It’s possible to complete online surveys for money. The payouts won’t push you to financial freedom overnight, but completing surveys for money could provide a small financial boost when you need it.
The best online surveys for money
Here are the best options out there that will pay you to take surveys for money.
1. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is a popular survey site that will pay you to take surveys. As you take surveys, you’ll earn Swagbuck points which can be redeemed for cash or gift cards. You can also earn Swagbucks points for such activities as playing games, searching the web and watching videos.
You can expect to earn around 40 to 200 Swagbucks for each survey. That ends up between 40 cents and $2 per survey. However, there are some rare opportunities to earn up to $50 per survey.
2. LifePoints
LifePoints is another site that allows you to take surveys in exchange for points.
The number of LifePoints you receive in exchange for a survey will vary based on the urgency and length. But as you collect LifePoints, you’ll be able to redeem them for gift cards, charitable donations and cash via PayPal.
3. InboxDollars
InboxDollars will reward you with cash for watching videos, playing games, reading emails, taking surveys and shopping at selected stores. What makes InboxDollars stand out is that you don’t need to work out a complicated point conversion system in your head; you simply earn cash for each survey you take.
The majority of the surveys available through InboxDollars range from 50 cents to $5. But some surveys will reward as high as $10 to $20. In general, plan to spend 2 to 25 minutes on a survey.
To get the ball rolling, you can unlock a $5 bonus once you confirm your email. You’ll be able to cash out via PayPal, check, or a wide range of gift cards.
You can redeem your points for cash via PayPal or gift cards. The only downside is that you will need to wait until you accumulate 500 points to cash out at the $5 mark.
4. i-Say
I-Say connects users with survey opportunities through Ipsos, which is a market research firm. Although you will not have as many survey opportunities, you won’t have to navigate a new site every time you take a survey.
As you build up points, you can redeem them for gift cards and cash. Inconveniently, i-Say doesn’t provide a cash value for its points. Instead, you’ll have to scroll through the available redemptions at the time to score the best deal.
You will need to wait 96 hours from your registration before you can start cashing out rewards.
5. MyPoints
MyPoints offers opportunities to answer surveys for money. Additionally, the company offers bonus point opportunities for shopping at particular retailers. As you build up points, you can redeem them for cash or gift cards.
One of the first offers you’ll see from MyPoints is a $10 welcome bonus. However, the fine print can get dicey. You’ll need to spend $20 within 30 days to access the $10 welcome bonus.
6.Shopper’s Voice
Shopper’s Voice is a national leader of consumer research. The panel offers one survey a year entitled, The Consumer Product Survey. The goal is to collect data on what consumer products to launch, keep on the shelves or change in grocery retailers. With the Shopper’s Voice community, it’s fun to be heard and feels good to make a difference in the products you buy!
The Consumer Product Survey is fun, free and easy! It takes about 15 minutes of your time to complete. After you complete the survey, a few weeks later you will receive a Shopper’s Voice membership email. Once you are a member, you will be eligible to receive great coupons and samples! Best of all – these freebies will be tailored to your survey responses. You may also be sent invitations to earn even more rewards through sister research panels.
In addition to receiving your tailored coupons, the Shopper’s Voice website offers a great coupon section. Members have the opportunity to save even more while shopping! Save money on everything from yogurt to pickles.
Visit Shopper’s Voice’s US website ›
Visit Shopper’s Voice’s CA website ›
7.Unique Rewards
Unique Rewards is a website that offers you cash for completing certain web-based tasks like surveys, listening to music, and shopping online.
Unique Rewards helps companies obtain consumer data for market research purposes. Genuine consumer opinions and feedback are vital to creating marketing campaigns and developing new products.
You can expect to earn $0.50 to $1 per survey with Unique Rewards. The company will match you with surveys using the profile information and the details you provide during sign-up.
Visit Unique Rewards website ›
8.UniqPaid.com
UniqPaid is a Get-Paid-To website which allows its members to get paid in cash for completing various offers and tasks. You can get paid for signing up, answering surveys, and more.
The site was established in 2001, showing that has been in operation for close to 2 decades. Based on what I’ve seen so far on the site and on my research, I can say UniqPaid is a legitimate site that pays.
The site’s launch year should already give you an idea of its legitimacy as it wouldn’t last close to 2 decades if it wasn’t a legit site that really pays people.
Are online surveys worth it?
Online surveys can be a fun way to pad your savings or cover light expenses. However, it’s not a dependable source of income to cover major expenses.
If you’re looking for a reliable source to supplement your income, consider a side hustle.
Things to be aware of when taking online surveys
Before you dive into the world of taking online surveys for money, keep these pearls of wisdom in mind:
- Never pay to take online surveys: If you are asked to pay to join a survey site, run for the hills. You’ve likely stumbled upon one of the many scams lurking in the online survey space. Shopping at a legitimate retailer through these sites is acceptable, but paying a membership fee of any kind is a red flag.
- It can take longer than you think: Not only will it take time to build your points, it can also take additional time to receive your compensation. You might need to wait days or weeks to see the rewards you rightfully earned. Unfortunately, this seems to be a common theme across survey sites.
Are Online Surveys a Legitimate Way to Make Money?
Yes, survey sites do pay real money, but they can never replace income from a regular job. Even if you join a site that pays well, you will only make about $300 per month.
While some sites offer very high rates — up to $1000 per survey — high-paying surveys are very rare and are only available for users with a specific profile (For instance, clinical trials).
However, make sure to opt for a website that is legitimate and safe, because there are a significant number of survey sites that do not pay. They are scams and will result in a waste of time.
Beyond this, some sites do not pay cash and only offer rewards in the form of gift cards and vouchers, so choose your platform carefully.
How Much Money Can I Make Taking Online Surveys?
As mentioned earlier, there is no fixed salary when it comes to completing surveys. On average, you will make $10 per hour (which equals about $20 per day if you spend two hours completing surveys).
If you have a full-time job, then you will not be able to spend more time responding to surveys. However, if you’re free, you may be able to put more time into the work. But keep in mind that it may (likely) never be enough to pay your bills.
Plus, the payment is also not guaranteed as your responses may get declined or you may get disqualified due to incomplete details or false information.
How Do I Get Paid for Taking Online Surveys?
You will get paid when you hit the minimum threshold, which can be as high as $100 in some cases. It is best to opt for a platform that has a small threshold so that you don’t have to wait for months to reach it.
Different platforms offer different ways to get paid including Visa, PayPal, and bank transfers. It can take 5 to 15 days to receive payment in your bank account.
Bank transfers are the slowest and are only available in a limited number of countries. Other than this, you can opt for gift cards and vouchers. They usually get approved within five days and can be utilized at specific online or physical stores.
What Kind of Questions Do Online Surveys Ask?
This changes from survey to survey. When you join a platform, you will have to complete a personal survey regarding your preferences and background. The platform will use your responses to prepare your profile which they will use to assign you surveys.
Once done, you will get to choose surveys in different niches, including products and services. There may also be surveys related to politics, entertainment, health, and religion.
Online survey topics can also change depending on which survey service you’re using as well.
Final Thoughts
Online survey sites can be a valuable addition to any money-making strategy. However, you won’t get rich quick and you’ll need to keep an eye out for less reputable websites.
If you keep your expectations reasonable and stick with the more well-established survey sites, you should be in the clear. Happy survey answering!
