Websites That Actually Pay You to Watch Videos
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You already watch videos online every day. News clips, ads, trailers, short entertainment playlists. What if some of that time quietly added a few dollars to your pocket every month? There are legitimate websites that pay you to do exactly that, and this post breaks down the four best ones for beginners.
Fair warning before we get into it: watching videos alone will not make you rich. Most people earn somewhere between $5 and $30 a month from video watching across these platforms. Where things get more interesting is when you stack video watching with surveys, shopping, and other tasks on the same platform. That is where the real earning happens, and all four sites below offer plenty of ways to do that.
Quick Comparison Table
| Platform | Video Pay Rate | Payout Options | Min. Cashout | Signup Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swagbucks | 10–25 SB per 30 min | Gift cards, PayPal | $3 gift cards / $5 PayPal | $10 |
| InboxDollars | A few cents per video set | Gift cards, PayPal | $30 | $5 |
| PrizeRebel | Points per video offer | Gift cards, PayPal | $5 PayPal / $5 gift cards | None |
| MyPoints | 1–10 points per video | Gift cards, PayPal, travel miles | ~$5 gift cards | $5 |
1. Swagbucks — Best Overall for Video Watchers
Swagbucks has been around since 2008 and has paid out over $700 million to its members. It is the most well-rounded platform on this list, and its video watching feature is one of the smoothest experiences you will find anywhere.
How the Video Watching Works
Swagbucks has a dedicated video section called Swagbucks TV (SBTV). You watch short playlists of video clips, which can include news, entertainment, lifestyle content, and ads. The playlists run automatically, so you can set them going in a background tab while you do other things. Expect to earn around 10 to 25 SB points per 30 minutes of watching, which works out to roughly $0.10 to $0.25.
What Else You Can Do Here
Video watching is just one piece of Swagbucks. The platform also pays you for surveys, online shopping cashback, playing games, web searches, and scanning receipts. For most users, pairing video playlists with daily surveys is where earnings start to feel genuinely worthwhile.
Getting Paid
100 SB points equals about $1. You can redeem for gift cards starting at just $3 worth of points, or cash out to PayPal starting at $5. New members get a $10 signup bonus after completing qualifying activities in their first month.
One Thing to Know
The SB points system trips some people up at first. Just remember: 100 SB = $1. Everything else follows from there.
Best for: Anyone who wants the most earning options on one platform, with video watching as an easy passive background task.
2. InboxDollars — No Points, Just Real Dollars
InboxDollars has been paying members since 2000. Its biggest advantage over every other site on this list is that it tracks your earnings in actual dollars, not points. You always know exactly where you stand.
How the Video Watching Works
InboxDollars has a video section where you watch short clips and earn a few cents per completed set. The content is a mix of ads, sponsored videos, and short entertainment clips. Like Swagbucks, the videos can run in a background tab while you focus on something else. Earnings per video are small, but the passive nature makes it easy to accumulate over time.
What Else You Can Do Here
InboxDollars pays you for surveys ($0.50 to $5 each), playing games, reading promotional emails, and shopping online. The email reading feature is genuinely unique. You get paid a few cents just for clicking through a promotional email, which adds up faster than you might expect.
Getting Paid
Cash out via PayPal or gift cards. The minimum is $30, which is the highest threshold on this list. That can feel like a slow start, but the $5 signup bonus helps, and once you hit it the first time you will have a feel for how long it takes to get there.
Best for: People who prefer to see their earnings in plain dollars and do not want to deal with points conversions.
3. PrizeRebel — Fastest Cashout on the List
PrizeRebel has been operating since 2007 and has built a solid reputation for fast, reliable payouts. Its $5 minimum cashout is the lowest of all four platforms here, which makes it a great choice if you want to see your first payout quickly.
How the Video Watching Works
PrizeRebel has video offer walls where you earn points for watching sets of clips. These are typically ad-based video offers that run in short batches. Earnings vary by offer, and PrizeRebel also runs periodic promotions that temporarily boost point values on specific tasks, so timing your activity around those events can meaningfully increase what you take home.
What Else You Can Do Here
Surveys are PrizeRebel’s strongest suit, paying out at a solid rate compared to many competing platforms. There are also daily login bonuses, streak rewards, and a referral program that pays you when friends join. Payments typically process within 48 hours of a redemption request.
Getting Paid
PayPal cash and gift cards both start at $5. That fast, low threshold combined with the 48-hour payment window makes PrizeRebel one of the most satisfying platforms to actually cash out from.
Best for: Survey enthusiasts who also want video earning on the side, and anyone who wants their first payout to arrive quickly.
4. MyPoints — Great for Shoppers, Videos Run in the Background
MyPoints has been around since 1996, making it one of the oldest rewards platforms in existence. It is owned by Prodege, the same company behind Swagbucks and InboxDollars, so you know there is a solid, established business behind it.
How the Video Watching Works
MyPoints offers video playlists that autoplay through a series of short clips. You earn 1 to 10 points per video depending on the content. At roughly $0.006 per point, video watching alone is not going to move the needle much here. The real value is running the video playlist in the background while you do other things on the platform, treating it as a passive bonus rather than a primary earning method. Note that videos are available on desktop and through the MyPoints TV app on mobile.
What Else You Can Do Here
Shopping cashback is where MyPoints really shines. It partners with over 1,900 retailers, and you earn a percentage back in points on every purchase made through the MyPoints portal. If you shop online regularly, this is one of the best cashback programs available. Stack it with surveys, BonusMail emails (5 points just for clicking), and the daily poll for a consistent trickle of extra points every day.
Getting Paid
Redeem for gift cards, PayPal cash, or United MileagePlus travel miles. Gift cards start at around 1,550 points ($5). New members get a $5 signup bonus, and there is often a promotion where completing your first purchase through MyPoints earns you a $10 bonus gift card.
One Thing to Know
MyPoints is primarily a US platform. Some features may be limited outside the United States.
Best for: Regular online shoppers who want cashback on purchases they are already making, with video watching as a low-effort extra on top.
How to Get the Most Out of These Platforms
None of these platforms ask you to pick just one. The smartest approach is to run multiple at the same time.
A simple daily routine that takes about 15 to 20 minutes could look like this: start a Swagbucks video playlist in a background tab, work through a couple of surveys on PrizeRebel or InboxDollars, click through your InboxDollars promotional emails, and let the MyPoints video playlist run while you check for new shopping cashback offers. Done consistently, that kind of stacking across two or three platforms can add up to $40 to $60 per month without consuming much of your day.
Video watching on its own is genuinely the most passive earning method these platforms offer. It runs in the background, requires almost no attention, and contributes to your balance while you focus on higher-paying tasks. Think of it less as a job and more as a slow drip of free money from screen time you were already going to spend.
Realistic Monthly Earnings
Here is what you can honestly expect from each platform with consistent daily use:
| Platform | Videos Only | Combined with Other Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Swagbucks | $2–$5/month | $20–$50/month |
| InboxDollars | $1–$3/month | $15–$30/month |
| PrizeRebel | $2–$5/month | $10–$20/month |
| MyPoints | $1–$2/month | $15–$40/month |
Across all four platforms combined, regular users who mix in surveys and shopping can realistically earn $50 to $100 per month. That will not cover rent, but it will cover a streaming subscription, a tank of gas, or a nice dinner out, and all from things you were doing online anyway.
This post contains affiliate links. If you sign up through the links above, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions are my own.
