The upcoming release of Grant Theft Auto Online Heists this week is sure to incite massive excitement for Rockstar’s blockbuster game, Grand Theft Auto 5. Despite the fact that the online Heists were supposed to be available at launch, 18 months ago, players are licking their chops and ready to jump in with their friends for an opportunity to make a big score.
There’s still a lot of information about Heists that’s yet to be revealed, though at this point it’s only a matter of hours until players can hop in and figure it out. For instance, while we know there will be different types of missions, we don’t know exactly how much money will be available from each Heist. If the amount is on par with the game’s campaign, then many GTA Online players are about to hit the big time, which means big spending. Be prepared to see a lot of players driving around custom Truffade Adders and Truffade Z-Types, the two most expensive cars to purchase in GTA Online.
For those new players who are planning to purchase - or recently purchased - Grand Theft Auto 5 and are excited to do the Heists with your friends, remember that in order to participate in a Heist, you’ll need to be at least level 12. Also, the leader of the group - groups have a maximum of four players - must own an apartment in a high-rise building so that the team has a living room where they can plan the Heist.
And those players whose level in't high enough for Heists, or maybe who don’t have enough online compadres to form a Heist team, don’t despair. There are plenty of other ways to make money in GTA Online. We’ve gone out and compiled a list of the best and fastest ways to make tons of money on GTA Online. Some do take a little time and patience, but the benefits in the end are totally worth it.
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GTA Online Missions
Once players have finished the tutorial and are able to run around freely in GTA Online, they’ll start to receive phone calls from some of Los Santos’ prime “business men”, such as Simeon Yetarian, Trevor Philips and Lester Crest. These gentlemen will request favors and provide opportunities for players to fulfill various missions for a financial reward.
These missions are a good way to gain experience points and money, as well as enjoy some unique quests not available in the campaign. They can also be enjoyed with friends, which definitely adds to the excitement.
There are a few factors that are considered for payout at the end of the missions, including player rank, mission difficulty and completion time, but even at the low end they still pay really well. After a few exciting missions, players will be ready to purchase a decent apartment or a couple fancy cars.
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GTA Online Races
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Next up are the races and other similar activities. Players can race with their friends, strangers, or even by themselves, for a chance to win some good money. The race types, lengths and locations vary, but each can be decently profitable, especially if played for an extended period of time. There’s no reason a player couldn’t earn over $20,000 an hour, just from casually racing against friends and other online players.
A few players discovered ways to cheat or use glitches in an effort to make millions of dollars from GTA Online races. However, using these methods could land players in hot water, even to the point of getting banned by Rockstar. So we won’t be sharing any of those here. However, we will provide one method that a player discovered that can pay upwards of $270,000 per hour without relying on unsavory methods.
As the above video shows, this method takes a pinch of patience and a dash of skill, and you’re on your way to making loads of money very quickly. Simply head to the Down the Drain race and get going (don’t worry about the entrance fee, you’ll make that money back quickly). If you are the host from the beginning, simply follow the below steps for the best chance of winning good money. If you are pulled into another player’s game, you can either finish the race and back out, or back out right away - either way, backing out will allow you to become the host of the game yourself. Once you’re the host, here’s what you do:
- Invite random players from your online session - just having friends will lower the payout amounts
- Turn off traffic, wanted levels and custom vehicles
- Make the race a single lap
With everything in place, you simply need to run the race over and over, and watch the numbers in your bank account rise. After you’ve run the race a few times, you’ll be familiar with all the tricks of the race and can secure first place almost every time - with a good payout each time.
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Rob Local Stores
For those players looking to make a quick, small score, the best activity is to knock over one of the many convenience stores around Los Santos. While the payouts aren’t big, they provide enough cash for players to pick up some weapons or ammo before heading into a mission or battle with other players.
Simply head to a convenience store and pull a gun on the clerk. He’ll start to clean out the register for you. Pro tip: if you yell at him through your microphone, he’ll actually move faster, allowing for a quicker escape after grabbing the loot. And that part is important, because there is a small drawback to this method of cash-grabbing: the cops will be notified and will come after you.
However, as long as you don’t shoot the clerk when he’s done cleaning out the cash register, you should be able to exit the store with only one star, which is fairly easy to lose. Then you’re ready to hit another store. If you’re a fast enough driver, you could make a few thousand bucks pretty quickly just by going from store to store, stealing from their registers.
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Sell Cars to Los Santos Customs
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One of the most lucrative activities within GTA Online is selling cars to Los Santos Customs. There are tons of high-end luxury vehicles cruising around, waiting to be stolen and fenced. That is, afterall, the name of the game.
However, not every car is created equal in the eyes of the Los Santos Customs owners. There are a few cars that are worth a pretty penny and could help bankroll a nice lifestyle in the San Andreas area.
The above video shows you where to find five of the most expensive cars to sell for a big profit. These are cars that are waiting to be lifted and don’t require a player to purchase the vehicle first before selling it.
By selling a handful of cars every hour, a player could earn upwards of $100,000 or more. Just remember: you’re not the only one who may be looking to make a score from these vehicles, so you may have to take down another player or two to secure the vehicle.
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Sell Custom Vehicles to Los Santos Customs
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There are a few vehicles that can be found around the map in Los Santos that can fetch a much higher sale than the typical cars. These customized rides can sell for up to $20,000 each.
The above video gives a few recommendations on where to find these cars, and how much they’ll sell for. We would like to point out, however, that there is a time limit for how often you can sell a vehicle, so if you find another version of a car that you just sold, you may have to save it in a garage until the time is up.
However, after checking out a few of these custom vehicles, we’ll admit it would be hard to just go sell them. It’s awfully tempting to hold onto one of these cars and just drive it around for everyone to see.
As we head down the final stretch to the release Heists, it’s good to know there are still plenty of ways to make good money in GTA Online. So, if you are still trying to reach level 12, you can’t find enough friends to play with you, or you just want to mix things up a little, give the above suggestions a try and let us know how it goes. Also, feel free to share your favorite ways to make money in GTA Online in the comments below.