Finding an extra £500 a month sounds like the answer to a lot of financial problems. It could cover a painful rise in household bills, help rebuild an emergency fund or put money aside for Christmas, a holiday or an overdue home repair.
The problem is that most people do not have the time or energy to take on a conventional second job. After work, childcare, commuting and everything required to keep a household running, the prospect of committing to another fixed shift can feel impossible.
However, many of us do have small pockets of unused time. We wait for trains, sit through adverts, arrive early for appointments or spend half an hour scrolling through our phones without remembering much of what we have seen.
The idea is not to spend even more of your life looking at a screen. It is to take some of the time you already spend on your phone and use it more deliberately.
First, a reality check about that £500
The £500 figure is an illustrative monthly target built from several different money-making methods. It is not a promise of what you will earn from Prograd, a single app or one side hustle. Results depend on your circumstances, the opportunities available and the time you put in.
What is Prograd?
Prograd
is a rewards platform designed to help people earn rewards through activities completed online and through their phones.
Its available opportunities can include playing mobile games, reaching specified in-game milestones, completing tasks and taking part in selected offers. The exact selection and reward amounts can change, so users need to check what is available inside the platform at the time.
Prograd currently promotes hundreds of gaming opportunities and says users can redeem eligible rewards through options including PayPal and Visa. It also operates a Pro Points rewards system, with the points shown in a user’s account until the relevant redemption conditions are met.
This is not employment and there is no fixed wage or guaranteed hourly rate. It is better viewed as a flexible rewards platform that could form one small part of a wider extra-income plan.
Get a £4 gift when you sign up
New users can currently claim a £4 sign-up gift when joining Prograd through the link below. You can then explore the games, tasks and other earning opportunities available through the platform.
Worth knowing: The offer may be changed or withdrawn, and eligibility, verification, redemption thresholds and other conditions may apply. Check the current Prograd offer and terms before signing up.
Claim the £4 sign-up gift
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Turn spare screen time into earning time
Browse the current games, tasks and reward opportunities available through Prograd.
Explore Prograd
How does Prograd work?
The basic process is relatively straightforward, although every offer may have its own rules.
1. Create an account
Users can sign up and view the opportunities currently available to them. Under Prograd’s terms, users must be at least 18 years old. Its service is currently available to people physically located in the UK and US, subject to its full eligibility rules.
2. Browse the available offers
You can look through the available games, activities and offers before choosing one. Do not simply select the largest reward displayed. Check what you are expected to do, how long it might reasonably take and whether there are deadlines, purchase requirements or several milestones involved.
3. Follow the instructions carefully
A gaming offer might require you to install a game for the first time and reach a particular level within a set period. Another task may have different conditions.
It is important to start through the correct Prograd link and complete the stated requirements. Prograd’s terms say users generally need to be genuine first-time users of a game or offer unless the listing explicitly says otherwise.
4. Track your points and progress
Eligible activities can generate Pro Points, which are recorded in your account. The points needed for a reward and the value attached to individual opportunities may change, so it is sensible to check the current information before starting.
5. Redeem an eligible reward
Once you reach the applicable redemption threshold, you may be able to select an available reward. Prograd may ask for information to verify your identity or eligibility before processing it.
Its current terms say it aims to send an approved reward to the chosen redemption method within seven working days, although additional processing delays may occur.
Do not miss the small print
- Read the full requirements before starting an offer.
- Check whether you must be a new user of the app or game.
- Look for deadlines and required milestones.
- Take a screenshot of the offer and its conditions before starting.
- Do not use a VPN, duplicate account or other method that breaches the platform rules.
- Never spend more than you intended simply to unlock a reward.
How easy is Prograd to use?
The central idea is easy to understand: choose an available opportunity, follow its instructions, complete the qualifying activity and build points towards a reward.
You do not need to pitch for freelance work, find customers, list products for sale or commit to fixed shifts. This lowers the barrier for someone who wants to experiment with earning during short periods of downtime.
However, easy to start does not mean every offer is effortless. Some games may require repeated play or a significant amount of progress before the full advertised reward becomes available. Larger potential rewards may be linked to more demanding milestones.
Before choosing an opportunity, try to estimate the time required and compare it with the reward you could realistically reach. An eye-catching maximum does not necessarily represent what every user will earn.
Is it really free?
Prograd describes its platform as free to use. However, individual third-party offers may have their own conditions, and some opportunities could include optional spending or a requirement to purchase a product or service.
This is where users need to be disciplined. Spending £20 to chase a £25 reward does not mean you have made £25. Your real gain would be £5, and that is before considering the time involved.
The MoneyMagpie rule
Calculate the net reward, not the headline reward. Subtract any money you need to spend and consider the time required. Avoid paying for something you did not already want simply to qualify for points.
What can you realistically earn?
There is no honest single answer. Earnings will depend on which offers are available to you, which ones you are eligible for, how quickly you complete them and whether each activity tracks correctly.
Prograd displays examples of possible rewards on its website, but these should not be treated as a guaranteed or typical return. The largest figures may relate to offers with multiple conditions, longer completion periods or higher-level milestones.
For most people, a rewards app is more sensibly treated as one ingredient in an extra-income plan. You might use it while watching television or travelling, then combine what you earn with cashback, selling and another flexible side hustle.
Could several small earners really reach £500?
Potentially, but not automatically and not necessarily every month. The most realistic route is usually to stack several different activities instead of expecting one app to produce the entire amount.
An illustrative £500 extra-income month
Rewards, games and online tasks: £25
Selling unused belongings: £150
A bank switching incentive: £175
Cashback and loyalty rewards: £50
Freelance work or a local service: £100
Illustrative total: £500
This example is deliberately a mixture. A switching incentive may only be available occasionally. Selling £150 of belongings is not endlessly repeatable. Freelance income will depend on your skills and demand, while rewards and cashback vary.
That does not make the target meaningless. It simply means £500 is better treated as a goal to build towards rather than a predictable monthly wage.
Other ways to stack your earnings
Use cashback whenever you shop
Before buying something online, check whether a reputable cashback website or card-linked offer will return part of the purchase price.
Cashback is most useful when attached to a purchase you already intended to make. Buying unnecessary products because they offer cashback is still spending, not saving.
Sell before you buy
Unused phones, games, books, clothes, furniture and kitchen equipment can all have resale value. A focused clear-out can produce a useful one-off boost without requiring you to take on more work.
Start with higher-value items and price them using recently sold listings rather than optimistic asking prices.
Check current account switching deals
Some banks offer cash incentives to eligible customers who use the Current Account Switch Service and meet conditions such as paying in a minimum sum or moving active Direct Debits.
Deals change frequently. Check the eligibility rules and make sure the new account suits your everyday banking needs rather than switching for the bonus alone.
Offer a small local service
Dog walking, gardening, ironing, tutoring, cleaning, technology help and furniture assembly can all be offered locally. Even one regular customer could provide more predictable income than relying entirely on apps.
Try freelance work
Writing, design, administration, video editing, bookkeeping and social media support can sometimes be completed around an existing job. Freelancing takes longer to establish, but it may offer greater long-term earning potential.
Five moments you could use differently
- The journey to work on public transport
- Waiting for an appointment
- Television advert breaks
- Twenty minutes of your lunch break
- The half hour you usually lose to scrolling before bed
Protect your time as well as your money
A side hustle should improve your finances without swallowing every free moment. Keep a simple record of how long you spend on each activity and what you receive in return.
You may discover that one type of offer works well for you while another takes too long. There is no prize for completing every opportunity. Concentrate on the activities that fit naturally around your routine.
It can also help to transfer any cash rewards into a separate savings pot. Small payments are easy to absorb into everyday spending, but moving them aside lets you see whether the habit is producing a meaningful result.
What are the drawbacks?
No rewards platform is a replacement for guaranteed employment income. Offers can change, tracking problems can happen and not every opportunity will be available to every user.
Points are not the same as cash sitting in a bank account. Under Prograd’s terms, Pro Points only acquire a redeemable value when the relevant conditions and threshold are met. Points may also expire, including after periods of inactivity, so users should read the latest terms rather than assuming a balance will remain indefinitely.
Users also need to guard against spending too much time chasing a reward that offers a poor effective return. A game might be enjoyable in its own right, but that does not automatically make it a profitable use of several hours.
Prograd at a glance
Potential advantages
- Can be used around an existing schedule
- No need to find customers or commit to shifts
- A range of games and offers may be available
- Could make some existing screen time more productive
Points to consider
- Rewards and eligibility are not guaranteed
- Some offers may require substantial progress
- Tracking and redemption conditions apply
- It should not be treated as a fixed income
Is Prograd worth trying?
Prograd may appeal to people who already enjoy mobile games and want to explore whether some of that leisure time could generate rewards.
The flexible format is the main attraction. You can look at the opportunities when you have time rather than agreeing to set hours. You also have the freedom to ignore offers that do not appear worthwhile.
However, it is important to approach it with realistic expectations. Do not assume you will earn the highest figure shown, and do not rely on anticipated rewards to pay essential bills.
Used carefully, it could become one small part of a broader make-money routine, alongside cashback, selling unwanted items, occasional switching deals and paid work.
See what is currently available
Explore Prograd’s current games, activities and rewards. Read the conditions attached to each offer before taking part.
Visit Prograd
The bottom line
The side hustle hiding in your scrolling time is not one magical app that guarantees £500 every month. It is the decision to make some of your spare time more productive.
For one person, that might mean trying games and offers through Prograd. For another, it might mean listing unused clothes while watching television or completing a small freelance task instead of scrolling.
The strongest approach is to combine several methods, keep track of what genuinely works and drop anything that consumes more time or money than it returns.
Small rewards may not feel transformative on their own. Added together and moved into a dedicated savings pot, however, they can become a useful financial boost.
Important information: This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with Prograd. Earnings and rewards are not guaranteed. Availability, values, thresholds and eligibility criteria can change. Always read the current offer details and
Prograd terms and conditions
before signing up or completing an activity.
Prograd users must meet its current eligibility requirements, including its age and location restrictions. Third-party products and offers may have separate terms. Do not spend money you cannot afford to lose or purchase something solely to obtain a reward. Keep records of side-hustle income and check whether you need to declare it to HMRC.
