Red Dead Online Best Way To Make Money in 2020 [Top 6 Methods]

Red Dead Online Best Way To Make Money, rdo make money fast
Updated:
02 Sep 2020

There's GOLD in them thar hills.... And we're going to show you how to find it.

There are a lot of different things to spend money on in the wild west world of Red Dead Online. Whether you want a new horse, a better gun, or a fancy fur-lined hat, you’re going to have to dole out some scratch to get it. If you’ve played the game for any amount of time, you’ve probably seen the gold bar symbol next to some items in the shops rather than a dollar amount. These items cost Gold, an earnable currency in Red Dead Online separate from your cash dollars. If you want the high-end upgrade and customization options, you’re going to have to spend some serious Gold.

Gold can seem like a slog to earn, but there are a few tried true methods to line your pockets with more bullion. I’ve logged hundreds of hours in Red Dead Online, and I’ve learned which methods are the fastest and the most reliable. That’s why I’ve put together this list of the Top 6 Methods to Make Money in Red Dead Online. Follow these tips, and you’ll be Scrooge McDuck-ing your way through mountains of Gold in no time.

6. Reset Your Player Rewards

Video guide to Player Rewards

Red Dead Online rewards players for hitting certain milestones within the game; riding 500 miles, scoring 100 headshots, etc. These Awards usually unlock a special Belt Buckle for your character to wear once maxed out, but many of them can be manually reset from the Menu to earn some Gold.

How it Works

  • Access the Player Awards by pressing Start, scrolling down to Progress, and selecting Awards.
  • Highlight the maxed out award and hold X to Reset.
  • Each Reset Award will pay you .40 Gold.
  • Note: Not every Award can be reset!
  • Watch for in game alerts about completing challenges and check this screen often to reset your Awards.

5. Treasure Maps

Video guide to Treasure Maps

Treasure maps can be found in a variety of ways, and they can be a great, easy way to earn gold nuggets. Also, you can let Treasure Maps stack up in your inventory and knock out a whole bunch of them in one sitting. Just don’t stack more than 40 maps. Once you hit 40 Treasure Maps, the game stops spawning them in, and you won’t earn them every 5 levels like you normally do. You typically earn one Gold Bar and around $100 Cash from each Treasure Map.

How it Works

  • Find Treasure Maps by looting dead NPCs, raiding Hideouts, finding them nailed to trees in the wild (look for a lit lamp on a tree at night)
  • You also earn a Treasure Map every five levels (Level 5, level 10, etc)
  • Use the Treasure Map from your Satchel to mark a spot on your world map
  • Go to the spot and use Eagle Vision to find the Treasure Chest and get the rewards

4. Stranger Missions

Video guide to Stranger Missions

Stranger Missions can be found scattered across the map and reward the player with cash and gold for completing a variety of activities. Some Strangers will have you recover stolen wagons, and others will hire you to pull off your own wagon heists. Strangers pay you in both Gold and Cash for successfully completing the mission, but you actually earn more if you take longer to complete the mission. You’d think that you’d earn more for being faster, but this is actually the game’s way of limiting how much Gold you can earn. Fortunately, if you know the system, you can use it to get the max rewards.

How it Works

  • Stranger Missions are marked by a yellow blip on your Map. Go to the Stranger to initiate the mission.
  • Complete the mission AFTER 12 minutes have passed to get the maximum reward per time spent, .32 Gold. 
  • If the game doesn’t provide a mission timer, set a 12 minute timer on your phone.
  • Waiting longer will give more Gold, but at a diminishing rate. Turn in after 12 minutes and repeat for the most profits.

3. Bounty Hunting

Video guide for Bounty Hunting

Bounty Hunting is a Player Role activity that tasks the player with tracking down and retrieving bounty targets, dead or alive. You’ll have to pay 15 Gold to buy a Bounty Hunting License, but once you do, you’ll be able to take Bounty missions at every town. Bounty Hunting missions pay out using the same timer system as Stranger Missions, but offer another, sometimes easier way to make that money.

How it Works

  • Purchase a Bounty License at any Bounty Board for 15 Gold
  • Once purchased, pick up Bounty Missions at any Bounty Board
  • Same as with the Stranger Missions, wait until 12 minutes before completing the mission to earn the maximum rewards for your time.
  • You can cycle between Stranger Missions and Bounties to earn Gold from one while the other is on cooldown.

2. Play PVP Modes

Video guide to PVP Modes

PVP modes in Red Dead Online include classics like capture the flag and deathmatch modes as well as more specialized game types like Most Wanted or the various types of Horse Races. All of these game types will earn you both Cash and Gold. And don’t worry if you aren’t very good at PVP gameplay: you earn the same amount of Gold per match whether you win or lose.

How it Works

  • Join PVP matches when starting Red Dead Online, or access the Player Menu in Free Roam by pressing Left on the D Pad and scrolling down to “Quick Join.”
  • Takeover Series, Shootout Series, Featured Series, Elimination Series, amd Race Series all pay out in Cash and Gold
  • Gold payouts are based on the time spent in the match and pay at the same rates as Stranger Missions and Bounties. 
  • Typical matches last from 9-15 minutes, meaning you’ll earn an average of .24-.36 Gold per match.

1. Daily Challenges and Streaks

Video Guide to Daily Challenges and Streaks

Daily Challenges are by far the best way to earn Gold in Red Dead Online. There are 7 General Challenges available to all players, as well as Role specific challenges that become available as you level up within the different Player Roles. While each Daily Challenge pays out a small amount, the real profits come from building up a Daily Challenge Streak, which gives you a multiplier for your Gold rewards.

How it Works

  • Access the Player Menu by pressing Left on the D Pad and scrolling down to Daily Challenges. The number listed next to Daily Challenges is the number of challenges you have left to complete for the day.
  • Unlock additional Daily Challenges by leveling up your Player Roles (Role Challenges unlock at Rank 1, Rank 5, and Rank 10 for each Role)
  • Complete challenges from the list to earn .20 Gold per challenge
  • Complete at least one Challenge per day to start building a Daily Streak. Every week that you keep up your streak earns you a Challenge multiplier.
  • At week 2, you’ll earn .30 Gold per Challenge
  • At week 3, you earn .40 Gold per Challenge
  • At week 4, you earn .50 Gold per Challenge (and a Treasure Map)
  • Don’t reset your streak after week 4 to start towards another Treasure Map; instead keep up your multiplier by maintaining the streak.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go knock out my Daily Challenges. Gotta keep up my streak! Those gold inlays for my twin Volcanic Pistols ain’t gonna buy themselves, cowboy.

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