How to make money in GTA Online

GTA Online runs on money. That’s why there are no cheats for it in the game. (There are, however, cheats in GTA V proper.)

Everything you want to do in GTA Online costs money — basically, everything from a high-end car to the real estate you need to start a new type of event is going to cost you just shy of GTA$2,000,000.

Our guide on how to make money in GTA Online will tell you everything you need to know to get rich quick in Los Santos. Well, quick-ish.

Be patient

The answer to the question “how do you make money in GTA Online?” is slowly. What you do to earn cash is really a question of how much time and effort you want to put in. More time and effort means more money.

Image: Rockstar Games

Very few things you can do are going to earn you millions of GTA$ per hour (or even day) — especially if you’re playing solo. Saving up enough for that new car, submarine, or business is going to be a big time investment.

How to make a little money fast in GTA Online

These activities aren’t going to change your life, but they’ll be enough to refill your ammo or buy some health-replenishing snacks.

• Steal a car and sell it at a Los Santos Customs. You’ll only make a few thousand GTA$ and you can only do it a few times a day, but it’s a quick and easy way to make a little cash.
• Participate in events around Los Santos. Things like races will earn you up to about GTA$5,000 each for 10 minutes of effort.
• Rob a store. Head into any store and point a gun at the cashier, and you’ll walk away with a couple thousand GTA$ (and a wanted level or two).

Watch for weekly 2x and 3x events

Each week, certain events and activities pay out double or even triple GTA$. You can check our weekly guide to see what this week’s are. Depending on the week, you might even get free money just for logging in — like this week’s GTA$188,888 for Lunar New Year.

How to make money in GTA Online every day

Image: Rockstar Games

Beyond the big things (below), you can also get yourself a steady income just by doing certain things every day. Things like:

• Spin the wheel at the Diamond Casino. You’ve got about a 20% chance of winning between GTA$20,000 and 50,000. You’ve also got a chance to win a car that changes weekly.
• Empty the safes of your legitimate businesses. Your businesses like the bar in your motorcycle club clubhouse or salvage yard will earn some cash every day and store it in the safe. You’ll have to visit each one to pick it up, though.
• Find G’s cache. Gerald will drop a package that will earn you roughly GTA$20,000 in cache cash each day. The location changes, though, so you’ll have to do some driving to find it.
• Clear stash houses. Each day, you’ll also find one stash house somewhere in Los Santos that you can clear of enemies for Gerard. Once you find the combination and open the safe, you just have to flee the scene. You’ll be rewarded with a little GTA$ and, just as importantly, you’ll get supplies for one of your businesses.

Buy businesses and facilities to unlock new ways to make money

Most activities that make you money in GTA Online require you to own a specific kind of business or facility and the cost of entry to just about all of them is between GTA$1,000,000 and 2,000,000.

Image: Rockstar Games

But, just remember, each time you buy a new piece of real estate or new business, you unlock another way to make money. And keep an eye on the weekly updates — each week a property (or type of property) goes on sale for 30% off.

• Agencies unlock Security Contracts and Payphone Hits
• Your apartment gets you access to heists (which is where you’ll make the most money)
• Auto shops unlock Auto Shop Services, Contracts, and Exotic Exports
• Bunkers (or facilities) unlock the Gunrunning business
• Clubhouses unlock MC Contracts and MC Work (and a bar)
• Hangars unlock the Air Freight Cargo business
• Nightclubs allow you to store additional good from other businesses and make money on their own
• Offices unlock Special Cargo, Vehicle Cargo, Special Vehicle missions
• Salvage yards unlock Salvage Yard Robberies and the Tow Truck Service

The best activities for a lot of money in GTA Online

With the right properties and a good crew (or a lucky roll of the rando pool), you can make a lot of money pretty quickly in GTA Online by focusing on the best paying events.

• Heists are multi-step events that will take you about an hour to complete, give or take. They’re also the best payout you’ll get in the game, with rewards ranging from GTA$100,000 to 4,000,000.
• Salvage Yard Roberies work a lot like heists, but they’re doable with only one person. They’ll earn you GTA$200,000 to 300,000 for about an hour of work.