58 Passive Income Ideas for Beginners

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There has never been a better time to make passive income as a beginner. Over the past 20 years, incredible opportunities for new passive income sources have come to exist making it even easier for beginners to find passive income ideas to make extra money, and you don’t have to quit your day job to do it. Even if you are a beginner without deep pockets, you can still make money by executing some of the following passive income ideas.

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Passive Income Ideas

There are hundreds of sites that talk about different passive income ideas. What makes us different at Beginners Passive Income is that the passive income ideas we provide come with actual guides and are specifically tailored to beginners. You will find a wide range of passive income ideas on this page including the following:

Passive Income Online

One of the biggest opportunities of our time is making passive income online. Here are a variety of ways beginners can make passive income online.

1. Affiliate Marketing

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Although most people might fail to realize it, affiliate marketing is possible for a beginner. What affiliate marketing requires is that you promote products or services to your audience to receive a commission on sales from your efforts.


Affiliate Marketing Guide

2. Blogging

You have probably heard that there is a lot of money in blogging, but also imagined that it takes a pro to get this done. However, you can make money passively off this niche by offering quality content. We highly recommend Project 24 to learn how to do so. Click on the free guide below to learn more.


Blogging Guide

Want to learn even more about making a full time passive income blogging? Check out Project 24!

3. Chatbots

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While serving the right industries with the right bot, you can create a good passive income even without much cash or experience in this business. There are several ways to make money off chatbots, and you can find the most appropriate way to earn some extra money. For instance, you can sell it, use it for affiliate marketing, lead generation and so forth. Learn more in our guide blow.

Transform your active income into passive income in 24 months using Project 24!
53.66% of Project 24 members are making $500 to +$7,500/month! Learn more here


Chatbot Guide

4. Copywriting

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If you consider yourself a good copywriter, then you can write for people’s blogs and make money off it or run a copywriting agency. As long as you provide good quality content, you can make good  money. We highly recommend Project 24 if you would like some guidance on how to write quality content for a blog. 


Copywriting Guide

5. Data Entry

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Feeding data into spreadsheets is pretty easy, but companies don’t usually have enough resource to have this done in-house. And so, they hire people to do these jobs, usually on a project-based rate or for an hourly cost. This is a cool online side hustle you can automate or outsource for passive profit.


Data Entry Guide

6. eCommerce

eCommerce offers countless opportunities for you to make money passively. You don’t even have to sell your own products or build the infrastructure to sell online. Done right, you can build quite a profitable eCommerce business.


eCommerce Guide

7. Dropshipping

This passive income stream falls under eCommerce, but consists in selling products you do not physically stock. The bulk of your work is to successfully promote the products. Once there are sales, the dropshipping company you work with will fulfill the orders and ship the products to the customer. It’s a cool business model because you do not have to manage inventory. Learn more in our ultimate guide below.


Dropshipping Guide

8. Flipping Domain Names

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This passive income stream entails buying domains and then selling them after holding on to them for some time. The idea is to wait until the domain has a buyer and can sell for a higher price. These days, you can register a domain for just $1 to $10, and then sell possibly sell it for thousands of dollars.


Domain Flipping Guide

Transform your active income into passive income in 24 months using Project 24!
53.66% of Project 24 members are making $500 to +$7,500/month! Learn more here

9. Flipping Items on Craigslist

Flipping things on Craigslist is a great way to make some extra cash. The best part about this opportunity is that it gives you a lot of options. For instance, you can flip phones, cars, home appliances and so forth. Also, with work and skill this does not have to take much effort, although the financial rewards can be quite attractive.


Craigslist Flipping Guide

10. Gaming

Gaming is huge, and some people who regularly share their gaming techniques on YouTube and Twitch are making excellent passive income. If gaming is an important hobby to you than you may be interested in monetizing your gaming skills by sharing your knowledge and building a community on those platforms.


Gaming Guide

11. Gaming Apps That Pay

Some people pay to enjoy playing games on their mobile devices. But did you know that apps like Swagbucks, HQ, and others can actually pay you to play games? This is an easy way to make some extra money, but from experience, the long-term cash-out is very low.

12. Influencer Marketing

If you have an audience because you have a blog, a highly active social media account, or a YouTube channel, you can cash in on this traffic by promoting products you are passionate about. With a large enough and engaged audience, you can make quite a bit of money with influencer marketing.

Influencer Guide

13. Niche Membership Sites


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Niche membership sites offer exclusive, usually paid, access to content. With enough traffic and high-quality content, you can make quite a bit of money off such a site. Make sure to know your niche and share something valuable to your audience in an ongoing manner to keep them subscribed.

Niche Membership Site Guide

14. Niche Education Site

Learning will always be an important aspect of our lives. These days, you can make a monthly passive income from selling education resources in the educational niche. There are actually several ways you can make an income in this manner (notably by sharing your own experiences) without the need to be a seasoned academician.

Transform your active income into passive income in 24 months using Project 24!
53.66% of Project 24 members are making $500 to +$7,500/month! Learn more here

15. Online Courses

Education is becoming more and more accessible thanks to the internet. You can offer courses on practically anything these days if you have expertise on a certain topic. You could teach people how to work out, create an online business, crochet, or do anything else you think you can teach. If you create a course and sell it online, you can make monthly passive income from course sales.

16. Podcasting

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Starting a podcast is a lot easier than you might think. The key is driving traffic to it and monetizing it. That is where most people fail and abandon their podcasting dream. However, there are many ways to monetize podcasting content. Learn more in the podcasting guide below.


Podcasting Guide

Want to learn even more about making a full time passive income Podcasting? Check out Project 24!

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You can sell your designs on various kinds of merchandise by using a print on demand service. And it’s super easy to setup with Printful! When a customer orders an item featuring your design from your online store, the print on demand service prints the design, packages and ships the item to your buyer. Most of the work is done for you! Your biggest job is promoting and selling the products. Learn more in the guide below.


Print on Demand Guide

18. Rent a Friend

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Good company is a rare and precious thing, and yet many find it surprising that someone would be willing to pay you to be their friend. Using the rent-a-friend service, you can make as much as $50/h by being by someone’s side to attend social events, or accompany them through a tough moment in their lives.


Rent a Friend Guide

19. Sell Handmade Items on Etsy

If you are a DIY fanatic who has some awesome products to sell, then this type of online business might be for you. You can sell your handmade items on a site like Etsy where thousands of people are looking for original items.

20. Ghostwrite Music

If you are passionate about writing music, create authentic content, and use the right strategies to market your services and get clients, you can earn a decent passive income as a music ghostwriter. The idea is to identify the right music genre, create authentic and good music, and connect with willing artists. 

Ghostwriting Music Guide

21. Sell Music

People love music, and creators constantly need good jingles and songs for their productions. You can make money with your music via ad revenue on on streaming platforms like YouTube, or by selling the music to advertisers or fans. This business has never been easier thanks to mainstream access to formerly expensive software. Even beginners with little experience are successfully making passive income from their music, notably on YouTube.

22. Sell an eBook

When was the last time you read an ebook? If you love to read or learn new things than it probably wasn’t too long ago. You can make passive income by creating and selling an ebook too. Unlike what some people might think, creating and selling an ebook is very easy, and there are ways to do it for free. The harder part is making sure it will interest your audience and promoting it. There are many people out there who are making good money off ebooks they wrote several months or years ago. You too can be one of these new age authors. Learn more in our guide below.

eBook Guide

23. Sell Printable Art

Art is always an important part of our culture and if you have a good eye for design, you may be able to make passive income from your printable art. These consist in documents (like pdf files) that you can create and sell online so others can print them off and use them in their own projects. Some examples include posters, colouring books, and designs.

Transform your active income into passive income in 24 months using Project 24!
53.66% of Project 24 members are making $500 to +$7,500/month! Learn more here

24. Sell on eBay

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eBay is one of the most popular online marketplaces ever. eBay provides access to millions of people who visit the site to make purchases every day. It’s very easy to get selling online, even for a beginner, and the passive income potential can be enticing.


eBay Guide

25. Selling Stock Photos & Videos

A lot of people have websites today, and these online resources require pictures and videos. Not only that but website creators, businesses, advertisers and developers need stock photos for their projects too. Those who cannot create this media themselves often get it from people selling stock photos and videos. So, if you have any of these multimedia items, you can use them to earn some money passively.


Stock Photo & Video Guide

26. Taking Surveys

Companies need to know what their customers think of their products and services. They do this through real-world testing via potential customers. That is where you can come in and take part in paid surveys to comment on what you think of a particular product or service.

27. YouTube Channel

YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google – and oh yeah, it belongs to Google 😉 Millions of people refer to YouTube every day to enjoy the exciting selection of content being offered there. If you meet the monetization requirements and have a popular enough YouTube channel, you can let advertisers put ads on your videos for passive cash.


YouTube Guide

Want to learn even more about making a full time passive income on YouTube? Check out Project 24!

Passive Income Peer-to-Peer

It has never been easier to find people searching for what you have to offer thanks to peer-to-peer platforms and marketplaces. The peer-to-peer economy allows individuals to buy, sell, or rent or trade goods or services directly from one another, with the help of a platform or marketplace that puts you in touch. Here are some passive income ideas from peer-to-peer platforms.

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This is possible by “renting” the advertising space on your car. By doing so, you are providing advertisers a place to display their ads, while you benefit from a commission or monthly income without having to spend any money.


Advertising With Your Car Guide

29. AirBnB

AirBnB is a peer-to-peer platform that allows you to rent our a space, a room or your entire home to people looking for a place to stay. This is an excellent, well known, way to make passive income as a beginner. 


AirBnB Guide

30. Ride Sharing (Uber)

You can make money sharing rides with people on platforms like Uber. You just need to meet the requirements, sign up on the site, register your car, download their app and pick up people in need of rides. This can be active if you have to go out of your way, or passive if you already are commuting from one place to another.


Ride Sharing Guide

31. Renting Your Bike


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Rather than having your bike sit in your garage collecting dust, you can rent it out for some extra cash on platforms like Spinlister. Your bike will be safe from theft, damage, and liability through insurance, and the site will make sure the renters pay up after using your bike for a commission on the rental. Learn more in the guide below.

Bike Rental Guide

32. Renting Your Car

Many people have a car they hardly use or an extra car they could rent to someone for passive income. On a site like Turo, you can rent your car to other people and make quite a bit of money every month with a lot of ease.


Rent Your Car Guide

33. Renting Your Parking Spot


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If you have at least one more parking spot than you need, then you can make some money off it. All you need is to put a good parking app on your phone and you will be good to go. These apps make it easy for you to find renters for your spot and get paid for the service you offer. Of course, make sure you can legally do so in your jurisdiction.

Rent Your Parking Spot Guide

34. Renting Your Storage Space

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You can rent anything from your garage, attic, backyard or a storage structure in your premises for cash and make hundreds of dollars without much effort. There are a number of good companies that can help you do this more conveniently, for instance, Neighbor, Stashii, and Kostok. Learn more in the guide below.


Rent Your Storage Guide

35. Renting Your Things

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There are ways to make passive income without investing any money, and renting out your things is an excellent way to do just that. The idea is simple – you have stuff other people need, and they are willing to borrow it from you for cash.


Rent Your Things Guide

36. Renting Your Home to Film Crews

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Did you know that the entertainment industry has created room for almost anyone to earn passive income by renting their homes to film crews? Film crews for movies, series, and music video are constantly looking for ideal shooting spaces to rent out. What they are looking for depends on the content or the scene, and location scouts identify ideal spaces for filming and shooting. Platforms like Set Scouter connect home owners with film crews and help you earn money by renting to them. You can earn passive income by renting out your home to film crews for scene filming or photo-shoots. Film crews search for ideal spaces or locations to shoot certain scenes of the movie and pay for the service. Whether you own an apartment, mansion, condo etc. you can make money passively by renting your space for a particular period of time. Learn more in our guide below.


Renting to Film Crews Guide

Passive Income Side Hustles

You may have some talent you can cash in on with a side hustle. There are many ways to turn a side hustle into passive income. But if you just want to get started making money on your own, passive or not, side hustles are an excellent place to start for beginners. Here are some easy side hustle ideas for beginners.

37. Create Audiobooks


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If you consider yourself a bookworm, making money from audiobooks may be one of the easiest and the most exciting things you can do to make money passively. Learn more in our audiobook guide below.

Audiobook Guide

38. Charging Scooters


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There are a lot of people earning money by charging scooters, and you can earn some of this money by signing up with one of the main scooter companies in your area today. These companies will pay you to take home scooters and charge them as you get off work, and you can just drop them off on your way to work in the morning. Learn more in our guide below.

Charging Scooters Guide

39. Food Delivery Services (Uber Eats)

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Some Uber members transport people around for cash, but if that does not sound particularly appealing to you, you can try Uber Eats. In this case, you only need to carry food to people who have placed their orders online to get paid for it. You can use a bike, scooter or car to transport the deliveries. It’s a great side hustle for beginners.


Food Delivery Guide

40. MLM (Multi Level Marketing)

Multi-level marketing are often promoted as passive income opportunities. By leveraging the power of network marketing, most MLM companies boast the opportunity to make money by enabling other people to sell more with the idea that the more people you get to join the business, the more you will make. But reader beware. An MLM is illegal if it is based on a pyramid scheme. Learn more in the guide below.



Multi Level Marketing Guide

41. Pet or House Sitting


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People are busy, and while they are away at work or travelling, they often need someone who can watch their home and pets. You can take on these gigs if you have the time and make as much as $80 a day. There are a couple companies to help you land these kinds of jobs. Learn more in the guide below.

Pet and Housesitting Guide

42. Sleep Studies

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Over a period of two months, you can earn a lot of money doing something you usually enjoy doing every day – sleeping. Sleep studies usually take place in hospitals to study insomnia, sleep apnea, and other sleep-related issues.


Sleep Studies Guide

43. 3D Printing


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3D printing is still a new concept to many, but for those who know exactly what it is, they know they can make thousands of dollars of passive income every month from it. After you design, download, scan or outsource your work, you can proceed with printing and make some passive income in the long run. There are many ways of making passive income through 3D printing. You can make extra income by designing and selling 3D printed objects (jewellery & fashion accessories, motion picture props, and electronic or electric device casings), opening a printing service, providing 3D printing training or leasing your printer. Learn more in our guide below.

3D Printing Guide

44. Teaching Languages

As you probably know, the world has become a global village. There is always someone somewhere who needs to learn a new language for one reason or another. So, if you are proficient in a particular language, you can earn some money during your free time teaching others to speak it.

45. Video Editing

We live in a world where the video is more popular than it has ever been. Editing this content can be a chore for some people. If editing videos sounds like a good time to you, then give it a try for others! Promote yourself as a video editor and get paid to edit videos for your clients. You can outsource and automate parts of the job to increase your income and eventually transform this side hustle into a passive income source.

Transform your active income into passive income in 24 months using Project 24!
53.66% of Project 24 members are making $500 to +$7,500/month! Learn more here

46. Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants are very popular today, and many business people need them to handle basic responsibilities as they go about their businesses. You can make schedules, receive and make calls on behalf of your client and so forth from wherever you and get paid for it.

Passive Income Businesses

We have selected some of the easiest businesses to create and then eventually automate or outsource. Keep in mind that creating a business is an active endeavour. It will take a couple years to get off the ground and actually automate and outsource your process to make passive income.

47. ATM’s


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ATMs charge for bank transfer fees and if you want to make passive income, owning a couple strategically placed ATM machines around town can be a great way to do so.

ATM Guide

48. Flipping Cars


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Although this business might sound serious, it is something a beginner (notably with a passion for cars) can get into. Flipping cars entails getting cheap cars for a few hundred dollars and then resell them at a profit. You might have to clean or upgrade them a bit to increase their value, but this passive business is very lucrative if you have the right mechanical skills or connections. Also make sure to comply with local legislation.

Flipping Cars Guide

49. Food Truck


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Food trucks are very popular these days, and people like to buy their favourite foods from these trucks over the lunch hour, or as they get to work in the morning. You can get a truck and hire someone to run it and enjoy the lucrative rewards this business has in store for you.

Food Truck Guide

50. Game Machines (Arcade)

Game machines still have a place in modern society, although other kinds of gaming has really taken off. If you can get some classic game machines and run an arcade, you can easily use them to make yourself quite a bit of money from fans of these games.

51. Self Automatic Service Carwash

A self-service car wash is a very passive business. You just need to invest in the right location, equipment and mechanic for repars, and customers can drive by and have their cars washed without the need to have you preside over the business. This business can be very profitable but location is very important.

Automatic Carwash Guide

52. Self-Service Store

A self-service store business can be a good passive income source but it can be expensive to startup. It’s also important to understand how to make it passive. Self-service stores are replying to many of the most annoying aspects of shopping (long lines, checkouts, etc) while providing store owners a more passive income.


Self-Service Store Guide

53. Self-Service Storage

With an ideal location, enough units, good business management skills, and a loyal clientele, self-service storage can be a lucrative source of passive income. You also need to be in a place where there is demand and make sure to have high security standards. There are ways to automate this business to make it passive. Learn more below.


Self-Service Storage Guide

54. Laundromat

A self-service car wash is a very passive business. You just need to invest in the right location, equipment and mechanic for repars, and customers can drive by and have their cars washed without the need to have you preside over the business. This business can be very profitable but location is very important.

Laundromat Guide

55. Selling Ice Cream

Food truck businesses have really taken off, and one of the best ways you can make money off this business is by selling ice cream. Everyone loves ice cream, and you don’t have to be an expert to sell ice cream and make passive income. All you need are the right suppliers, the right places and the right people to sell your product.

Selling Ice Cream Guide

Passive Income Investments

The most common type of passive income stream people think about are financial investments. These may include real estate, dividend stocks and corporate bonds. However, they may not be the easiest way to build passive income for beginners. In order to keep this article beginner-friendly, we will focus on some easier ways to help create passive income through financial investments. Here are some more passive income ideas below.

56. Cashback Credit Cards


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As far as passive income streams go, his is without a doubt one of the easiest options for beginners. The only requirement is that you get a cashback credit card and then you can enjoy cash back offers at a rate of 1% whenever you make a purchase. However, do not do this if you can’t pay off your card every month or it will be completely counter productive.

Cashback Credit Card Guide

57. Peer to Peer Lending


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These days, there are many platforms on which individuals and businesses can lend and borrow money. All you need is some cash, and you can sign up and offer it as a loan to earn yourself some interest. So, you do not really need any skills or much time to earn passive income from peer-to-peer lending.

Peer-to-Peer Lending Guide

58. Reward & Discount Programs


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Loyal customers often get rewarded through points or money in the form of discounts and rebates. There are even people who get to travel the world through the rewards they earn for their loyalty. All it takes is for you to sign up and start earning points you can later redeem.

Reward Program Guide

Our list of passive income ideas:

  1. Affiliate Marketing
  2. Blogging
  3. Chatbots
  4. Copywriting
  5. Data Entry
  6. eCommerce
  7. Dropshipping
  8. Flipping Domain Names
  9. Flipping Items on Craigslist
  10. Gaming
  11. Gaming Apps That Pay
  12. Influencer Marketing
  13. Niche Membership Sites
  14. Niche Site Focused on Education
  15. Online Courses
  16. Podcasting
  17. Print on Demand
  18. Rent a Friend
  19. Sell Hand-Made Items on Etsy
  20. Ghostwrite Music
  21. Sell Music
  22. Sell an eBook
  23. Sell Printable Art
  24. Selling on eBay
  25. Selling Stock Photos and Videos
  26. Taking Surveys
  27. YouTube Channel
  28. Advertising With Your Car
  29. AirBnB
  30. Ride Sharing (Uber)
  31. Renting Your Bike
  32. Renting Your Car
  33. Renting Your Parking Spot
  34. Renting Your Storage Space
  35. Renting Your Things
  36. Renting to Film Crews
  37. Audiobooks
  38. Charging Scooters
  39. Food Delivery Services (Uber Eats)
  40. MLM (Multi Level Marketing)
  41. Pet or House Sitting
  42. Sleep Studies
  43. 3D Printing
  44. Teaching Languages
  45. Video Editing
  46. Virtual Assistant
  47. ATM’s
  48. Flipping Cars
  49. Food Truck
  50. Game Machines (Arcade)
  51. Self-Service Car Wash
  52. Self-Service Store
  53. Self-Service Storage
  54. Laundromat
  55. Selling Ice Cream
  56. Cashback Credit Cards
  57. Peer-to-Peer Lending
  58. Reward and Discount Programs

Related Questions

Can a beginner make passive income? A beginner can make passive income by focusing on beginner-friendly passive income sources that they are interested in learning. For example, selling online, renting things (home, storage, parking spot, car), blogging, creating audiobooks, music, stock photos or videos are some excellent ways beginners can make passive income.

How can I make passive income with no money? There are many ways to make passive income without money. Such ways include, but are not limited to joining reward and discount programs, renting space and items space in your home (parking space, garage, rooms, camera, bike, sports items), advertising with your car, selling online, copywriting and blogging.

Disclaimer: This blog does not provide legal, financial or tax advice and does not create an attorney-client or client relationship. For legal, financial or tax advice, please contact an authorized professional in your area. The information contained on this Website and the resources available for download through this website are for educational and informational purposes only and are not intended as, and shall not be understood or construed as, professional advice. Results mentioned are not guaranteed. Starting a business or an online business always involves risk and demands a lot of time. The success of your (internet) business depends on your hard work and skill. We do not guarantee any business or income. It is also imperative that you consult a tax and/or legal professional in your area to ensure you comply with local, or nation-wide rules and regulations that pertain to your area before you join a peer-to-peer platform or start a business with the purpose of making money. Consult our Disclaimers page for more information. Consult our Disclaimers page for more information.