Paid Surveys | Make Money Taking Online Surveys | Reality Check!
Ranked #14 in Work At Home, #1,052 overall
An Honest View of Survey Income Opportunities
Companies around the globe rely on consumer feedback to develop products that sell. Retailers need to measure customer satisfaction to improve their margins and defend or increase their market share. And they are willing to pay for it.
If you have a bit of time to spare, have a computer with internet access, and are comfortable with sharing and expressing your opinion, then taking paid surveys online may be a fun, easy and rewarding source of (extra) income.
I have been filling out surveys for a number of years and am ready to share my experience with you and help you steer clear of scams and time thieves. Anybody interested in this approach to make some extra cash on the web with market research is invited to exchange ideas and experiences here.
Table of Contents
- Taking Surveys - Will I get Rich?
- Recognize who you're dealing with!
- Try - Don't Buy!
- Top 7 Online Survey Sites for Cash
- The Most Important Thing:
- So, how much cash can I realistically make from surveys?
- More Reputable Survey Companies
- Membership Survey Directories
- Even More Survey Companies
- Basic Tips to Maximize Your Survey Earnings
- 6 Easy Tips To Maximize Your Survey Success
- France | Fr. Canada | Take Surveys In French
- Germany | Take Surveys In German
- Other International Survey Opportunities
- About The Referral Of Friends
- Are you supplementing your income with online surveys?
Taking Surveys - Will I get Rich?
Hint: Don't quit you day job just yet
A lot of survey companies "compensate" you by entering you in their monthly, quarterly, or whenever drawing of varying cash or points prizes. They commonly range from $10 to $100, in some cases even $5,000 to $10,000. The odds of winning depend on the number of entries, but it's safe to say don't expect to win something on a regular basis. If you like the thrill of sweepstakes for BIG money and have lots of spare time, by all means, give it a try.
For the purpose of this lens however, I shall focus more on those companies where you will definitely make some cash, not just lottery tickets, "chances" or alarm clocks.
Important Tip: Before we dig in please make sure to bookmark this page so you will always find your way back. Recognize who you're dealing with!
A little caution saves you from tons of SPAM and waste of time and money
If you want to venture out on your own and do some research you will come across a myriad of sites promising you fabulous rewards (like $1,000 gift cards, 60-inch Plasma TVs, Caribbean Luxury Cruises for 4, and the like). You get the idea, if it sounds too good, there's probably a catch.Once you sign up you will find out that in order to get the promised reward you must first complete a certain number of tasks like applying for credit cards, subscribing to download services, ordering free samples, and the like. Only if you complete all demanded steps, and have them reported back to the marketing site within the alloted time frame, you may be able to receive the reward.
Even if you are willing to do what it takes, it is important to know that these sites are not genuine market researchers. They are marketers who receive commissions from the companies they promote.
Important tip: Always read "the fine print", Terms and Conditions, or whatever it's called, to see what you're dealing with.
Try - Don't Buy!
Join a few sites and test the waters
Sign up with all of these for starters, submit your profile and take a couple of surveys. This will cost you nothing but a few minutes your time. Membership is always free.
If nothing else, register with my favorite and recommended panels and see what it's all about. To receive survey invitations, you will need to submit one or more profiling questionnaires so that the surveying company can pre-select you for their client's specific requirements.
MySurvey is really cool. They always offer 10 points at first for every survey (usually less than 5 minutes long). Many times though, you will qualify for more points as revealed during the survey. MySurvey never fails to surprise me (in a good way) and they are coming out with a totally cool new way to receive your earnings. Don't know if it's still a secret so I'll keep my mouth shut. But it's really unique and very practical. I've been a member of MySurvey for a long time, and they're still one of my favorites!
You may have to wait a few days before a suitable survey opportunity comes along. Monitor your email inbox and jump at every invitation sent your way.
Top 7 Online Survey Sites for Cash
Proven and trustworthy
Knowing what a real company looks like will also help you avoid the hordes of look-alikes who are only after your email addresses to spam you.
- Ipsos i-Say
Ipsos is one of the largest and most respected survey-based research companies in the world. In addition to your monetary survey compensation there are several very interesting prizes to be won, like gift cards or even a car! Well, I've not won a car (yet) but I'm not waiting for it either. For responding to survey invitation, you usually get a few points even if you don't qualify for the entire survey. At the end of each survey is a fun little game where you can win some cool prizes. Earned points can be redeemed for gift cards to any retailer you can think of. From Amazon to Walmart, hundreds of different merchants and services. This makes it as good as cash. - GlobalTestMarket Surveys
Global TestMarket sends a ton of survey invitations my way, sometimes several times per day. Although you may not qualify for many of them it's still good to attempt them since they usually credit a few points just for trying. It's easy to rack up enough points for a $20 check in a relatively short period of time, so I usually wait until I have $50 in my account. It's always a nice feeling when I click on the "request payment" button as they have never failed to pay up in a timely fashion. - Survey Savvy
SurveySavvy sends well targeted surveys, infrequently at first until you complete your profile. They offer cash rewards, not points, lottery tickets or other gimmicks. I receive more $20+ surveys from SurveySavvy than any other research panel. You can request a check of your earnings anytime you like, no need to rack up a threshold amount. This is just one reason why SurveySavvy is at the top of my favorites list. They also have the most generous referral bonus which compensates you for every friend you refer, as long as you are an active member. I believe every family should have at least one SurveySavvy member! - NFO MySurvey
This is another reputable market research company with a very good program. You receive points for every survey, even short screeners. If you qualify for the entire survey you'll be offered a higher reward. Points can be converted to cash. You also have the choice of charity donations, merchandise or raffle tickets for fantastic prizes. In addition, regular sweepstakes are held for added cash prizes. Can't miss with this company. US, Canada, Europe. - Opinion Outpost
Whoa! Opinion Outpost adds a bit of Western fun to the serious survey business. Their bounty is real though, generally between $2 and $5 for regular surveys. US and Canada residents only. - American Consumer Opinion
ACOP rewards its survey panelists with cash for every survey taken, and also offers monthly member cash draws. Accepts participants from around the world. Available in most major languages. - MindField Online
MindField Online is the online data collection child of McMillion Research. They have been in business almost 30 years now and have a worldwide clientele. A very reputable research company, which pays cash for every survey you participate in! Minimum payment threshold is $10.
The Most Important Thing:
So, how much cash can I realistically make from surveys?
Where's the money? Show me the money!
Some survey sites actually pay cash for a completed survey, commonly between $1 and $5. Survey length ranges generally from a few minutes to about 30 minutes. You may have heard claims that a 5 minute survey earns you $25 or more, and that you can take as many of these surveys as you like on any given day... well, I don't know about that. I'm not saying that's impossible, but it's not realistic either in my opinion.Few companies pay out your reward immediately, either by mailing you a check or for smaller amounts commonly via PayPal. If you don't already have an account with PayPal, you should definitely sign up for one before registering with the survey sites. It's free, fast and easy to join.
The majority however, reward you with their own currency or "points", which you can accumulate and upon reaching a certain threshold, exchange for cash, gift cards, merchandise, lottery tickets, or a donation to your favorite charity.
Bottomline: The average person will not earn enough to quit a regular job. Depending on your profile, how many companies you join, and how much time you devote each day, you can expect to make at least $500 realistically. That's not including any sweepstakes or lottery winnings, which depend purely on your luck, of course. So for most, it's a nice and very easy extra money.
So far, so good. You have access to a computer and the internet, you're eager to share your opinions and help shape the future of new products and services, and you have plenty of time on your hands. So why will you not get rich overnight?
The main reasons are that you will have to fit a certain, sometimes very narrow, profile for a particular survey, and you will only get a limited number of survey invitations sent your way. So again, sign up with as much survey companies as you can find.
More Reputable Survey Companies
Sign up for as many as you can
This list keeps on growing as I find the time, so please come back once in a while for more scam-free survey opportunities.
Please make sure to bookmark this page so you will always find your way back to work your way through the list.- SurveySpot.com
- Survey Spot usually pays $1 to $5 per survey plus has an instant slot-machine type game for a chance of more prizes. Minimum payment threshold is $5, to request a check from them. That's very nice.
- HOTSPEX
- Earn BUX (points), win prizes, help charities, or swap your bux on points.com..
- Harris Poll Online
- Global research company that almost anyone anywhere in the world can join (exceptions: Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria.) Supports several languages: English (US and UK), French, German, Spanish, Italian.
- ePoll Surveys
- Members accumulate points they can exchange for gift certificates like Amazon.com or McDonalds, or donate to charity. US residents only.
- ZoomPanel
- Presently, the ZoomPanel program is open to legal residents of the US, Canada, United Kingdom, France, and Australia.
- Socratic Forum
- Surveys mostly about new technologies and software, e-commerce innovations, business-to-business products and services. Good for people who have a business.
Note: If you register through my link we'll both be entered for a $5,000 drawing. - Surveys.com
- EDIT: They seem to "award" sweepstakes entries now instead of points or cash :( Be sure to read their terms thoroughly before signing up. A multi-national market research organization with languages available: English (US and UK), Espanol (Spanish), Francais (French), Nederlands (Dutch) and Italiano (Italian). Other languages coming soon!
- Pinecone Research
- PineCone Research is a great company to do surveys for IF you manage to get on their panel. You can't just go to their site and sign up. You can only get invited by a current member. The only other way you can become a member is by spotting one of their banners, which appear sporadically on all sorts of websites. After years of keeping an eye out I finally came across one on a totally unrelated site. So, if you see a banner for PineCone Research be sure to jump on it!
- Synovate (Global Opinion Panel)
- Synovate is a full service research company which is also a member of CASRO. All their surveys will pay something, although recently the "reward" is mostly worth pennies. They turn their nose up at people who are "in it for the money", instead they try to sell you on the idea that you're privileged to be allowed to voice your opinion and shape the future of product innovation.
Membership Survey Directories
Are they a Scam?
As a general rule, you do not need to pay anything to join a bona fide survey panel! Yet in your quest for online survey companies you undoubtedly came across sites that claim to provide you with unlimited surveys that will earn you tons of money. To join, they will charge a fee of anywhere from $29 to $49.Once you join you will find that they provide you with lists of survey companies, similar to those I have listed here for free. You will still need to go and sign up with those companies, the people who sold you the information WILL NOT do that for you. They will also NOT provide you with paid surveys! Not all of their links are to reputable market research companies. Some will just send you off into a web of affiliate businesses, which will cost you enormous amounts of time and privacy, at best. In the end you will have made them a nice sum of affiliate revenue, if you click on everything they encourage you to.
So, are they a scam? I wouldn't go so far to claim this, but some of them are borderline for trying to delude you into thinking that they will provide you with surveys, and that you can earn $150 or more per hour. In any case, if you don't have the time, persistance and perseverance to locate lucrative survey companies and other work from home opportunities yourself, I can suggest you give Survey Scout a try. They have been around for a long time and offer a money back guarantee. In addition to survey companies, they also feature lists of other sites that pay you to shop (mystery shopper), eat, and do other stuff.
Just realize that YOU are paying THEM to provide you with information. Nothing more and nothing less. If it doesn't work for you, you can take them up on their satisfaction guarantee.
Even More Survey Companies
Can't get enough of doing surveys?
- Lightspeed Panel
- Send a lot of surveys for which you might not qualify, after several questions. Poor customer support (= none). The really ugly part is that the points you earn expire after 24 months if you have not redeemed them. So if you're planning to accumulate them for a bigger check don't forget to keep an eye on the expiration date.
- Greenfield Online
- Many, if not most, of their surveys don't offer cash rewards but "sweepstakes entries". The opinions of men seem to be particularly sought after. After a while you'll get tons of survey invitations from them every day so you can pick and choose if you just want to do surveys for cash. They'll try to keep you busy with non-paying surveys! US and Canada residents only.
Basic Tips to Maximize Your Survey Earnings
General stuff you should consider
- Once you register with a panel make sure you fill out all available initial profiling surveys. These come either in the form of an "about me" survey or can consist of several short profile quick matches. These are a prerequisite to receive relevant survey invitations.
- Provide accurate contact information. You want to make sure that you'll receive your checks, samples, gift or merchandise.
- Be truthful in your answers. At the very least, be consistent, especially when it comes to personal questions about you. The survey companies will sometimes cross-check your information and might disqualify you if your answers don't measure up.
- Respond promptly to survey invitations. Especially to those with a financial compensation. The survey companies usually need only a certain number of respondents and available spots fill up very fast. Sometimes in a matter of a few hours.
- Don't get discouraged if, after a few screening questions, you don't qualify for the whole survey. The more you respond promptly to invitations the more chances you will get in the long run.
- Product tests are a fun respite from tedious survey business. Often not readily recognizable at the start, you will receive full-size product samples, commonly of personal care items, household stuff or novelty foods.
No, contrary to what you may have heard, Plasma TVs and digital cameras get tested elsewhere...
However, you usually get to keep the products, even if only a small portion is used for the test. They are generally ready to market so you don't need to feel like a lab rat. In addition, you often get a financial incentive for submitting an evaluation of the product(s). Sometimes even multiple times if follow-up surveys are required. - Important Reminder: In my experience, survey invitations often get stuck in Spam filters. It is important to add their email address to your whitelist. Check your Spam folders occasionally if something was not delivered to you. It's really upsetting to miss out on a big paying survey!
6 Easy Tips To Maximize Your Survey Success
Advanced tips for long-term success
- Sign up with any and all survey companies, market research institutes, or whatever they call themselves. Get on as many panels as you possibly can. Every site sends infrequent invitations, and you won't pass each and every qualifying screener. Your only recourse to keep busy is to have as many sources for paid surveys as possible.
- If you want to make serious cash you have to treat this as a business, or like a real job. Taking one survey every now and then is not going to line your pockets wth gold. You have to invest regular hours just like with most other jobs. The bonus part is that you can more or less choose your own hours and work as much or as little as you like.
- Don't wait for $100 surveys. In the beginning, take every survey that you get invited to, even if it doesn't offer a king's ransom. Normal, everyday surveys pay between $1 and $5. Not much, it seems. The money is in the volume, so take 10 or more surveys a day if you can.
- Sometimes the gems reveal themselves only to the faithful. Meaning, in some cases the reward will be much greater than initially announced. The survey companies want to insure that they have the right person for the job and so will reveal the reward during the course of the survey if you fit into the profile. This prevents dishonest panelists from trying to guess the desired anwers only to collect the reward.
- Be on the lookout for invitations to focus groups. These are either online or offline sessions of approximately 60 to 90 minutes duration with an interviewer or moderator. Here is also where the famed $150 compensations are to be found, occasionally. Online sessions commonly pay $20 to $30. You can imagine that these gigs are high in demand, so if you're lucky enough to be invited to one you should respond as quickly as possible, mark your calendar and show up early.
- Make use of the friend referral bonus! Many survey companies credit you with extra points or a small reward (typically around $1 - $2) for any referrals that join the panel. You'll be doing your friends a valuable service and make an extra buck here and there.
France | Fr. Canada | Take Surveys In French
The following survey companies offer panel memberships in French, either for panelists living in France or Canada.TNS, through NFO MySurvey
Global Test Market accepts members in France only (not Canada):
Germany | Take Surveys In German
Test & Vote (To Luna) Deutschland. Anmeldung muss per Post bestaetigt werden.
TNS, ueber NFO MySurvey
4. Testraum.de. Betreibt Marktforschungs-Panels in Deutschland, Oesterreich und der Schweiz.
Other International Survey Opportunities
Parlez vous survey?
Some key players even have national websites for their local target markets. I have just started to look into this so hopefully this list will continue to grow.
- --------------------------------------------------------
Italy / Italia / Italiano:
--------------------------------------------------------TNS, through NFO MySurvey
- --------------------------------------------------------
Spain / Spanish / Español:
--------------------------------------------------------
TNS, through NFO MySurvey
- --------------------------------------------------------
GREECE / Greek:
--------------------------------------------------------
Test & Vote Greece. Must confirm membership by mail! - --------------------------------------------------------
JAPAN / Japanese:
--------------------------------------------------------
Test & Vote Japan. Must confirm membership by mail. - --------------------------------------------------------
United Kingdom / UK:
--------------------------------------------------------
1. Toluna UK. Must confirm membership by mail.
2.
3. TNS, through NFO MySurvey - --------------------------------------------------------
Portuguese:
--------------------------------------------------------
About The Referral Of Friends
Share your success with friends and family
As mentioned earlier, many survey companies pay you a small token of appreciation to refer others to their panels. This is a nice way to spruce up your survey earnings.If you've had success with a particular survey company chances are that someone you know would welcome your invitation to make some extra money.
Most people looking for an honest and easy income opportunity on the internet are grateful for a personal referral of an opportunity that really works.
Are you supplementing your income with online surveys?
Let me know what you think
I hope you have enjoyed this lens and found some useful information. There really are legitimate survey companies and is definitely possible to supplement your income by filling out surveys.
But there are so many predators out to make a quick buck off of people looking for ways to make money on the Internet. Please don't be one of them!
I would also suggest that you bookmark this page so you can always refer back to it. If you have friends who are also looking for some extra income from home please feel free to forward this page to them.
Thanks for visiting, and good luck with your survey success!
ErikRaven
Really nice lens. There's so much information out there on how to make money working from home or online, it's hard to sift through all of the scam programs to find a real make money site. Some really good resources here though. Thanks.
Posted July 09, 2009
MobyD wrote...
This lens is a great resource for people looking for a realistic income online instead of hype and spam. 5 stars and an Angel thumbs up!
Posted July 06, 2009
CharlieSteel wrote...
Wow really amazing lense - well set out and with loads of really helpful advice and resources. Thanks for taking the time to set it up.
Charlie
Posted June 24, 2009
TomHarvey wrote...
Very informative lens in what can be a lucrative area of online income generation which unfortunately is also littered with scams and empty promises.
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Posted June 16, 2009
Alex_Mayor wrote...
Very cool Lens. Another step on making money online.
Have a look at my Lens to see another way of making money online
http://www.squidoo.com/digitalmarketplaces
Greets, Alex
Posted June 16, 2009
aj2008 wrote...
OMG (that's Oh My Gosh) a realistic work from home lens - Blessed!!
Posted June 07, 2009
Will wrote
I signed up to HOTSPEX. Squidstor, paid surveys can be a very good source of income. Very honest and straight forward hassle free list of surveys http://paid-survey-sites-that-pay.blogspot.com/2009/02/surveys-tha-pay-via-check.html
Posted June 01, 2009
Jamal256 wrote...
Wow. amazing lens. mind looking at mine it has some sites that are not surveys. i voted 5 stars btw
http://www.squidoo.com/MakeMoneyOnlineAnytime. thanks
Posted May 26, 2009
Squidster wrote...
in reply to jimb12345 Funny, in your profile it says you rated 0 lenses. You may want to try clicking on the actual stars to "vote".
Posted April 29, 2009
jimb12345 wrote...
great lens. i voted 5 stars. great work.
online survey jobs
Posted April 29, 2009
smichaels52 wrote...
This is one of the best squidoo lens I have come across very well written and researched. It has helped me alot thanks for this infomation. I have also been taking surveys for about 1 year now not earning that much just a bit of extra money which does help me out.
Posted March 04, 2009
flowski wrote...
Thanks for the guide featuring helpful online survey tips for stay at home moms and dads that want to supplement the family income. Well done!
Posted December 02, 2008
Cazoo wrote...
Great info on online surveys. Some excellent ideas about making money online>/a> here
Posted October 29, 2008
JenniferAkers wrote...
Great resource for learning about online surveys. I'm a member of some of the ones on your 'best of' list. I'm favoriting, bookmarking to come back and read about the ones I'm not using now. 5*!
Posted September 07, 2008
Rya wrote...
Very helpful lens--thanks for sharing pointers in a very no-nonsense and non-spammy way--I'll be back later to try some of these out
Posted August 11, 2008
The information was very helpful, even people get new experience.
Posted July 02, 2008
Keaka77
Very informative lens you've got here. Very detailed information. Thanks
teacher
Posted June 25, 2008
anilg wrote...
Nice lens with lots of useful information. If you are willing to make money online, then please visit my lens
Posted June 17, 2008
Squidster wrote...
Well, readers who paid attention will know by now that Survey Scout is NOT a provider of paid surveys! They sell you a list of market research companies,if you don't want to look for them yourself.
Posted June 08, 2008
Speedy17 wrote...
I like your "6 Easy Tips To Maximize Your Survey Success " good work, nice lens.
Posted June 08, 2008
Junyuan wrote...
This is a very good lens on paid survey websites. The information you have is really useful and will benefit anyone who is looking to make money from paid surveys. I've given you a 5-star rating for your lens. You may want to check out my lens - paid surveys online review, where I review these paid survey websites based on my experience with them. You may also want to consider adding your lens to my Internet Marketing directory to get more traffic to your lens. Cheers! ;)
Posted June 04, 2008
kev wrote
I have been taking surveys online for almost a year now and I have made thousands of dollars so far and counting. The key is to sign up for as many of the good ones as you can. The best ones are the sites that pay well and send surveys consistently. I have written a blog about this which includes links to some of the best paid survey sites I have found. You can check it out here: http://legitimatepaidsurveysitesforyou.blogspot.com
Posted June 04, 2008
SB2008 wrote...
5 STARS All The Way! Nice job on the blog Squidster. Your welcome to visit my blog and leave feedback we would love to have your link. Once again nice job!
Posted April 13, 2008
Surajit wrote
Thanks man! The information provided has been really helpful
Posted March 09, 2008
usafreebies wrote...
Hey... Stumbled upon your lens when I was doing researching... Nice lens you have... Very detailed information available... Definitely a 5-star lens for me! :) Cheers! - FREE Work at Home Online Jobs Site
Posted July 03, 2007
Amazon Page Recommender Widget (beta)
by Squidster
Hi, thanks for stopping by my lens about paid online surveys!
I've wasted a lot of precious time and money when I first looked for survey oppor...
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