Pinecone Research: Legit In 2022? [Unbiased Reviews]

Online survey platforms like Pinecone Research say they can help you earn money online by paying for your thoughts and opinions.

This form of making money online can come in handy if you may have debt weighing you down and bills stacking up, or maybe you’re just looking for some extra spending money.

In this Pinecone Research review, I’ll also go over what Pinecone Research is, what they do and how they work.

Before I start…

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Pinecone Research Review

What Is Pinecone Research?

Pinecone Research Panel is an online market research platform established in October 1998. Few online survey and product testing sites have been around since the 1990s. It is a survey site that offers you cash in exchange for your opinions. Most surveys are designed to review new products or services. The site also notifies you by email when new surveys are available.

We’ve seen other survey sites like Opinion City, Commission Hero by Robby Blanchard, and Opinion Outpost that also pay for that.

Pinecone Research is owned by The Nielsen Company, one of the world’s oldest and most well-established market research companies.

You may have heard of Nielsen Ratings, the system US television and radio companies have used for seventy-plus years to get audience measurements.

So that begs the question; if Pinecone is owned by a reputable company, why so many complaints?

Here’s the thing…

Many complaints found online might not be about Pinecone at all. In fact, those complaints might be directed at a company (or scam) that’s not even legit. We’ll get into that later.

How does Pinecone Research work?

The site is intended to help companies gather marketing information. This is done by creating surveys and sending them out to “influencers” – just a flashy name for survey-takers. Your responses help these companies improve their products or services.

One unique thing about Pinecone Research is that it offers users the chance to learn about new products before they go to market. There are also reports of users receiving free samples.

Here’s an explainer from the site as to how it works

Like similar sites, they use a rewards system. Therefore, rather than paying out straight cash for your work, you instead earn points. Points can then be redeemed for cash and prizes.

One point is currently equal to one cent (therefore, 100 points equals $1.00). A typical survey pays 300 points.

What is Pinecone Research Looking For?

Pinecone Research is looking for honest feedback from you. And from that feedback, they can draw valuable insights about their client’s products and services.

Obtaining honest feedback isn’t always easy. It often requires survey takers to share personal information they may be uncomfortable sharing. Scammers also take advantage of platforms like Pinecone by pretending to be someone they are not and answering questions as quickly as possible without even reading them.

Locked Accounts

As mentioned earlier, Pinecone , like all survey platforms, relies on honest and accurate feedback. Therefore, if their automated system detects inaccurate demographic information, your account may be locked.

In addition, there are other reasons your account may be locked, including confidentiality breaches and fraudulent methods of earning.

Please read their membership agreement before joining and understand the rules and guidelines. Pinecone Research reserves the right to let go of their panelists should they need to. Your membership is dependent on the platform’s needs.

Pinecone Research Hacks

Due to its exclusivity and tricky sign-up process, there are few known hacks for the site.

One tip is to bookmark their signup page and periodically check back for openings. You can do this here. Note that this page is usually reported as “down for maintenance.”

If you do get lucky signing up, our general survey site hacks article might have some tips.

Pinecone Research App

Users of the Pinecone Research app report that it works as an information source only.

You cannot take surveys in the app. Instead, you will be redirected to your membership area via a web browser.

The app is available on both iOS and Android. It has mixed reviews on both platforms.

Pinecone Research Banners

These appear randomly across the web and offer sign-up opportunities for the site. Pinecone states in their FAQ section that these happen “periodically throughout the year.”

Research suggests this is done to screen out certain demographics. It also suggests banners most often appear on other survey sites targeting a US-based audience. Usually, they last a couple of days.

If you can’t sign up for Pinecone right now, try signing up for the best survey sites we’ve reviewed.

How do you get into Pinecone Research?

As mentioned, you can’t join Pinecone directly from their site. Instead, you must find them through a banner ad or a website (like the one you’re on now) to reach their legitimate signup page.

Once you join, your first step will be to create your profile by providing basic personal information that helps them determine your demographic.

Surveys are only effective when the information gathered is provided by the right person, someone who either uses the product or service or needs the product or service.

The information you provide will help Pinecone match you to the appropriate surveys.

For example, if you’re a parent, Pinecone will try to send you surveys about products and services related to being a parent.

Survey notifications will then be sent to your email.

Does Pinecone Give Personal Information Away?

According to Pinecone , no; they won’t sell your information to third parties. Instead, they say it’s for research purposes only.

Having said that, you should always assume your personal information is being sold. It doesn’t matter if it’s Pinecone (I’m not accusing them here) or a questionnaire you filled out for your dentist or your dog’s vet. Information is a commodity, and it’s constantly being sold by someone. And it’s very hard, if not impossible, to prove.

Customer Support

Pinecone’s support options are surprisingly limited for a large platform (being owned by The Nielsen Company). For example, they do not offer chat support or provide a social media community for you to reach out to.

However, you can submit a support ticket on their website or refer to their large FAQ section for common questions.

How Long Do Pinecone Surveys Take?

Pinecone Research surveys take roughly 15 to 20 minutes to complete, depending on how much thought you put into each question.

I usually overthink everything, so surveys typically take me longer. I’m not typically rushed when doing surveys though, so I don’t mind.

I also have an overactive puppy that loves to interrupt me whenever I focus on anything other than her (fortunately, she’s sleeping right now).

So if you’re like me, overthinking with frequent interruptions, Pinecone Research Surveys will take a little longer to complete.

How To Redeem Your Pinecone Research Rewards

Redeeming your Pinecone Rewards is as simple as clicking a “Redeem” button and choosing the denomination (e.g., $5, $10, $15, etc.)

Your points are then placed into your “Cart” (similar to an online shopping site), where the redemption process is completed.

PayPal payments may take 3-5 business days to process, while checks can take up to 7 days.

When Do You Get Your Pinecone Rewards?

Once you’ve completed a survey, you should see your rewards (points) in your account within 3 – 5 business days.

Simply log into your account, and your points balance is located in the member’s area.

Does Pinecone Research Pay Cash?

Pinecone Research does not pay you directly with cash, but you can redeem your points for cash via PayPal or check. The minimum payout on Pinecone $3.

According to Pinecone Research’s FAQ center, your points can expire after 12 months of inactivity. However, I’ve seen some complaints about accounts suspended in shorter time periods.

Research shows that payment is reliable. Pinecone claims a 3-5 day turnaround on bank transfers but instant redemptions on eCertificates.

How Much Money Can You Make on Pinecone Research?

As with other survey sites, it’s hard to say how much money you can make with Pinecone Research surveys. Several factors affect your income potential, such as how often you answer surveys, survey availability, points per survey, etc.

Pinecone typically pays $3 per survey, which is higher than many other survey sites. What’s not clear or guaranteed though, are the number of surveys you’ll qualify for.

Many users have complained of how they have received very few surveys from Pinecone \. If true, you won’t be able to make a lot of money with Pinecone alone or any other survey website.

You can join multiple survey sites though, and have a better chance of consistently having surveys to do. Survey sites like Survey Junkie and Inbox Dollars are similar to Pinecone and also provide ways to make money doing surveys.

If you’re looking for something bigger though, an online business may be what you want.

If that’s the case and a full-time income online is what you want, knowing how and where to get started is what you need in order to get what you want.

Payment Options and Prizes

Your points can be redeemed for cash, check, virtual prepaid cards, gift cards, and merchandise.

Is Pinecone Research worth it?

If you fit the right user profile and successfully find a sign up link, Pinecone might be worth it.

I’m of the opinion however, due to its low pay and lack of surveys, that there are much better options for earning money online.

One thing I don’t like about it is its exclusivity and lack of transparency. The result is that users are often left guessing about whether they qualify to take surveys or not. You don’t get this with most other survey sites.

My rating for Pinecone is 2 out of 5. It could score higher for US-based users who hit their mystery “ideal” profile.

Pinecone Research Reviews and Complaints

As you already know, Pinecone Research currently has an F rating at the BBB, which may or may not be accurate.

Do, with some skepticism, here are a few common complaints:

Claims of being removed or blocked due to non-participation.
One reviewer said they could not redeem their points and therefore felt scammed.
Another reviewer said they could not log into their account. When they reached out for help, they only received an unhelpful automated response.

To be fair, some of these complaints and others were responded to and resolved. Not all of them (which is why the poor rating), but many.

In addition to some complaints being about scams that pretend to be Pinecone Research, it should also be mentioned that overall ratings are not representative of all users.

They are only representative of those who took the time to write a review or file a complaint.

And because people are more likely to write a negative review than a positive one, ratings get skewed.

To be clear, that should not diminish the complaints of those who have legitimate grievances. Unfortunately, there are many of them, which is a big drawback in my opinion.

Is Pinecone Research Legit?

Pinecone research is a legit survey panel. As mentioned, they are owned by Nielsen. This company has an A+ rating according to the Better Business Bureau.

Pinecone Research has been operating for 22 years. It operates out of Cincinnati, USA.

Beware of false reviews of the platform. Research shows several sites have tried to copy their format in the past. These sites have also been operating under similarly named domains. Some of the reviews you see may be for these copycat sites and not the real Pinecone Research.

Nielsen, owners of Pinecone – also scores a decent 3.6 rating on Trustpilot.

There’s a problem though…

While many sites make this connection, none provide proof. It’s almost as if one person claimed Nielsen owned Pinecone Research, and everyone else just ran with it.

That may or may not be true, but either way, I did some digging to make sure it’s not just a rumor.

Pinecone Research does not mention anything about Nielsen. And Nielsen doesn’t exactly advertise their ownership of Pinecone either. Still, with some digging, I found this…

For further evidence, Pinecone and Nielsen also share an address…

Pinecone being owned by Nielsen goes a long way to proving their legitimacy, however, that doesn’t mean people who join are not being scammed.

However there are a few concerns with the platform such as;

Spammy Tactics Used to Join Pinecone Research

Depending on how you discovered Pinecone, you may have found their recruiting tactics to be spammy. Whether it was recommended to you by email, text, social media, or some other method… one thing you didn’t do is search them out on your own and join.

And that’s because their website does not accept new members.

Small Social Media Presence

A sign that a company (or website) might be a scam is when they claim to have many happy members, but they have a weak or non-existent social media presence.

In fact there’ve been fraudulent attempts to imitate Pinecone Research on Facebook. Note that Pinecone does not have a Facebook presence as explicitly explained above. According to their security policy, all communication with the site should happen via emails ending with @pineconeresearch.com.

Pros of Pinecone Research

Pinecone Research may have access to better surveys than some other sites.
Relatively high payouts ($3/survey).
Small payout threshold and easy cash-out process.
Payouts in cash via PayPal and check (not just gift cards).

Cons of Pinecone Research

Difficult to join if you don’t have a legitimate link.
With multiple warnings and alerts, Pinecone Research seems to be a big target for scammers.
Higher than average number of complaints for an online survey platform, some unanswered and some unresolved.
There are a few surveys which can be taken.

Conclusion

With bills piling up and debt weighing you down, Pinecone Research might not be the one-stop solution you’re looking for.

They have some benefits; they are legit and offer higher than average payouts than many other survey sites. But if you want to make money online for more freedom and independence, Pinecone alone won’t provide that (nor do they claim to).

Like all legit survey sites, they won’t make you rich. But if you’ve never made money online before, they can be a good first step.

I hope my Pinecone Research review has been helpful.

Before you leave

If you’re tired of scams and want a real solution for making money online check out my no.1 recommendation.

It’s helped me earn over $300,000 in the last 12 months alone:

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David Fortune

David Fortune has been the editor NoBSIMReviews.com since 2019. He is an expert at writing content on stock advisory services, side hustles, reviewing online business opportunities and many more topics. You can learn more about David on our about us page.

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