How To Make Money Online If You’re 13 (Legit Beginner Guide)
Figuring out how to make money online if you’re 13 can feel confusing. You’re too young for most “real” jobs, many platforms have age limits, and your parents might be worried about scams. The good news: there are real, safe ways to start earning – if you do it the right way, with adult supervision and a long‑term mindset.
On How To Make Money Online, you’ll find detailed guides about building income streams, avoiding scams and using the internet to create real value. The same principles apply when you’re 13 – you just have to adapt them to your age, skills and legal limits in your country.
Below is a clear, beginner‑friendly guide that explains how to make money online if you’re 13, the right way.
What To Know Before You Make Money Online At 13
Always Involve A Parent Or Guardian
Most of the serious methods you’ll see on How To Make Money Online involve:
- Accounts on platforms
- Payment methods (PayPal, bank accounts, cards)
- Contracts or terms of service
If you’re 13, you usually can’t legally agree to these on your own. Your parent or guardian needs to:
- Help you set up accounts in their name (when allowed)
- Read and understand the platform’s rules
- Handle payments and withdrawals for you
- Make sure you’re working safely and not being exploited
The same way adults are advised on that site to treat their online income as a real business, you should treat it as a serious project with adult supervision.
Focus On Skills, Not Just “Quick Money”
If you read through the guides on howtomakemoneyonline.co.za, you’ll notice a theme: people who do well online build skills and systems, not just chase quick cash.
At 13, the most powerful thing you can do is:
- Start learning digital skills (writing, design, video, coding, marketing)
- Practise those skills on small real projects
- Use the internet as a place to publish, improve and slowly earn
The money you make now might be small, but the skills you build can turn into serious income when you’re older.
Safe, Realistic Ways To Make Money Online At 13
1. Create Online Content (With Adult Oversight)
A big part of modern online income is content: text, video, audio and images that attract an audience and can be monetised. On How To Make Money Online, you’ll see that many long‑term strategies are built around:
- Blogging
- YouTube
- Social media content
- Email lists
- Affiliate marketing
You can start at 13, but only if your parent or guardian:
- Approves what you publish
- Controls the accounts where needed
- Helps you stay safe (no oversharing private information)
Some content ideas that work well for teenagers:
- Tutorials for things you’re good at (gaming tips, school subjects, music, art)
- Reviews of products you actually use (stationery, gadgets, books, games)
- Documenting your learning journey (for example, “learning to code from scratch”)
Over time, content can be monetised in ways that guides on How To Make Money Online often discuss, like:
- Display advertising on blogs or channels
- Brand deals and sponsorships (when you’re older and have an audience)
- Affiliate marketing (earning commission when people buy through your links)
Your parent or guardian should manage the actual contracts, ad accounts and payouts.
2. Begin Affiliate Marketing The “Right” Way
Affiliate marketing is one of the main topics covered in depth on howtomakemoneyonline.co.za. The idea is simple:
- You recommend products or services using special links
- When someone buys through your link, you earn a commission
At 13, you can’t legally sign most affiliate agreements yourself. However, with a parent’s help, you can:
- Choose a niche you genuinely like (for example, drawing, tech gadgets for kids, budget gaming setups)
- Create content around that niche (blog posts, simple reviews, videos)
- Have the adult run and manage the affiliate accounts
- Learn how tracking links, conversions and commissions work
This is one of the most powerful long‑term ways to make money online, and starting young gives you a big advantage if you treat it as a learning project rather than fast cash.
For more on how affiliate income works and realistic expectations, your parent can browse the detailed guides on How To Make Money Online.
3. Offer Simple Online Services
Another theme you’ll see across howtomakemoneyonline.co.za is turning skills into services. Adults might offer things like:
- Freelance writing
- Graphic design
- Web development
- Social media management
At 13, you can start at a smaller scale with your parent or guardian as the official “freelancer”, while you:
- Do simple, age‑appropriate tasks
- Learn how to communicate with “clients”
- Understand how online work is delivered and paid for
Examples of beginner‑friendly micro‑services:
- Making simple social media graphics (using tools like Canva, under supervision)
- Basic video editing for short clips
- Simple proof‑reading or formatting documents
- Basic data or content organisation tasks
Your parent can:
- Control the accounts on freelance platforms
- Handle contracts and payments
- Approve every task you accept
The goal isn’t big money; it’s to get real experience with online work while being protected.
4. Use The Internet To Sell Your Offline Skills
A lot of “make money online” strategies on How To Make Money Online show you how the web can power offline income too.
At 13, you might be limited in online platforms you can join, but you can still:
- Offer tutoring or homework help to younger students
- Sell handmade items (art, crafts) through a parent’s accounts
- Promote local services (pet sitting, lawn care, basic chores) online
The internet is where you:
- Advertise what you can do
- Communicate with customers (again, via your parent)
- Share proof of your work (photos, testimonials, project write‑ups)
Your parent should control the contact details and payments, but you’ll be the one delivering the actual service.
How To Stay Safe While Making Money Online At 13
The material across howtomakemoneyonline.co.za strongly emphasises avoiding scams, checking offers carefully and treating online income seriously. Those same rules matter even more when you’re 13.
Watch Out For Unrealistic Promises
Be suspicious of:
- “Guaranteed” money with no work
- Requests to pay money upfront for “secret methods”
- People asking for personal information, photos or videos in exchange for income
Real methods, like the ones broken down on How To Make Money Online, require skills, time, experimentation and patience.
Protect Your Privacy
Work with your parent so that:
- Your full name, address and school are not shared publicly
- You avoid posting anything you’d regret later
- All financial details go through adult‑managed accounts
If a method conflicts with these safety rules, skip it.
Building A Long‑Term Money‑Making Skillset From 13
If you explore multiple guides on howtomakemoneyonline.co.za, a clear pattern appears: people who succeed online long‑term:
- Learn valuable skills
- Understand how online platforms and traffic work
- Build assets that grow (like content libraries, audiences or email lists)
- Treat their work like a real business
You can start on a smaller scale at 13 by:
- Learning to write clearly for the web
- Understanding simple SEO ideas (how people find content in Google)
- Practising basic design or video editing
- Watching how affiliate links or ads actually generate income
Whenever you’re ready to dig deeper into those topics, you (and especially your parent or guardian) can read the more advanced explanations on How To Make Money Online.
Key Takeaways: How To Make Money Online If You’re 13
- You must involve a parent or guardian for accounts, payments and safety.
- Focus on learning skills and creating value, not just “easy money”.
- Start with content creation, simple services and beginner‑level affiliate marketing under adult supervision.
- Use the internet to support both online and offline ways to earn.
- Protect your privacy and avoid anything that sounds too good to be true.
If you treat it as a long‑term learning project, the next few years can give you skills and experience that most adults wish they’d started earlier. For deeper, step‑by‑step guidance on specific methods, your parent can explore the resources on How To Make Money Online and help you adapt them safely to your age.