Money SMS Review – Is This App A Scam or Worth It?
I've been exploring the world of beermoney and passive income apps once again, and as per usual, I'm finding a bunch of apps out there that are definitely pretty niche.
And, out of all the weird beermoney apps, I definitely think certain Android apps that pay you money stand out from the crowd.
One of these apps is Money SMS, an app that lets you earn money for receiving SMS messages to your smartphone.
I decided to download the app, test out how much it pays, and leave it on my phone for a while. And as I'll explain in my Money SMS review, this category of passive income apps is almost never worth it.
Time to break down everything you need to know about Money SMS, the earning potential, and if this app is legit!
Let's get to it!
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What Is Money SMS?
Money SMS is a paid SMS app that lets you make money automatically just for receiving text messages.
In a nutshell, paid SMS companies need to test network performance in different parts of the world. To accomplish this, they need to send real SMS messages to devices.
If you've read our McMoney review, you'll know exactly how these sorts of apps work!
According to Money SMS: “The reason is that a lot of Telecom SMS providers and Mobile Network Operators need to send SMS test messages to foreign countries to verify and ensure proper delivery of their SMS routes. You actually get paid because we use your phone number to provide such testing services.”
So, if you're willing to receive random text messages in exchange for bits of passive income, Money SMS is your type of app!
How Does Money SMS Work?
Unfortunately, Money SMS is Android-only, which is pretty common in the world of beermoney apps.
However, if you want to make money texting with Money SMS, the process of getting started is very simple. I downloaded the app and signing up was very easy. And once I added my phone number, I began getting texts once in a while from Money SMS.
Here's how the process all works in a bit more detail:
1. Download The App
You have two options for downloading Money SMS, which is honestly a bit confusing to me.
The first option is to simply download Money SMS on the Google Play Store. Alternativly, you can download the APK files to get the app on your phone.
You can find Money SMS' APK files on their website and download it right from your smartphone. You'll need to go into your phone settings and allow access for an unknown app download and to let Money SMS run.
Personally, this is a bit too much for me and is the reason I've stopped using apps like Cash Magnet.
However, if you're comfortable with this or have a burner phone, this step shouldn't be an issue.
2. Register Your Phone Number
Like McMoney, Money SMS requires you to register a valid phone number from an eligible country to start making money.
Once you download and enable the APK file, Money SMS prompts you to register:
It's impotant to pick the correct country code or Money SMS won't be able to send SMS messages to your phone.
Money SMS stats that “If you didn't find your country during registration it means that Money SMS isn't available in your country at the moment.”
Currently, Money SMS works in most European countries, parts of Asia, Canada, and sometimes the U.S.
The tricky part is that Money SMS sometimes blocks registration from certain countries if they have enough active users, so the list of “eligible” countries changes.
3. Get SMS Messages & Earn
Once you successfully register your phone number, Money SMS will periodically send messages to you since you're part of the network.
They only send random jumbles of letters, links, and numbers.
You don't have to reply or even read anything Money SMS sends you since this whole platform is just for testing cellular networks. In fact, Money SMS asks that you don't reply.
According to Money SMS “We send SMS only in order to check if they have been delivered to your phone and, if so, in what form. Our test messages get forwarded to our servers after you receive them automatically. Once your balance is updated, please feel free to delete the messages.”
You earn 0.02 Euro for every text message you receive, which is pretty comparable to how much you make with McMoney.
You don't have any control over how many texts you receive, and again, the number of active users in your area and country impacts this.
This lack of control is ultimately why I'm not a fan of SMS cash apps.
4. Cash OUt
Money SMS has a 2 Euro payout threshold, meaning you need to receive 100 SMS messages to cash out your first time.
This isn't great, and we'll get to that in a bit when we cover the earning potential of this app.
On the bright side, Money SMS currently lets you cash out through:
- PayPal money.
- WebMoney.
- Bitcoin.
Having PayPal and crypto is a nice balance, so you can definitely benefit from Money SMS…provided you get enough messages to ever cash out, that is.
How Much Does Money SMS Pay?
Money SMS pays 0.02 Euros for every text message you receive. However, there's no controlling how often you receive text messages, so your earning vary greatly month-to-month. Overall, this app barely pays and takes a long time to cash out.
Generally, beermoney apps are pretty low-paying, and this is okay since they're basically passive income that don't require any effort.
However, the earning potential for Money SMS is extremely low.
Plus, since you can't control how many texts you receive, you're at the mercy of supply and demand…never a good situation to be in!
Honestly, if you like this sort of world, I think you're better off spending a bit of time on microtask websites or GPT sites like Grindabuck instead of Money SMS.
Granted, you can find payment proof pictures on places like Reddit that show people are cashing out every few months:
Ultimately, I pin the earning potential for Money SMS somewhere around $2 to $10 per year if you run the app continuously.
Is this worth it?
Well, that's up for you to decide and test for yourself!
Is Money SMS Legit?
Money SMS is a legit app that pays you for receiving text messages, and there's lots of payment proof online that shows people cashing out. However, the app barely pays, and it can take months to cash out for the first time if you don't receive many text messages.
Overall, Money SMS is a very easy, passive side hustle. And if you don't mind getting random texts, it lets you make money on autopilot.
However, if you're like me, receiving random texts at random times isn't worth the pennies you receive.
Other Money SMS Reviews
If you checkout other Money SMS app reviews on places like Reddit, you generally find people either love or hate this app.
Basically, it all comes down to if the earning potential is worth it to you or not. For some users, Money SMS is a simple, humble way to get a few extra Euros every few months.
As you can see in this review, one user explains how they have cashed out a few times, but the earning potential depends on your location.
Some users point out that the app can feel spammy, so it's also worth keeping this in mind if you don't want to get a slew of random SMS messges for just 0.02 Euro each:
Finally, there's plenty of users out there on Reddit and other forums who state Money SMS isn't available in their area or that they don't get SMS messages very frequently.
Again, there's nothing you can do about this unfortunately, so you should decide if this humble app is worth the time.
Extra Reading – Panel App Review – Easy & Small Bits of Passive Income.
Pros & Cons
If you're still debating if Money SMS is worth it or not, here are some of the pros and cons you should consider.
The Pros:
- Fast setup process.
- You can cash out for free PayPal cash or crypto.
- Completely passive.
- Semi-global.
The Cons:
- Incredibly low earning potential.
- No IOS support.
- No control over your earnings.
Ultimately, I gave up on paid texting apps very quickly when I was starting up different college side hustles, but maybe this type of app is worth it to you!
Best Money SMS Alternatives
Personally, I don't think Money SMS is worth using since it barely pays and can feel a bit spammy. Additionally, I think many other reward apps and passive income ideas have much higher earning potential.
Some of my favorite Money SMS alternatives I'm using right now include:
- Nielsen Mobile & Computer Panel: Earn up to $50+ per year for adding your devices to Nielsen's panels.
- MobileXpression: Earn free gift cards for sharing your data.
- Mobile Performance Meter: Earn $0.10 per day for sharing your data.
- Rakuten: My favorite cash back shopping extension that pays you for shopping at thousands of stores.
This is just scratching the surface as well for all the fun passive income ideas out there.
I mean, you can use other reward apps like Fetch Rewards or Pogo to earn for your shopping. And apps like Honeygain let you sell your internet bandwidth for money.
The point is, there are lots of ways to make extra money on the side that pay way more than Money SMS.
Frequently Asked Questions
I thought it would be helpful to include a short FAQ section in this review since beermoney apps like Money SMS can be a bit confusing sometimes.
Here are some common questions and concerns I've seen.
1. Can Money SMS Read My Messages?
Obviously, privacy is always a concern with these sorts of beermoney apps.
According to Money SMS's FAQ page, they are not “forwarding any information about your private messages to our servers. The app only sends the messages to our server which begin with our unique test ID that only our system creates.”
You have to take this at face value at the end of the day, and this is another reason I have left Money SMS out of my app routine.
2. Why Don't I Get Text Messages?
If you correctly install Money SMS but don't see messages, these are a few common problems that might be stopping your earnings:
- Money SMS isn't working in the background (you should see an icon in the top corner of your phone).
- You need a stronger, stable internet connection.
- You need a SIM card.
- You need to enable Money SMS to run in the background of your phone in your setting.
You should also ensure you have the latest version of the Money SMS app installed.
Finally, you have to use this app with the SIM card of the phone number you registered when signing up.
3. Is There A Money SMS Referral Program?
Yes, there is a referral program!
When you sign up, you can enter a Money SMS referral code to get a 0.25 Euro bonus once you register.
This is an active Money SMS referral code from Reddit: 3C7DDD8F8
If you refer new users to the platform, you get a 30% bonus of whatever your referrals end up redeeming on Money SMS. This percentage doesn't come out of their total balance, so it's extra money.
Extra Reading – The Best Survey Sites That Pay Instantly.
4. Is Money SMS Fake?
Money SMS is a real app from a real company, and it pays its users and has many positive reviews. But I think the app is quite spammy and the earning potential is also extremely low.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, Money SMS is a long-standing beermoney app that has a history of paying out users in multiple countries.
Is this app going to make you rich or solve your problems if you're broke?
Absolutely not.
However, is Money SMS a way to potentiall earn $2 to $10 per year if you're lucky? I'd say that's a fair assessment.
Again, this app isn't for me, but I thought there was enough interest out there about the world of paid texting apps for this post to get written.
Hopefully, our Money SMS review helps you set some expectations for the earning potential of this app.
Looking for more lucrative side hustle ideas? Checkout:
- The Best Gig Economy Apps to Start a Side Hustle.
- 40+ Ways to Make Money Online.
- How to Make $50 Per Day.
Money SMS Review
Name: Money SMS
Description: Money SMS pays you for receiving text messages to help test SMS delivery capabilities for communication companies.
Operating System: Android
Application Category: Passive Income Apps
Author: Tom Blake
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