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15+ Realistic Ways to Make Money Online in New Zealand

Updated 2 May 2025 
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Summary of Making Money Online
  • We have put together a guide to making money at home and online, please note this is for guidance only
  • Unlike ‘trading schemes’ or similar investment-based opportunities, our suggestions do not involve any upfront investment, other than your time and incidental expenses
  • We continue to update this page - if you would like to share any other methods you use to make money online (or outside of formal employment), please email us. 
  • Important - we frequently release new surveys - Like MoneyHub.co.nz on Facebook and Sign Up to Our Newsletter to be the first to know.
Warning: If you’re interested in ‘online FX trading’, ‘crypto’, ‘futures trading’ and any other online-based-invest-and-make-money-schemes, we strongly suggest you get financial advice first and read online reviews. You should also Google the name of the program with the word 'scam' to see what results you get. Many of these 'programs' are scams and/or advertise with fraudulent statistics, suggesting that investors are successful when they are not.

Our Guide covers:
Advertising Disclaimer - Our list below is comprised of trusted and reliable companies that help New Zealanders to make money online. MoneyHub may be paid if you click or sign up to an offer, but this does not influence the ordering or reporting below. 
MoneyHub's Top Reliable Picks - Quick Registration, Guaranteed Rewards
We've identified three outstanding survey websites renowned for their reliability and consistent rewards for New Zealanders.
  1. Start with iSay: As your first stop, iSay stands out for its user-friendly interface and diverse survey options. It's a straightforward way to begin your online earning journey, and we suggest you do it before enrolling in any others.
  2. Then consider Valued Opinions and Opinion World​ -  both offer user-friendly, regular and relevant survey opportunities.​

Why choose these platforms?
  • Reputable backing: All three recommended sites are operated by globally recognised companies, ensuring legitimacy and prompt reward payouts.
  • Long-term rewards over one-off gains: Unlike fleeting survey chances, our recommended platforms offer sustained reward opportunities, maximising your long-term benefits.

Know this: Signups take around 30 seconds to a couple of minutes, and the rewards offered are long-term, making them more attractive than one-off survey opportunities.
Christopher Walsh
MoneyHub Founder and Head of Research

Online Surveys and Market Research Data Gathering

Sign up for iSay, the trusted market research website

iSay has over three million participants in their survey community earning different rewards from a variety of surveys. These survey questionnaires come from a wide range of industries such as entertainment, advertising, etc.
 
iSay is a popular survey network in New Zealand, with many of its users being impressed by its reliability. 
​
Why iSay?
​We like it because it's reliable - as part of a massive global company, iSay rewards you as promised, with no trickery.
 
How to Join 
  1. Sign up here by entering your general information such as your email address and name.
  2. After that, you will be asked several questions about your household.
  3. Confirm your email to verify your account and start answering surveys.
  4. Once you’ve completed paid surveys, you can cash out through gift vouchers once you’ve reached a minimum account balance of 500 iSay points. Each survey typically earns between 100 and 250 points.
 
Pros 
  • Available as a mobile app.
  • Competitive reward choices
  • There is a reward for every effort. Users who have been using the panel for years say that iSay is very generous when it comes to points.
  • Expect a steady flow of surveys when starting.
 
Cons 
  • Users have reported that the site lags a lot, although surveys are completed largely without any disruption.
 
Rewards 
  • Gift cards from Amazon, Starbucks, etc.
  • Sweepstake entries
  • Donation to charities

Sign up to iSay here - it takes less than 30 seconds, and rewards are available straight away.

Work with Nielsen's Digital Voice platforms

Digital Voice is a trusted Nielsen platform that offers the best way to make money online. They reward you for going about your everyday browsing on the internet. It's simple, fun for the family and an effective way to earn without investing any extra time.

Please note, as of July 2024, registrations have closed. We will update this listing when it returns - for now, please consider Signing up to iSay - it takes less than 30 seconds, and rewards are available straight away.

Complete Online Surveys for Cash and Gift Cards

Perhaps the best-known way of making money online is completing online surveys. If you are between 18 and 65, chances are a company wants to hear your thoughts so it can fine-tune its marketing. There are dozens of websites offering to pay you to complete surveys, but getting paid and making sure the offer is legitimate can be a big problem. Our short list below includes the companies most trusted to deliver. 
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Online Surveys essentials:
  1. Time investment: Signing up to each website will take a few seconds to a couple of minutes, and then the time responding to surveys and invitations after that. 
  2. What can I earn? Online surveys usually pay between 50 cents to $5 or even $10, depending on the number of questions and value in what you're being surveyed on. Overall, online surveys usually pay less than minimum wage if you add up your time. However, the convenience of working from home with easy work is attractive.
  3. How am I paid? By PayPal, bank transfer or voucher - check the terms of payment before you agree to spend time completing the survey.
  4. Where do I start? Sign up for iSay, followed by Valued Opinions and Opinion World. Then try Triaba and Mob Rog. Our review of Valued Opinions and review of Ipsos iSay has more information about how these surveys-for-voucher platforms work.
  5. Difficulty Level: Easy - online surveys are not usually difficult to complete, but being 100% truthful means your data will be valid and increase your future survey opportunities. ​
  6. For a full list of survey websites, some open to New Zealanders, we suggest reading this British-based list of best surveys, which goes into extensive detail. ​
MoneyHub's Top Reliable Picks - Quick Registration, Guaranteed Rewards
We've identified three outstanding survey websites renowned for their reliability and consistent rewards for New Zealanders.
  1. Start with iSay: As your first stop, iSay stands out for its user-friendly interface and diverse survey options. It's a straightforward way to begin your online earning journey, and we suggest you do it before enrolling in any others.
  2. Then consider Valued Opinions and Opinion World​ -  both offer user-friendly, regular and relevant survey opportunities.​

Why choose these platforms?
  • Reputable backing: All three recommended sites are operated by globally recognised companies, ensuring legitimacy and prompt reward payouts.
  • Long-term rewards over one-off gains: Unlike fleeting survey chances, our recommended platforms offer sustained reward opportunities, maximising your long-term benefits.

Know this: Signups take around 30 seconds to a couple of minutes, and the rewards offered are long-term, making them more attractive than one-off survey opportunities.
Christopher Walsh
MoneyHub Founder and Head of Research

Take Part in Research Panel Groups

Research Panel groups frequently run throughout major cities like Auckland and Wellington, where you can be paid for your thoughts on a particular product or service. The frequency of panels isn't reliable, and getting accepted can be a bit of a lottery. For example, if you're not a smoker, you wouldn't qualify for a panel on smokers. But, despite the limitations, participating in panels can be a nice way to spend a few hours and be paid for your thoughts. The panels are either virtual (i.e. conducted online) or in person at the research company's office or a venue of their choosing.  
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Research Panel essentials:
  1. Time investment: You can register for all the panel research companies in under an hour, but you will also need to reply to their invitations 
  2. What can I earn? It depends - you can earn as much $100 or even $150 per panel. The best way to get opportunities is to sign up to ALL of the research panel companies, and make yourself available when they contact you.  
  3. How am I paid? Usually by bank transfer or gift card. For non-cash payments, you will be given gift cards.
  4. Where do I start? Visit the websites of the main panel research companies, and sign up. The most reputable include Colmar Brunton, Prime Research, and Perceptive Research, in that order. Auckland Transport and Reid Research. Please note that some opportunities may be limited due to COVID-19 (as is the case with Auckland Transport, for example). Some companies also offer research panel opportunities, but payment is by way of a 'prize draw'. So unless you 'win', you won't be compensated for your time.
  5. Difficulty Level: Easy

Sign up for UserTesting.com

​UserTesting.com is a popular platform offering anyone with a computer and microphone the ability to earn between US$10 and US$60 for 20 minutes work. You sign up, fill out your profile and wait for an invite to a test. You’ll then be paid to test a website experience and record your observations in a screen capture and voice video, with software provided by UserTesting.com. New Zealanders are accepted, but must be able to speak clear English.  

UserTesting.com Essentials:
  1. Time investment: Around 5 minutes to sign up, and 20-30 minutes for every task
  2. What can I earn? The minimum per test is US$10
  3. How am I paid? By PayPal
  4. Where do I start? Sign up at UserTesting.com
  5. Difficulty Level: Easy

Start a Business from Home

​Start your own website – it’s really easy, and the skills you’ll learn are unteachable

With Instagram ‘influencing’ now saturated, many people are running their own websites in an area they are passionate about. The more you write and meet the needs of readers, the faster your business grows. 

Time investment: 10 minutes to set up the base of a website via a website builder, then your own writing time. You make money from the website by installing Google Adsense and/or referring visitors to products and service (known as affiliate marketing). Your success comes down to what you write about, how competitive it is to get visitors, and the value of your visitors. For example:
  • High-value website: a website about Amazon product reviews is likely to be of value because the people reading it are looking to buy something.
  • Low-value website: a website about walks around Wellington isn’t like to attract many visitors and the value of whoever reads it is going to be low because they probably don’t want to buy anything.

Website essentials:
  1. Time investment: This really depends on you - setting up a website is easy, and there are lots of videos online to guide you. What you write about and how much effort you put in is 100% up to you.
  2. What can I earn? Anything, from a few cents per advert click to hundreds of dollars per week (or more) from referral traffic and affiliate marketing. Best of all, your market is worldwide so you can talk to a much larger audience than 5 million New Zealanders.
  3. Related expenses: Website hosting, domain name renewals and content writing (if you use a freelancer to help you). 
  4. How am I paid? By cash usually, from Google, Amazon and any other websites. You typically have to earn a minimum amount before your first payment, which can be as high as US$100.
  5. Where do I start? Sign up for free with Weebly (our recommended website builder, and the same tool we use at MoneyHub) and build a website in minutes.
  6. Difficulty Level: Medium - many blogs work, but persistence and being original are both essential factors.

Join the Gig Economy

Make money as an UBER Eats driver

While UBER Eats delivery wouldn't be working from home, it's flexible and an in-demand job. Uber Eats is hiring in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. If you live in or close to the CBD, have a smartphone and own a bike, you can work the hours you want and get some exercise.

UBER Eats Essentials:
1. Time Investment: Up to you, but the busiest times are 6-11pm Monday to Saturday
2. What can I earn? Each delivery earns you three fees:
  • Pick-up fee, drop-off fee and delivery distance; what you earn depends on your city.
3. How am I paid? By bank transfer, every week.
4. Where do I start? Sign up to Uber Eats here
5. Difficulty Level: Medium – it’s physical work, but flexible work-your-own-hours, although you’ll be self-employed and have to organise your own taxes etc. Also, you are not guaranteed deliveries - how much you earn depends on your speed, the number of orders placed and the availability of other delivery people in your area.

​Become a 'Clickworker' and complete administration tasks on-demand

Clickworker.com offers paid tasks, usually in the form of proofreading, categorising data, online research and completing surveys. You earn cash, not vouchers, and tasks are available if your profile matches what they are looking for.

Clickworker.com Essentials:
  1. Time investment: As much as you want, but regular workers tend to be prioritised for new tasks
  2. What can I earn? Clickworker suggests US$9 (NZ$14) per hour is the average for a new user, but it can grow to US$20 (NZ$29) per hour once workers get more experienced.
  3. How am I paid? By PayPal.
  4. Where do I start? Read an overview of Clickworker here
  5. Difficulty Level: Easy to Medium – you’ll need to have a good command of English to complete tasks.

Using Fiverr.com

Fiverr.com is a massive site used by businesses and entrepreneurs looking for one-off projects - examples include proofreading, graphic design, translation, video creation, Pinterest and Instagram image creation, photoshopping... – the list is endless. What you offer is called a 'gig' and you set a price for it. For example, make a logo for $25. To get a feel for what the site is offering, browse around the homepage for the latest gigs, search for work or services that you specialise in and decide if Fiverr is worth your time.

Want to know more? Our extensive guide to working on Fiverr explains everything you need to know. 

Fiverr.com Essentials:
  1. Time investment: An hour to set up a gig page, time responding to leads who message you, and the time spent to complete an 'order'.
  2. What can I earn? It depends on your skills. A gig for US$5 is where fiverr.com gets its name from, but the reality is many gigs are US$10, US$50 or custom quotes. What you make depends on your skills. 
  3. How am I paid? By PayPal.
  4. Where do I start? Sign up for Fiverr and read their helpful guide about working on their platform
  5. Difficulty Level: Easy to Medium – you’ll need to have a skill that you can sell - examples include proofreading, graphic design, translation, video creation and other services. 

Dog walking and care

Dog walking is big business - websites like Pawshake have sprung up to let dog owners meet dog walkers. If you like dogs and are willing to exercise them in all weather conditions, rain or shine, then it's a great way of making extra money. Beyond Pawshake, you can promote your services using local Facebook groups as well.

Dog walking Essentials:
  1. Time investment: An hour to set up a profile or advertising, time responding to leads who message you, and the time spent walking the dog(s)!
  2. What can I earn? It depends, but $15-20/hour is a good indication, although it may be higher if you can attract more clients. 
  3. How am I paid? Usually in cash.
  4. Where do I start? Pawshake is the most prominent website on Google - getting reviews, a photo of you and a dog, and being available when people are at work and dogs need walking are surefire ways to boosting your dog earnings potential. 
  5. Difficulty Level: Easy to Medium – you’ll need to have transport or the means to get to a dog owner's home, patience and be responsible. Also, punctuality and reliability are the two most important factors for a dog walker's success. 
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Teach English Online to Chinese and Korean Students

There is an insatiable demand for English teachers working online with Korea and China-based students, the pay is good and the work is rewarding. It would be perfect, except for the fact that the working hours run into the early morning for NZ based teachers, as Chinese students typically study English from 6pm to 11pm their time, which is 11pm to 4am New Zealand time. Korea is not much different. 

Nevertheless, if you're keen to progress, you will need to be both fluent in English and have a bachelor’s degree. It works like a normal private school - you are hired directly, and they supply you students to teach. Before you rush off to apply for a position, check that the organisation accepts teachers based in New Zealand. And make sure the school has a positive reputation and won't weasel out of paying you later on. 
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Teaching to China and Korean Students Essentials:
  1. Time investment: You will need to make a few applications to get an interview. Once you're hired, lessons are usually an hour in length, although you will need to spend time preparing (which isn't paid).
  2. What can I earn? It depends, but US$20-25/hour is a good indication (NZ$28-$36), although it may be higher.  
  3. How am I paid? Usually by bank transfer - check with your school before signing up. Payment frequency is also important. 
  4. Where do I start? TeachAway is the most prominent resource and lists a number of options, so it's a good place to start.
  5. Difficulty Level: Medium – teaching can be tough work, and doing it online doesn't make it easier. Also, students may cancel at the last minute, so being clear on how you are paid when this happens is essential. Finally, due to the time difference between Asia and New Zealand, the working hours go into the early hours of New Zealand mornings.
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Babysitting and childcare

Babysitting is always in demand, as is childcare in general. While it depends on the children, babysitting has a reputation of being very relaxed and easy going. If you are happy to 'work'​ unsociable hours (evenings, weekends, etc), it can be very rewarding financially. Nowadays you don't put flyers in letterboxes advertising your services - you list online. BabySits New Zealand, Trade Me Services and local Facebook groups are good places to start.

Babysitting Essentials:
  1. Time investment: An hour to set up a profile or advertising, time responding to leads who message you, and the time spent babysitting.
  2. What can I earn? It depends, but $20/hour is a good indication.
  3. How am I paid? Usually in cash.
  4. Where do I start? BabySits New Zealand is the most prominent website on Google - getting reviews and a friendly profile up and running are key to kickstarting your babysitting earnings potential. 
  5. Difficulty Level: Easy to Medium – you’ll need to have transport, patience and be responsible. Also, punctuality and reliability are the two most important factors in a babysitter's success. Parents react very badly if you have to cancel a booking within 24-hours of the agreed time. 
MoneyHub's Top Reliable Picks - Quick Registration, Guaranteed Rewards
We've identified three outstanding survey websites renowned for their reliability and consistent rewards for New Zealanders.
  1. Start with iSay: As your first stop, iSay stands out for its user-friendly interface and diverse survey options. It's a straightforward way to begin your online earning journey, and we suggest you do it before enrolling in any others.
  2. Then consider Valued Opinions and Opinion World​ -  both offer user-friendly, regular and relevant survey opportunities.​

Why choose these platforms?
  • Reputable backing: All three recommended sites are operated by globally recognised companies, ensuring legitimacy and prompt reward payouts.
  • Long-term rewards over one-off gains: Unlike fleeting survey chances, our recommended platforms offer sustained reward opportunities, maximising your long-term benefits.

Know this: Signups take around 30 seconds to a couple of minutes, and the rewards offered are long-term, making them more attractive than one-off survey opportunities.
Christopher Walsh
MoneyHub Founder and Head of Research

Creative Work

Sell crafts on ETSY

Etsy is an online marketplace for anyone making unique and creative products such as jewellery, crafts and clothing. It has 200 million sellers, but a lot more shoppers who like to buy on the site. If you have a talent for making creative products, then ETSY may be for you. You determine your own work hours and process the orders as they come in. Standing out in the crowd can be a challenge, and it does take some time to get momentum, yet many New Zealanders make a living on ETSY. 

ETSY.com Essentials:
  1. Time investment: About an hour to set up a page, with more time spent on photography of your merchandise, responding to customer questions and trips to the post shop. Photography of your merchandise makes or breaks an ETSY store, so investing the time in getting it right will help. 
  2. What can I earn? This depends on what you sell - if your items are in demand, you can charge more.
  3. How am I paid? Bank transfer (via ETSY Payment).
  4. Where do I start? Read an overview of getting set up on ETSY and top tips to make it a success.
  5. Difficulty Level: Easy to Medium – it really depends on your skills, and what you're selling. Also, customers can be problematic so you'll need to have good service skills for emails. 

​Write an e-book

E-books are free to publish and sold in their millions via Amazon’s Kindle store. Best of all, authors earn around 70% of the price of a book. Even though millions of people download e-books every day, selling one can be very tricky. Data released in 2017 suggested only around 1% of all the people self-publishing e-books are making more than $100 a year from doing so. If you know a lot about a subject, such as guides to common problems, it costs nothing to give it a shot. Many authors advertise their e-books on Facebook and other social media websites, which may or may not be cost-effective.

e-book Essentials:
  1. Time investment: High - e-books may be easy to write if you know your subject matter, but research is needed and this can be very time-consuming.
  2. What can I earn? Whatever you price your e-book for, less commission from Amazon (currently around 30% of the sale price, but it does range - see Amazon's fee schedule here)
  3. How am I paid? By PayPal or bank transfer.
  4. Where do I start? Read a popular guide here to avoid common mistakes 
  5. Difficulty Level: Extremely Difficult – the chances of making any money are extremely low, as many new authors give their books away for free.
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Create Income Using Your Home

Convert unused items into cash with Trade Me

It's likely that the average home in New Zealand has more than it needs by way of clothing, electronic equipment, household items and unused toys and games. Trade Me is a perfect way to de-clutter and sell items, and get paid for doing it. Membership is free and the majority of users respect how Trade Me works, so sending items to your buyers is very easy and safe. It's not a one-off money-maker - you can set a reminder every year to hunt and gather items you no longer need. 

Trade Me Essentials:
  1. Time investment: Low - setting up and account and listing items is easy, and very affordable ($1-2 maximum). 
  2. What can I earn? A lot more than many people think - second-hand items can get good prices. What you earn depends on what you already have.
  3. How am I paid? By bank transfer.
  4. Where do I start? Read our Trade Me Selling Tips guide.
  5. Difficulty Level: Easy - Trade Me is simple to use and instantly connects you with millions of browsers.​

Airbnb Hosting

If you have a spare room, Airbnb is a popular way to make some extra money for very little effort even during the COVID-19 era. Thousands of New Zealanders are doing it all over the country, and enjoying the experience of meeting visitors while earning money for every guest. It's free to sign up; you'll need to get some photos of your home and decide what to offer. Best of all, despite the name, hosts are under no obligation to provide breakfast. Basics requirements tend to be WIFI, reliable heating and hot water, and a comfortable bed. 
​
Airbnb Essentials:
  1. Time investment: An hour to set up a profile and home listing, and ongoing replies to messages from potential guests. 
  2. What can I earn? You set the rate per night. Airbnb pays hosts around 97% of what you charge, so if you offer a room for $100 a night, you will receive $97. 
  3. How am I paid? By bank transfer, usually 2-3 days after a guest arrives. 
  4. Where do I start? Visit Airbnb.co.nz and sign up. 
  5. Difficulty Level: Easy to Medium – you’ll need to have a room that's ready for guests, and be available to check people in (or trust leaving out a key). You will also need to spend time cleaning afterwards and preparing for the next guest. 

Hosting an International Student

Thousands of international students attend New Zealand schools every year, with most coming from Asia and living all over the country. With the exception of 'exchange students', who come via a program such as Rotary or AFS, most others pay  for accommodation and to attend school. If you have a spare room and are open to the idea, it can be financially rewarding - many schools and programs pay at least $250+ a week. It's not a full-year commitment either, as students usually return to their country in the holidays. 

International student hosting has had a bad reputation, primarily from New Zealanders using it as a cash cow and putting students into a 'farm'. A 'farm' is when 3, 4 or even 5 students live with a single man often disinterested in the students' experience.  It's not that they don't specialise in haute cuisine (they don't), the issue has been students feeling unwelcome in the home they've been assigned. New Zealand has so much more to offer, so if you're a family or couple, you are likely to be welcomed by a school who is itself looking to attract more international students.

Hosting an International Student Essentials:
  1. Time investment: It is an ongoing commitment - once you apply and are approved, you will spend at least 40 weeks a year with the student. If you prefer a smaller commitment, many international schools offer 2 to 6-week placements. These schools tend to be in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and the students are often a little older. 
  2. What can I earn? Around $200 a week, sometimes less, sometimes more, depending on your location. 
  3. How am I paid? By bank transfer
  4. Where do I start? Our guide to hosting international students explains what you need to know.
  5. Difficulty Level: Easy to Medium – you’ll need to offer meals (breakfast and dinner primarily) to school-aged students, fit them into you and/or your family's routine, and make an effort to socialise. If their English isn't fantastic, it can be tiring to communicate, but part of the experience is that the student learns English from their host family.
MoneyHub's Top Reliable Picks - Quick Registration, Guaranteed Rewards
We've identified three outstanding survey websites renowned for their reliability and consistent rewards for New Zealanders.
  1. Start with iSay: As your first stop, iSay stands out for its user-friendly interface and diverse survey options. It's a straightforward way to begin your online earning journey, and we suggest you do it before enrolling in any others.
  2. Then consider Valued Opinions and Opinion World​ -  both offer user-friendly, regular and relevant survey opportunities.​

Why choose these platforms?
  • Reputable backing: All three recommended sites are operated by globally recognised companies, ensuring legitimacy and prompt reward payouts.
  • Long-term rewards over one-off gains: Unlike fleeting survey chances, our recommended platforms offer sustained reward opportunities, maximising your long-term benefits.

Know this: Signups take around 30 seconds to a couple of minutes, and the rewards offered are long-term, making them more attractive than one-off survey opportunities.
Christopher Walsh
MoneyHub Founder and Head of Research

Related Guides

Do you Work from Home and Have Tips to Share?

We continuously update this page and would love to hear from you - please contact our research team.