First off, online surveys are not for everyone. They can be really tedious and boring. However, if you do them casually, like I do, they can earn you a few extra bucks a year. You will never, I repeat, NEVER become rich off of them. Any website that claims that it can make you rich is probably a scam. You also should NEVER have to pay anything to use the survey websites. The legitimate ones are free. They’re paying you for your time and opinions, because companies are paying them to send out surveys.
You have to be REALLY careful about which companies you use. I’m only going to give the names of websites that have actually sent me checks (so I know they’re legit.) If you find a company that sounds good to you, just google the name of the website with the word “scam” or “fraud” and if you get lots of results, odds are you shouldn’t use that website!
The survey subjects can range from cars to food to insurance. You will eaither “qualify” for the survey, or you won’t. Some survey companies will give you partial credit even if you don’t qualify, and some will not.
Every once in a while (read: this has happened ONCE to me in a year) you will be asked to sample something and then take a survey on it. I had a survey company send me a frozen, two serving, lasagna (made by Ber.toli, maybe?) and I had to fill out a survey after I ate it. Very cool! I also enjoy other surveys where I’m asked to give my opinion of a product concept (say, a new kind of juice or ice cream) because then when I see it in the store, I can say, “Hey! That survey I took helped to develop that product!”
For each survey company that I use, you have to sign up at their website and then you’ll get e-mails from them with your “survey opportunities” that outline how much the survey pays (or how many points you’ll get.)
Now, for what you’ve all been waiting for…. The names of the websites. (These are two I use the most, that pay the best.)
Opinion Outpost
https://www.opinionoutpost.com/
How many surveys per month? They send about 30 surveys a month. (Some days I’ll get three, and some days, none.) However, I usually only qualify for about 1/3 or maybe even 1/4 of the surveys. (You’ll answer just a few questions and will be told you don’t qualify.)
How much do they pay? I completed eight surveys in July and was awarded an average of about 20 points per survey. (Some are very short and will only pay 5 points, and some are longer and will pay 40 or so.) For my eight surveys, I earned 173 points in July. At Opinion Outpost, 50 points equals $5, so I earned about $17 last month.
Have I received and cashed a real live check from them? Yes, I cashed a $40 check from them just yesterday.
What do I like? I like the fact that I get so many surveys from them. That way, if I’m not in the mood to fill one out, I don’t feel like I’m forever missing out on my one chance for the month. I also like the fact that their pay is higher per survey than other companies.
What do I not like? If you don’t qualify for a survey, you don’t get paid. You do have the chance to enter a sweepstakes for a $750 cash prize, try for a $50 instant win, or donate $.10 to the Red Cross. I’ve never won either the sweepstakes or the instant $50 prize, and I’ve enjoyed donating to the Red Cross, but it kind of peeves me that what they’re doing is using my donation to get a tax deduction for their company.
Global Opinion Panels:
https://www.globalopinionpanels.com/home
How many surveys per month? I don’t get too many from them. Usually maybe 6-10 per month.
How much do they pay? Varies from survey to survey and usually depends on the length of the survey. They usually award you 50 points just for attempting the survey, even if you DON’T qualify, which is nice. The initial e-mail will outline how many points you will be awarded if you complete the survey. With this company, 5,000 points equals $5. Surveys range from anywhere between 200 points to 5,000 points each, with the average being about 500 points. Remember that you won’t qualify for every survey, but at least you’re getting 50 points if you don’t.
For example: In June, I was sent seven surveys. I only qualified for one. I was awarded 750 points for the one I qualified for, and 50 points each for the other six, netting 1,050 points for June. In July, I attempted four surveys and qualified for three. I earned 1,000 points, 500 points, and 400 points for the qualifying surveys, and 50 points for the non-qualifying, netting 1,950 points, which is not quite $2.
Have I received and cashed a real live check from them? Yes, and I’m waiting for another one in the mail soon!
What do I like? I like that I get points even if I don’t qualify for the survey.
What do I not like? I’ve had a few technical glitches with their website that have caused me to not get credit for a few surveys that crashed while I was filling them out. (Very frustrating.) Also, the pay rate isn’t as good as other survey companies.
