Paper Route in GTA Online: how to turn newspapers into money without dying of boredom (2026)

TL;DR (for criminals with the attention span of a goldfish)

Paper Route in GTA Online is boring, obedient, unglamorous work that prints money if you treat it like a job, not a joyride.

• Do it only in Invite Only sessions

• Always use the provided bike or you lose free money

• Never get a Wanted level or the job rage-quits on you

• Finish fast to milk the time-based tip

• Normal weeks: okay filler

• 2x weeks: absolutely grind it

• Expect roughly $115k/hour normally, $230k/hour on 2x weeks

It won’t buy you a superyacht. It will quietly pay for everything else while you plan real crimes.

Grinding Paper Route requires monk-like patience and the emotional resilience of a Victorian postman. You’ll need caffeine. Industrial amounts of it.

→ Amazon: A stainless steel Insulated Travel Mug so your coffee stays hotter than Rockstar’s hatred for casual players.

Paper Route is the most insulting job Rockstar has ever offered a criminal mastermind. You are a heavily armed psychopath with access to flying bikes, orbital cannons, and a nuclear submarine… and the game says:“Lovely. Here’s a pile of newspapers. Off you go, Doris.”

But here’s the thing. If you play it properly, ruthlessly, and without romantic notions of fun, it does make money. Not “buy-a-yacht” money. More like “pay-the-bills-while-the-real-crimes-cool-down” money.

Especially when Rockstar gets drunk and slaps 2x on Odd Jobs.

This is the only correct way to do Paper Route. Anything else is wrong and should be mocked.

What Paper Route actually is (and why it hates you)

You start with 10 deliveries. Ten. You get five minutes, which sounds generous until you realize Los Santos traffic behaves like it’s being driven by lab rats on cocaine.

Every successful delivery adds one minute to the clock. Which means the game is basically dangling time in front of you like a carrot, whispering:“Behave. Don’t hit anything. Don’t anger the police. You can live.”

Hit all ten, and the job ends with a payout that feels small… until you understand where the real money hides.

The money, stripped naked and screamed at

Right. Numbers. Because feelings don’t buy ammo.

Each Paper Route run has three money taps, and if you miss any of them you are voluntarily setting fire to cash like an idiot in a silk robe.

Base pay

You make $1,250 per delivery. There are 10 deliveries.

That’s $12,500 for simply not crashing into a hedge.

Brand Bonus (the bribe)

If you finish the entire route without abandoning the provided bike, Rockstar hands you $5,000 for being obedient. Do not argue. Take the money.

Time bonus (the apology)

Finish early and the game pays a tip based on time left. In practice, competent runs usually end with 3–5 minutes remaining, which translates to roughly $3,000–$5,000 extra.

Now add it up like a grown adult:

• Base payout: $12,500

• Brand bonus: $5,000

• Typical time bonus: $4,000

Total per clean run: ≈ $21,500

No gunfire. No prep. No cooldown nonsense. Just quiet, humiliating efficiency.

GTA$ per hour (the part people actually care about)

A clean Paper Route run takes 10–12 minutes if you’re not roleplaying Fast & Furious: Suburban Edition.

That gives you 5 runs per hour, comfortably.

• Normal week: 5 × $21,500 ≈ $107,500/hour

• 2x Odd Jobs week: Rockstar doubles the payout and suddenly you’re looking at $210k–$230k/hour for delivering newspapers like a functioning member of society.

Is it elite money? No. Is it stupidly reliable, low-risk filler income? Absolutely.

The bike question (and why most players sabotage themselves)

You’re given a bike. A very specific bike.

If you keep it, the game rewards you. If you ditch it for something flashier, the game quietly removes money from your pocket and laughs.

Yes, you could use faster vehicles.Yes, you could shave seconds.

But Paper Route doesn’t reward speed. It rewards obedience. Like a Victorian schoolteacher.

Use the bike. Take the bonus. Stop trying to be clever.

If you’re delivering newspapers for an hour straight, your chair will eventually declare war on your spine. That’s physics.

→ Amazon: An Ergonomic Memory Foam Seat Cushion that keeps your back aligned while your dignity slowly erodes.

The one rule that matters: never annoy the police

This job has one hidden mechanic that turns it from boring into rage-inducing.

If you get a wanted level, the job can just… end. No warning. No apology. Just failure.

So congratulations. You are now roleplaying a law-abiding citizen.

That means:

• No hitting pedestrians.

• No clipping cop cars.

• No “it’ll be fine” shortcuts over sidewalks.

• No experimenting.

Drive like your grandmother is in the sidecar holding a cake.

Do this in an invite-only session. Public lobbies are full of flying teenagers and griefers who will end your run just to feel something.

How to actually be fast without becoming a criminal again

This is not a racing job. It’s controlled momentum.

• Slow down early. Stopping late is how you end up mounting a mailbox and explaining things to the police.

• Aim for porches, not doors, not windows, not people.

• If a delivery looks awkward, stop for half a second and throw it properly. Missing twice costs more time than being careful once.

The GPS is… acceptable. But don’t worship it. Straight lines and low-traffic streets beat “shorter” routes that cross chaos junctions.

You’re not here to improvise. You’re here to execute.

Solo vs friends (and why teamwork ruins everything)

Paper Route is a solo job emotionally and financially.

Friends do not help you earn more. They help you:

• crash

• get distracted

• get wanted

If you insist on company, have everyone run their own route in the same private session. Anything else is just social self-harm.

When Paper Route is actually worth your time

Do it when:

• Odd Jobs are doubled

• You want money without gunfire

• Your bigger businesses are ticking away in the background

Ignore it when:

• There’s no bonus

• You already have access to top-tier active income

• You value excitement and dignity

Paper Route is not glamorous. It is effective. Like flossing. Or tax fraud done correctly.

The CRIMENET verdict: the only correct way to grind it

Here is the plan. Memorize it.

1. Private session. Always.

2. Use the provided bike. Always.

3. Abort early if you mess up. A bad run is slower than restarting.

4. Chain several runs, then switch activities to stay sane.

5. During bonus weeks, milk it dry like a cash cow in a cardigan.

Do this and Paper Route becomes a reliable little income stream. Ignore this and it becomes a miserable exercise in self-loathing.

After grinding Paper Route, you deserve to feel like a criminal again. Preferably one with taste.

→ Amazon: A Los Santos–adjacent street-style hoodie / biker hoodie so you can look dangerous while doing the most law-abiding job in GTA Online.

FAQ

How do I start Paper Route? Go to the Los Santos Meteor Building in Strawberry and start the job at the marker.

How many deliveries and how much time do I get? 10 deliveries. Start with 5 minutes, and each delivery adds 1 minute.

What’s the base payout? $1,250 and 250 RP per delivery.

How do I get the $5,000 Brand Bonus? Finish all deliveries while staying on the provided Thrust (do not swap vehicles).

How are tips calculated? The game pays a time-left tip. Community testing reports roughly remaining minutes × $1,000.

What instantly ruins the run? Getting a Wanted level can end the job immediately (reported behavior). Treat cops like landmines.

Is Paper Route good money? Normal weeks: okay filler. 2x Odd Jobs weeks: yes, grind-worthy for the effort.