Posted on TopUpMyWallet.co.uk
Let me be upfront with you from the start. I’ve had a Benable account for over a year. I’ve written 47 lists. And I have earned… $70.
I have not yet reached the $80 payout threshold. Not once.
But here’s the thing — I’m not sure I can blame Benable for that. Because I’ll also be honest about how much effort I’ve put in: not a lot. I write a list when I feel like it, usually when I’m already researching something for myself anyway. I don’t promote them. I don’t strategise. I just sort of… exist on the platform and occasionally throw a list together.
So is Benable actually a viable way to make some extra cash? Or is it one of those “make money online” ideas that sounds great in theory but delivers nothing in practice? Let’s get into it.
What Even Is Benable?
Benable is a free app and website where you create curated lists of things you recommend — products, places, books, gifts, experiences, whatever you like. Think of it a bit like Pinterest, but instead of just saving pretty pictures, you’re recommending actual stuff that people might buy.
The clever bit? Benable has partnerships with over 35,000 brands and retailers — Amazon, Etsy, Wayfair, Sephora, TripAdvisor, and thousands more. When you add an item from one of those brands to your list, Benable automatically adds an affiliate link. When someone clicks through your list and buys something, you earn a commission — typically somewhere between 2% and 15% depending on the brand.
The best part for lazy people like me? You don’t need your own website. You don’t need to apply to individual affiliate programmes. You don’t need to know anything technical. You just make lists. Benable handles all the affiliate stuff behind the scenes.
How It Works in Practice
Here’s the basic process:
- Sign up (it’s currently invite-only, but you can skip the waitlist using my link below)
- Create a list — give it a title like “Gifts for Zombie Lovers” or “Things to Do in Northumberland”
- Add items — paste in a link or type some keywords, and Benable pulls in images, descriptions, and affiliate links automatically
- Share your list — on social media, your blog, or just let Benable’s own algorithm do its thing
- Wait — when someone buys something through your list, you get paid
The commissions sit in your Benable dashboard (they call it “cashback”) and once you hit $80, you can request a payout via PayPal or Payoneer.
My Personal Benable Lists — What I’ve Made So Far
You can have a look at my profile at benable.com/Miow if you’re curious. I’m Sara, I’m based in the North of England, and my lists are… eclectic, let’s say. I’ve got zombie books, sci-fi recommendations, things to do in Northumberland, cruise gifts, chicken keeper gifts (yes, really), wedding anniversary ideas, Easter decorations, and more.
My most viewed list by far is “Things to Do in Northumberland” — and that makes sense. It’s a genuinely specific, useful list about a real place that people might actually search for. My cruise gifts list has also done reasonably well.
Over 47 lists and a year, I’ve earnt $70. That’s less than $1.50 per list on average, but it’s also completely passive at this point — I wrote them once and occasionally someone buys something through one of them while I’m doing other things entirely.
Why Some Benable Lists Do Better Than Others
This is where it gets interesting, and where I think I’ve been leaving money on the table.
Lists that get found do better — obviously. Benable lists can show up in Google search results, which is a big deal. That Northumberland list? It probably picks up the odd tourist planning a trip. But a generic list called “Home Decoration Ideas” is going to struggle to compete with the millions of interior design articles already on the internet.
Here’s what tends to work well:
Specific, niche titles beat vague ones. “Best Books About Zombies” will do better than just “Books I Like.” Specificity tells the algorithm — and real human searchers — exactly what they’re getting. My “Great Sci-Fi Books That Aren’t Fantasy” list has a decent number of views, and I think it’s because that exact frustration (why are goblins and spaceships in the same section of Waterstones?!) resonates with a very specific type of reader.
Gift lists with a clear recipient tend to convert well. “Chicken Lovers Gift Ideas” or “Gifts for Cruise Lovers” are the kind of thing someone types into Google in a panic three weeks before Christmas. If your list is there waiting, you’re golden. Gift lists also lend themselves well to higher-ticket items, which means higher commissions.
Lists with personal notes and descriptions get the “Optimised” badge. Benable rewards lists where you’ve actually written something about each item — not just dumped links. If a list is properly optimised, Benable’s algorithm pushes it higher in discovery feeds and Google indexing. I’ll be honest: I don’t always bother with detailed notes. That’s probably costing me.
Evergreen topics beat trendy ones. Wedding anniversary gifts, birthday ideas, books for a particular genre — people search for these all year round, every year. A list about a specific TV show that’s popular right now might spike and then die.
Seasonal lists need to be made in advance. Easter decoration ideas need to be live and findable weeks before Easter, not the day before. I’m guilty of this too.
The Honest Pros and Cons
What’s Good About Benable
- Genuinely free and easy to use. No monthly fees, no technical knowledge needed.
- No separate affiliate sign-ups. You’re instantly approved for thousands of brands the moment you join.
- No website required. Your Benable profile is your platform.
- Passive income potential is real. Write it once, earn from it for months or years.
- Benable keeps nothing. Every penny of commission goes to you.
- Built-in audience. Over a million people browse Benable every month, so there’s some organic discovery even without promotion.
What’s Not So Good
- The $80 payout threshold is frustrating. I’ve been hovering just below it for a while now. Most affiliate platforms pay out at $10–$25. There’s a reason Benable set it higher, and it’s not entirely in your favour.
- You need traffic to earn meaningfully. Lists that don’t get shared or found don’t earn much. Benable’s built-in discovery helps, but it’s not magic.
- Some commissions can be declined. If a buyer uses a cashback browser extension like Honey or Rakuten, your commission may not be tracked. That’s frustrating but unfortunately common across affiliate marketing in general.
- It takes consistency to build up real earnings. My casual, occasional approach has got me $70 in a year. If I want more, I need to put more in.
Can You Make Real Money on Benable?
Yes — but with realistic expectations. This is not a “get rich quick” scheme (those don’t exist, we all know that by now). But it is a legitimately low-effort way to earn passive income if you approach it thoughtfully.
People who do well on Benable tend to:
- Write lots of lists consistently, rather than just 47 over a whole year
- Share their lists on Pinterest, Instagram, or their blog
- Focus on niches with buying intent — gifts, travel essentials, gadgets, baby gear
- Optimise every list with personal descriptions and notes
- Use strategic titles that match what people actually search for
The creators making the most meaningful money from Benable are treating it like a content strategy, not an afterthought. They’re writing lists that answer specific questions people are already Googling.
One study found that three curated, well-optimised Benable lists earned over $100 in a single month. That’s not life-changing money, but it’s also not nothing — especially when the initial setup time was only a few hours.
My Plan Going Forward
Right, so here’s where I admit something: I’ve been treating Benable like a hobby and then wondering why it’s not performing like a business. That’s on me.
I’m going to give Benable a proper go over the next six months. My plan:
- Write more lists with intention — particularly gift guides and niche topic recommendations
- Add proper personal notes to every item so my lists get the “Optimised” badge
- Use more specific, searchable titles
- Share some of my lists on social media rather than just leaving them to find their own audience
- Actually track what’s working and what isn’t
I’ll come back in six months and update this post with my honest results. Whether I’ve finally cracked that $80 payout or I’m still sat at $79.50 in digital purgatory, I’ll tell you.
Want to Give Benable a Go?
If you fancy trying it yourself, Benable is invite-only but you can skip the waitlist with my link:
👉 BENABLE
It’s completely free to join and you can start earning from day one. You might do better than me — the bar isn’t exactly sky high right now.
And you can have a look at my profile for list inspiration (or to see exactly what not to do) at benable.com/Miow.
Have you tried Benable? I’d love to know how it’s going for you — drop a comment below. And check back in around six months to see if I’ve finally earned that $80 payout!
This post contains affiliate links. If you sign up to Benable using my link, I may earn a higher commission rate on future sales. All opinions are my own — honest, sometimes embarrassingly so.
