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 appears to be legit and you get all excited — until you see that the company charges you $30 (or more) to apply for the job for a vague reason.
Suddenly the wind has been taken completely out of your sails.
Sound familiar? This is a typical scenario for many home job seekers.
The following is a list of companies you can work at home for that do not make you pay them for anything prior to starting work. Still, that doesn't mean you won't have to have certain equipment (headsets like this, etc.) or have a background check or drug test done.
Some companies do require those things and the money for those things coming out of your pocket does not make the opportunity a scam. You can learn more about what is a scam and warning signs to watch for here.
Also, my weekly work at home newsletters list remote jobs with no fees. You can put your email in right here to start getting those for free.
Work From Home – Companies With No Fees
It's worth noting that freelance positions typically do not come with attached fees — freelance writing, short tasks, work at home data entry jobs like these, search evaluation, and some transcription companies like what is listed here. I've listed a few opportunities like that below, mixed in with phone work.
Work at Home Jobs With No Start-Up Fees
Belay – Read Belay Review – Virtual Executive Assistant. All states EXCEPT California, Montana, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. This is a 1099 contractor role. You will work at home performing admin tasks for BELAY'S clients. Past admin experience required. Pay is $18 or MORE hourly. Also looking for remote social media managers, accounting clerks, and bookkeepers.
3 Play Media – Read 3 Play Media Review – Work from home transcription editing. No fee to start.
Amazon – Read Amazon Review – Amazon regularly hires people for customer service jobs from home. It's usually necessary to live in or close to various locations nationwide in order to be considered, but they hire in many different locations. There are no fees associated with applying for this job.
Babbletype – Read Babbletype Review – This company hires home-based workers for transcription and transcription editing. You are not required to pay them any fees to start.
Boldly – Read Boldly Review – Executive Assistant. US. Full or part time. Requires a minimum of 7 years of direct hands-on experience as an executive assistant or senior administrative assistant to one or more executives (general admin experience as part of another role will not qualify). Pay is between $24 and $28 hourly.
Concentrix – Read Concentrix Review – They hire at-home agents to answer incoming calls from home for their clients. There are no upfront fees 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 require no upfront fees, either. They list hundreds of openings daily that are all pre-screened prior to posting. You can check out FlexJobs here.
Fancy Hands – Read Fancy Hands Review – Work from home virtual assisting. There are no fees to start. Pay is per task, paid twice monthly. I have done work for this company for extra cash here and there, and they never charged a fee.
Metaverse Mod Squad – Read Metaverse Review – They hire for work from home moderation and a few other moderation positions. They don't charge you anything to apply and get started.
OneSupport – Read OneSupport Review – This company hires work from home agents for tech support positions. There are no fees associated with applying.
TTEC – Read TTEC Review – This is a company that hires work from home call center agents. Some positions may require a drug screen or background check. You must be at least 17 to work for them.
Textbroker – Read Textbroker Review – You can work at home doing freelance writing for this company. They accept people with no experience, and they do not charge fees.
Time Etc. – Read Time Etc. Review – Work from home virtual assisting. It doesn't look like there are any fees associated with the application process.
Transcom – Read Transcom Review – This company hires work at home call center agents. They do credit checks, background checks, and often drug screens depending on the client you are servicing, but you may not have to cover the cost for these checks.
Tutor.com – Read Tutor.com Review – Work from home as an online tutor. There are no fees associated with applying. A background check is done, but they pay for it.
U-Haul – Read U-Haul Review – U-Haul is regularly hiring work at home sales and reservation agents. These are mostly entry-level positions. You need high-speed internet and a headset to do the work, but there are no fees to get started.
Scripted – Read Scripted Review – Freelance Content Writer. Worldwide. Flexible. Write blog posts, video scripts, and ebooks for clients across 37 industries including finance, tech, and healthcare. Requires successful completion of an application and editor review of research and writing skills; no specific degree required. Pay rate is set by the writer for pitches or based on project minimums, with payments processed via Stripe 1 to 14 days after project acceptance depending on reward tier.
Capital One – This popular credit card company hires people to work from home handling their customer service. They charge no fees to get started. However, this is usually a location-based position (Virginia and Florida most of the time).
Sutherland – This company hires home call center agents regularly. They may or may conduct a background check just depending on the client you're servicing. Their website does not mention a charge if a check is conducted, but feel free to correct me if there is one.
Yelp – Inside Sales Representative. Central or Eastern Region of the United States. Full-time. Conduct high-volume outbound cold calls to small business owners to educate them on and sell Yelp advertising programs using a consultative approach. Requires a GED/HS Diploma and 2+ years of customer-facing experience or a Bachelor’s degree, plus proficiency in Google Suite. Pay rate is a $37,000 annual base salary with uncapped commission (average $50,000 first-year total) plus benefits including medical, vision, dental, 401(k) with match, and a monthly wellness reimbursement.
Looking For Even More Legit Remote Jobs?
One thing I always recommend when you’re searching for remote work is using a site that actually vets the jobs before they’re posted, and that’s why I like FlexJobs.
Every listing on FlexJobs is hand-screened, so you don’t have to worry about scams, fake “training fees,” or jobs that ask you to pay money upfront to get started. That alone can save you a ton 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, which is why 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 14 full days.
You can cancel anytime during your trial if it’s not for you, and it’s very easy to do! No hoops to jump through.
Go here to browse scam-free remote jobs on FlexJobs.
Good luck to you!
Anna is a work at home blogger and mom of two. She has been researching and reviewing remote jobs for over 15 years. Her findings are published weekly here at Real Ways to Earn.