In today’s digital world, your online data is more valuable than ever. Companies pay big money for insights into consumer behaviour, interests, and habits—and now, individuals like you and me have the opportunity to get a slice of that pie. By choosing to share certain types of personal data, you can earn extra income with minimal effort. Whether you’re looking for a passive income stream or just curious about the potential value of data sharing, here’s everything you need to know about getting paid to share your online data.
Understanding the Value of Your Online Data
Your online data is a goldmine for companies because it offers a direct window into consumer behaviour, preferences, and decision-making patterns. Every time you browse, shop, like a post, or search for something online, you’re generating data points that reveal your interests, lifestyle, and buying potential. Companies collect this information to better understand their target audiences, enabling them to tailor products, services, and advertisements more effectively. For instance, if a brand knows your shopping habits or browsing history, they can create ads that are more likely to catch your attention and lead to a purchase. This data-driven personalization is incredibly valuable, as it helps companies increase sales, improve customer satisfaction, and gain a competitive edge in their markets. As a result, they’re often willing to pay for access to your data, turning your online activities into something that you have the potential to sell.
Is Selling Your Data Right for You?
Not everyone feels comfortable sharing their online data for numerous reasons. My attitude to it has always been that companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon are collecting this data from me for free anyway, so I may as well get paid for it where I can. But what’s right for me isn’t necessarily right for you. There may be some forms of data you are happy to share and others that you aren’t. If you’re unsure about this side hustle I’d recommend weighing up the pros and cons and deciding which platform might work for you based on the information you are comfortable sharing.
There are so many different types of data that you can share for cash. You don’t have to do them all and you can often pick and choose which one’s you feel comfortable with. The more you do share, the more money you can make.
Here is a list of the types of data that you can share in exchange for cash:
- Where, when and what you are buying at supermarkets
- What TV Shows/Films you’ve watched
- Where you’ve shopped and how much you’ve spent
- Where you’ve walked/commuted
- What radio stations/music you’ve listened to
- What adverts you’ve seen while browsing the internet
- What websites you’ve visited that week
5 Apps/Websites That Pay for Data Sharing
Here are 5 apps and websites that I use every single day to make money for my online data. I’ve listed them in order of highest earner to lowest earner, so you can decide which ones are worth your time or not.
1. THX – App (£360+ Gift Cards)
Data collected: What adverts you’ve heard and where you’ve walked/commuted
THX is a mobile app that pays you for your audio and location data in points. These points can then be converted into gift cards for the following places:
- Amazon
- Sainsbury’s
- IKEA
- H&M
- Just Eat
- M&S
- Sports Direct
- Apple
- Costa
You will need to allow the app to access your audio and location data to passively earn points. It works in a similar way to Alexa where it’s waiting for a specific sound to register what TV shows/radio/adverts you are watching. The Location data you send to the app helps them place advertisements and stores in heavy footfall areas. The app needs to be left open and running in the background of your phone all the time. If you close the app your points will stop accumulating.
Bonus Points
There are regular opportunities to earn bonus points by answering short 2-minute questionnaires or taking part in mini quizzes. These mini-surveys often require you to watch a short advert and then give your opinion on it via multiple choice answers. Make sure to have your notifications turned on not to miss these bonus surveys.
Pros of using THX
Once you reach the required amount of points your gift cards can be cashed out and are delivered to you instantly via email.
Cons of using THX
As the app is constantly running it can drain your battery quicker than normal. Those with older mobile devices find it drains the battery very quickly. If you have a newer mobile device you might not notice this as much. If you don’t want to compromise your battery you could install the app on an old device or less used device so you can still benefit from the free vouchers without draining the battery on your day-to-day mobile phone.
How much can I earn?
If you activate both the microphone and location data the average user builds up enough points to cash out a £10 gift card every 10 days.
Download THX
Click the button below to download THX. The link will only open on a mobile device. You do not need a referral to sign up, just download and start earning.
2. YouGov – Website (£150+ Cash)
Data collected: What TV Shows/Films you’ve watched, what websites you’ve visited that week and where you’ve shopped and how much you’ve spent
YouGov has always predominately been a survey website but more recently they have ventured into data sharing. This section of the website is called YouGov connections and is something that you will be invited to after actively participating in surveys. Within YouGov connections you can share the following data in exchange for points:
- Your Amazon shopping history
- Apple TV+ viewing history
- Internet browsing history
- Paramount+ viewing history
- Disney+ viewing history
- Netflix viewing history
- Prime Video viewing history
- YouTube viewing history
- Bank transaction data
- Steam gaming library
You can earn points weekly/monthly for the different data connections and will need to remember to log into your YouGov account to process this data. If you have all the streaming services you will be able to earn the maximum number of points. If you don’t have all the streaming services you can just pick and choose to share data for the one’s you do have.
Collecting Points
For each streaming, shopping, banking connection you complete you will earn points. The amount of points you can earn differs per platform. For example, you can earn 25 points every month for sharing your YouTube viewing history but you can earn 25 points every week for sharing your Netflix and Disney+ viewing history. Make sure to check the website for the most up to date number of points you can earn for each connection.
Bank transaction data is paid daily at 5 points per linked current account up to a maximum of 3 accounts. You will need to give YouGov consent to access your transactional data every 90 days.
Pros of YouGov
It’s a really easy website to use and one of the very few data sharing platforms that pays in cash.
Cons of YouGov
You need to remember to log into the YouGov website once a week to complete all your data sharing connections. It also takes a while to build up the 5,000 points required to cash out £50.
How much can I earn?
If you used all the data connection options available you would be able to cash out £150 a year.
3. Shop and Scan – Website (£80+ Gift Cards)
Data collected: Where, when and what you are buying at supermarkets
Shop and Scan is an invite-only website that allows you to get paid for sharing what supermarkets you’ve shopped, how much you’ve spent and what you bought. You will earn points every time you transmit this data to Shop and Scan which you can redeem as gift cards for places like:
- Amazon
- Argos
- B&Q
- Currys
- Footasylum
- H&M
- Homesense
- New Look
- Next
- Pizza Hut
- Primark
- Ticketmaster
Shop and Scan will provide you with your own barcode scanner so that you can scan your supermarket shopping once a week. You are also required to upload a photo of your receipt from that same shopping trip.
Collecting Points
You can earn 1,100 points a week for transmitting barcodes and 500 points a week for submitting a till receipt.
There is also the opportunity to complete additional surveys about items you have bought or providing photographs of items to help Shop and Scan build their product database for bonus points.
Pros of Shop and Scan
It’s very straightforward and easy to do. Once I get home from my shopping trip I scan all my items quickly before putting them away.
Cons of Shop and Scan
It’s a very secret club and the only way to join is to be invited.
How much can I earn?
If you do all your set tasks every week you can cash out a minimum of £80 a year. This is excluding the bonus points you can collect for the additional tasks.
The Secret to being invited to Shop and Scan
I’d highly recommend following Shop and Scan on Facebook. Once you’ve done this you will see adverts the next time they open their doors to new users. You can then be one of the first to sign up to reserve your place on their next intake.
4. Amazon Shopper Panel – App (£84+ Amazon Gift Cards)
Data collected: What adverts you’ve seen while browsing the internet, where you’ve shopped, what you bought and how much you spent
Amazon Shopper Panel is a data sharing app run by Amazon themselves. They want to collect data on when you’ve seen/heard Amazon adverts whilst browsing the internet and what sort of things you are shopping for.
As the app is owned by Amazon the payment for your data is in Amazon gift cards.
Topping up your Amazon Gift Card balance
There are currently 2 different ways that you can top-up your Amazon gift card balance with this app.
- Surveys and advert data collection – You will be required to allow Amazon access to a VPN on your device which tracks when you see/hear Amazon adverts. You can then answer surveys within the app about adverts you may have seen/heard and earn a cash reward for this.
- Receipt scanning – You can scan 50 till receipts per month to earn a cash reward of 10p per receipt up to a maximum of £5.
Pros of Amazon Shopper Panel
It’s a really easy app to use and the surveys are under 1-minute long so don’t take up much of your time. Rewards you’ve earned are automatically added to your Amazon gift card balance at the beginning of every month.
Cons of Amazon Shopper Panel
It’s one of the lower paying data sharing apps and it’s really had to get accepted onto. There has been a very long waiting list to get onto the app for a few years now. I’ve been accepted onto the survey part of the app but still don’t have access to receipt scanning.
How much can I earn?
If you have access to both the survey and receipt scanning feature you can earn around £84 a year in Amazon gift cards.
Download Amazon Shopper Panel
Click the button below to download the Amazon Shopper Panel app
5. Biscuit – App (£50+ Gift Cards)
Data collected: Where you’ve walked
Biscuit is a mobile app that is exclusively for dog owners. Earn ‘biscuits’ (the apps version of points) every time you log a dog walk and then convert these into gift cards for the following places:
- Dining Out Card
- National Trust
- Costa
- Nando’s
- Deliveroo
- Just Eat
- Caffé Nero
- River Island
- Marks and Spencer
- Asda
- Tesco
- Amazon
- airbnb
You will need to allow the app access to your location data to earn biscuits. Every time you are going to take your dog for a walk simply press the green dog button with the app and click ‘Start’. This will start a timer. The length of time you need to walk is dependent on the size of your dog. Once you have completed the walk just stop the timer and 5 biscuits will be added to your account.
Collecting Biscuits
You can earn biscuits daily for walking your dog. These are capped at 5 biscuits per day. You will also receive bonus biscuits for completing 3 dog walks a week. And further bonus biscuits are available for updating information about your dog’s insurance and healthcare.
Pros of using Biscuit
Once you reach the required amount of biscuits your gift cards can be cashed out and are delivered to you instantly via email.
Cons of using Biscuit
If you are in an area without signal the app may not log your walk which can be frustrating as you may miss out on your daily biscuits. The app is also geared to benefitting those who are customers of Waggel Pet Insurance or those that pay the £3.99 monthly subscription fee. If you aren’t insured with Waggel or pay the monthly subscription you will only earn 5 biscuits per dog walk.
How much can I earn?
Unfortunately Biscuit recently changed how their app works so it’s no longer as profitable as it used to be. You can still cash out around £50 in vouchers every year from the app.
Get a Bonus 50 Biscuits
Sign up to Biscuit via the button below and get a bonus of 50 biscuits to start you off!
How Much Can You Actually Earn?
The amount you can earn from sharing your online data really does depend on the amount of data that you are willing to share. The more data you share the more money you are likely to make. If you were to use all 5 apps and websites mentioned in this blog post you could earn around £900 a year.
Alternative Passive Side Hustles
An alternative way that you can make money passively is by utilising cashback. Cashback is money that is paid to you whenever you do any in-store or online shopping. You can save £100’s every year with this simple side hustle that anybody can do.
Read the Complete Guide to Cashback here.