There’s an old saying, “money makes the world go ’round,” and that goes double for the criminal masterminds of Los Santos. GTA Online requires vast amounts of cash to buy vehicles, businesses, and other essential in-game items. So what’s an aspiring criminal to do?
In this post, we’ll explore the best ways to make money in GTA Online, including some options for passive income that generate GTA$ with minimal work on your part. If you can’t spend the time to create your own criminal empire, there are GTA accounts for sale that come preloaded with plenty of GTA$, vehicles, rare skins, and more.
The Best Ways to Make GTA$
Rockstar has included an impressive number of ways to make money in GTA 5 Online, but they don’t all pay the same. Some can make you millions, while others are downright miserly. If you’re in a hurry to make as much cash as possible, these are the best options available.
Completing Heists for Epic Paydays
While there are plenty of other heists you can use to make money in GTA Online, the three listed below are fan favorites for a good reason: they all have the largest payouts! Many players don’t even bother with the lesser heists and grind these until they have as much money as they need. Just remember that Hard mode always pays out more.
- Cayo Perico Heist
This is the most popular heist in the game at the moment, thanks to its potentially huge payday that can reach over GTA$ 2,300,000 on Hard mode. It’s also one of the few major heists that solo players can complete without any help. Solo players won’t make as much, but it can still pay upwards of GTA$ 1,000,000.
- Diamond Casino Heist
This casino heist requires between 2 and 4 players to pull off the job. The payout ranges from just over GTA$ 2.3 million up to 3.6 million, but the only way to maximize your payday is through a special event. Looting diamonds is the most lucrative, but they’re only available if Rockstar is feeling generous.
- Doomsday Heist
This heist is actually a 3-part mission, with separate payouts for completing each part. Once you’ve completed the entire mission, you can revisit any of the individual acts without completing the others. Here’s a breakdown of the payouts:
| Normal Mode Payout | Hard Mode Payout | |
| Act 1: The Data Breaches | GTA$ 975,000 | GTA$ 1,218,750 |
| Act 2: The Bogdan Problem | GTA$ 1,425,000 | GTA$ 1,781,250 |
| Act 3: The Doomsday Scenario | GTA$ 1,800,000 | GTA$ 2,250,000 |
Since you can revisit each act separately after you’ve completed it, many players replay Act 2: The Bogdan Problem for its speed and juicy payday.
Running Businesses for (Mostly) Passive Income
For those of you who want to add a respectable veneer to your criminal life, Rockstar has released several business-focused DLCs that let you run in-game companies and criminal organizations to make money. Here’s a quick look at the most lucrative options:
- Buy a Hangar
Hangars are great for storing your aircraft, but they also allow you to set up a smuggling operation that can be incredibly lucrative. There are several tiers of smuggled cargo with different values, so make sure you focus on grabbing Narcotics, Chemicals, or Medical Supplies for the biggest payout.
- Run an Acid Lab
The Acid Lab business takes some time and money to set up, but it can generate between GTA$335,200 and GTA$500,000 once you’ve unlocked every equipment upgrade. You’ll need to sell in a public session to get the most money, so keep an eye out for anyone looking to make a quick buck at your expense.
- Bail Bonds Bounty Collection
Many players complain that repeating heists get boring after a while, so collecting bounties can give you a lucrative way to switch things up (or while you’re waiting for cooldowns). But the Bottom Dollar Bail Enforcement Office also allows you to hire up to two bounty hunters who will hunt bounties for you automatically. The combination of active participation and passive income makes this a great choice for waiting out cooldowns!
Unfortunately, none of these businesses generates completely passive income right from the start, but they’re still a great way to build up your cash reserves. It takes some time and effort to optimize them to their full potential, but you can make several hundred thousand GTA$ per hour once you get going.
Consider a GTA+ Subscription
If you’re looking for quick and easy ways to make money in GTA 5 Online, consider a GTA+ subscription. GTA+ is Rockstar’s official premium GTA Online subscription service, with a nice set of exclusive perks for subscribers.
In the past, this subscription was only available to console players, but since the release of GTA 5: Enhanced Edition, PC players can get in on the action too. Here’s a quick rundown of the benefits that help you make money:
- A monthly deposit of GTA$ 500,000 is credited to your bank account whenever your GTA+ subscription renews
- Earn more money on some in-game passive income businesses, including up to 4x more on your Hangar sales (though this bonus can vary)
- Receive 15% more GTA$ when buying from Rockstar with exclusive Shark Cards that offer extra money for the same price
A GTA+ subscription will make money in GTAO for you on autopilot, but you shouldn’t underestimate the added value of the sale price multipliers and upgraded Shark Cards. If you like the idea of buying GTA$ but you don’t want to pay Rockstar’s prices, you can buy GTA 5 Online money from our store at a huge discount!
Some Final Tips for Making Money in GTA 5 Online
Remember that your cash balance is shared between all of your GTAO characters. If you have a second character, you can switch to it and avoid the heist cooldowns to generate huge amounts of money as quickly as possible.
If possible, play with a friend! Running heists with a friend (or even a whole team) can boost your payouts and reduce your cooldown times. If they are starting with a brand new account that isn’t up to your level, don’t worry – you can use a GTA 5 account boost service to get them up to speed in no time!
