Get paid to get healthy: what health rewards apps and programs really pay

Ways to get paid to get healthy, compared

Most programs that pay you to be healthy fall into a few groups. They differ in who can join, what you do and how you get paid.

Workplace programs have their own rules. A fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Labor says workplace health plans can reward activity-only programs, such as a walking, diet or exercise program, and that rewards in programs tied to a health standard are generally capped at 30 percent of the cost of employee-only coverage (50 percent for programs that help prevent or reduce tobacco use). Ask your HR or benefits team what your plan offers.

For most people, a free health rewards app is the easiest place to start: there's nothing to buy and nothing to lose on a busy day.

Which healthy habits earn points in AHEALTH

AHEALTH, formerly Moneywalk, is a free iPhone and Android app that gives you points for everyday healthy habits. In the U.S., these include:

• Walking. Your phone counts your steps. New U.S. accounts earn 1 point for every 100 steps, up to 10,000 steps a day, plus bonus step coins. Our main guide shows how to get paid to walk step by step.
• Sleep. Log your sleep and earn points.
• Water. Log each glass of water you drink, up to a daily limit.
• Meals. Log what you ate.
• Medication. Set medication reminders and earn points when you log a dose.
• Quick daily habits. Squats counted by your phone's motion sensor, push-ups, stair climbing, brisk walks, breathing exercises, affirmations and a daily health quiz.

Each time you collect points, the app shows a quick health fact about that habit. Point amounts differ by habit and can change over time, and features can vary by account.

How much can you get paid to get healthy?

Less than many ads suggest. Health rewards apps are usually funded by in-app advertising and partner offers, so rewards come as gift cards worth a few dollars at a time, not a paycheck. In AHEALTH's U.S. Gift Shop, 1,000 points = $1 for new U.S. accounts, and email gift cards from more than 25 brands, including Amazon, Walmart and Target, start at $5.

Be skeptical of any app or ad that promises a large dollar amount for getting healthy. Rewards depend on ad revenue and partner offers, which change, and a trustworthy app tells you up front that point amounts can change over time.

If getting paid quickly matters to you, check the smallest reward and how long it takes to arrive before you start. See walking apps with a low cash-out for how first rewards and delivery times compare.

Do small rewards help you build healthy habits?

They can help you get started. A 2025 review of 29 trials with about 9,600 adults found that small financial incentives, a median of about $1.19 a day, increased physical activity during short programs, by an amount the authors call clinically significant (1,000 or more steps a day). The evidence on long programs and on what happens after the rewards stop is still limited.

An earlier review of 23 trials, published in 2020, found about 600 extra steps a day on average while incentives were paid, and about 500 extra steps a day after they ended.

So treat rewards as a nudge, not the goal. The habit is what pays off: the CDC says physical activity helps you immediately feel better, function better and sleep better, and it recommends 7 or more hours of sleep a night for adults 18 to 60.

How to start getting paid for healthy habits with AHEALTH

1. Download AHEALTH from the App Store or Google Play and allow it to read your step count. Your phone does the counting, so no wearable is needed.
2. Pick two or three habits to start. For example, walk, log your sleep each morning and log a glass of water with each meal.
3. Claim your step points each day. Tap Claim on the home screen to turn the day's steps into points. Each day's step points are claimed that day.
4. Redeem in the Gift Shop. Every reward shows its price in points. Before your first redemption, you may be asked to verify your phone number. Email gift cards usually arrive within 1 to 3 days, and some take longer.

New U.S. accounts also get a sign-up bonus that puts the first $1 reward within reach in the first days. See how AHEALTH rewards work for the full list of habits and rewards.

Get healthy safely while you earn

• Start where you are. The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week for adults, such as 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, and says some physical activity is better than none.
• Treat daily limits as a stopping point. Once you hit an app's daily cap, the rest of the day's activity is for your health, not for points.
• Never change how you take a medicine to earn points. Logging a dose is a reminder tool. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions about your medicines.
• Talk with your doctor first if you need to. If you have a health condition or haven't been active for a while, talk with your doctor before you start a new exercise routine or change your diet.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Get paid to walkHow to get paid to walk with the phone you already have, what apps that pay you to walk really pay and how to tell a legit one from a waste of time.
• One app for five micro-habitsWhich micro-habits AHEALTH rewards and which it doesn't, how the rewards work, and how to stack small habits into one simple day.
• Walking apps with a low cash-outThe smallest first reward, the wait before your first request and how long delivery takes in popular walking apps, plus how to get your first AHEALTH reward.

All AHEALTH guides