How to do a heist in GTA Online – hosting, joining, and more

Heists are difficult missions that are a great way to rack up large amounts of money in Grand Theft Auto Online. They are your ticket to the big time but be prepared for a challenge. Completing a heist isn’t easy but you will be rewarded with a ton of cash that you can blow on new cars, properties, and more. With that, this guide will explain everything you need to know about how to do a heist in GTA Online.

How to start a heist in GTA Online

Players ranked 12 or above who own a high-end apartment will receive a phone call from Lester. Accepting a call from Lester and beginning the Heist makes the player the Heist leader, who can then choose to invite other online players from the lobby, their friends list, or players from the previous Heist. No matter what rank level, all players who have completed the GTA Online tutorial up to and including Gerald’s first LTS job – can play Heists.

✓ What are heists in GTA Online?

Heists are a gameplay mode in GTA Online – they are multiplayer cooperative missions that encourage players to work together. A team’s level of communication and coordination can make or break each mission.

The heist leader has the responsibility of fronting the setup costs to buy whatever equipment and additional NPC personnel are needed for the job. Still, there is an upside with the heist leader taking the most significant cut (roughly 40%) upon completion and assigning roles to other players.

Setup missions

Players will earn money for completing each setup mission. However, Heist leaders do not earn money for completing a prep mission, instead receiving 10% more RP than other members. It’s also possible for Leaders to assign themselves a bigger percentage of the take once the entire Heist is complete. The successful completion of a setup mission places players back into Freemode. It’s then down to the Heist leader to use their phone to return to the Heist planning room and start a new heist.

Adversary modes

All Heists are available for replay after completing each full strand as Heist leader. Players can do this by calling Lester and requesting a Heist. As mentioned earlier there is a short delay before you can replay the same Heist again as Leader. Heists are available for players to join as crew members without delay as long as there is a Leader with an active lobby to join. The Heist replay board only becomes available at your high-end apartment once you have completed all five Heist finales as a Leader or crew member. You must also have reached rank 12 and visited Lester to access it. Note that there is also a cooldown period between the completion of each Heist and when the next one becomes available. New Adversary modes will progressively unlock as you complete each Heist.

How to host and join heists with friends

The most basic requirement to host a Heist in GTA Online is that your character must be Rank 12 and own a high-end apartment. However, if you are under rank 12 or do not own a high-end apartment, you can still join a Heist so long as another player invites you in.

✓ cheapest opportunity

Looking for the cheapest high-end apartment to buy? Head over to Del Perro Heights, Apartment 7, which is up for sale for $200,000.

To join a Heist as a crew member without an invite, go to the Quick Job menu on the phone. Then, select “Play Heist” to jump into the action. If you meet the required criteria, Lester will give you a call to set up your first Heist. Once you complete your first Setup Mission, there will be a short wait before Lester calls you for the next part of the Heist. There is also a slight delay between the time you finish your first Heist and Lester’s call for the second Heist.

To replay a Heist, call Lester using your in-game phone and select the “Request a Heist” option. You’ll be able to play any of the Heists previously completed. However, you may not be able to instantly replay a Heist with a cool-down period in place after the completion of each Heist.

How to Invite Friends to a Heist

To invite a friend to your current session, click “Options” and navigate to your friends list. Next, locate the friend you want to invite, clicking on their name and “Send Game Invite”. Easy as that, your friend will have just been invited to your current session. 

To start a private heist with your friends, you will have to do so from the story mode. This time, choose “Options” again and navigate to “Online > Play GTA Online'” Selecting this offers several options, including starting a Closed Friend Session which allows you to head into GTA online with your friends only.  

Some of our favourite Heists in Grand Theft Auto V Online 

Now that you have more of an idea of what these heists are all about let’s take a closer look at some of the Grand Theft Auto 5 Online Heists you can access.

The Fleeca Job

• Property requirement: None
• Number of players: 2
• Setup cost: $11,500

If you are new to the world of GTA Online heists, this is a great place to start. The aim is to steal bonds from a relatively small bank’s safe deposit box. While one player gets the job of the getaway driver and controlling hostages, the other’s role involves drilling into the safe to secure the bonds as fast as possible.

Heist difficulty	Potential take
Easy	$100,625
Normal	$201,250
Hard	$250,250

The Prison Break

• Property requirement: None
• Number of players: 4
• Setup cost: $25,000

This Heist involves breaking a former military researcher out of jail and getting him to safety. Players need to obtain various vehicles and take out multiple targets. To initiate this Heist, players first need to be introduced to the mysterious Agent 14. This is done by speaking with Lester.

Heist difficulty	Potential take
Easy	$360,000
Normal	$700,000
Hard	$875,000

The Cayo Perico Heist

• Property requirement: Kosatka Submarine
• Number of players: 1-4
• Setup cost: $100,000 (per target)

This Heist was added to the Grand Theft Auto Online game back in 2020 and is one of the largest updates so far. The great thing about this Heist is that it can be activated in both multiplayer or single-player mode, and there are not just one but six primary targets to choose from. Potential earnings range from $900,000 to over $2 million if you manage to steal the rare Panther Statue which only makes an appearance during special events. The earnings are much higher with higher difficulties. Potential targets include:

• Sinsimito Tequila
• Ruby Necklace
• Bearer Bonds
• Madrazo Files
• Pink Diamond
• Panther Statue
• Secondary targets:
  • Artwork
  • Weed
  • Cocaine
  • Cash
  • Gold

Series A Funding Heist

• Property requirement: None
• Number of players: 4
• Setup cost: $25,000

This Heist is a little different from other GTA Online heists. Instead of a target being stolen at the end, drugs are acquired at the setup stage. In this Heist, there are five setup stages, each requiring a different type of illegal drug to be stolen to be sold away in the finale.

Heist difficulty	Potential take
Easy	$353,500
Normal	$707,000
Hard	$883,750

The Diamond Casino Heist

• Property requirement: Retro Arcade Property
• Number of players: 2-4
• Setup cost: $25,000 (per target)

In GTA V there are a collection of heists called The Diamond Casino Heists. These are by far, the biggest heists in terms of payouts. But, how much you’ll actually get depends on how much is in the target vault. There are 4 different Diamond Casino Heists available:

Cash

There are three different ways to complete this objective. The Silent & Sneaky approach is effective but does require players to be super stealthy. Payout earnings are in excess of $2 million.

Artwork

If stealth isn’t your thing, a better approach here is to take the Big Con approach. This is where the crew wears disguises in which to conceal their identity and gain access to the vault. Remaining undetected ensures extra time to bypass any security locks. Potential payout in excess of $2.35 million.

Gold

In the Gold Heist, the aggressive approach often works best. It involves the crew fighting their way into the vault to only get a minimal amount of time inside the vault. Payout earnings here are in excess of $2.5 million.

Diamonds

The final Heist in this collection, and the one with the biggest payout, is the Diamonds heist. Here you can bag yourself in excess of $3.2 million. The catch is that diamonds are rare and only available during certain periods.

The Cluckin’ Bell Farm Raid

While not a traditional heist, many count the Cluckin’ Bell Farm Raid as a heist in GTA Online. This line of missions starts after you get a call from Vincent. He left his job at the Diamon Casino and has started working for the LSPD. Once you talk with him at Vespucci Beach, he will initiate the missions which have a pretty big payout. There’s a total of six missions for you to complete as part of the Cluckin’ Bell Farm Raid. 

Other heists available:

• The Humane Labs Raid
• The Pacific Standard
• The Data Breaches
• The Bogdan Problem
• The Doomsday Heist

If you want to complete heists, you should also find out how to complete the wildlife photography challenge in GTA Online. Also, sure to also check out how to sell vehicles in GTA Online and how to create a custom plate in GTA Online.