This topic has been on my list of articles I wanted to write and I am finally getting around to it. I have heard about the idea of getting paid to do online surveys but I have also heard that many of these offers are scams. This would probably fall into the same category of a recent article I wrote on the topic of how to make money as a mystery shopper. Most people dismiss the idea as illegitimate since there are so many scams that use the concept as a front.
Not only have I been generally aware of the survey opportunity, but a cousin of mine that has a seasonal job shared with me last year that she makes quite a bit of money during her 'off season' completing online surveys. This was the first time that someone I knew actually vouched for the legitimacy of getting paid to do surveys.
Separating The Scams From The Real Thing
The tip off of a paid survey scam is when you are asked to pay money upfront to become involved. Legitimate survey opportunities do not ask you to pay them - they pay you. Another very common thing you will see if you do any Google searches for survey opportunities are thousands of people selling lists of online survey companies. You really don't need to spend $30 or more for a list as I am providing one for you below.
Reputable Online Survey Opportunities
How Do You Get Paid?
The above sites pay out most via Pay Pal. Most offer a variety of rewards programs such as airline miles, credit at Amazon.com, and other online stores. The compensation you will receive is disclosed upfront, so you can decide if the offer is worth your time to participate.
How Much Will I Earn?
Shorter surveys (5 minutes or less) pay about $1 while longer surveys (45 minutes) can pay $30 or more.
How To Get Started
Get started by registering with any of the above sites. The registration process involves sharing some information about yourself that will help the survey company to determine what surveys would be appropriate for you to complete. Most of the sites will allow you to start completing surveys immediately after registration. You will also be contacted by e mail when any surveys you qualify to complete are available. For example, they may be currently looking for mothers of young children and if you don't fit into that category you may not find anything currently available for you. This appears to be the most limiting aspect of the survey opportunity. You can not just sit down and complete an unlimited number of surveys. You can only complete surveys you are invited to participate on. One way to combat this is to sign up for multiple survey sites to increase the odds on your survey invitations.
Conclusion
Don't quit your day job. Depending on your consumer profile you may only get the opportunity to do a handful of surveys each week. The only way to find out how in demand you may be as a survey taker is to sign up for a few sites and complete their profile questionnaire.
Please use the comments section below to share your own experience (good or bad) with the world of paid online surveys.
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James L. Paris
Editor-In-Chief ChristianMoney.com
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Your video is spot on. It's nice to see someone giving out good advice about paid surveys and not trying to scam you. I can vouch for most of the sites on the list. I belong to several different survey panels and they do pay me cash for taking surveys. It may not be a lot of money but it's free money that I can earn very easily.
Posted by: Survey Queen | April 02, 2013 at 05:31 AM
i actually have tried some online jobs such as surveys but i dont have any good experience at it..
they dont give me surveys all the time...they give 3 or 5 surveys per week...but that was all in the past,.. :)
Bay Area DJ
Posted by: Bella White | February 23, 2013 at 07:25 AM
findfocusgroups.com is probably the best site I have found, same survey or group studies make up to $200, you have to check your area, and sometimes have to travel, but I have made close to $500 on this site.
Posted by: kym | January 22, 2013 at 05:09 PM
I have been doing online surveys for about 6 monthes and have found that most surveys pay about 50 cents per survey and take anywhere from 15 minutes up to 45 minutes
Posted by: BAY DJ AND BAY AREA DJ | December 29, 2012 at 04:22 AM
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Posted by: Free Surveys | December 07, 2012 at 02:44 AM
I have to agree with previous comments, you cannot make much from surveys! I have been doing them around 6 months, and the most I made is probably $2.00 for one survey. Most surveys pay a lot less, especially sendearnings, which offers to pay only about $.50 for 30-45 minute survey. The worst part is that you may spend 10 minutes or more on a survey, only to find out you don't qualify. That has been extremely frustrating to me!!
I did get an e-mail once that offered me $75 for a 45 minute phone survey (from KJT group). I tried it, but wasn't sure if it was too good to be true. I was pleasantly surprised that the check came in the mail!
If you are going to do surveys, make sure you set up a different e-mail account, you will get a LOT of junk mail.
Jim, I wonder why the person you know makes so much from surveys. I just have a modest income, but I am a homemaker with 3 children, so the survey companies should be intersted in me. Could it be the difference in income levels?
Posted by: Lori | June 19, 2012 at 08:44 AM
I have signed up with several survey sites and can say that I would like to know where you can get $30 for a survey. There are a few other reputable survey sites that aren't listed, but you do have a nice list of some of the best ones. What is funny is that you can have access to the same surveys from multiple companies, but one company will give you 50 cents and another 2 dollars.
Posted by: chris | June 06, 2012 at 11:51 AM
I have been doing online surveys for about 6 monthes and have found that most surveys pay about 50 cents per survey and take anywhere from 15 minutes up to 45 minutes. Some pay more, perhaps $2.00, but those are few and far between. I do not think this is a viable way to make decent money unless you are doing surveys for 12 hours a day. I have not even made the minimum of $30 that Inbox Dollars requires before they pay you in the 6 monthes I have been doing them! I say, do them for fun or to waste some time, but do not do them thinking you can make any serious money!
Posted by: lori grice | June 06, 2012 at 10:17 AM