How to make money with Pokémon Go
Are you a fan of Pokémon Go? These ways to make money from the game could come in very handy.
Credit: Kaspars Grinvalds – Shutterstock
Pokémon Go has been downloaded more than one billion times. So it's not unusual to go out and see wannabe trainers who are searching for invisible creatures and becoming the very best, like no one ever was.
There's no denying Pokémon Go is addictive, but it's also pretty time-consuming. So maybe it's time you started thinking about how you could be cashing in on your time.
If you've got some spare time over the summer, you could use the app to make some serious bucks.
5 ways to cash in on Pokémon Go
These are the best ways to make money from playing Pokémon Go:
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Become a Pokémon trainer
You could make: £15 an hour.
Pretty much every kid wanted to be a Pokémon trainer and now is your chance. If you've got time on your hands, why not offer your services to others less talented in the art of Pokémon? Yes, this is a real thing.
An American called Ivy St. Ive made headlines after she posted a Craigslist ad offering to catch Pokémon on other people's behalf, as well as activating every Pokéstop and giving you updates for $20 (approximately £15) an hour.
Ivy claims her ad was a joke, but she got lots of requests. This included a lawyer and a pregnant woman who couldn't walk far but was in a Pokémon competition with her husband.
A weird way to make money, but a way nonetheless.
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Selling your Pokémon Go account
Credit: Matthew Corley – Shutterstock
You could make: £100s or even £1,000s, depending on your account.
Some people just don't have the time, patience or energy to find rare, strong Pokémon (all that walking, right?). As a result, a fad has emerged amongst lazy people to go the quick route and buy an already-activated Pokémon account on eBay that's already miles ahead of the game.
People have previously sold their high-level Pokémon Go accounts for well over £1,000. However, prices seem to have been cut dramatically, with sellers undercutting each other. This makes it pretty unlikely for a Pokémon Go account to sell for loads of money.
A Level 23 account here in the UK has previously sold for £175. So, it's still a fair amount of money.
We need to point out that if you do decide to sell your account, you're at risk of having it disabled by Niantic as it goes against their terms of service.
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Get paid to lure
You could make: Depends on your negotiation skills (or ask for free food).
Sometimes on your quest to be the best (again, like no one ever was), you'll come across 'lure modules' at PokéStops. A player can place these to attract more wild Pokémon for 30 minutes. Lures will also be available to any other player at that stop.
A lot of PokéStops are located at real-life locations such as pubs and cafes. Business owners have been known to cash in on hungry Pokémon masters by paying people to place lures close to their premises in order to get more foot traffic through the door. Smart!
A restaurant in Covent Garden, which doubles up as a PokéStop, reportedly had a designated 'lure employee' that, as the name suggests, was in charge of placing lures. They'd also released a Pokémon-themed menu and were planning a 'Pokémon Go lure party' to attract more Pokémon and customers.
If your workplace is also a PokéStop, you could suggest that they too cash in on the Pokémon craze by placing lures. When doing so, highlight that you'd be happy to take care of this for a little extra cash. Alternatively, mention it to a business owner and offer your services.
There have also been instances of people setting up their own stalls at PokéStops, selling water on hot days, random Pokémon merch and more. Why not, eh?
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Sell your Pokémon card collection
You could make: £100s (and even £1,000s for the really rare ones).
If you were a Pokémon lover back in the day, it's likely you had a serious card collection. At the time, the rarest of cards were going for a fair bit of money. But since the rise of Pokémon Go, the value of some of these cards has hit the roof.
Even before the Pokémon Go craze began, one of our readers, Cassandra, spent £15 on a box of Pokémon cards and sold a single rare card to pay for a holiday.
Some very valuable Pokémon cards are being sold for £60,000+ so, in theory, you could pay off your Student Loan with a single card. Although, these cards are exceptionally rare and we imagine you might have better things to spend your cash on...
Nonetheless, you may have some other valuable childhood toys lying around the house that are just waiting for you to sell.
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Become a Pokémon driver
Credit: Anyabr – Shutterstock
You could make: £25 an hour.
Got a car? You could become a Pokemon taxi driver.
Bahri Takyuz from London charged £25 an hour to Pokémon and PokéStop hot spots in the capital, allowing trainers to visit more areas without traipsing all over the city.
You'll need to have a good knowledge of the roads as well as any areas where rare Pokémon are said to inhabit. You could even become a paid driver and offer this as part of your service. Worth a shot!
You may be able to charge more if you have Pokémon-themed decals...
If Pokémon isn't your thing but you want to earn cash quickly, we've got loads more ideas in our guide to the best ways to make money from home.
