In today’s post: Learn how to take surveys for cash. Avoid the scams. These opportunities are legit.
Opinions. Everyone’s got them. Maybe you’ve been told to keep them to yourself, or that they’re not worth much. Well, I’m not going to tell you that! In fact, I’m here to tell you that your opinions aren’t only worth something, they’re worth money!
That’s right. You’ve got a free resource you haven’t even been monetizing. Let’s change that – read on for ten companies that will pay you for your opinions!
1. Pinecone Research
Pinecone Research is one of the most well-respected survey company on the web. Members love Pinecone because they earn points for each survey completed. There’s also the occasional opportunity to do some product testing, which means you’ll receive the product to try.
The first 300 points you earn will automatically be redeemed as a check, mailed to your home address. This helps verify your profile and account. After this initial transaction, you will accumulate your reward points and be able to redeem them for a prize or cash payment (check or PayPal) of your choice. Rewards are typically delivered within a few days.
Most survey companies let you enroll any time, but Pinecone isn’t always open for new enrollments. The best way to join is to connect with someone who’s already a member and ask them to let you know when Pinecone is enrolling. They work hard to keep an active panel (aka people like you, taking their surveys), so if you go too long without doing a survey, you’ll be dismissed. They are always recruiting different demographics.
Sign up here!
2. Inbox Dollars
Inbox Dollars is another long-standing survey company, and they offer additional rewards for playing their online games, redeeming coupons printed off their site, reading sponsored emails, and shopping through their online portal. They also have a referral program that lets you earn 10% of any amount the people you refer earn.
To make money with Inbox Dollars, read the emails they send you and click on the survey links and other earning opportunities. You can also log in directly to the website and take surveys from there. This is how you access the games and coupons as well.
Inbox Dollars occasionally posts WINIT codes, which you can enter on the site for some points. You can also use their search engine in place of Google, and get rewarded for your online searches. There are many ways to earn with Inbox Dollars, so check out the site and see what works best for you. This site clearly marks how much money each opportunity is worth, so you won’t have to worry about converting points into cash.
Once your account balance reaches $30, you can cash out via check or Visa cash card. There is a $3.00 processing fee, unless otherwise noted. If it’s your first cash-out, it takes about two weeks for the payment to process. After that, though, you’re “upgraded” to Gold status, which comes with perks, including faster payments and more/better rewards. Be sure to read the details of when payment requests need to be submitted so you don’t wind up with an unexpected delay of payment.
Get a $5 signup bonus here.
3. QuickThoughts
QuickThoughts is an app that lets you take paid surveys on your smartphone or tablet. It’s one of the best paid mobile survey apps available. If you opt to allow push notifications, you will know right away when there’s an opportunity specific for you. There’s also the option to manually search for survey opportunities whenever you have some spare time. You can take up to five surveys a day with this app.
Surveys come in a variety of lengths. For each survey you qualify for and complete, you’ll receive a certain number of points. These are listed clearly on each survey, so you’ll always know what to expect. As your points accumulate, you can redeem them for gift cards. These codes will be emailed to you. The minimum threshold to redeem your points is $10.
Get started.
4. Opinion Outpost
Opinion Outpost is a survey website where you can take paid surveys. It’s one of the most highly regarded survey companies and is been around for over a decade. The company offers surveys you take to earn cash via PayPal and gift cards to popular merchants like Amazon and iTunes. You can take the surveys via the web or on your mobile device.
There is also a referral program that gives you rewards for getting other people to sign up. You receive a customized link connected to your account, and each time you send that link to a friend and that friend signs up and fills out a survey, you receive $1. You can refer up to five friends, for a total of $5 in referral credit.
The best way to max out your rewards with Opinion Outpost is to log into your account every day and check for new surveys. If you wait for them to email you opportunities, you will miss quite a few.
Once you complete your surveys, you receive your points instantly. When you have earned enough points, you can redeem them for gift cards to popular merchants like Amazon and iTunes, or for cash payment through PayPal.
Opinion Outpost also has a quarterly drawing where one person will win $10,000. Each time you complete a survey, you are entered to win this reward.
Learn more here
5. Swagbucks
I’ve written before about how much I love Swagbucks. They offer a great way to earn extra cash and other rewards through a variety of online activities, including taking surveys. Swagbucks surveys are great because they can feed into your regular SB account and help you earn more rewards, faster.
Access Swagbucks surveys by going to the Swagbucks homepage and clicking on “Answer” under the Earn Your SB tab. Your points will be added to your total, and you can redeem them once you earn enough for the reward you want.
Here’s one strategy that shows how you can earn $10 on your smartphone with Swagbucks this week:
- While you wait for the coffee to brew, download free games and other apps through the Discover tab: 20 SB
- During commercial breaks on your favorite show, take a featured survey or fill out your survey profile: 60 SB
- While standing in line at the grocery store, quickly answer the daily poll: 1 SB
- When you’ve finally made it to the gym, watch style, tech, and celeb news through the SBTV app: 2 SB for every 10 videos
- Just as you’ve put dinner in the oven, your Swagbucks app tells you there’s a new Swag Code!: 3 SB
- Before you go to sleep, use the Swagbucks app to shop from your favorite stores. You deserve it!: 100 SB
Then repeat several of these activities throughout the week. With the Swagbucks mobile app, it’s easy to remember, and you can easily earn a free $10 gift card by the end of the week. Who knew playing on the phone could be so productive! Do that every week and you will have your Christmas shopping covered.
Get started now
6. Survey Junkie
A survey community of over three million members, Survey Junkie connects the voices of consumers with big brands who want to hear from them. Your initial profile helps match you with surveys you will qualify for, so make sure to take the time to fill these all out.
Once you’ve earned 1000 points, you can request a PayPal cash payment of $10. Most surveys are for 100-200 points, so you won’t have to take many of them to reach the threshold.
However, since you are only shown surveys you qualify for, you might not see as many opportunities as you would with other sites. This means you may log in and not see any surveys available for you. If you keep trying again, you will find a survey that’s a good fit for you.
Sign up here
For a helpful comparison, read up on this Swagbucks vs Survey Junkie comparison review.
7. GlobalTestMarket
GlobalTestMarket is operated by Lightspeed Online Research, and has been going strong for almost 20 years. This means competition is fierce – and user reviews suggest it’s difficult to qualify for surveys. However, GlobalTestMarket is praised for its quality surveys and payment reliability. It just might take a while to earn the required balance for cashing out. They will pay once you reach a $50 minimum, and they also run sweepstakes for their members – right now, you can be entered to win $2000! Payment for surveys is made either through gift cards you select or Paypal.
Learn more here
8. Harris Poll
Harris Poll is a 45-year-old poll that promises consumers a way to have a voice in things that affect them; anonymity is guaranteed, and some of the surveys that poll-takers participate in may even have their aggregate results published in international media. As a participant with Harris Polls Online, survey-takers are registered to receive HIpoints – once you’ve saved up enough points, you can redeem them for rewards like merchandise, instant win sweepstakes entries, or gift cards from retailers such as Amazon or Starbucks. Each completed survey also earns an entry into their quarterly drawing for $4500. Survey invitations are sent via email, so you’ll have to keep an eye on your Inbox. To screen you out quickly if you don’t qualify, Harris Poll Online will also often ask preliminary questions – and they do say you still earn an entry in their sweepstakes even if you don’t qualify for a particular survey. To qualify as a participant with Harris Poll, you must be a legal resident of the United States (or US territories) or Canada.
Learn more here.
9. UserTesting
UserTesting pays you to test websites or apps and then give your thoughts on the experience. While you’re completing the requested set of actions at the targeted website or app, UserTesting will record your mouse movement and your voice as you describe what you’re doing. And then you get paid! They pay $10 per test, with tests taking an average of between 10 to 20 minutes to complete. You’ll get paid through Paypal.
10. National Consumer Panel
NCP has been around for over 27 years! This one works a little different in that you scan your groceries with the NCP smartphone app or handheld scanner provided by the company. Share that data, and sometimes your opinions, with the company. Earn points you can redeem for rewards and incentives. The more you participate, the more you earn.
Learn more here
Whew! Are you glad you have opinions now, or what? Let me give you mine: the opportunity to take surveys for cash is not one to overlook. Just remember that you’re giving away personal information when you participate in many of these programs – never give away more information than you are comfortable with providing. The entire point of this type of research is to market to your demographic more effectively.
Important Things to Remember About Doing Surveys
No matter which site (or sites) you use, there are some important things to keep in mind when you begin doing surveys.
Your Opinion Matters
Companies are willing to pay people for their opinions, because they matter. Your answers to the surveys can help provide important insight to companies as they manufacture and advertise products.
Always be truthful in your answers. Don’t try to answer what you think a company wants to hear. They want to know what you think, even if it’s not a popular response. You have a voice, so use it truthfully.
Surveys Take Time
Each task you do for a website takes time. Keep track of how much time you’re spending and make sure it’s not cutting into your day. Completing surveys is not going to provide a full-time income, so don’t give it full-time hours. Use these sites in your spare minutes, or when you’re waiting between tasks.
Also, beware of how much time you’re spending trying to qualify for surveys. Answering those initial questions takes time and if you don’t qualify you often don’t earn any points.
- Looking to make extra money but don’t have much time to do it? Get paid for completing short online tasks.
Read the Fine Print
Always read the fine print on all survey opportunities. Know if you’re going to be mailed a sample, or if you must keep track of certain data and then submit it. There should be a time estimate, so make sure you know how much time you’ll need to sit down and take the survey. Also, remember to find out how much each survey is worth before you start answering questions.
Be Consistent
You won’t earn any money in your pocket if you only use a site one or two times before forgetting about it. Make it a part of your daily routine to check for new surveys and incorporate earning opportunities into you day. This consistency will help you get the most for your time. If you can make a mental note to always log in during a certain time of day, like when your children are napping, or while you’re waiting on some meat to defrost, you’ll help make it a habit.
Use Your Rewards!
Some survey sites grant you points that don’t expire. Others do not. Make sure you use your points before you lose them, or your time will have been wasted.
Look for Other Perks on the Site
Many of these survey companies offer many ways to earn in addition to completing surveys. Often these are ways to earn something for a task you’d be doing anyways. For instance, some sites give you points for using their search engine. Instead of using Google, just click over to their search engine instead. It’s an easy way to earn points.
Other sites give you points for shopping online. If you’re already planning to make a purchase, it makes sense to click through the site and earn the points. This way you get a reward for something you were doing anyways.
Look at all the other perks available and keep track of them so you know which site to use when. This will help you maximize your reward points.
Connect on Social Media
Several survey sites use their social media profiles to share limited time opportunities or special reward codes. If you really want to earn, follow the sites you use on Facebook, or any other platform where they have an active presence.
The Bottom Line
Taking online surveys won’t be your ticket to a serious income working from home. They don’t pay that well per hour, and it’d take a ton of your time to make any huge increase in your income.
That said, they can give you some extra money in your wallet without requiring huge amounts of time and effort. If you’ve got pockets of spare time here and there throughout your day, spend them doing surveys and you can really rack up some extra cash.
