While Grand Theft Auto gives players a chance to go all out in terms of mayhem, it’s Grand Theft Auto Online that lets them live their wildest dreams as master criminals. Set in the iconic GTA setting of San Andreas, GTA Online allows up to 30 players to be in its open world, engaging in various crimes and complex Heists to complete objectives and work their way up the criminal ladder.
However, players know that in order to fund their criminal enterprise, they have to earn money first. Thankfully, GTA Online offers a slate of various businesses – both legal and especially illegal – that players can run to earn additional money. And interestingly enough, some businesses are must-haves for anyone wishing to grow their criminal enterprise.
Updated on July 2, 2023 by Rhenn Taguiam: Fans of GTA Online can take their criminal enterprises to the next level with its latest expansion, GTA Online: San Andreas Mercenaries. Coming in hot with new missions, career progress, and even better loadouts, fans of the online experience may be eager to expand their developing criminal organizations.
However, for those who want to capitalize on this expansion pack to make money, Businesses to pay more attention to include the acquisition of the Acid Lab for a better source of passive income, buying an Auto Shop to sell and deliver cars, as well as purchasing the Kosatka Submarine for high-stakes missions.
13 Acid Lab
Players enjoying their GTA Online gameplay may want to rely on the Acid Lab as one of their first businesses especially if they’re aiming to work for their first few millions without the help of others. Unlike other businesses, the Acid Lab is only available for purchase after completing the Freakshop questline managed by Ron Jakowski and Dax. It’s only after this questline does a side quest appear that tasks players to bring crates back to the Freakshop where an NPC named Mutt unlocks the Acid Lab for purchase.
At its core, the Acid Lab acts as a passive income that generates profit by constantly filling up the Supply Bar and Product Bar. The only “active” component here would be players having to buy or steal supplies to keep their Acid Lab functioning. Earning with the Acid Lab is easy as players simply need to maintain a high-enough Product Bar as it’s proportionate to both the Supply Bar and profit calculations. Not only that, the Acid Lab always provides a vehicle that carries supplies should players decide to do deliveries themselves.
Acid Lab: General Tips
If players want to start managing their Acid Lab, they need a starting GTA$750,000, making it the cheapest among the businesses to start. The accessibility of Acid Lab as a starting business is apparent when players need a rather cheap GTA$192,000 to unlock its full storage capacity, with one Supply Bar (GTA$60K) capable of earning GTA$74,250 in just two hours.
Filling up the entire 16-bar Supply Bar capacity of the Acid Lab can yield GTA$237,600 in just six hours. One of the interest sub-mechanics with the Acid Lab include whether players use stolen or bought supplies to generate income. Stolen Supplies can yield GTA$38,610 per hour, while Bought Supplies can yield GTA$7,600 per hour.
12 Auto Shop
Kingpins-to-be who want to be more hands-on in their criminal enterprises in GTA Online may want to grab an Auto Shop, allowing players to be in the position of selling stunning cars instead of simply stealing them. Acquiring the business is also easy, with players simply needing to go to the Los Santos Car Meet for a short cinematic and then purchasing one of five Auto Shops available throughout Los Santos.
What makes the Auto Shop quite a fun business to own is its quasi-business sim element, with players being able to hire two Staff Members as well as upgrades that include a Car Lift and Personal Quarters. Moreover, players have three main approaches to make a profit with the Auto Shop depending on the upgrades they purchase.
Auto Shop: General Tips
Players need to remember that the main sources of income with an Auto Shop can come in the form of Customer Delivery, Car Exports, and a Mini Heist. With Customer Delivery (GTA$60,000), players need to acquire a car from their garage and customize it according to the client’s request before driving it to a set destination. Meanwhile, Car Exports (GTA$20,000) involve players finding select cars in Free Mode to steal them and deliver them to a location. Lastly, a Mini-Heist (~GTA$150,000) involves car-related missions with various objectives. The more flexible nature of earning via the Auto Shop can make it unideal for players who want passive income, but it can become enjoyable for players who want chill rides during their gameplay sessions.
11 Kosatka Submarine
Unlike other business opportunities in GTA Online gameplay, the Kosatka Submarine is more of a sub-business than a standalone enterprise. To unlock this business, players need to first purchase the Motorcycle Club to access the purchase opportunities for a Kosatka Submarine. After unlocking it, the main method of earning money would be the “Cayo Prico Heist,” an approximately hour-long heist with the typical sub-mission such as mission prep with a dedicated Finale.
The straightforward nature of the Kosatka Submarine’s business model makes it an ideal mid-game income stream, especially for players who want daily tasks in their GTA Online playthrough. Its active nature, however, makes it grindy and not as recommended for those looking for passive income streams.
Kosatka: General Tips
Starting the Kosatka Submarine “business” means purchasing the Submarine itself for GTA$2,200,000. When combined with the Sparrow upgrade (GTA$1,800,000), the initial investment towards the Kosatka Submarine can be rather costly at first glance.
However, the mission packages offered when using the Kosatka Submarine can more than make up for the initial investment. Lower-tier missions such as Tequila and Ruby Necklace can offer prize rewards of up to GTA$1,000,000, whereas higher-tier missions like Pink Diamond and Panther Statue can earn as much as GTA$1,900,000 per session.
10 The Agency
Accessible via “The Contract” DLC, players can activate The Agency and begin working with Franklin and Dr. Dre to not just get back the latter's music but also improve their reputation in general. What’s best is that conducting these missions can actually net players a lot in cash by the time they reach their latter parts.
Client missions and VIP contracts alone can give players as much as $80,000 in cash, with a $1 million payout waiting from the final mission. Doing these missions a couple of times a day can give players $1 million easily, making this a great set of dailies to accomplish for a lot of money before starting a general day of mayhem in the game.
The Agency: General Tips
Before players can reap benefits from the Agency, they do need to buy at least one (1) of their branches across the city. A key consideration here is to check the general location of a prospective Agency, particularly when other elements such as accessibility and maneuverability (e.g., avoiding police in emergencies, accessing supplies) are a consideration. Among the four (4) available locations, the Vespucci Canals location is the most convenient due to its open areas. This location costs $2,415,000.
9 Hangar
Players who have a peculiar love for the skies won’t have any problems purchasing the Hangar, especially since this gives them not just a nifty place to store their incredibly fast airplanes and other aircraft but also have them conduct various missions along the way. Players use the Hangar primarily for smuggling, and its mini-games involve bringing products to various destinations and getting a share of the cut.
While the Hangar isn’t necessarily a generator of passive income, it’s convenient to have the airspace clearance without any retaliation. Not only that, but Hangars can earn as much as $2,085,000 per a certain set of runs, making this quite a stellar way to earn money while having fun with mini-games.
Hangar: General Tips
Similar to other businesses, the Hangar remains a profitable business not just out of how conveniently easy Smuggling can get but also due to the benefit of area accessibility. The game offers five (5) Hangars for sale, three (3) of which are located in the heavily-fortified Fort Zancudo. It’s ideal for players to purchase the Fort Zancudo Hangar selections, particularly the $2,650,000-worth Hangar 3499. This immediately gives players clearance to fly over the military base, which is an ideal place to land when engaging in high-speed chases.
8 Vehicle Warehouse
Players who love seeing awesome cars and vehicles in GTA Online might appreciate the import/export business, which can easily be started by purchasing a Vehicle Warehouse. Once done, players can simply load up missions and start doing them to earn money, as the import/export business involves not just the acquisition but also the delivery of cars.
As such, import/export via the Vehicle Warehouse is quite an easy way to make money in GTA Online while doing fun on the side. Missions also include police chases, which can get fun when done properly. Players who don’t want to invest this much time to earn money via mini-games might not appreciate this line of work immediately. However, a quick way to earn money here is to only sell High-End Cars, since cars can earn as much as $80,000 per sale.
Vehicle Warehouse: General Tips
When choosing a Vehicle Warehouse to start the business, players need to consider accessibility more than anything else. This is because a lot of Vehicle Warehouse missions involve navigating various areas, and a Warehouse close to main roads will make deployment and missions much faster. With this in mind, the La Mesa Vehicle Warehouse ($1,500,000) is an ideal choice due to its access to the primary highway in the city.
7 Bunker
Those who love seeing things go boom will likely need to get better weapons, and players who want to make money off of these rather violent people will benefit from the Bunker. Players who unlock this business can start purchasing supplies from their laptops, which their workers can start transforming into weapons. As usual, upgrading the Bunker gives players access to better weapons and special ammunition. However, players who want to do missions related to the Bunker will need to check their city of origin, as they may have to deal with local gangs in the area.
While it can be a drag to sell weapons while risking one’s life, the profits for the Bunker are tied heavily to the quality and quantity of the materials being sold. A fully-stocked and fully-upgraded Bunker can net $750,000 for every sale, so it’s worth setting up while getting access to better gear.
Bunker: General Tips
Players who are considering choosing a starting Bunker should consider the Chumash Bunker, which only costs $1,650,000 and is conveniently placed between the country and the city, as well as various mission locations. Those who already have a Biker business should consider replacing it with the Bunker, as most Bunker missions only need one vehicle type to access the Gunrunning business, meaning products are usually much safer.
6 Counterfeit Cash Factory
While the Counterfeit Cash Factory is not the highest-earning business available through the MC Businesses options in GTA Online, it’s definitely one of the most convenient to set up for players a bit apprehensive about illegal substances. Similar to other MC Businesses, players need an MC Clubhouse and as much as $75,000 for the initial supplies.
When this is done, the Counterfeit Cash Factory can net as much as $845,000 to $1,605,000 for every set of product sold in a day. When combined with the rest of the other MC Businesses, the Counterfeit Cash Factory and its companions can make it quite a powerful business as it can net as much as $120,000 every hour.
Counterfeit Cash Factory: General Tips
Similar to other businesses, players need to consider location when choosing a spot for their Counterfeit Cash Factory. There are four (4) major locations for players to purchase their Factory, with the Grand Senora Desert ($845,000) being the ideal choice. While the Cash Factory won’t net a lot of income alone, being a location close to some Cocaine Lockup and Meth Lab locations makes it an immediate choice for accessibility alone.
5 Meth Lab
Of all the businesses in the MC Businesses options, it’s the Meth Lab that is probably one of the best to maintain. It’s not as intense as Cocaine Lockup but certainly earns more compared to the Counterfeit Cash Factory. Without upgrades, this business can net as much as $21,000 in an hour! Granted, it costs around $910,000 to set up, meaning it would take around two days just to earn the money back from the Meth Lab.
However, with its set of upgrades, the Meth Lab can earn as much as $51,000. Players who are a bit concerned by the $520,000 uptick in upgrade costs might earn them back from other businesses, however, making the Meth Lab a convenient second or third option.
Meth Lab: General Tips
Much like other businesses, a supply chain-dependent business like the Meth Lab depends majorly on location, location, location. Of the spots provided as a Meth Lab, the Grand Senora Desert ($910,000) is not only the cheapest but also the most convenient due to its ease of access to locations such as the Cocaine Lockup and the Counterfeit Cash Factory sites in the Desert.
4 Cocaine Lockup
Drugs make the underworld go wild; more importantly, it’s not necessarily a complicated business to start for beginners. Players can get a Coke Lockup by simply buying the MC Clubhouse via Maze Bank Foreclosures and then stocking up as much as $75,000 to purchase supplies or even prepare them if possible. Once all of that is done, players are good to go.
The best part about having a Coke Lockup is that it’s a side gig that brings in a lot of money easily without too much effort. Players low on funds can start a Coke Lockup and start getting more lockups for lower capital. Saving as much as $1.3 million can help players upgrade their Coke Lockup much faster and earn even more money for a relatively risk-free business.
Cocaine Lockup: General Tips
Players who are considering making a Cocaine Lockup would likely consider choosing a relatively cheap area to test if the location has got what it takes to earn them profit. In this case, players may want to choose either Morningwood ($1,852,500) or Alamo Sea ($975,000) locations when it comes to accessibility.
However, the better choice is the Alamo Sea, as not only does it cost half as much as Morningwood, but its access to the Grand Senora Desert means players can have a Cocaine Lockup close to their Senora Desert Meth Lab and Cash Factory.
3 Crates Warehouse
Players looking for a lucrative but straightforward business might want to consider getting a Crates Warehouse from the CEO Office. This unlocks the special cargo business, allowing players to secure crates that have to be delivered. While each crate costs around $2,000, delivering multiple crates at a time can net a lot of returns – returning as much as $126,000 for a set of nine up to $2.2 million for as many as 111 crates.
Those looking to expand this business will need to buy a larger warehouse to get more crates to ship through their cars. This means more cars will spawn when it comes to moving cargo. However, players do need reliable friends to work with to maximize gains. Again, this needs a bit of a grind to earn more money, but this can net much more in terms of cash compared to other businesses when done right.
Crates Warehouse: General Tips
When it comes to considering a location for the first Crates Warehouse, it’s ideal for players to choose the Lombank West. While it costs a hefty $3,100,000, this location is located fairly close to the city center, meaning players have easy access to other products and conveniences while doing missions.
2 Arcade
The Arcade is a pretty convenient way to bring customers with cash straight to a player's doorstep. At its core, the Arcade is an easy business to set up for passive income since it easily nets $50,000 on a regular day.
However, where the Arcade really shines is in its capacity to help players set up heists to steal from visitors. When done properly, some heists can give players as high as $2 million to $3.6 million. While doing heists can certainly be an exhausting endeavor for players, the fact that the Arcade can net passive income regardless makes it a worthwhile dual-nature business.
Arcade: General Tips
Players who have heard of the Arcade will likely be interested in running the Diamond Casino Heist, meaning the Eight-Bit Arcade ($2,530,000) is an ideal starting Arcade for players to choose.
1 The Nightclub
Unlike other businesses in the game, the Nightclub from the “After Hours” update is perhaps the hardest to unlock primarily because it’s also the business that nets the best returns in the long run. While the Nightclub can provide passive income, players can only unlock it by acquiring other businesses first. These include cargo and shipments, organic supplies such as weed and cocaine, bunkers, and even forgeries.
When properly set up, the Nightclub can generate as much as $10,000 every 48 minutes or around $240,000 throughout an entire day, which is stellar when compared to other businesses that generate passive income but can’t quite match the Nightclub’s generation.
The Nightclub: General Tips
Players interested in running a Nightclub need to understand that there are various elements involved in keeping it functioning properly compared to other businesses. While it provides passive income like the Warehouse, the Nightclub is much more profitable as a business compared to selling it as a type of warehouse. For instance, players need to consider strategically changing DJs every two in-game days in order to reap more profits per hour than just selling the Nightclub as a warehouse every 25 in-game days.
GTA Online is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.