Home » Business & Work

The Truth Behind Taking Paid Surveys From Home

Ranked #50,530 in Business & Work, #576,385 overall

Never ever pay to take surveys.

I've been taking surveys from home for around five years now and nothing annoys more than when I see someone touting their survey "reviews" and then finding that the reviews are all based on sites that charge for a list of surveys.

Never ever pay to take surveys. You will hear me say that a lot throughout this lens and it's important.

What is the truth about paid surveys?

Can you really make money with paid surveys?

The truth is, you can make money taking paid surveys at home but you should never ever ever have to pay money to do it.

What do you get when you pay a site to take surveys? You get a list of survey sites. Some are legitimate, some are offer sites, and some are just phishing for email addresses.

You do not get paid by the site you spent money with and they do not send you the surveys. You will still need to sign up with each site individually and if you sign up with all the sites they give you, expect to get spammed a lot.

Paid Survey List

This is a list of the top paid survey sites. All are legitimate, no offer sites, no email harvesting sites and all are FREE to join!
Daily Survey Panel
This site has been a pleasant surprise. They send at least one survey a day and payout is always within two days!
IPSOS
Offers points for each paid survey which can be redeemed
NFO/Mysurvey
A great company that gives you points for each and every survey. You can redeem the points for cash. 1000 points equals $10!
NPDOR
This company has been around for a long time and is one of my favorites.
Opinion Outpost
Wonderful survey site. Earn points that can be converted to cash.
SurveySavvy
One of my all time favorite free survey companies. Only $10 to cash out and you can earn money for your referrals surveys for life.
Opinion Square
At OpinionSquare, simply sharing your opinions about topics from cell phone companies to ice cream flavors earns you rewards like points redeemable for valuable prizes, cash, and entries into our $100,000 sweepstakes!
American Consumer Opinion
American Consumer Opinion is a long standing free survey company that sends out a lot of product tests. Get signed up!
Your2Cents
Take paid surveys and cash out with a minimum of $5!
Lightspeed
Receive Lightspeed Points for completing most surveys. Then, redeem your points right on our site for cash, online gift certificates, music downloads, and hundreds of other prizes.
SurveySpot
A LOT of good paid surveys and product tests. Check your account daily to get a jump on the paid surveys before they fill up!
Greenfield
Paid surveys can be long and tedious and they take a long time to send out payments but they are legit and have been around a long time.
EPoll
Take polls for fun & rewards and get 100 points instantly just for joining now! (US only)

What are PT's and why do I want them?

Freebies!

PT's are "product tests". Survey companies typically send out screeners at first to see if you qualify for a product test. Sometimes they tell you upfront that they are looking to see if you qualify. More often than not they won't tell you. They just send you a survey and it might be for just a sweepstakes entry but then at the end you will see the magic words. "A manufacturer would like you to test their product."

The great thing is that not only do you get to try a new product you usually also get paid for trying it! Sometimes they will ask that you send back the unused amount but most of the time you just get to keep it.

Top Mistakes New Survey Takers Make

1. Paying money to take surveys.
2. Only signing up with 2-3 Paid Survey Companies.
3. Refusing to take the surveys that "just sweepstakes entries".
4. Not joining a paid survey "community".
5. Not filling out the profile surveys.

What is a paid survey community?

Where do I find one?

A paid survey community is just what it sounds like. A place where fellow survey takers talk to each other, discuss the various survey companies and share a "heads up" when they run across a survey that leads to a PT or find a focus group that everyone can apply for.

Be aware there are rules in most communities that need to be followed. Most survey companies don't allow ANY discussion of what products are being tested or how anyone felt about them. Keep it generic. Some survey companies don't allow ANY discussion about their companies at all so make sure to read and follow the rules.

We have a great survey community at http://itsfreefun.com!

Focus Groups, what are they?

Focus groups are a little different than regular surveys. They typically involve a group of people either online or at an actual site and they pay very well.

Some focus groups are also done as a telephone interview.

When you sign up for a focus group you will be told what it is about and when it will be held. Many times you will also get a telephone call so they can make sure you qualify for the study.

If you qualify they will give you instructions on how to participate. They will let you know when to log on, if it is an online bulletin board or arrange a time to call you if it's a telephone interview.

After you complete the study they will send you your payment. Payments typically range from $50 on up.

StickyNote

If you are unsure of whether or not a site is legit, just look for certain words:

Fill out offers, sign up for trial offers, get a free tv or a $500 gift card. Real sites don't require credit cards and never make big promises.

Important!

The Most Important Thing

Never ever pay to take surveys at home!

by

photomom04

I have been a work at home mom for almost five years now. I love finding new ways to make money at home and to also save money at home.    &n... more »

Feeling creative? Create a Lens!

Explore related pages

Related Tags