on brands and consumers.

My Experience With Crowdtap

Because I would never write a product review without actually using it, I documented the steps I took to create a Crowdtap account and what was involved in starting making money.

The Crowdtap Signup Process

After learning about Crowdtap, I went to their website and found two ways to create an account. I could either use my Facebook account or use an email address. I used the Facebook account process because I’m lazy since I figured it would be fewer steps (I was right).

The Onboarding Process

After logging in, I was immediately met with a series of questions. Crowdtap was attempting to filter out automated bots and other people who were not interested in providing valuable feedback but wanted to make a quick buck.

The series of questions made me type specific words in a text box to see if I was paying attention and made me check boxes related to the program’s rules and integrity. The Crowdtap team did a good job of mixing up the questions to weed out those who were not joining for the right reasons. Crowdtap made it clear the expectations are:

1. To provide quality and honest feedback.
2. Make extra money in my free time!

Sounds like a win-win to me.

Verifying My Account

After finishing the survey, Crowdtap required me to verify my account. The verification process involved providing my real name, address, and phone number.

This is where I ran into my first problem. My Facebook account does not use my real name, so when I tried to verify my information, Crowdtap quickly denied me the discrepancy between them.

Because of this, I started over and created an account with an email and provided my information. This time I was able to verify my account.

Earning Points By Completing Missions

Missions are actions for users to complete to earn points, which are later exchanged for gift cards. There are several different missions available to users depending on the information brands are looking for

• Questionnaire Missions

The most traditional type of action is the Questionnaire, which is a fancy name for a survey. Questionnaires ask you a series of questions to provide information back to the brand sponsoring the action.

• Discussion Missions

Unique to Crowdtap, the Discussion Mission connects users and brands to provide valuable feedback in a more personal way. The discussions involve questions where the users can provide candid feedback in their own words, which brands can use to improve their products.

• Poll Missions

Like the Questionnaire, this is a more traditional survey geared to provide feedback quickly and conveniently. Polls allow users to answer questions through multiple choice questions or share content over social media.

• Photo Missions

Photo Missions turn users into influencers. Brands will ask Crowdtap users to take a photograph of you using their product, their product in a specific location, or doing some other type of activity with their product. After taking the picture, you need to share the photo on your social media account to boost the brand’s image to earn points.

• Content Missions

Brands constantly struggle with content marketing. They use A/B testing, which is basically throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall to see what sticks. They then reuse the most effective marketing campaign.

Rather than go through this hassle, Crowdtap allows brands to send links to users that go to some branded content like a YouTube video, blog post, photo, or other creative content. After viewing the content, you provide feedback to the brand about what you like or dislike and what they could do to improve the content.

• Text Missions

Text Missions are short-form question and answer format surveys. Rather than an open discussion or long-form responses, these missions allow brands to ask specific questions which require a short personal response from the user.

• Sampling or Hosted Party Missions

In my opinion, these are, by far, the best missions. Brands send you their products for review and either host parties with your friends using the products or simple sampling for the individual user. Since most Crowdtap users want these types of missions, I found they are few and far between.

How To Earn Crowdtap Rewards

Each time you complete a mission, you earn a certain number of points. Each mission will provide you with a different number of points, which are identified ahead of time. The points are later exchanged for gift cards of your choice.

You also are provided free products if you are selected for sampling or hosted party mission.

The Point System

Each time you complete a mission and earn points, your point total is increased on your dashboard.

After participating in several missions, I found the point payout varies by the amount of time the mission takes and the brand sponsoring the mission.

For smaller missions that take about a minute to complete, I earned around 15 points each time. However, higher-paying surveys take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes to complete, and I found those paid out around 100 points.

Some of the most valuable missions involved sharing the brand’s content on my verified social media accounts, which paid around 195 points.

Exchanging Points For Gift Cards

To start exchanging points for gift cards, the minimum amount of points needed is 1,000.

The 1,000 Point Threshold

At 1,000 points, I was able to exchange them for a $5 gift card to:

• Amazon
• CVS Pharmacy
• Chipolte
• Panera
• eBay
• Sephora
• Target
• AMC Theatres
• Apple
• Ulta
• Walmart
• Olive Garden
• Longhorn Steakhouse
• Yard House
• Bahama Breeze
• Cheddar’s

The 2,000 Point Threshold

At 2,000 points, the gift cards increased to $10. I was able to redeem 2,000 points for the above-listed gift cards as well as:

• Redbox
• Google Play
• NFLShop.com
• Playstation Store
• GrubHub
• CVS Pharmacy
• Nintendo eShop
• Nike
• Adidas

The 3,000 Point Threshold

At 3,000 points, the gift cards increased to $15. I could redeem 3,000 for the above-listed brands and also:

• Xbox

The 4,000 Point Threshold

At 4,000 points, gift cards were worth $20 and included all the above-listed brands.

The 5,000 Point Threshold

The top tier was 5,000 points for a $25 gift card to the above-listed brands and also:

• Wayfair.com
• StubHub

Is Crowdtap Legit?

I have been scammed by other online applications with the promise of cash and gift cards for my time, only to be told I didn’t qualify, or they were out of rewards by the time I earned enough points. However, with Crowdtap, I received my electronic gift cards quickly after meeting the point minimums and selecting my products.

From my experience, Crowdtap is legit and actually pays when you complete enough missions to meet the point minimums.

The Pros of Crowdtap

• Easy way to make money in gift cards rather than wasting my time playing games
• User-friendly app
• Actually pays out when you reach rewards.
• A large variety of reward choices

The Cons of Crowdtap

• No referral program for friends and family like other apps
• It takes a long time to earn a $25 gift card.
• A limited number of surveys – can’t take unlimited at any time.

How Much Money I Made With Crowdtap

Overall my experience with Crowdtap was and continues to be good. I only log into the app a few times a day and do it when I have nothing else to do. Because of this, I could only earn a $10 gift card in the first month I started using Crowdtap.

In other words, you’re not going to get rich or earn large rewards with Crowdtap overnight. I found the best way was to use it once and a while, and I would not bother about trying to earn as many points as I could. If I did, I would certainly get frustrated because it can be a grind with how many points it takes for significant rewards.

Overall, I recommend Crowdtap to people looking to make a few extra bucks each month rather than wasting their time with other apps that only give them high scores no one cares about.

This article originally appeared on Your Money Geek and has been republished with permission.