The five original heists are still some of the best-paying and most fun content in GTA Online, and they hide a $10 million bonus most players never go for. This guide covers what you need to unlock the GTA Online original heists, how much each one pays, the order you must play them in, and how to plan the Criminal Mastermind challenge.
Key facts
- The five heists: The Fleeca Job, The Prison Break, The Humane Labs Raid, Series A Funding and The Pacific Standard Job.
- Requirements: rank 12 and a high-end apartment with a heist planning room.
- Crew: two players for The Fleeca Job, four players for the others.
- Biggest payout: The Pacific Standard Job, with a potential take of $1,875,000 on Hard.
- Biggest bonus: the Criminal Mastermind challenge, worth $10,000,000.
How to unlock the GTA Online original heists
The heists arrived with the Heists update on March 10, 2015. To start them you need to reach rank 12 and own a high-end apartment, because only those apartments include a heist planning room. Lester Crest then texts and calls you, and you meet him at his garment factory.
That meeting launches the tutorial heist, The Fleeca Job. For this first one, Lester pays the setup costs and acts as heist leader. After that, you can host the heists yourself as the heist leader: you pay the setup money up front, choose the difficulty and decide how the final take is split between the crew. The heists must be completed in order, and each one is unlocked by finishing the previous one.
GTA Online original heists: payouts and setup costs
The potential take is the total for the whole crew, before the leader sets the cuts. Figures below are those listed on the GTA Wiki for the current versions of the game.
| Heist | Players | Setup cost | Potential take (Normal) | Potential take (Hard) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Fleeca Job | 2 | $11,500 | $201,250 | $250,250 |
| The Prison Break | 4 | $25,000 | $700,000 | $875,000 |
| The Humane Labs Raid | 4 | $25,000 | $945,000 | $1,181,500 |
| Series A Funding | 4 | $25,000 | $707,000 | $883,750 |
| The Pacific Standard Job | 4 | $25,000 | $1,500,000 | $1,875,000 |
Two things to keep in mind. First, heist money goes straight into your bank account, not your pocket, so it cannot be stolen. Second, The Pacific Standard Job is the only one of the five where taking damage during the getaway reduces the take; in the other four, the crew gets the full potential take on completion.
The five heists in order
1. The Fleeca Job
A two-player tutorial: scope out a Fleeca bank branch, steal a getaway vehicle, then drill the vault while your partner controls the hostages. Short and forgiving, it is the best way to learn the heist structure.
2. The Prison Break
The crew splits into roles to break a prisoner out of Bolingbroke Penitentiary: one player goes in disguised as a guard, another poses as the prisoner, while the others handle the plane and the escape. Coordination matters more than firepower here.
3. The Humane Labs Raid
An assault on the Humane Labs research facility, with setups that include stealing military equipment and a stealth infiltration. It has the highest payout of the first four.
4. Series A Funding
A mission for Trevor Philips: the crew gathers drugs and money from several gangs before delivering the “product”. It is mostly combat and driving, and a good heist for less experienced crews.
5. The Pacific Standard Job
The finale: a raid on the Pacific Standard Public Deposit Bank in downtown Los Santos, followed by a getaway on motorbikes and by boat. It pays the most, but damage taken during the escape cuts the take, so plan the route carefully.
Bonus challenges: up to $10 million extra
On top of the heist payouts, GTA Online rewards a few one-off challenges. According to the GTA Wiki, they can be completed only once per account:
- First-time bonuses: $50,000 for your first Fleeca Job, then $100,000 for each of the other four heists.
- All in Order: complete every setup and finale in order — $1,000,000.
- Loyalty: complete every setup and finale with the same team — $1,000,000.
- Criminal Mastermind: every setup and finale in order, on Hard, with the same team and without losing a single life — $10,000,000.
- Another Perspective: every setup and finale in first-person mode — $100,000.
Track your progress in the pause menu under Stats, then Awards, then Heists.
Tips for the Criminal Mastermind challenge
- Use a fixed crew of four who can play several long sessions together; leaving and rejoining with a different player resets the challenge.
- Keep the same roles for every setup so each player learns their part.
- Play it safe, not fast. A single death fails the challenge, so take cover, buy armour and snacks before each mission, and avoid risky shortcuts.
- Do a normal run first. Running the heists once on Normal makes the Hard attempt far less stressful.
What about the newer heists?
Rockstar later added The Doomsday Heist, The Diamond Casino Heist and The Cayo Perico Heist, among others. They pay more per hour today, especially Cayo Perico, which can be played solo. The original five remain the classic team experience and the only way to earn the Criminal Mastermind bonus. Browse more GTA Online guides, or our GTA 5 cheat codes for Story Mode.
Video walkthrough
Prefer to watch? This video shows it in action.
FAQ
What level do you need for heists in GTA Online?
You need to be rank 12 and own a high-end apartment with a heist planning room to start the original heists.
Which original GTA Online heist pays the most?
The Pacific Standard Job, with a potential take of $1,500,000 on Normal and $1,875,000 on Hard for the whole crew.
Can you do the original heists solo?
No. The Fleeca Job needs two players and the other four heists need four players.
What is the Criminal Mastermind challenge?
A $10,000,000 bonus for completing every original heist setup and finale in order, on Hard, with the same four players and without anyone dying.
Where does heist money go?
Heist payouts are paid directly into your bank account rather than carried as cash.
