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Take Surveys

Last updated on: 17th Oct 2021
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One of the most popular and easiest hustles to make money online is taking paid surveys. Some of them pay in gift cards while others pay up to $70 for a survey.

Let me Show You How This Works

Every day, hundreds of companies are interested in customer insights in order to improve their brand or the service they provide to their customers. And the best way to do that is to ask the customers and/or prospects themselves.

We all know that if someone wants something from you, then there is an opportunity to get something in return.
That is exactly what survey websites provide. These marketing research companies connect the companies that need the information or opinion of a focus group with people that are willing to put in some time to answer the questions.

You can get rewarded for investing a little bit of time to answer surveys or join focus groups. It won’t replace your daytime job, but it is an easy and fun way to make a side income.

And what is best of all: you can do it whenever and wherever you want!

Work from Home, Whenever

Most of the surveys can be taken online and typically are about answering questions, sometimes very personal, sometimes more about general preferences.

The time a survey takes depends on the topic of course. Some surveys take up to an hour, but I have also participated in surveys that just took 2 minutes.

This means that you can fit in a survey whenever you have some spare time, or even while waiting for the bus.

What You Can Earn

This depends on the platform. Some research companies, like Survey Junkie or Swagbucks, work with a points-based system, while others, like Survey Time, will pay cash directly.

The points-based platforms will allow you to redeem the points for gift cards (Amazon, Visa, iTunes, Walmart, etcetera) or cash of course.

As you can see, there is a lot of variation. 

Personally, I’m not a big fan of gift cards, but they have the benefit of not having to provide bank details or creating a Payoneer or PayPal account. 

How to Sign Up

Like most of the remote, online gigs, you can sign up by providing an email address and follow the activation and registration instructions.

Often, part of the registration process is providing basic details to start creating a profile.
The more complete your profile is, the better chance you have to receive surveys.

Preselection

Your profile is needed to determine if you are part of the desired focus group or not.

If a company wants to find out more about middle-aged women and you are a man in your twenties, it would not make a lot of sense to ask you to complete a survey. 

Some surveys will ask you additional questions before acceptance.

Rejection

You will be rejected a lot. Don’t feel bad about it, most people do. 
It all depends if you are part of the desired focus group. Don’t take it personally, find another survey, and move on.

Some sites, often points-based, will give you a very small reward if you did not match the profile.

Scams (Read This)

Every gig or hustle that may earn money attracts a lot of people and when there is money involved there are going to be scammers.

Since you are going to provide personal details you should really stay alert when joining a platform.

Here are some red flags and tips:

  • If it seems too good to be true, you know it isn’t right.
    When you still feel tempted, investigate the opportunity thoroughly. Find reviews, check TrustPilot or BBB, or whatever local authority may be applicable. 
    Do Your Own Research.
  • You should never have to pay ‘membership’ fees to join a platform!
    If possible, take surveys directly from the marketing research company. Try to skip the middleman.
  • If part of the process is actually buying a product, move away…
    Surveys are about your opinion or your data, not your wallet.

Are All the Gigs on Your List Legit?

The truth? I can’t be sure.

Some of the survey sites on this list are inaccessible to me as they target specific countries or focus groups, therefore I am not able to test them.

I will do my best to research survey sites so I can tell you if I think they are legit. If possible, I will test them myself.

When I find out that a site is a scam I will remove it from the list.
Please contact me if you see one that should be removed. 

Now for the Fun Part

Below you will find a list of some of the best survey sites you can join. Enjoy and have a nice hustle!

  • American Consumer Opinion Review 2021
    This is legitI tried thisI like thisI made money with it

    Website: American Consumer Opinion (ACOP)

    While looking for ways to make extra cash, you will come upon sites that offer money for giving opinions sooner or later. American Consumer Opinion is one of those sites, and although the name suggests otherwise, you don’t have to be American to earn money with them.
    In this review, I will share my personal experience and drop in some tips that will help you maximize your profit.

    More about ‘American Consumer Opinion Review 2021’ here

  • SurveyTime
    This is legitI tried thisI like this

    Website: SurveyTime

    SurveyTime has taken the whole experience of taking surveys and getting paid to the next level. They are also one of the better-paying platforms.

    Surveys from SurveyTime will take somewhere around 10 minutes to complete. Their interface is very user friendly and will help you complete it without much effort.

    More about ‘SurveyTime’ here

  • Survey Junkie
    This is legitI like this

    Website: Survey Junkie
    Available in: US,CA,AU

    When it comes to getting paid for taking surveys, you are definitely going to like Survey Junkie. This is by far one of the biggest and most popular websites that provide surveys.

    With literally millions of users, Survey Junkey has a huge community and a lot of experience.More about ‘Survey Junkie’ here

  • Get Paid for Completing Surveys at Opinion Inn
    I believe this is legitI tried this

    Website: Opinion Inn

    Opinion Inn is gaining popularity amongst survey-takers, so it is time to take a closer look at what they have to offer and if it is worth it. Is it a scam? Are they legit? And of course, can you get paid for completing surveys at Opinion Inn? Let’s find out what they have to offer!

    More about ‘Get Paid for Completing Surveys at Opinion Inn’ here

  • Survey Savvy
    I tried this

    Website: Survey Savvy

    Survey Savvy has been around since 1999, connecting companies with people that are willing to share their opinion through surveys and polls.

    In 2009 they launched SavvyConnect®, an easy to use app that will help their clients to understand online behavior better. Installing this app will get you an extra bonus and additional surveys to participate in.More about ‘Survey Savvy’ here

  • InboxDollars
    I believe this is legit

    Website: InboxDollars

    With InboxDollars you start earning money even with the registration itself as they will give you an instant $5 bonus immediately. After signing up you have a lot of options to earn some extra money, even with completing your profile ($0.50).More about ‘InboxDollars’ here

  • LifePoints

    Website: LifePoints

    LifePoints, the former MySurvey, has over 5 million members and might as well be one of the biggest survey platforms. You can earn points for taking online surveys. 

    Besides the online surveys, there are mini-polls, questionnaires, and sometimes even product testing opportunities.More about ‘LifePoints’ here

  • Swagbucks
    This is legitI tried thisI like this

    Website: Swagbucks

    Swagbucks is a must-try if you like to monetize your waiting time.
    Waiting for the subway? Do a quick survey.
    Traveling home by bus? Watch a video for rewards.
    Waiting in line at the stores? Take a poll.

    Swagbucks will not make you rich (as far as I know), but you will find it very easy to earn some extra cash with all the different methods they provide.

    More about ‘Swagbucks’ here

  • Timebucks
    I believe this is legitI tried thisI like this

    Website: Timebucks

    Timebucks is a popular survey and microtask platform that also pays in cryptocurrencies. Next to the surveys, you can get paid to watch ads, play games, click links, solve captcha’s, and much more.

    None of these tasks requires additional skills and they are very easy to perform without any prior knowledge, but just in case, there are instructions available.More about ‘Timebucks’ here

  • Branded Surveys

    Website: Branded Surveys

    Branded Surveys lets you earn cash by completing online surveys. No prior experience or extra skills are required.
    As they say on their website: “Work Anytime, Anywhere, As Often as You Want”.More about ‘Branded Surveys’ here

  • Vindale Research

    Website: Vindale Research
    Available in: US,UK,CA,AU

    Established in 2005, Vindale Research has paid out over $7 million to their participants that take surveys or watch videos.
    They are an online market research panel that targets survey takers in the UK, US, Australia, and Canada.More about ‘Vindale Research’ here

  • microWorkers

    Website: microWorkers

    Like a lot of other microtasks websites, microWorkers allows you to make a small amount of money completing simple tasks.

    The tasks you can find on their website are quite diverse, ranging from data entry, testing, transcribe, take surveys, or promoting apps, and websites.
    Some of the tasks require you to activate them separately or extend your profile, but most tasks can be done immediately after signing up.

    More about ‘microWorkers’ here

  • Clickworker

    Website: Clickworker

    This company believes in utilizing the crowd in order to process projects fast and efficiently. If you are looking for typical side hustles to perform online, then their platform is perfect for you.

    Tasks, or microjobs as they call them, vary from creating or correcting texts, categorization, proofreading, research, testing, participating in surveys, taking pictures, or record audio and video files.

    More about ‘Clickworker’ here

  • Make Money with KashKick
    I believe this is legit

    Website: KashKick
    Available in: US

    KashKick is a relatively new GPT (or get-paid-to) perform tasks platform. In this post, I like to give more information about KashKick and try to find out if you can make money with KashKick.

    Like other survey sites, their platform helps companies to collect feedback from consumers and get their products or services in front of potential customers.
    As you take part in surveys, watch videos, play games, or try an offer, you are generating data for those companies and KashKick will pay you for participating.

    More about ‘Make Money with KashKick’ here

  • SurveyClub

    Website: SurveyClub

    SurveyClub has over 16 million members on 6 continents. They aid in connecting you with the best available research studies. 
    They offer online surveys, but also focus groups, in-home usage tests, taste tests, mystery shopping studies en even clinical trials.

  • Toluna

    Website: Toluna

    Toluna feels more like a community than a typical survey website. With over 21 million users in 50 countries, they are quite a big platform.

    Members earn points by participating in polls and surveys. 
    They also reward for creating content and other activities on Toluna.com.

  • Google Opinion Rewards

    Website: Google Opinion Rewards

    Google Opinion Rewards is a Survey App you can download, both for Android or for iOS.

    It’s an ideal solution for all those moments you are waiting, or where you have time to spend.
    You can complete a small poll while waiting in line or using public transport.

    You will receive your payments through Google Play or PayPal.

  • OneOpinion

    Website: OneOpinion
    Available in: US,UK

    OneOpinion is a points-based survey platform, founded in 2011 and offer surveys on account of some leading market research companies.

    Points can be redeemed for gift cards or transferred to your Paypal account.

    Registration is super easy as their bot ‘Emily’ will guide you through the process.

  • Panda Research

    Website: Panda Research
    Available in: US

    Panda Research will match you with paid survey and market research opportunities, based on your demographics and profile.

    After registration, you will be able to browse for opportunities on their website, but you can also be notified by email when new surveys are available.

  • Harris Poll Online

    Website: Harris Poll Online
    Available in: US,CA

    Harris Poll Online is part of Nielsen, a global market research company. 
    The platform of Harris Poll Online offers surveys per points-based system.

    You collect points (HIpoints) for every survey you participate in and points can be redeemed for rewards.

    They have developed an app in which you can browse and select surveys to participate in.

  • Prolific

    Website: Prolific

    Prolific has a no-nonsense approach. What they do, what they expect, and how it works is all described in brief and clear content:
    “On Prolific, you get paid cash for taking part in engaging research (no silly points or prize draws). No PhDs required!”

    They offer surveys, games, studies about scientific research, new products, or public opinion. Some are long, some are short.More about ‘Prolific’ here

  • Shoppers Voice

    Website: Shoppers Voice
    Available in: US,CA

    At Shopper’s Voice, it is all about shopping!
    Next to the surveys, where you can tell them about the brands, products, and services you love, there are coupons, samples, and you can find free stuff.More about ‘Shoppers Voice’ here

  • Focus Forward

    Website: Focus Forward

    Focus Forward is a company that offers services related to all types of qualitative marketing research. 

    At the moment of this writing, they were looking for (part-time) proofreaders and freelance transcriptionists. They also provide translation services.
    Find out more on their available positions page.

    They also provide Surveys (as expected with a research company) through Survey Squad. So you might also find a side gig joining their survey panel.

  • MyPoints

    Website: MyPoints
    Available in: US,CA

    With MyPoints you can collect points for shopping at your favorite stores. You can get up to 40% back while shopping at 2,000 top retailers.

    They offer surveys from well know brands, giving you the opportunity to express your opinion while earning even more points.

    At the moment they offer an instant $10 bonus just for joining their platform.

  • Ipsos (i-Say)

    Website: Ipsos (i-Say)

    Ipsos i-Say is a global survey platform that serves over 70 million surveys a year. They work with a points system for surveys. Points can be redeemed for rewards.

    They localize their platform so you can participate in your own language, and receive rewards that are specific to your region or country.

    The registration process is easy. Sign up with your email address, complete your profile, and start taking surveys.

    Bonus: i-Say has some extra prizes. If you are lucky your name might be drawn as the winner of, for instance, the welcoming lottery.

Wrapping it up

I like survey sites. Not because I expect to get my main income out of it, but because of the fact that I now have a nice paid alternative to nothing for some of those lost moments.

It is super easy, and collecting cash, points, and rewards is very satisfying in a weirdly, relaxing way. Besides that, giving my opinion and helping brands to become better is also feeling good.

What is your experience? Do you like them as well or are they just a waste of time to you?

Let me know or share this post if you like it. 

Thanks for reading! You are awesome!

About

Hi there!

My name is Jip, and I created the Side Gig Longlist to learn all I can about blogging and making money online.
Having decades of experience in information technology, I decided to explore all the non-technical aspects of blogging, marketing, and promoting.
I also happen to like sharing the things I know and learn with others.
This blog is my platform to experiment, learn, and share.

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