Best freelance, gig and earning platforms in Japan

Lemon Squeezy

Store activation needs a questionnaire and ID check (about 2-3 business days), payouts go by bank in listed countries or by PayPal elsewhere.

PayPal

Not available in Pakistan or Bangladesh, and in some listed countries accounts may only send or cannot withdraw locally, so check in the app.

PayPay

You'll need: A smartphone, A bank account

Japan residents only, withdrawals need eKYC and a Japanese bank account (100 yen fee, free to PayPay Bank).

Stripe

You'll need: A bank account

Not open in Pakistan, Nigeria or Bangladesh, India and Indonesia are invite-only, and under-18s need a parent or guardian.

Revolut

You'll need: A smartphone

16-17 year olds can only open an account in the UK, and Mexico is waiting-list only until its 2026 launch.

Square

You'll need: A bank account

Built for local sellers taking card payments in person or online, each country has its own Square site and terms.

Wise

Only residents of listed countries can hold money and get account details, so Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh and India cannot receive.

Paddle

For software and digital products only, individuals can sell, and payouts go monthly by wire or Payoneer once you reach $100.

Upwork

You'll need: A computer

You need a verified ID, an approved profile and a tax form (W-8BEN outside the US) before withdrawing. Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk are also restricted.

Fiverr

You'll need: A computer

Fiverr can ask any seller for a government ID to confirm you are 18+, and PayPal withdrawals arrive in about 24 hours with a $1 minimum.

Toptal

You'll need: A computer, Good English, A skills test

Fewer than 3 percent pass the English interview, skills tests, live screening and 1-3 week test project.

Guru

You'll need: A computer

Free Basic plan gives 10 bids a month with a 9 percent job fee, paid plans from $11.95/mo add bids and lower fees.

PeoplePerHour

You'll need: A computer

Profiles are reviewed within 2 business days and new earnings clear 14 days after the invoice is approved.

Freelancer

You'll need: A computer

Identity verification is required before withdrawing, and your first withdrawal can be held up to 15 days.

Substack

Paid subscriptions run through Stripe, so you need to live in a Stripe-supported country to get paid.

Gumroad

You'll need: A bank account

Listed countries get bank payouts, others PayPal only (no Payoneer or Wise), $100 minimum payout, and US sellers need an SSN.

Ghost

You'll need: A computer

Paid memberships need the Publisher plan or self-hosting plus a Stripe account, so countries follow Stripe coverage.

Patreon

You'll need: A tax ID number

Under 18 needs a parent or guardian's permission, and you must give tax info or Patreon may withhold tax.

Amuse

There is no free plan now, the cheapest Artist plan costs $23.99 a year.

CD Baby

One-time $9.99 per single or $14.99 per album, payout within 15 business days of hitting your $25 default threshold, W-9 or W-8 required.

DistroKid

Ages 13-17 need parent or guardian consent, and you pay the annual fee by credit card.

TuneCore

Ages 13-17 need parent consent, artists outside the US sign with Believe International instead of TuneCore.

Superprof

Free to publish an ad with no commission, students pay you directly, but you must win your own students from profile views.

Preply

You'll need: A computer, A webcam, A headset

Profiles reviewed within 3 business days, no certificate needed, but the first trial lesson with each new student pays 100% commission.

Cambly

You'll need: A computer, A webcam, Native-level language skills, Good English

No degree or certificate needed but tutors must be native English speakers and cannot tutor from California, Massachusetts or New Jersey.

Etsy

You'll need: A bank account

Etsy Payments needs 18+, a card on file and a bank account, and sellers in 16 countries incl. Pakistan and India are paid via Payoneer.

StockX

You'll need: Products to sell

Sellers must live in a StockX seller country (Pakistan, Nigeria, Egypt and Turkey cannot sell), and items ship to StockX for checks first.

Grailed

You'll need: A smartphone

Must be 16+ (18 in China) and pass a Persona government ID check, and you must connect a payment account before listing.

Prolific

You'll need: A computer, A PayPal account

New sign-ups join a demographic waitlist that can take hours or months, and you must verify ID and live in a supported country.

Amazon Mechanical Turk

You'll need: A computer, A tax ID number

MTurk is closing on September 30 2026, so new workers should not sign up, and US persons living abroad were never supported.

GitHub Sponsors

You'll need: A bank account, A tax ID number

Needs 2FA on GitHub, a bank account in the same supported region you live in and a W-9 or W-8BEN tax form, review takes a few days.

Liberapay

You'll need: A bank account

41 countries get Stripe bank payouts, the other 71 listed can only receive through PayPal, processor fees average 3 to 5 percent.

Uber

You'll need: A smartphone, A car, A driver's licence, Vehicle insurance, A background check

US drivers must meet the local minimum age and need 1 year of US driving experience (3 years if under 25).

DiDi

You'll need: A smartphone, A car, A driver's licence, Vehicle insurance, A background check, A tax ID number

In Mexico you need INE, licence, car insurance, RFC tax ID and a no-criminal-record letter, plus a 4-door car with AC and airbags.

YouTube

You'll need: An existing audience

Partner Program needs 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 watch hours (12 months) or 10M Shorts views (90 days), and an AdSense account.

TikTok

You'll need: A smartphone, An existing audience

Creator Rewards needs a personal account with 10,000 followers and 100,000 views in 30 days, only videos over 1 minute earn.

Shutterstock

You'll need: A tax ID number

You need an approved tax form before any payout, and contributors in some countries face a 90-day waiting period.

Envato

You'll need: A portfolio or work samples, A tax ID number

New author applications are paused until further notice, when open they need portfolio review (about 30 days), tax info and an ID check.

CodeCanyon

Official Envato author help blocked automated reading (HTTP 403) so eligibility could not be verified.

ThemeForest

Official Envato author help blocked automated reading (HTTP 403) so eligibility could not be verified.

Redbubble

You'll need: A computer

Paid monthly by the 15th once you pass the payment threshold, via PayPal or bank transfer (US, AU and UK banks), and inactive accounts can be charged a fee.

Zazzle

You'll need: A computer, A PayPal account

Royalties are paid by PayPal (from $50) or check (from $100) within 45 days after month end, and tax forms are needed.

HackerOne

You'll need: A computer

Under 18 needs parental consent, and payouts need a Veriff ID check plus an approved tax form.

Bugcrowd

You'll need: A computer

A Jumio ID check is required before reporting to managed programs, and payouts need a tax form plus bank transfer or PayPal.

Clarity.fm

Expert applications are reviewed on background, demand and profile completeness, and Clarity keeps a 15% fee on every call.

ADPList

Mentoring is unpaid volunteer work, applicants need 5+ years of industry experience and only about 30% are approved.

Flytographer

You'll need: A camera, A portfolio or work samples, Good English

Needs 2+ years of paid lifestyle photography experience and conversational English, and only about 3% of applicants are accepted.

Localgrapher

You'll need: A camera, A portfolio or work samples, Good English

Needs 3+ years of experience, professional gear with backups, very good English, and you must live in the destination you shoot.

Honeygain

Must be 18+ on your own home network (no shared or work networks) and payouts start at a $20 minimum.

Grass

You'll need: A computer

Terms bar minors and sanctioned regions (list not itemised) and rewards are points or tokens with no promised cash value.

Skillshare

You'll need: A computer, A portfolio or work samples

First-time teachers must be approved (English-language applications only) and earnings are forfeited while Tipalti payment setup is incomplete.

Teachable

You'll need: A computer, A bank account

No free plan (7-day trial), the Starter plan adds a 7.5% transaction fee, payouts can arrive within minutes of a sale.

viagogo

Official pages blocked automated reading so eligibility is unverified.

StubHub

Official seller pages blocked automated reading so eligibility is unverified.

Lalamove

You'll need: A smartphone, A driver's licence, A car, A motorbike or scooter

Rules are set per city, in Hong Kong you must be 18+ with a local licence and HKID and own or rent a van, truck or motorbike.

Kickstarter

You'll need: A bank account

You must live in a listed country with a local bank account and government ID from that country.

Medium

Official Medium pages blocked automated reading (HTTP 403) so Partner Program eligibility could not be verified.

Whatnot

Official seller pages blocked automated reading so eligibility is unverified.

Topcoder

You'll need: A computer

Quebec, Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk are also barred, winners pass an ID check and file a W-9 or W-8BEN, prizes paid within 90 days.

eBay

You'll need: A bank account

New private sellers get funds 2 to 7 days after delivery, and payouts go to a checking account or debit card, not PayPal.