Same Day Pay Jobs: The 10 Best Options

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An increasing number of employers and gig economy apps offer same-day and instant payout options. If you’re looking for ways to get cash into your bank account quickly, check out this list of the best same day pay jobs. 

We researched dozens of potential options and found 10 realistic opportunities, which are listed below. In each section, we explain both how to get the job and what you need to do to set up same day payment. 

1. Grocery and Package Delivery

Many small and medium businesses don’t have their own delivery services, but they find themselves needing to offer same-day delivery to keep up with big-box operations like Walmart and Amazon. Yes, there’s UPS and FedEx, but those options are expensive and not nimble enough to deliver a birthday cake in time for the party, or an elderly couple’s groceries each week.

The gig economy fills the gaps in last-mile delivery that bigger businesses can’t or don’t. Several package and grocery delivery freelance apps have popped up in recent years, offering unmatched mobility for businesses, as well as money-making opportunities for gig employees. 

Each delivery app has a different niche and varying requirements, and not all of them offer same day pay. For instance, Amazon Flex is the most prominent player in the field, and it does not offer any same day pay options.

One option is Roadie, which is a subsidiary of UPS. The company aims to skip some of the complexities and packaging of traditional UPS deliveries by outsourcing to independent drivers. Roadie couriers make deliveries for everything from specialty meats to airline luggage to auto parts. 

Another option is the grocery delivery company Shipt, which was acquired by Target in 2017. Shipt offers delivery of grocery, pet and household items from many stores, including Publix, HEB, Costco, Meijer and more. Shipt shoppers shop for items on their clients’ grocery lists, bag them up and deliver them to the client’s door.

Skipcart is industry-agnostic, so they deliver items from vendors like 7-11, GameStop, Panda Express and everything in between. Skipcart white-labels their services, so the customer doesn’t know that the courier is a freelancer. 

Similar to Skipcart, Instacart delivers merchandise from supermarkets, big box stores and many other retail establishments. Apart from giants like Walmart and Amazon that have their own in-house delivery service, Instacart is the largest grocery delivery service in the United Service. 

Each of these companies offers same-day pay for their couriers, but they differ as to the associated charges, minimums, and other stipulations.

Here’s a comparison of the different platforms’ same-day payment requirements:

2. Restaurant Delivery

The restaurant industry has jumped on the same-day pay bandwagon as well. Most of the popular take-out delivery apps offer same-day payout options. 

As a restaurant delivery driver, you pick up orders from various establishments and deliver them to the client’s door. Many savvy restaurant delivery couriers drive for more than one app simultaneously (called multi-apping) to raise their dollars-per-mile rate (although this can cause a range of logistical headaches). 

• DoorDash: The most-used food delivery app in the country, accounting for over half of U.S. market share. For you as a driver, this means more orders and more participating restaurants to get gigs from. Learn more in our DoorDash delivery driver review.
• Favor: Operates in cities all over Texas, and while they mostly deliver restaurant food, they also deliver dry cleaning, clothing, groceries and more. They promise delivery in under one hour.
• Grubhub: Very similar to DoorDash, though they’re more focused on bargains for the customer. This can mean lower pay in certain areas, though GrubHub comes out ahead in some markets because you can opt to work for a certain time block with an hourly guarantee (rather than per order).
• UberEats: Though UberEats isn’t as big as DoorDash or Grubhub, they still represent a good number of restaurants and orders.

Here’s the breakdown of the same day pay options for some of the most popular food delivery apps:

If you have limited experience, this can be one of the fastest and easiest ways to start earning $20 per hour or more, especially if you leverage a multi-app strategy.

3. Driver

Driving for Lyft or Uber is usually one of the first side hustle ideas people think of. As a driver, you can work whenever and wherever you want, giving people rides on demand. 

Uber is definitely the more well-known of the two rideshare companies, and they operate in cities large and small around the world. As an Uber driver, you can cash out up to five times per day at a cost of 50 cents per transaction. However, if you use the free Uber debit card available through GoBank, those fees are waived. 

Lyft is very similar to Uber in most respects, though they aren’t quite as well known. Drivers have also recently complained of poor support from Lyft. They offer the same instant pay option as Uber: 50 cents per transaction, which is waived if you use a Lyft debit card. 

4. Temp Work Apps

Working for a temp agency is an age-old tactic to get cash without being tied down to a permanent job. The trouble was that these jobs typically still paid on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. 

Thankfully, that’s no longer the case. Platforms such as Instawork and Wonolo allow you to pick and choose what shifts and types of work you do without the commitment of a second job. Plus, you have the option to get paid instantly after your shift. 

Wonolo offers work in a variety of industries, such as administrative, warehouse operations, general labor and event staffing. Wonolo pays you with a Wisely Paycard, so you receive payments within 6-12 hours of working your shift. (You still have the option to get your paycheck direct deposited into a bank account, if you prefer.)

Instawork focuses more on the restaurant/catering industry, but they offer warehouse and general labor gigs also. They offer instant payments to your debit card after you’ve worked two shifts without a no-show or late cancellation. 

Related: The best-paying jobs you can get without a college degree.

5. Restaurant Jobs

Many fast-food chains now offer same-day pay as an option. Like most other companies on this list, they charge you a small fee to get your wages before your official payday. But if you already work for a nationwide restaurant franchise like Pizza Hut or Taco Bell, same day pay may be as close as a quick call to your boss or the HR department. 

If you don’t already have a restaurant job but want to pick up a shift or two for some fast cash, Qwick is a gig economy app that connects you to all types of temporary restaurant jobs, from dishwashers to bartenders. After orientation and setup, you can pick up shifts at restaurants that are struggling to fill staffing positions. Qwick offers same-day pay into your bank account or debit card through Stripe, though they charge a hefty 3% processing fee. 

6. Handyman and Manual Labor

Despite a flourishing gig economy, some corners of the market (like handyman and manual labor jobs) are still best accessed by working your local network of friends, family members and local connections. 

Using sites like Craigslist, Nextdoor and Facebook Marketplace is a great way to start if you’re new to the handyman scene. Some contractors even recommend old-school tactics like putting up flyers at hardware stores or handing out business cards. 

There are gig economy apps and websites, such as Handy and Thumbtack, that are aimed at helping laborers get jobs. Although Thumbtack doesn’t facilitate payments, Handy does and they offer same-day pay if you’ve earned at least $50. 

However, users of both apps complain of poor customer service and customer scare tactics that can erode the profits and reputations of contractors and laborers. Using these apps might be a good idea if you’re just getting your foot in the door, but you should probably have a plan to gather your own customers as you gain experince. 

Most contractors and laborers note that the best workers stay busy and get paid handsomely if they’re reliable and do good work. News of good construction workers spreads quickly among homeowners, real estate investors and property managers. If you’re doing it right, most of your manual labor work will eventually come via word of mouth.

And if you’re the business owner (even if you’re a business of one), you get to set the pricing and the payment terms. It’s also customary for clients to put down a deposit upfront for larger jobs, so you can come away with some cash even before you finish the gig. 

7. Dog Walker

If you have an unpredictable schedule but you want a same day pay job to make some extra cash, being a dog walker for Wag is a fantastic option. 

Building your own list of dogs that need walking can take time, but on the Wag app, you can pick up walks in your area as soon as you submit your ID, get a background check (there is a fee for this), set up a Stripe account to accept payments, and take the pet care quiz. 

Past clients that like you can book you again on the platform, so Wag can help you build up a clientele.

Wag dog walkers and dog sitters get paid each Friday, but there is also an option for instant pay. Instant payments generally appear in your bank account within 30 minutes of the transaction, but 3% is deducted from each transfer.

Rover is another popular dog walking app, but it does not offer a same-day payout option.

Related: Wag and Rover are just a couple of the apps that pay you for walking.

8. Babysitter

Babysitters customarily get paid daily by their clients upon completion of their shift.

Two good platforms for finding babysitting gigs are Care.com and Sittercity. These two sites are ideal if you’re looking to get paid the same day because you can contract with the client for the rate and method of payment directly (check, Venmo, CashApp, etc.), and you don’t need to go through the babysitting website to get payment. 

Care.com does offer the ability to take payments through their site, but Sittercity just plays matchmaker between the client and the sitter; they don’t handle any payments. 

Urbansitter is another option for finding babysitting jobs. They do handle payments, but you can cash out instantly for a $2 fee.

9. Charge Scooters

In urban areas, electric scooters help people get around short distances without worrying about taxis, Ubers or public transit. The most popular scooter companies, Bird and Lime, allow people to download an app, scan the scooter and pay for a one-way ride anywhere. 

Of course, these scooters run out of electric power eventually, so the companies pay gig workers (called ‘juicers’ by Lime and ‘chargers’ by Bird) to collect these scooters and recharge them. 

To charge scooters, you’ll need to order brand-specific charging cables from the scooter company you want to work with, as well as complete an online training. You’ll also need access to a larger car, truck or trailer to haul the scooters you find. Many people rent U-Haul vans or trucks so they can collect dozens of scooters at a time.

You get paid between $2 and $20 for each scooter you find and recharge, depending on how difficult the scooter is to locate. It may take a few weeks to get set up as a scooter charger, but after that, you can expect to receive payments daily.

10. Do Laundry

Taking in laundry is a side hustle that your grandma’s generation did, and now it’s back — and there’s an app for it. 

Sudshare is a platform that lets you sign up to do laundry for other people. You can pick and choose which orders you want to do. As a ‘Sudster’, you just need a washer, dryer, drying rack, a bathroom scale (clients are charged by the pound of laundry), and a method to deliver the laundry once you’re done. You’ll also need to complete a short training. They pay out every two days for standard Sudsters, and daily for diamond-level Sudsters.

Laundry Care is another platform that matches up people that need laundry done with people to do it. They’re similar to Sudshare, but they require you to purchase a starter kit, which includes a t-shirt, laundry bags, tags, and a portable scale to weigh laundry. You can cash out your earnings on any day of the week, but only once per week.

Other Ways to Get Money in One Day

Working a same day pay job helps out your daily cash flow — once you’ve gone through the necessary onboarding procedures and have the payment process set up. But sometimes you need money right now. If you don’t have a same day pay job, don’t despair. 

Here are a few tips on how to get money into your bank or PayPal account in the next 24 hours. You can also check out our dedicated article about ways to get money in one day. 

• Return things: Many stores have a generous return policy, even if you’ve used an item and no longer have a receipt. One example is Nike, which allows you to return any purchase for 60 days no matter how much you’ve used it. Another is L.L. Bean, which will give you a full refund on any item for any reason within one year of purchase (again, even if it’s been used). 
• Sell things: If you have furniture, toys or electronics you haven’t used in a while, put them up for sale on sites like Craigslist to make a few quick bucks.
• Donate plasma: If you’re in good health, you can donate your blood plasma in exchange for a prepaid debit card. Many collection centers offer bonuses to people who donate regularly. 
• Scrap metal/recycling: If you can collect old aluminum cans, junk cars or other scrap metal, haul it to the recycling center for some instant cash. 
• Leverage government and charity resources: If you’re in a financial hardship situation and struggling to put food on the table or keep the lights on, reach out to local government or charitable organizations or call 211 to get financial assistance for basic needs.
• Tap your retirement account: This is one of the last options you should consider, but pulling from or borrowing from a retirement account may be an option in particularly tough situations.
• Get a personal loan: Personal unsecured loans can help you through a tough period — as long as you have a solid plan to repay them. While the interest rates on these loans aren’t cheap, they’re preferable to payday loans or credit card cash advances, which you should avoid.

Temp Agencies

In addition to gig work apps like Wonolo and Instawork, many established, nationwide temp agencies now offer same day pay jobs. For example, Kelly Services offers instant pay (though only for a portion of your earnings), and Adecco has provided DailyPay as a cash-out option for employees in select locations as of 2019. 

Here are some of the major temp agencies that now offer same-day pay for some or all of your earned wages:

• Adecco
• Kelly Services
• Labor Works
• PeopleReady/TrueBlue
• Integrity Staffing

Unfortunately, these are more the exception than the rule, as most temp agencies still work on a weekly or bi-weekly payment schedule.

Same Day Pay Jobs: Final Thoughts

The option to get your pay the same day you earn it is becoming more and more important to more and more workers. If you’re in a financial jam and you need fast cash, knowing that you can get your hands on money that’s already yours instead of looking for expensive, predatory options (like payday loans or cash advances) can keep a bad situation from becoming much worse. 

Some of these jobs and gigs do require a little upfront work, like going through an online training or getting a background check. So if you can, it’s a good idea to get one (or a few) set up before you find yourself needing cash within the next 24 hours. 

Looking for more options? Check out our articles on legit online jobs, the best stay-at-home mom jobs, and overnight jobs.

Jenni Sisson

Jenni Sisson is a freelance writer and editor focused on personal finance, technology and entrepreneurship. She is a serial side hustler and the host of the Mama's Money Map podcast. Reach out via her website.