So you want to work from home and you don’t have more than a few dollars (or less) to your name. You find some information online that looks legitimate and you get all excited — until you see that the company is charging you $30 (or more) to apply for the job for some vague reason.
Suddenly, the wind has completely cut your sails.
Sound familiar? This is a typical scenario for many work-from-home job seekers.
Here’s a list of companies you can work for from home that don’t require you to pay them anything before you start working. This doesn’t mean that you won’t need certain equipment (helmets like thisetc.) or have a background check or drug test performed.
Some companies require these things and the money coming out of your pocket for these things does not make this opportunity a scam. You can Learn more about what a scam is and the warning signs to look out for here..
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Work from Home – No Fee Businesses
It should be noted that freelance positions generally do not come with a fee: freelance writing, short assignments, work from home, data entry jobs like theseresearch evaluation and some transcription companies like those listed here. I’ve listed a few such opportunities below, mixed with working by phone.
Work from home with no startup costs
Ensure – Read Insurance review – Virtual executive assistant. All states EXCEPT California, Montana, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. This is a 1099 Contractor role. You will work from home performing administrative tasks for BELAY clients. Previous administrative experience required. Pay is $18 or MORE per hour. We are also looking for remote Social Media Managers, Accounting Clerks and Bookkeepers.
3 Play media – Read 3 Play Media Review – Work from home when it comes to transcription editing. No fees to get started.
Amazon – Read Amazon Review – Amazon regularly hires people for in-home customer service tasks. It’s usually necessary to live in or near various locations around the country to be considered, but they are hiring from many different locations. There are no fees associated with applying for this job.
Type of babbling – Read Babbling Type Review – This company hires home workers for transcription and transcription editing. You don’t have to pay them any fees to get started.
Boldly – Read Bold review – Executive assistant. WE. Full or part time. Requires a minimum of 7 years of direct practical experience as an Executive Assistant or Senior Administrative Assistant to one or more executives (general administration experience in another role will not be eligible). Pay is between $24 and $28 per hour.
Concentrix – Read Concentrix Review – They hire door-to-door agents to answer their customers’ incoming calls from their homes. There are no upfront costs to get started.
In addition to what’s on this list, most of the remote jobs you’ll find on FlexJobs are scam-free and don’t require any upfront fees either. They list hundreds of openings daily which are all pre-screened before publication. You can check out FlexJobs here.
Fancy hands – Read Fancy Hands Review – Work from home with virtual assistance. There is no cost to get started. Salary is per task, paid twice a month. I worked for this company to earn extra money here and there, and they never charged any fees.
Metaverse Mod Squad – Read Metaverse Review – They are hiring to work from home and in a few other moderation positions. They don’t charge you anything to apply and get started.
Support – Read OneSupport Review – This company hires home-based agents for technical support positions. There is no fee associated with the application.
TTEC – Read TTEC Review – This is a company that hires call center agents from home. Some positions may require a drug screen or background check. You must be at least 17 years old to work for them.
Text Broker – Read Text Broker Review – You can work from home by freelance writing for this company. They accept people with no experience and do not charge any fees.
Time, etc. – Read Time, etc. – Work from home with virtual assistance. There does not appear to be any fee associated with the application process.
Transcom – Read Transcom Review – This company hires home-based call center agents. They perform credit checks, background checks, and often drug checks depending on the client you serve, but you may not have to cover the cost of these checks.
Tutor.com – Read Tutor.com Review – Work from home as an online tutor. There is no fee associated with the application. A background check is done, but they pay for it.
U-Haul – Read U-Haul Review – U-Haul regularly hires door-to-door sales and reservation agents. Most of these are entry-level positions. You need a high-speed Internet connection and a helmet like this or similar to get the job done, but there is no cost to get started.
Script – Read Scripted Exam – Freelance content writer. Global. Flexible. Write blog posts, video scripts, and eBooks for clients across 37 industries, including finance, technology, and healthcare. Requires successful completion of an application and review by an editor of research and writing skills; no specific diploma is required. Pay rate is set by the writer for pitches or based on project minimums, with payments processed via Stripe 1-14 days after project acceptance depending on reward level.
Capital one – This popular credit card company is hiring people to work from home and manage their customer service. They don’t charge any fees to get started. However, this is typically a location-based position (Virginia and Florida most of the time).
Sutherland – This company regularly hires home-based call center agents. They may or may perform a background check depending on the client you serve. Their website does not mention a fee for an inspection, but feel free to correct me if there is one.
Yelp – Inside Sales Representative. Central or eastern region of the United States. Full time. Make high volume outbound cold calls to small business owners to educate and sell Yelp advertising programs using a consultative approach. Requires GED/HS diploma and 2+ years of customer facing experience or a bachelor’s degree, as well as proficiency in Google Suite. Pay rate is an annual base salary of $37,000 with uncapped commission (average total first year $50,000) plus benefits including medical, vision, dental, 401(k) with match, and monthly wellness reimbursement.
Looking for even more legit remote jobs?
One thing I always recommend when looking for remote work is to use a site that reviews jobs before they are posted, and that’s why I like Flexible jobs.
Every posting on FlexJobs is manually reviewed, so you don’t have to worry about scams, fake “training fees,” or jobs that require you to pay up front to get started. This alone can save you a lot of time (and frustration).
Most of the jobs you’ll find there are from real, established companies and pay well above minimum wage. All listings are either fully remote or offer flexible work options.
FlexJobs doesn’t run ads, so they charge a small membership fee: it’s how they keep the site clean and scam-free. Right now, you can try it for just $2.95 for a full 14 days.
You can cancel at any time during your trial if it doesn’t suit you, and it’s very easy to do! No obstacles to overcome.
Go here to browse scam-free remote jobs on FlexJobs.
Good luck to you!
Anna is a work-from-home blogger and mom of two. She has been researching and reviewing remote jobs for over 15 years. His findings are published weekly here on Real Ways to Earn.
