student looking to make some extra money. Could anyone share some ideas?

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vuthanh

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Hi everyone,
I'm a university student in Vietnam, and I'm looking for some ways to earn money that don't require foreign ID verification. My current jobs, which pay about $0.76/hour for my part-time work and $1.25/hour for online data labeling, are not enough to cover my living costs and tuition fees.
I would really appreciate it if you could share some ideas for making money. With 2 years of experience in data labeling (2D, 3D, 42Dot, adult video scene classification, and segmentation tasks), I'm also open to freelance work.
Could US survey platforms be a reliable source of income? And why do I always get a message on Swagbucks that the surveys are already full?
Any information you can share would be a huge help, and I sincerely thank you for your support.
 
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"Hey OP,
I hear you — those hourly rates are tough to live on. Since you already have 2 years of labeling experience, you’re sitting on a skillset that’s more valuable in the freelancing world than on low-paying platforms. Sites like Upwork, Fiverr, and even specialized AI labeling marketplaces (Scale AI, Remotasks, Appen, etc.) can pay way better if you position yourself as an experienced contractor rather than a basic worker.


As for US survey platforms — honestly, they’re not a stable income source. They’re oversaturated, geo-restricted, and most block non-US IPs or flag accounts without matching IDs. The “survey already full” message on Swagbucks is just a polite way of saying you didn’t meet the targeting criteria (geo, age, profile match).


If you want something that doesn’t require foreign ID verification:


  • Sell micro-services on Fiverr (annotation, image classification, transcription)
  • Offer your skills directly in niche Discord servers, Reddit communities, or even here in the Services section
  • Look into local freelancing sites in Vietnam — you can get clients who pay in VND without foreign verification
  • Try low-barrier digital work like content writing, basic design, or even reselling (digital products, PLR ebooks)

Bottom line: focus on freelancing platforms and direct clients over surveys. Surveys are good for pocket change, but not tuition money.


Good luck, and if you find a solid method, make a follow-up thread — always nice to see a success journey here."**
 
With your data labeling experience, I’d recommend looking into freelance platforms like Upwork or Fiverr — you can find clients worldwide without needing foreign ID verification. Surveys usually pay very little and often fill up fast, so they’re not reliable for steady income. Freelance projects or microtasks on sites like Clickworker or Appen might be a better fit.

Otherwise, consider learning a new skill that’s in demand (e.g., basic web design, SEO, or copywriting) — it can open up higher-paying opportunities over time.
 
As previously said, platforms like Upwork and Fiverr are perfect to sell some basics services. But you should start with low prices because you'll have a lot of competitors and companies are willing to pay you well only if you already have good reviews about your work.
 
Hi, thank you so much for sharing that information. I've tried using Fiverr and Upwork before, but most of them require me to be a resident of a specific country to work. I've also applied to some companies in Vietnam, but the salary is pretty much the same
 
William_Andresen said:
"Hey OP,
I hear you — those hourly rates are tough to live on. Since you already have 2 years of labeling experience, you’re sitting on a skillset that’s more valuable in the freelancing world than on low-paying platforms. Sites like Upwork, Fiverr, and even specialized AI labeling marketplaces (Scale AI, Remotasks, Appen, etc.) can pay way better if you position yourself as an experienced contractor rather than a basic worker.


As for US survey platforms — honestly, they’re not a stable income source. They’re oversaturated, geo-restricted, and most block non-US IPs or flag accounts without matching IDs. The “survey already full” message on Swagbucks is just a polite way of saying you didn’t meet the targeting criteria (geo, age, profile match).


If you want something that doesn’t require foreign ID verification:


  • Sell micro-services on Fiverr (annotation, image classification, transcription)
  • Offer your skills directly in niche Discord servers, Reddit communities, or even here in the Services section
  • Look into local freelancing sites in Vietnam — you can get clients who pay in VND without foreign verification
  • Try low-barrier digital work like content writing, basic design, or even reselling (digital products, PLR ebooks)

Bottom line: focus on freelancing platforms and direct clients over surveys. Surveys are good for pocket change, but not tuition money.


Good luck, and if you find a solid method, make a follow-up thread — always nice to see a success journey here."**
Click to expand...
Hi, thank you so much for sharing that information. I've tried using Fiverr and Upwork before, but most of them require me to be a resident of a specific country to work. I've also applied to some companies in Vietnam, but the salary is pretty much the same.Also, from what I've heard, platforms like Appen, Remote Task, and Scale AI do hire people from Vietnam, but there are very few projects and they often don't support Vietnam as a country. I'm wondering if these platforms require ID verification when you get paid
 
72indica said:
With your data labeling experience, I’d recommend looking into freelance platforms like Upwork or Fiverr — you can find clients worldwide without needing foreign ID verification. Surveys usually pay very little and often fill up fast, so they’re not reliable for steady income. Freelance projects or microtasks on sites like Clickworker or Appen might be a better fit.

Otherwise, consider learning a new skill that’s in demand (e.g., basic web design, SEO, or copywriting) — it can open up higher-paying opportunities over time.
Click to expand...
Hi, thank you so much for sharing that information. I've tried using Fiverr and Upwork before, but most of them require me to be a resident of a specific country to work"I also wanted to ask if Appen and Clickworker require ID verification for payment.
72indica said:
With your data labeling experience, I’d recommend looking into freelance platforms like Upwork or Fiverr — you can find clients worldwide without needing foreign ID verification. Surveys usually pay very little and often fill up fast, so they’re not reliable for steady income. Freelance projects or microtasks on sites like Clickworker or Appen might be a better fit.

Otherwise, consider learning a new skill that’s in demand (e.g., basic web design, SEO, or copywriting) — it can open up higher-paying opportunities over time.
Click to expand...
Hi, thank you so much for sharing that information. I've tried using Fiverr and Upwork before, but most of them require me to be a resident of a specific country to work I also wanted to ask if Appen and Clickworker require ID verification for payment.
 
OliviaSEO said:
As previously said, platforms like Upwork and Fiverr are perfect to sell some basics services. But you should start with low prices because you'll have a lot of competitors and companies are willing to pay you well only if you already have good reviews about your work.
Click to expand...
Hi, thank you so much for sharing that information.
 
I need a virtual assistant to help me with my daily work, do you know Chinese?
 
Learn graphic design and start making things like banners and announcements. Upwork & Fiverr are not going to get you very far unless you have a marketable skill.
 
You should learn about the data analyst. I heard that in Southeast Asia, some big company pay 1k/months for the data analyst
 
You can earn through freelancing on Fiverr or Upwork using your data labeling skills and microtask sites like Appen or lion bridge can help though many us surveys fill up quickly for international users
 
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