One easy way to earn a few bucks is to join a site that will pay you to read emails.
But I will be honest – there aren’t a lot of legit options for this kind of earning opportunity.
So, it’s a bit hard to find good sites. That’s why I’ve decided to create a guide on the best sites that pay to read emails.
These sites are the best I have found after having tested hundreds of free online earning methods.
That way, all you have to do is read the guide and figure out which sites suit you the best.
I’ll be giving a summary of what each site has to offer so you can easily find the ones that are the best match for you. All the sites I will include in this guide are legit and free to join. So, you can just sign up and start earning right away.
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Typically, you only read or check emails either when you are working or if you are expecting an important personal email. But since reading emails is indeed a legit way to earn, then you’ve got another good reason to check emails regularly.
The reason why I say it is a legit way to earn is that there are really sites that will pay you to read emails. Most of these sites are Get-Paid-To (GPT) sites that offer reading emails as an additional earning opportunity.
However, there are also scam sites you need to stay away from. Usually, these sites charge you a fee to earn or claim you can make a living just by reading emails. So, if any site claims this, you should stay away from it.
And in general, you need to use this earning method with the right expectations.
If you are expecting you will be able to earn a lot from this kind of earning opportunity, you will just end up being disappointed. So, to give you the proper expectations, let’s discuss earning potential in the next section.
How much can you earn by reading emails?
Typically, you will only earn around $0.01 to $0.05 per email you read. As you can see, that’s really a very small amount. And you only receive a few emails per day – IF you are lucky.
So, it will take patience to earn. Plus, some sites also have a system where you can only earn a set amount from reading emails (this is called the guaranteed paid email system or GPE).
You will literally have to read hundreds of emails, which will take quite some time to do if you just rely on this kind of earning opportunity. Fortunately, sites that offer this kind of earning method (GPT sites mostly) usually also offer other ways for you to earn.
So, if you want to boost your earnings, it is in your best interest to take advantage of the other earning opportunities these sites have to offer as well.
Aside from reading emails, you can usually also earn by, for example, taking surveys, watching videos, playing games, taking offers, clicking ads, doing social media tasks, and more.
Why would companies pay you to read emails?
To put it simply, this kind of earning opportunity is really just another form of advertising. And just so we’re clear, GPT sites will pay you to read specific emails they send, not your personal ones.
The reason why these GPT sites ask you to read emails is that it is another way for them to promote a specific product, service, or website. The way this works is that every email that these sites will ask you to read will contain some form of offer.
While you will often get paid just for reading the email (or sometimes for clicking the ad in the emails), you will sometimes be able to earn additional rewards by completing the offer email promotes. So, it’s actually a lead-in to another way of earning more rewards.
And take note, you will usually earn more from doing the offers these emails show you than from reading them. So, in my opinion, it's worthwhile spending some of your time to complete the offers you find – but it really depends on the offer. Therefore, always make sure to read the conditions for any offer before taking it, as not all of them will be worth it.
10 top sites that pay you to read emails
The list below is a list focused on the best legit sites you can join to get paid to read emails. While I do admit that a few of the sites at the bottom of this list aren’t exactly what you might say is the best of the best, they are still valid options and are legit.
You just have to go in with the right expectations so you won’t be disappointed. And with a little bit of effort, you will be able to earn a decent amount from these sites.
I will keep updating this list, so make sure to bookmark this page and check back from time to time for new opportunities.
#1 – Swagbucks
Available in: Worldwide but most opportunities in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, Germany, Spain, France
Payout methods: PayPal, gift cards Payout threshold: $5 More information:Read full Swagbucks review
Short summary: Swagbucks is one of the most popular GPT sites around. The reason for this is, it offers plenty of ways for you to earn. It has a decent number of emails you can read as well.
However, be aware that to earn by reading emails on Swagbucks, you need to go to your inbox inside your Swagbucks account. And here you can sometimes find emails marked “Click & Earn” – these are the emails you will get paid for.
If you run out of emails to read, you can answer surveys, play games, complete offers, and a lot more. What makes this site a good option is, it has a low payout threshold of $5 (depending on your country). And once you hit it, you can either withdraw it via PayPal or exchange it for a gift card of your choice (which they have a lot of).
It is available more or less worldwide, but some countries offer more opportunities than others. So, the earning potential will really depend on where you live.
Available in: 87 countries
Payout methods: PayPal, gift cards Payout threshold: Depends on your country More information:Read full Gaddin review
Short summary: If you want to get paid to read emails, Gaddin offers this opportunity in around 87 different countries.
You just need to be aware that the emails you need to read will be in your inbox inside the Gaddin member area. The emails contain different promotional offers. Some of them are great and give high rewards, but some of them are not great, so you just need to be critical.
You can also earn by taking surveys and more, which will help you reach the payout threshold faster. Once you have earned enough, you can get paid in cash via PayPal or get a gift card.
Available in: US Payout threshold: $10 Reward options: PayPal, prepaid Visa card, check, gift cards More info:Read full InboxDollars review
Short summary: InboxDollars is a GPT site that is only available in the US. And since it is a GPT site, there are several ways to earn rewards apart from reading emails. You can answer surveys, play games, watch videos, and a lot more.
You can only receive a maximum of 3 emails per day, but since the site offers multiple ways to earn, you won’t really have a hard time earning rewards, so you can reach their slightly high payout threshold of $30. However, after the first cashout, the threshold will only be $10.
Once you hit the threshold, there are several ways you can withdraw your earnings. You can withdraw it via PayPal or convert your earnings to a prepaid Visa card or other gift cards. You will also receive a $5 sign-up bonus by clicking the join button below.
Available in: US and Canada Payout threshold: $10 for PayPal, $3 for certain gift cards Reward options: PayPal, gift cards More info:Read full MyPoints review
Short summary: MyPoints is a GPT site that is available in the US and Canada. Nevertheless, you will be able to earn from this site by reading emails (called bonus mails), answering surveys, watching videos, getting cashback when shopping online, and a lot more.
MyPoints will allow you to withdraw your earnings via PayPal once you’ve earned $10. If you prefer to withdraw your earnings a lot quicker, you can choose to convert it to a gift card from their catalog. Some of their gift cards will only require you to earn $3.
The number of emails you can receive from this site will mostly depend on your settings and interests. So, if you do not receive many, you can log in and edit your email subscriptions and choose the categories that interest you.
Short summary: DailyRewards is a GPT site that is only available in Canada. This site offers multiple ways for you to earn. You can earn by reading emails, answering surveys, playing games, and inviting other people to join the site.
You will also receive rewards by completing their daily to-do list. This can help you reach their slightly high payout threshold of $30 a bit quicker. Once you hit their threshold, you can withdraw your earnings via PayPal. This is the only payment method they offer, so before you join, make sure you have a verified PayPal account.
And if you join through the link below, you will receive a $5 joining bonus, which is a good head start.
Available in: UK Payout threshold: £20 Reward options: Prepaid MasterCard, check, gift cards More info:Read full InboxPounds review
Short summary: InboxPounds, as the name suggests, is another site where you can earn by reading emails. This GPT site is only available in the UK. It offers several ways for you to earn aside from reading emails. You can earn by completing offers, answering surveys, browsing the web, and a lot more.
The number of paid emails you will receive will depend on your activity level on InboxPounds. The more active you are, the more paid emails you will receive. The maximum number you can receive is 3 emails per day.
It has a relatively high payout threshold of £20. If you want to redeem cash, you will have to withdraw your earnings via check or convert it to a prepaid MasterCard. You also have the option to convert it to a gift card instead.
Short summary: InboxPays is another GPT site with a high payout threshold ($50). This is the main reason why it’s not ranked higher on this list. But since it is a GPT site, you will be able to earn in many different ways. You can read emails, complete offers, play their spin the wheel game, answer surveys, and invite other people to join the site.
It can take some time to reach their payout threshold, but once you reach it, you can withdraw your earnings only via PayPal. Take note though that you have to earn at least $25 through the paid offers and spin the wheel and $25 in paid emails before you can request a payout.
Their payment system is a bit more complicated so it requires a bit of patience but you can earn a decent amount from it if you are eligible to join.
Short summary: I’d have to be honest, Small Business Knowledge Center (SBKC) isn’t really an excellent option, but it is a viable option nonetheless – and it offers a very different way of making money from your emails compared to other sites.
This market research site will allow you to earn by sending mails and emails. You will be asked to send direct mail and email communications with commercial content you receive to them. This is the primary earning opportunity, but you can also earn by answering mystery shopping surveys and inviting other people to join the site.
Their payout threshold is relatively low ($20) and once you reach it, they will send you a prepaid Visa card. It takes a bit of time to reach their threshold (typically around 6 to 10 weeks), so you’ll need to be patient with SBKC.
Short summary: Paid-To-Read-Email.com is technically a GPT site. But compared to the other GPT sites on this list, this one only offers a few earning opportunities. So, don’t expect to earn a lot from this site.
The bulk of your earnings from this site will come from reading emails but you can also earn by answering surveys from time to time. They also have cashback offers you can avail of, but it’s not as many as what full-fledged cashback sites offer.
Earning from this site is basically a balancing act because you will only be able to earn from paid emails while your GPE (guaranteed paid email) is more than zero. So, if you keep reading paid emails, then, naturally, your GPE will go down. When it reaches zero, you won’t earn anything. You will need to get your GPE back up.
To do that, you have to do the other earning opportunities the site offers. So, it definitely takes a bit of time to get used to.
Short summary: While you might think Quick Pay Survey is a survey site, it is actually a GPT site that offers multiple ways for you to earn including reading emails. It is available worldwide so anyone can join the site.
You can earn by (aside from reading emails) answering surveys, completing paid offers, inviting other people to join the site, and availing of cashback offers. Their threshold is relatively low $15 and you can withdraw your earnings via PayPal or redeem an Amazon gift card instead.
The site also uses the GPE system for their paid emails. So that means you also have to get the proper balance on how to utilize your GPE efficiently. It is available globally so anyone can register as a member.
That was a list of the best sites that pay to read emails. Remember, all the sites mentioned above are legit and free to join. So all you really have to invest is your time and a bit of effort.
And if you want to maximize your earnings, you can join around 5 to 7 sites so you will get access to more opportunities.
If you have any comments, questions, or know of sites that pay to read emails that is not on the list, I would love to hear from you in a comment below.
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