Surveys For Money: How Much Can You Make?

Paid surveys are a market research tool that businesses use to gain valuable insights from consumers concerning products or services.

Companies usually pay people to take part in their surveys to incentivize their feedback and opinions.

If you meet the criteria that the companies have set, you can use surveys to make money online as a side hustle.

Before I start…

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Taking Surveys To Make Money Online

Table of Contents

Types of Surveys to Make Money

If you have never taken part in these surveys for money, you may be wondering: What type of paid online surveys can I take?

Surveys can be administered in person, over the phone, via email or online.

Businesses pay you to take part because the survey enables them to get an understanding of what people think and feel about their products, services, and brands. With that information, they learn how to improve them and target their marketing efforts more effectively.

If you want to make money online, there are different types of paid online surveys you can take to make extra cash.

There are different ways of classifying surveys. For example, you can classify based on the format of the survey and what it is meant to accomplish or you can classify based on how it is conducted. Here are four types of surveys based on the goal of the survey.

Product Testing/Reviews: When a company conducts this kind of survey, it wants to get honest reviews and feedback on its products and services.
Consumer Surveys: A company will use this type of survey to gather market insight, customer feedback about a product or service, and user opinions.
Focus Groups: This kind of survey has groups of people answering questions in exchange for some form of compensation.
Opinion Surveys: This type of survey is usually done to ask users questions related to their interests, tastes, and preferences.

You can still classify surveys based on how they are conducted. In that case, you will classify them as online surveys, in-person surveys, mail surveys, telephone surveys, and SMS surveys, just to mention a few.

But since our goal is to discuss ways of making money online, let’s focus on online surveys.

Sometimes, companies don’t conduct the surveys themselves and may hire a company to do it for them. These are called aggregator sites because they give you access to surveys by multiple companies. They act as a link between the company and the consumer.

Let’s take a look at some of the best online survey sites you can join to take part in paid surveys.

Best Sites To Take Paid Surveys for Money in 2023

Here are some of the best paid survey sites worth considering:

Pinecone Research

Pinecone Research is a paid survey site that has been around for 21 years. It is owned by The Nielsen Company, which has a rating of A+ with the BBB. Pinecone Research is an elite survey site that limits its members based on demographics.

A typical Pinecone Research survey will earn you 300 points, equivalent to $3.

As a member of Pinecone Research, you may also get paid to test new products. They pay you $3 to $5 to complete a short report on each product and you might be allowed to keep the product after the study is complete.

InboxDollars

InboxDollars pays cash for playing games, watching videos, reading emails, and shopping at certain stores.

InboxDollars does not have a complicated point conversion system and you earn cash for each survey you take. The surveys pay anywhere from 50 cents to $5 although some surveys will pay you up to $10 to $20.

You unlock a $5 bonus as soon you confirm your email during registration. You’ll be getting your cash out via PayPal, checks, or gift cards.

The downside of InboxDollars is sometimes, instead of providing surveys, they show you promotions to collect your personal details such as address, phone number and birthdate.

Branded Surveys

Branded Surveys uses a point system. They award you 100 points just for signing up.

There is a Branded Elite loyalty program and as you take surveys, you advance into bronze, silver, and gold levels. You increase your rank by collecting credits for completed surveys or referring new members.

The higher you go, the more your earning potential and you also get access to better survey opportunities.

You will be paid via your PayPal account, Branded Pay, or gift cards for restaurants and major retailers.

Ipsos i-Say Panel

I-Say connects you to surveys offered by Ipsos, a market research firm. There are fewer survey opportunities since you only deal with one company.

You have to wait 96 hours when you register before you can start cashing out rewards.

It is point-based and you can redeem them for gift cards and cash. I-Say doesn’t have a cash value for its points so you have to scroll through the available redemptions to find the best deal.

MySurvey

On this survey site, you participate in paid surveys and focus groups. You will be paid via PayPal and Amazon vouchers.

LifePoints

At LifePoints, you earn points by testing products, participating in research studies, and providing feedback on different products and services.

The number of points you get will vary based on the urgency and length of the survey. You can redeem your points as gift cards, charitable donations, or cash via PayPal.

Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is a survey aggregator that pays you for taking surveys and sharing your browsing behavior. It is a point-based system and you can monitor how many points you have and how much they are worth in dollars at the dashboard.

When you take part in a survey, you get paid in cash or gift cards. You have to accumulate 500 points to cash out.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks offers you a variety of activities to earn cash and rewards, like taking surveys, playing games, watching videos, searching the web and more. As you take surveys, you earn points that you can redeem for cash or gift cards.

Although there are many opportunities for surveys, disqualifications are frequent. the Swagbucks rewards marketplace has many options to choose from, including gift cards, sweepstakes and PayPal payments.

Opinion Outpost

Opinion Outpost pays you for sharing your insights on a variety of topics, including politics and pop culture. It is a point-based system and as you earn them, you can redeem them for cash via PayPal or gift cards.

Each point you earn is worth around 10 cents and you can accumulate up to 250 points per survey.

Opinion Outpost has a relatively simple, intuitive website that is user-friendly. The points points system is also straightforward.

MyPoints

MyPoints offers bonus point opportunities for shopping at particular retailers. You can redeem your points for cash or gift cards.

MyPoints has a $10 welcome bonus but you have to spend $20 within 30 days to access the $10.

Although it has many survey opportunities, it has a relatively low success rate and a low average hourly pay rate.

Vivatic

At Vivatic, you get paid to complete short tasks like writing articles, doing data entry, testing websites and more.

GlobalTestMarket

On GlobalTestMarket, you get paid for taking part in market research studies focusing on consumer habits or attitudes towards certain brands, products, or services.

Paid Viewpoint

You get to fill out self-selected surveys to receive points that you can then redeem for PayPal payments or gift cards when you reach the minimum balance amount of around $15.

Toluna Influencers

Toluna Influencers allocates points for answering short surveys about products and services you use every day. You can redeem your points for cash via PayPal or gift card options like electronics or travel vouchers.

You can earn between 15 and 50,000 points per survey but you need to be patient because they take time to reflect on your account. On top of that, your points may expire if they remain in your account untouched for 12 months. Therefore, you have to spend your points relatively quickly.

OneOpinion

OneOpinion is a survey aggregator with an informative dashboard that enables you to monitor your activity and access a customer support form.

You will get paid 500 or 1,000 points per survey. You cannot cash out until you reach 25,000 points, equivalent to $25.

Valued Opinions

Valued Opinions uses your personal information to match you to opportunities. Therefore, you are more likely to see relevant paid surveys.

You earn anywhere between $1 and $5 for each survey, and it takes around 15 to 20 minutes to complete.

Frequently Asked Questions about Paid Surveys

Do paid online survey sites really pay you?

Yes, you will get paid when you conduct a paid online survey. Paid online survey sites link you up with the companies that are willing to pay users for their honest opinions on products and services. Usually, there is no experience or qualifications required to do a survey.

The amount you will get paid will depend on the company.

The way you get paid will vary too. Some companies offer gift cards, sweepstakes entries, and other rewards instead of money as incentives for completing surveys.

What Are the Highest Paying Online Survey Sites?

The highest paying surveys are the ones that pay the most money when you take the time to do their survey.

Typically, the more complex and lengthy a survey is, the more you will get paid for partaking. Some of the highest paying online survey sites you can find include:

My Survey: This website offers some of the most competitive payouts you will get for taking surveys. Sometimes you get paid up to $3 per survey.
Pinecone Research: You can earn up to $4 per survey along with gift cards, product samples, and other rewards.
American Consumer Opinion: This company pays relatively well in cash payments as well as sweepstakes entries when you do their surveys.
Survey Savvy: This site will pay you different amounts based on the nature and length of each survey.

These are just a few of the sites that pay well. Remember that the more demanding a survey is, the more you get paid.

What Rewards Can I Earn Doing Surveys?

Although a majority of the surveys pay in cash, you can earn different types of rewards for doing surveys, depending on the policy of the survey website in question.

The typical rewards you can get are:

Sweepstakes entries: Some sites allow you to enter sweepstakes as payment for taking part in their surveys.
Gift cards: Some online stores offer gift cards or vouchers as rewards for taking part in their online surveys.
Cash: Cash is the most common form of compensation you will get. Most sites offer some form of cash payment. Remember, the amount of money depends on complexity and length of the survey.
Product samples: In some cases, companies will pay their survey participants in product samples. This ranges from food items to beauty products (depending on what the company is selling).

Which survey sites pay cash instantly?

If you want to make money online, you want to get paid as fast as possible. Some survey sites pay instantly or as fast as possible. These include:

Survey Junkie: On their site, you can cash out once your balance reaches a minimum of $10.
iPoll: You can ask for your payment when your balance reaches $25 or more.
MyPoints: This website will pay you via PayPal or gift cards as soon as your balance reaches $3.
Inbox Dollars: You can redeem your rewards for real cash instantly if your balance reaches the minimum payout threshold of $30.

It is to your benefit to look for sites that offer sign-up bonuses or rewards when registering to take surveys.

When Is the Best Time to Complete Surveys for Cash?

The best time to do online surveys is the hours when there is the highest traffic because you will find more opportunities that offer higher rewards. You can also time when companies are developing new products.

Based on your schedule and availability, you may prefer to take several surveys during your spare time, while some people may prefer to dedicate large chunks of time to doing the longer surveys.

Generally speaking, you are more likely to get paid more for large, complex surveys that will take up more time and effort.

You should be on the lookout for the high-paying surveys by checking your dashboard or emails regularly.

Are Paid Survey Sites Legitimate?

Surveys for money are legit. Paid survey sites are a legitimate way of earning an income. The legitimate survey companies are owned and operated by reputable entities that provide you with legitimate opportunities to make money online.

Like any other method of making money online, survey sites have also been infiltrated by scam artists. However, that doesn’t mean that all survey sites are bad because as we’ve seen above, there are good ones.

To avoid the bad actors, before you sign up, ensure that you read reviews and customer feedback about a platform to get an idea of the experience other users have had.

You should also look into the fees charged by the site and be sure that they are reasonable. Finally, take time to review the privacy policy of the survey site before you share your personal information.

Tips for Earning the Most Money from an Online Survey Site

If you want to make some extra cash by taking online paid surveys, here are some tips on how to start:

Sign up with multiple survey sites: Sign up with two or three of the best survey providers to expose yourself to different types of surveys. It is always good to have an array of options available when looking for surveys that match your interests.
Set aside dedicated time for taking surveys: Once you have signed up for a survey, set aside at least 1-2 hours per week to do the surveys and make it a habit. The number of hours should vary depending on the quality and quantity of surveys available. What you want to avoid is cramming all your surveying into one day because it becomes too overwhelming and may lead to burnout quickly.
Research the survey companies to find legit ones: Take your time to look for sites that offer legitimate and reputable survey companies to avoid the scams. The good ones come with a sign-up bonus or other rewards when you register to take their surveys.
Read reviews of the survey company: Look for impartial third-party user reviews to see what others have experienced with the survey company you are looking at. This will help ensure you avoid wasting your time on a site that won’t pay or to avoid the sites that will deduct points or rewards due to hidden fees. You also avoid bad customer service.
Track your progress: Have a detailed record of the sites you’ve signed up for, how much you expect to be paid by each one, when you took each survey, and other details. This makes it easier to plan out when/where you should be looking for more opportunities

If you want to make the most money taking surveys online, you need to keep these tips in mind. Always read reviews before investing your time in them to avoid scam survey sites.

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:

Go here to see my no.1 recommendation for making money online

(This is a 100% free training)

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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