If you’re wondering if you can really make money with paid surveys, keep reading. I’ll be discussing which survey sites are trustworthy and tips for making the most of these online opportunities.
There are many legitimate market research companies that will reward you for your opinion with cash, gift cards, free products, and sweepstake entries. While you’re not going to get rich from participating in paid surveys, it is a fun way to share your thoughts on products and services, and you’ll receive a little compensation for your time.
17 Ways to Make Extra Money From Home With Paid Surveys
1. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is an online platform where you can earn points called SB, which you can redeem for gift cards, coupons, and real cash via PayPal. With Swagbucks, you earn points by playing games, answering survey questions, taking daily polls, online shopping, and surfing the web using their search bar. If you refer your friends to the site, you’ll earn even more points.
Points can be used to purchase gift cards from retailers like Amazon, Target, Starbucks, Visa, and Walmart. With Swagbucks, you can redeem as few as 300 points for a $3 gift card or payment. New users get a $10 signup bonus when they complete a qualified action.
A couple of things that I like about Swagbucks are they have a low payout threshold, and there are a wide variety of ways to earn money.
- B rating with the Better Business Bureau
- Accepts users from the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Ireland, and the UK
- Sign up here
2. User Interviews
User Interviews is a market research site that connects companies with focus group participants, survey takers, and website testers. You can create an account by filling out their online application. Once you’re logged in, browse projects, and answer a few simple questions to see if you qualify for the project. If you’re eligible, you’ll be notified via email. Projects can be done in-person (one-on-one) or remotely. A recent travel app study paid $125 for 60 minutes. Payments are made via PayPal and Amazon gift cards.
- B+ rating with the Better Business Bureau
- Accepts users from the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Germany, France, and the UK
- Sign up here
3. Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie offers attitudinal research studies like focus groups, product testing, and paid surveys. They also have behavioral research studies which collects your internet browsing data.
When you register for a free account, you’ll immediately receive 25 bonus points for creating the account and 50 points for answering 16 basic questions. Each survey lists the number of points you’ll earn and the approximate time it will take to complete. One hundred points equals $1 and can be redeemed for gift cards or PayPal cash. Your account must reach a 500 point threshold before you can redeem your prize.
- B rating with the Better Business Bureau
- Accepts users from the United States, Canada, and Australia
- Sign up here
4. InboxDollars
At InboxDollars, you can earn cash for taking surveys, reading emails, playing games, redeeming coupons, searching the web, and shopping online. There are 11 different ways to make money with InboxDollars, you can check out this post for full details. With InboxDollars, your account needs to reach a $15 threshold before you can request payment. Payments are made via PayPal or gift card.
- B rating with the Better Business Bureau
- Only accepts user from the United States
- Sign up here
5. Respondent
Respondent conducts focus groups, paid surveys, and website testing gigs. This platform is open to the general public but focuses on professionals like marketers, software developers, business owners, software users, and executives. A recent study for teachers paid $115 for a 70-minute session.
I’ve used Respondent before and it’s legit, but the platform can be very glitchy. It took me multiple times to verify my email address.
Another thing people complain about with Respondent is that they don’t qualify for surveys, and this is because the majority of their surveys focus on professionals, not the general public. Respondent gets a 1.9-star rating on Trustpilot, but the majority of the poor reviews are people complaining that they haven’t qualified for a study.
If you check out my review, you’ll see many positive testimonials from readers. Payments are made via PayPal.
- Accepts users from around the world
- Sign up here
6. Mindswarms
Mindswarms is a market research group that pays individuals for conducting surveys in video format. With this platform, you’ll need to fill out some preliminary questions and record a short profile video. Because surveys are in video format, they need to verify video quality and communicative clarity. Once this is done, you’ll wait for survey opportunities. Video surveys usually have ten questions and pay up to $50 per survey.
- Has a 2.8-star rating on Trustpilot
- Accepts users from 79 countries (must be English speaking)
- Sign up here
7. MyPoints
MyPoints is owned by Prodege, which is the same company that owns Swagbucks and InboxDollars. With this platform, you can earn points for taking surveys, playing games, uploading receipts, and shopping online. You can even refer your friends to the platform to earn additional points. You’ll need to earn around 2,500 points to purchase a $15 gift card. With MyPoints, new users earn a $5 bonus (800 points) once you verify your email address.
- Has a 4.4-star rating on Trustpilot
- Accepts users from the US and Canada
- Sign up here
8. Opinion Outpost
Each month, Opinion Outpost pays $390,000 to survey users! Do you want to be one of them?! The process is simple. Create an account (it only takes a couple of minutes), answer some basic survey questions, and earn points for each survey you take. Points can be redeemed for gift cards from Amazon or cash via PayPal or a Virtual Visa gift card. Be sure to check out our full review here.
- Has a 4.2-star rating on Trustpilot
- Accepts users from the United States, Spain, Germany, Italy, and the UK
- Sign up here
9. TellWut
TellWut is a survey site where you can earn points for sharing your opinion. Internal surveys award 5-15 points per survey, external surveys award 25-2,000 points per survey, and you earn 25 points for referring your friends. You’ll also get 100 points for creating your account and 150 points for providing some personal information. Points can be redeemed for gift cards from major retailers.
- Has a 4.6-star rating on Trustpilot
- Accepts users from the United States and Canada
- Sign up here
10. Toluna Influencers
Toluna Influencers is a survey and product testing site where you can earn points for participation. Most surveys take between 15–20 minutes, and members receive anywhere from 15–50,000 points per survey. You’ll also receive 500 points for creating an account and you can refer friends, create content, and play games to earn even more. You can redeem points for gift cards from major retailers or cash via PayPal.
- Gets a 4-star rating on Trustpilot
- Accepts users from the United States
- Sign up here
11. Rakuten Insight Panel
Rakuten, known for its cashback shopping platform, also conducts market research through Rakuten Insight Panel. With this paid survey site, you’ll create an account and answer some profile questions; then, you can start taking surveys online.
For each survey that you complete, you’ll earn points that can used to purchase gift cards from PayPal and Amazon. You can also earn bonus points for referrals to the platform. Five hundred points are equivalent to $5 in rewards. Rakuten Insight Panel is available for US residents 16 years and up.
- Gets a 3.1-star rating in the Apple app store
- Only available in the United States
- Sign up here
12. Branded Surveys
Since its inception in 2012, Branded Surveys has paid out over 44 million dollars to survey takers! With Branded surveys, you’ll earn 100 points for creating an account, 5 points for answering the daily poll, varying amounts for taking surveys, and 50 points for each friend you refer to the site. Once you’ve accumulated 500 points, you can request a payout via PayPal, bPay, or use your points to purchase gift cards.
- Has a 4.1-star rating on Trustpilot
- Available in the United States, Canada, and the UK
- Sign up here
13. Pinecone Research Panel
Pinecone Research Panel is a survey site owned by The Nielsen Company. With this platform, you can test emerging concepts for a variety of new products. For each survey that you qualify for, you’ll earn a certain amount of points that can be used for cash and prizes.
- Has a 3.4-star rating on Sitejabber
- Available in the United States, France, Germany, Canada, and the UK
- Sign up here
14. National Consumer Panel (NCP)
National Consumer Panel conducts market research by collecting the barcodes from items you purchase. By offering your shopping data to them, you’ll earn points that you can use for gift cards, merchandise, and sweepstakes. You can also earn additional points by taking surveys and participating in special studies.
- Has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau
- Only available in the United States
- Sign up here
15. Google Opinion Rewards
Google Opinion Rewards is a smartphone app that allows you to share your opinions on a wide variety of topics, products, and services. For each survey you complete, you’ll earn either Google Play credits or cash via PayPal. This app is available for both iPhone and Android devices.
I have this app installed on my phone, and surveys usually consist of 1-3 questions and payout $0.10-$0.20 each. Rewards are available once you reach the $2 threshold. It’s not a lot of money, but it’s so easy and all these small payouts from multiple companies can add up quickly!
- Has a 4.7-star rating in the Apple app store
- Available in English and German
- Get the iPhone app here or the Google Play app here
16. GAUGE Research
If you’re looking for paid focus groups and online surveys, a friend of mine, recommended the GAUGE Research app. She said that she usually gets invited to participate in a couple of surveys each month, which earns her $20-$60 a month.
I downloaded the app myself, and last year, I took about 20 surveys. Each paid out $10, and each only took me a few minutes to complete. You can answer surveys in text format, audio, or video (audio and video pay more). Your account must reach the $10 threshold before you can request payment via PayPal, but with surveys paying $10-$500, this is easy to achieve! GAUGE Research is available for Android and iPhone operating systems.
- Has a 3.7-star rating in the Apple app store
- Only available in the United States
- Sign up here
17. Ipsos iSay
Founded in 1975, Ipsos iSay is one of the world’s largest market research companies. With this survey site, you’ll earn points for each survey you take. Points can be redeemed for gift cards, charities, prepaid cards, or cash alternatives.
- Has an A- rating with the Better Business Bureau
- Ipsos iSay is currently recruiting survey takers from the US
- Sign up here
Tips For Making Extra Cash with Paid Surveys
By no means are you going to get rich taking paid surveys, but they are an easy way to earn a little extra income while you’re watching TV, listening to an audiobook, or waiting for an appointment. I’ve read a couple of accounts where people have used their survey earnings to pay for all their Christmas gifts or a weekend vacation. I use my survey money to cover my Starbucks habit.
Are you ready to jump in? Here are some survey-taking tips to make the most of this side hustle.
Set Up a Separate Email Account
Before you sign up with a bunch of survey companies, set up a separate email account for your survey-taking activities. You will get a TON of emails from these survey companies, and you won’t want these emails clogging up your personal or work email accounts. I personally use a free Yahoo email account for the survey sites that I use.
Sign Up With Multiple Survey Sites
Paid surveys are sporadic, and you’ll need to qualify for each one, so it’s best to sign up with multiple platforms, so you can increase your chances for opportunities.
Demographics
Many paid surveys have a qualifier questionnaire to ensure that you’re the right target audience to answer the survey questions. After all, you wouldn’t want to answer questions about dog food when you don’t even own a dog. The more boxes you check in terms of things you have and products you use, the more likely you’ll qualify for survey opportunities.
Create a Plan
To be successful with paid surveys, you just need to create a plan and execute it. For instance, if you answer four surveys a day, and each one pays $1.00, and you do this for 30 days, at the end of the month, you’ll have $120! Keeping a spreadsheet or a daily log of your activities can help you keep track of your efforts.
Use Your Time Wisely
When you’re looking at your options for paid surveys, use your time wisely. If a survey takes 60 minutes to complete and only pays $0.10, it’s not worth your time.
Also, never use your work time to take surveys.
Your work hours should be spent on tasks that are going to make you a living wage. This means if you don’t currently have income coming in, your work time should be used for searching, applying, and interviewing for jobs.
Or, if you’re a business owner or freelancer, your work time should be used for getting new clients or marketing your business. Again, surveys are a side earner; they will only provide a little extra money.
Red Flags: Watch Out For Survey Scams
Lastly, look out for scam survey sites. You should never have to pay a fee or provide private information like a credit card number, bank account info, social security number, or driver’s license number when you sign up to take surveys. If you’re using a smartphone app to take surveys, be sure to read the reviews before installing it. If something seems off, it probably is; always trust your gut.
For more ways to make money giving your opinion on things, look into paid focus groups!
Do you take online paid surveys? Which paid survey platforms do you recommend? Drop us a note; we’d love to hear from you.
Originally published October 4, 2013. Content updated November 2023.
Is there a way I can make 500 a month with online surveys?
Thanks
You might be able to achieve that goal. You’ll need to sign up with multiple sites and look for higher-paying opportunities. User Interviews, Respondent, Gauge, and Mindswarms tend to be the best paying.
Hi Holly, I live in Trinidad & Tobago in the Caribbean. I’m a retired nurse and have two children. I look daily for a mere 40 dollars a day our currency. My children are big and married and see about my needs, bills, groceries, toiletries, but I do sometimes need to get out and buy things I want. I have not reached the age for our government to retire me and pay old people, so I consider trying to see if I could work online and make some money. Covid has me inside as I have comorbidities like thyroid/blood disorder which affects the eyes, but I take tablets and I’m accustomed to being active, so I sometimes cook for friends for a small fee, and it keeps me afloat, but I need things otherwise that I do not like asking for like icecream and chocolate or sometimes to buy fast food. Haha.
Hi Pamela,
Great to connect with another retired nurse!
I suggest trying short task sites like Fiverr, Rev, Amazon mTurk, Appen, and Lionbridge — they allow users from around the world to work on mini-tasks like transcription, translation, social media and search evaluation, writing, design, and a lot more.
Also, since you enjoy cooking, here are some ideas to make money in that niche:
https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/make-money-cooking-at-home/
Good luck on your money-making quest!
I like taking surveys to make some extra cash/ gift cards. I like Survey Savvy but I also download the app for monitoring internet use on my tablet and laptop. Quick Thoughts is also really good for earning Amazon gift cards.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Kristina!
I’m currently using Swagbucks, Google Opinion Rewards, Respondent, and GUAGE Research — it’s not a ton of money, but it keeps me supplied in Starbucks and gives me Amazon credits which I use for books.
Okay thanks is everyone allowed to carryout a survey like we in Africa?
Hi Joy,
Try Swagbucks, it’s open to worldwide residents.
Good luck!
Thanks for this wonderful suggestion about Swagbucks, it renews my hope of getting additional income to support my family
You’re welcome!
I might look into that at a later date. I tried InboxDollars and some other survey site.
These survey sites are looking for personal information. If you don’t mind trading your personal information for a few bucks, whether it’s real money or not, & you have all the time, try these survey sites.
Yes, they are doing market research, and they will ask for things like your marital status, education level, how many children you have, as well as how much you earn annually.
But you should NEVER give out your bank account info, social security number, or credit card info — and there should never be a fee to take a survey.
I just started my blog HomeWorkin Mama where I will discuss being a WFH Mom and first time mom. I’m also going to homeschool my daughter and share those experiences! Please check it out! :)
http://homeworkinmama.com
Is there any recommended survey website for the africans
Swagbucks, its worldwide
Swagbucks accepts participants from the US, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Ireland, and the UK.
I have tried surveys several times to pad my bank accounts with desperately needed cash. I failed miserably. I have old-fashioned and (oftentimes) downright esoteric interests and preferences, which mean that I seldom qualify for surveys that are worth my time (or the irritating videos advertising things in which I have little interest—I might like giving sarcastic, rude comments to tell what I really think), and those that are somewhat worthwhile are long and onerous (once again I cannot say what I really think). If a survey is truly worth my time, I must waste some time failing to qualify.
My latest attempt was with Mindswarms. Fifty dollars a survey? Sign me up. It has been almost a month. I have been quietly (meaning they did not have the decency to inform me outright) rejected for EVERY SINGLE STUDY for which I could apply. I had several panics which drove me to try to contact (Their FAQs are worse than useless) them, and no answers. Methinks that only an especially average individual with an especially average mind (a teen girl, perhaps, who “likes” Katie Parry) can get any significant payment from Mindswarms. If you enjoy the works of Vasily Kalinnikov, or hip hoppers make you want to don white robes (and you’re not even a racist), do not bother with Mindswarms.com.
I very love Vindale Research. It is the best site, that I ever tried. I earned 150 dollars for first 2 weeks. It is good additional income and fun entertainment sometimes. I would like to recommend it.
150 dollars for the first two weeks? How did you do it? I suspect that it has something to do with your personality, which I would presume from your 150 dollar evidence must be incredibly average. Please correct me IF I am wrong (fingers crossed that I am).
Another good one is Amazon Mechanical Turk (https://www.mturk.com). It’s not all survey, but the surveys tend to pay the best. I’ve made over a thousand bucks this year.
Hi! I want to join a site called iglobalsurveys.com, but I’m not sure if it is legit. Have you heard about it? is it legit and does it pay well? Just want to make sure before I join. Thanks for your site and looking forward to your information.
Hi Maria, I haven’t heard of that one. I plan to update this post with more survey opportunities that are legit … so stay tuned. In the mean time check out this post that has some short-task and digital earning opportunities: https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/short-task-sites/
Hi, I am a teenager who isn’t really able to leave to home for work due to my current family situation. I’ve never had a job before but I really need some money for upcoming college (very soon, I am of legal working age) and I was thinking about doing some of these surveys jobs. However, I don’t know very much about taxes… Will working for Survey Savvy or Mindfield cost myself of the rest of my family money?
Check out these posts:
https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/jobs-college-students/
https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/short-task-sites/
Hi! I’m interested in the work from home with no experience but I’m willing to learn! I have a smartphone! I would like to earn money from home to make a living! Please contact me! Thanks for your attention!
Hi Monique, Here are some great ways to make money with your smartphone: https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/make-money-smart-phone/
And this article talks about jobs without a college degree: https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/work-from-home-college-degree/
Good luck with your job search and keep us posted!
I would add http://iwadi.net to the list. Sign up is really easy. They are part of Cint network and pay via PayPal.
Thanks for sharing, Anna. I haven’t heard of that one — will have to check it out.
hi, any sites africans can particitate in?
You’ve made an impressive listings of this paid survey sites.But which of this sites which pay to the members that are not from America or Europe. I’m from India. I need a guidance about ‘WFH’.
You would need to check each individual listing to see what countries they allow.
Most of our job leads are for US residents.
Check out this post for global jobs:
https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/worldwide-work-from-home-jobs/
Good luck!
Is this a Canadian thing or does it matter?
You’ll have to check each each individual app to see if it’s applicable to Canadian residents.
Viewpoint forum says that you have to have a referral to join , how do I get the referral? Thanks
According to their website:
“We are no longer accepting registrations without a referral. You must be referred by an existing member or receive a special invitation from Viewpoint Forum or one of our affiliates.”
Maybe somebody will chime in with their referral ID.
There a paid survey site that i’ve been apart of for a few years now called cashcrate. They are a legit company. it cost nothing to sign up and you earn a dollar just for signing up. they have offer, daily surveys, top surveys, bonus offer, bonus surveys, videos, and shopping online and you get paid to do it. Checks are sent out monthly the minimum payout is 20 bucks to earn a check but you can earn way more. You earn points that you can use towards giftcards and there are contest monthly as well. There’s forum and Faq’s if you need help and the staff is awesome too. Also to prove that cashcrate is the real deal there’s a payment wall where members post pictures of their checks just click on Faq and see payment wall. Cashcrate is great for stay at home moms, college students, etc. I hope that i covered everything, if anyone is interested just click the link below and start earning and having fun with Cashcrate.
I am interested to work with cash crate
Another great offer is surveys through Loop11.com. Anyone can signup & I’ve been getting surveys sent to me each week. You get between $1-$5 for a 10-30 minute survey.
http://www.loop11.com/get-paid-to-test-websites/
Thanks for your advice.I tried it out but I can’t .It isn’t available in my country.
Most of our job leads are for US residents.
Check out this post for global jobs:
https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/worldwide-work-from-home-jobs/
Good luck!
Hi I’ve tried to register to do surveys with this site and a few others but they keep telling me that my email is not valid. .any idea why?
Thanks
Which site, Trudy?
im looking to be paid by hr,for collecting data,doing surveys w/ people over the phone,im not an official survivior of domestic violence yet,but i better be,and im too disabled from him in the past to work,and babysitting his cat w/ lukemia. pray pla for richard and christine
Hi Christine, I haven’t seen an survey or digital earning sites that pay per hour. Most of these pay per task. If you need something that pays hourly, I’d check out phone type work or virtual assistant work.
Take a look at these two pages, they should help you:
https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/wah-jobs/
https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/make-money-from-home-quickly/
Hi…I just have a quick question. I live in the Caribbean and wouldn’t mind working from home doing one of these survey jobs, but I realize that none caters to people in my neck of the woods. How come?
Most of these companies are doing research for businesses that sell products in the US, so they only want people who have experience using these products and services. Say for instance they’re doing research on Chobani Yogurt — there’s a good chance that Chobani isn’t available in the Caribbean.
I’ve often answered surveys for eRewards.com — and have gotten subscriptions to magazines (Inc. and Money, which I love), and things like camera cases and purses. Plus they let you donate part of your rewards to sites like Kiva. Interesting surveys, and I only take part in ones when I have time, and if they interest me.
Thanks for the sharing Kayelle! I’ll have to check that one out.
How do I get an invite to join e-rewards?
I know I’m over a year late, but…
If your have a loyalty rewards card, such as Kroger Plus or GameStop Powerup Rewards, make sure you haven’t checked do not contact me in your profile.
I got invited via GameStop.