The best ways to make money in GTA Online

Los Santos is one hell of a place. It’s rotten to the core and filled with reprobates, criminals, hookers, and drug dealers, all looking for a slice of the pie. Whether you’re new to the game or an old hand, you know that one thing rings true when it comes to Rockstar’s masterpiece, you are going to need a lot of cash.

In this article, we will run through some methods of making cash in the game at various risk levels.

12 Ways To Make Money In GTA 5: Online

Heists

Public Session: Yes

Closed Friend Session: No

It took far too long for heists to become a part of the GTA Online experience, but now that they are, they’ve become the go-to if you want to start making some serious cash. Sadly, you’re going to have to deal with other people if you’re going to complete any of the five missions on offer, which you can do in one of two ways. Either wait for someone to contact you with the offer of work or set the whole thing up yourself, which will set you back a pretty penny. Also, don’t be surprised that once you’ve finished the job successfully to find one of your ‘teammates’ waiting to put a bullet in you and take your share of the job.

Related: How to get the maximum possible share for each Heist

Robbing Stores

Public Session: Yes.

Closed Friend Session: Yes.

A nice and simple one to start with is Robbing Stores. If you find yourself short of a little spending cash then all you need to do is walk into the nearest store and point a gun at the clerk and hey presto, you’ve got yourself some spare change. You won’t bag a lot of for your troubles because if you did, then it’s safe to say that that’s all that anyone would ever do, but if you need a few bucks, then this is for you as long as you can escape the police of course. Also, it should be noted, don’t try this in Ammu-Nation as it won’t end well for you.

Events

Public Session: Yes

Closed Friend Session: Yes and No (Depending on the event)

Each week in the world of GTA Online, Rockstar picks a selection of things for you to do that will not only net you double cash but double Exp as well. Sometimes, like with the Issi Classic Races, you’ll get even luckier and find that you can triple your take home. This is great for the apparent money-is-good side of things and because it can help you tear your way through the leveling up system, meaning it shouldn’t take you too long to get to bullet sponge status.

Jobs

Public Session: Yes

Closed Friend Session: Yes and No (Depending on the job)

Many people in Los Santos need your help and are willing to pay you for your time and effort. They can be found either in the contacts of your phone or the job sections of the pause menu, and all you need to do is call them or click on the work of your choice and away you go, robbing dealers and repossessing cars to your heart’s content. Be warned, though; some of these can cost you more in armor and bullets than you’ll get paid, so choose carefully.

Bounty Hunting

Public Session: Yes

Closed Friend Session: Yes

During the main story of GTA V, Trevor was contacted by Maude to help her bring in some bail jumpers, and now, thanks to a Rockstar update; you too can chase down people like you’re Dog The Bounty Hunter. Just make sure you bring them in alive if you can as a dead bounty is only worth half of a breathing one. So that’s $10,000 if you stun them as opposed to only $5,000 if you blow a hole in their head. You could always try to kneecap them, but I know of a particular writer who did that and had the character bleed out of them.

Car Jacking

Public Session: Yes

Closed Friend Session: Yes

If you’re driving around Los Santos, keep an eye out for any car that seems to be worth depriving its owner of. As long as it’s not a top-end vehicle, you can steal it and sell it at the nearest Los Santos Customs, but you can only do this once every 24 in-game hours. It’s also worth noting that Simeon will send you a list of vehicles he would like you to get for his export business, and these are definitely worth your time, as long as you can find them.

Related: How to sell cards in GTA Online

Own A Nightclub

Public Session: Yes

Closed Friend Session: Yes

You got to spend money to make money, and no-where is this truer than in GTA Online. If you want to make dangerous cash doing cargo runs and the like, you’re going to have to fork out for some incredibly priced facilities, and if you do, then it’s best to start with a nightclub. You can start raking in $10,000 a day just by keeping up with the place’s promotion. So that’s $10,000 for sticking up a few posters and blowing up rival club’s supplies, not bad.

VIP Work

Public Session: Yes

Closed Friend Session: Yes and No (Depending on the work)

There’s a lot of work for you in GTA Online, as long as you know where to look. If you own your own business, you can become a CEO, or if you have $50,000 in your bank, you can become a VIP. As soon as you are, you can access the VIP Work or let others know that you’re available to hire as a bodyguard, but if you’re going to be taking a bullet for someone, then it might as well be yourself.

Daily Objectives

Public Session: Yes

Closed Friend Session: Yes and No (Depending on the objectives)

Every 24 hours, Rockstar will send you over a new set of Daily Objectives, and they are worth you taking the time to complete as they will pay you a nice $25,000 for your troubles. If you’re not the biggest fan of other players, then this is a crapshoot, and it all depends on if the objectives you’re handed that morning are completable by yourself in a closed friend session. If they are then great, but if not, you might have to decide if it’s worth the hassle of other people for you to get that sweet, sweet dough.

Stunt Races

Public Session: Yes

Closed Friend Session: Yes

There are a ton of different races dotted all over the Los Santos map. From bikes to cars, from airplanes to helicopters, if you can ride it, drive it, or fly it, it can go around a predetermined course a few times. But the real money lies in the stunt races, especially if you do them in a closed friend session as you can’t possibly lose. After all, you’re going to finish first if there’s only one person in the race. Unless there are double exp and cash on offer, which happens a lot more than you’d think, then the real money to be made here is in the Transform Series.

Gun Running and Drug Running

Public Session: Yes

Closed Friend Session: No

It’s quite simple and a tad expensive to get into running guns and drugs across Los Santos. For the former, you need to purchase a bunker, and for the latter, you need to own your motorcycle club, but once you’ve stumped up the extortionate amount of readies that both these things will cost, then you’re free to start pushing weapons and cocaine to whoever will pay you the best price. But be warned other players will go out of their way to stop you, so make sure you’ve got a large crew and a lot of weapons.

Cargo

Public Session: Yes

Closed Friend Session: No

For this, you will need an office, a warehouse (or two), and a hanger, but once you have them, or just one to start with, you can open up a whole world of cargo running and delivery. From special cargo to vehicle cargo and air freight cargo, you will have the ability to buy crates or steal cars, and once you’ve brought them back to your supply depot, you can start shifting them out at a decent markup. Just be careful of damaging any items as that will cost you cash via broken goods or repair.

Neil Gray contributed to this article.