Grand Theft Auto Online offers players an expansive open world to explore, with ample opportunities to earn in-game money. As an online multiplayer experience set in the massive city of Los Santos, GTA Online allows you to live out the criminal lifestyle.
From more straightforward missions and heists to investing in lucrative businesses, there are diverse ways to build your in-game bank account and criminal empire. With so many options, earning money in GTA Online can be complex for newcomers. This guide aims to break down the most effective methods for scoring big bucks in GTA Online.
Whether you want to cause chaos carrying out daring heists or prefer a more entrepreneurial approach, we’ll cover major money making strategies so you can get rich in the seedy underworld of Los Santos. Keep reading for the best ways to fill your virtual wallet and become a high roller in GTA Online.
Complete Story Missions
One of the best ways to earn money in GTA Online is by completing the main story missions. These missions pay out fairly well, especially when you first start out. The initial missions will provide several thousand dollars each, which can help get your criminal enterprise up and running.
As you progress through the missions, the payouts will increase, up to around $20,000-30,000 per mission in the later game. While not as lucrative as some other money-making methods, story missions have the advantage of being fun and varied. They also advance the overarching narrative and unlock new content and abilities.
It’s worth playing through all the story missions at least once to get the full GTA Online experience. An added bonus is that you can replay most missions to earn additional cash and RP rewards. When replaying, you’ll earn a bit less than the first time, but it can still be worthwhile. Mix up replaying story missions with other activities so it doesn’t get too repetitive.
Overall, dedicating time to completing the full array of story missions that open up as you gain reputation and progress through GTA Online is recommended. The payouts are solid, and the missions provide a great way to hone your combat and driving skills while being immersed in the criminal underworld. Just don’t forget to branch out and try other money makers as well.
Do Heists
One of the most lucrative ways to earn money in GTA Online is by completing heists. Heists require more planning, effort, and coordination than other money-making methods, but can result in huge payouts if executed successfully.
To complete a heist, you’ll first need to do some setup missions to gather equipment, choose crew members, and scope out the location. This takes time and energy, but is necessary preparation. Once setup is complete, you can launch the finale heist mission that will earn you and your crew a big score.
Each heist has its own unique storyline, settings, and challenges. For example, the Diamond Casino Heist involves infiltrating the most secure building in Los Santos. The Doomsday Heist takes place in a high-tech secret facility. The classic Bank Heist requires tactical coordination.
While heists can be replayed, their finales have large one-time payouts of up to $1-2 million for the host. Even taking a smaller cut as a crew member can earn you a few hundred thousand per heist. This makes heists very profitable for the effort involved.
Just be ready to handle variables like getting caught, crew members dying, or alarms being triggered. Approach each heist with a plan to maximize your take and minimize risk. With good teamwork and execution under pressure, heists offer some of the biggest single payouts in GTA Online.
Invest in Businesses
One of the most profitable ways to make money in GTA Online is by purchasing and growing your own criminal business empire. This requires a significant upfront investment and plenty of time, but the payoff can be huge if done right.
The key businesses you’ll want to consider buying include:
Bunker – Produces weapons and research that can be sold for big profits. Purchase staff and equipment upgrades to maximize production speed and value.
Motorcycle Club Businesses – Options like document forgery, weed farming, meth labs, cocaine lockups, and counterfeiting. Buy supplies, let your staff produce goods over time, then sell for cash.
Nightclub – Passively accumulates goods from your other businesses. Hire technicians to manage inventory and sale missions. More storage floors increases capacity.
Special Cargo Warehouse – Source and sell special cargo crates for a premium. Larger warehouses hold more goods for bigger sales.
Vehicle Warehouse – Source high-end vehicles and sell them for profit. No production time needed.
Agency – Complete celebrity, VIP, and asset protection contracts. Higher daily income by hiring more associates.
To maximize profits, upgrade each business fully with staff, equipment, and security before production. Buy supplies to keep costs down. Sell only when stock is full for one large delivery. For MC businesses, buy all types and assign each to a different technician at your nightclub. Being an active CEO/MC President will accrue goods over time. Then log in, sell goods, and profit! With some effort, these criminal enterprises can earn millions per hour in GTA Online.
Rob Stores
While the payouts are lower, robbing liquor stores and gas stations in GTA Online is one of the easiest ways to earn a bit of quick cash when starting out. All you need to do is walk into the store, point your gun at the shopkeeper, and they’ll begin putting money from the cash register into a paper bag. The average payout from robbing a store is $1,000-$2,000, but can be done quickly and repeatedly without much effort.
The low risk but fast reward makes store robberies ideal for new players or those strapped for cash. You don’t need any special equipment or coordination with other players. Simply head to any store on the map, commit the robbery, and make a clean getaway. While experienced players may scoff at such small payouts, new players can quickly build up tens of thousands from robbing stores in a short period of time.
An added bonus is that you’ll also earn 50-100 RP each time you rob a store. RP allows you to rank up and unlock new items and abilities. So robbing stores doubles as a way to progress your character while also earning some starter cash. Just be aware that the store clerk will shoot back if provoked, and getting wasted by them means losing your money. So don’t hang around too long after grabbing the cash.
Overall, while limited in payout potential, robbing liquor stores and gas stations is one of the best ways for new GTA Online players to earn quick and easy money in the early stages. The small but rapid injections of cash allow you to buy supplies, weapons, and vehicles needed to advance in bigger money-making criminal ventures.
Sell Cars
Stealing fancy cars and selling them to Los Santos Customs is a quick and easy way to make money early in the game. While any stolen car can be sold, higher end vehicles will net you a lot more cash when you unload them.
Some of the most profitable cars to steal and sell include:
- Benefactor Schafter V12: $9,500
- Enus Super Diamond: $9,500
- Dewbauchee Rapid GT: $9,500
- Pegassi Infernus: $9,000
- Grotti Carbonizzare: $9,000
The best places to find expensive sports cars and luxury vehicles are Vinewood Hills, Rockford Hills, and around the casino. Target vehicles parked on the street or being driven by NPCs.
Once you’ve secured the car, make sure to respray it at Los Santos Customs first so it changes color. This will remove the stolen tag and allow you to sell it for full price. With higher-end cars, you can easily make $8,000-$9,500 each flip.
Selling stolen vehicles is very profitable early in GTA Online when you’re low on cash and options. As you progress, there are more effective ways to make money. But stealing and selling fancy cars remains a quick and easy path to fast cash.
Participate in Activities
Participating in activities like races, deathmatches, and other game modes is a quick way to earn extra cash and RP (Reputation Points) in GTA Online.
The payouts for these activities vary based on the type of activity. Races and deathmatch-style modes tend to pay out more than something like darts or arm wrestling. The payout is usually a set amount for winning plus a bonus based on how well you perform. For example, you may get $5,000 for winning a race plus an extra $1,000 for coming in 1st place.
Activities are a nice change of pace from missions and heists. They don’t require as much coordination as heists, and matches are usually shorter since you’re competing against other players. Participating is an easy way to make money when you only have a little bit of time to play.
The activities also reward RP which helps you rank up. Higher ranks unlock new weapons, vehicles, and other items. So even if the cash reward seems small, the RP alone can make it worth your time.
To get started, open your phone in-game and look for the Quick Job app. From there you can select activities like races, deathmatches, and more. You can also join activities by driving to the start location on the map. The variety of activities keeps things fresh and interesting while also earning you money.
Play the Diamond Casino
To make money in GTA Online, get started earning chips by purchasing a membership to the Diamond Casino. This gives you access to casino games like blackjack, poker, and slot machines. While luck plays a major role, skilled players can earn a steady income over time at these games. The slot machines in particular provide the potential for big payouts if you get a lucky spin.
Start by purchasing a standard membership, which allows you to collect daily visitor bonus chips and participate in promotions. As you build up your bankroll, upgrade to a Penthouse membership to unlock VIP tables and other high-limit games. While the house maintains an edge overall, hitting a hot streak at the right time can earn you a considerable sum. Just don’t spend money you can’t afford to lose, as casino games involve substantial risk. With membership perks like free drinks and valet parking, the Diamond Casino offers a fun recreational gambling environment where you can hopefully walk away a winner.
Complete Daily Objectives
One straightforward way to earn money in GTA Online is by completing the daily objectives that the game provides. Each day, you will get 3 random objectives that involve simple tasks like participating in an activity, stealing a car, or robbing a store.
While each objective only rewards a small amount of cash individually, completing all 3 daily objectives will give you a bonus cash reward. This bonus starts at $10,000 and increases by $10,000 each day that you complete all the objectives.
So if you complete the 3 objectives every day for a week straight, you’ll earn $10,000 on day 1, $20,000 on day 2, $30,000 on day 3, and so on up to $70,000 on day 7. This streak bonus maxes out at $500,000 after 28 days.
The objectives are randomly generated but tend to be very easy, such as simply playing a round of tennis or golf, betting on a horse race, or dancing in a nightclub. It only takes a few minutes to knock them out each day, making it one of the most efficient ways to earn bonus cash.
Setting aside a little time every login to complete the quick daily objectives is an effortless way to earn tens of thousands in bonus rewards over time.
Conclusion
There are many ways to earn money in GTA Online, but some key takeaways are:
The main options for earning money include completing story missions, doing heists, investing in businesses, robbing stores, selling cars, participating in activities, playing the Diamond Casino, and completing daily objectives. Each method has its own pros and cons.
Using a combination of methods is ideal to maximize your income. Focus on the activities you enjoy most, while mixing in other earning methods when possible. Develop a balanced strategy.
Building wealth requires patience and consistent effort over time. There are few get-rich-quick options. But the payoff is worth it. With enough dedication, you can earn money at a satisfying rate.
Don’t get discouraged by short-term setbacks. Keep working at it. Experiment to find the approaches that work best for your play style. Learn from failures and find ways to improve. With persistence, you’ll get better and become wealthy.
Enjoy the process. Earning money in GTA Online can be very engaging and fun if you avoid grinding too hard on any one method. Savor the experience.
Overall, with the right balance of activities, smart investments, and determined effort, you can earn serious money in GTA Online. Stick with it for the long haul.