Interest in Freecash.com has exploded in the last three years. In fact, it’s second only to Swagbucks in terms of daily search interest amongst “make money online” platforms according to Google Trends.

Keeping with our mission to review popular side hustle apps, we took the plunge and tested it for ourselves, bringing you a no-nonsense look at what it’s like to try and earn extra cash through the site.

From our first click to cashing out, we compared how Freecash stacks up against other popular get-paid-to (GPT) sites so you can decide whether or not the platform is worth it for you.

What Is Freecash?

FreeCash.com is a micro job site that offers users the opportunity to make extra money through completing surveys, testing apps, playing games, and performing various online tasks.

Users can redeem their earnings for cash via PayPal, cryptocurrencies, or gift cards, making it a versatile choice for those looking to generate extra income. Ultimately, the site appeals to anyone 13+ years of age anywhere in the world looking for a flexible way to earn from home or on the go.

Earning Potential

While not the only important variable, to many side hustlers, the top dollar figure is the most important. Our experience revealed that, while not without flaws, users of Freecash will make as much or more than with competing GPT sites.

How Freecash Works

Signing up for Freecash is fast and easy. Simply head to their website and create an account using your email address and a password of your choice.

You’ll need to verify your email to unlock the free “welcome bonus” case they offer (users will randomly win between $0.05 and $250).

Once registered, users can immediately begin to complete small tasks to earn Freecash coins (1,000 coins is equal to $1 USD).

Specifically, Freecash users can start to earn redeemable coins and cash in the following ways:

• Offers
• Surveys
• Leaderboard (ongoing promotion)
• Affiliates (refer users)
• Arcade (gamble coins)

Toggle through the tabs below for an in-depth look at each feature and our experience with them.

OffersSurveysLeaderboardAffiliatesArcade

Offers

These represent the second-highest earning feature available through Freecash (referring users is technically the highest since there is no income cap). Users will earn anywhere between $0.01 and hundreds of dollars by completing the “fine print” steps required to convert on an offer.

Offers generally require signing up for a free or paid service, playing a game and reaching a certain level, making a deposit on an app, or signing up for a free trial of some sort.

Tasks can take anywhere from a few seconds to days or even weeks to complete.

Our Experience: Unless you’re a content creator or otherwise have an audience for referring users to the app, odds are the Offers feature will represent your highest earning potential.

While some offers claim payouts of $1,000 or more (we’ve seen as high as $12,000) odds are they are extremely difficult or next to impossible to achieve.

That said, we regularly see users complete offers in the $20 to $300 neighborhood. Generally speaking, these are Game offers where a user reaches a certain level. Converting on the offer may require in-app purchases that ultimately lower your final (net) payout.

During our testing, we converted on 9 offers totaling $205.85 in value (an average of $22.87 per offer). We had to make a purchase (or cash deposit) totaling $46 across 4 of the 9 offers to unlock their payouts.

For example, we deposited $10 onto Fanduel, Crypto.com, and the Draft Kings Sportsbook, each, to unlock the Offer payouts.

While we spent money making these deposits, we came out ahead in the end because these businesses are banking on consumers becoming long-term customers (hoping they’ll extract consumer spending that exceeds this initial customer acquisition cost).

Notably, the number of Offers available to users on Freecash is finite. You will eventually run out of relevant, high-paying offers in the near-term, so you’ll want to occasionally check the Offer tab to see if there’s anything new that’s relevant to you.

Our recommendation: Only complete offers that are relevant to you or that you’ve strategically identified will result in a net positive outcome after expenses are considered. There is a community chat option within Freecash where you can ask other users about specific offers and we recommend utilizing it. It’s a simple way to get real-time feedback about some of the better-paying Offers.

Show more

Show Less

Surveys

If you’ve ever taken paid surveys for money, you’re aware of the experience and likely have tempered expectations for how much you’ll earn.

Freecash is no different in this regard because its platform hooks up to many of the same survey databases that you’ll find amongst other survey platforms.

That said, Freecash does differ in two significant ways, in my opinion.

1. They have API access to several large survey networks including Pollfish and BitLabs. This is significant because a common complaint about survey sites is that users quickly run out of paying surveys.
2. The survey screening process seems better. This is anecdotal, but we find that we waste less time getting disqualified from surveys early on versus getting screened out 35 minutes into a survey, only to receive pennies or nothing at all.

Users will still get screened out — it’s an inevitability in this environment — but Freecash does throw users a bone by awarding them a randomly assigned coin value so that even screened-out surveys aren’t a total waste of time.

Our Experience: As previously alluded to, our experience taking Surveys through Freecash was on par or even slightly better than through predominately survey-focused platforms.

One feature that we particularly like is that you can sort the available surveys list by user rating. This is good because it allows us to quickly find the “5-star” rated surveys (surveys that actually work). Every survey site has broken surveys that glitch out or don’t pay, so this helps us quickly find the ones that do.

This is a massive time-saving (and money-making) feature.

Generally speaking, we’ve earned between $0.25 and $2.00 for each survey taken. All-in-all we earn somewhere in the neighborhood of $3.00 to $6.00 per hour via this feature, putting it on par or slightly higher than even survey-exclusive platforms.

Note: We generally avoid surveys that have an advertised duration of 30 minutes or longer. While these are some of the higher-paying surveys, getting screened out at any portion of the survey grossly lowers your hourly earnings. In our experience, the repeated small wins back out better in the long run.

Show more

Show Less

Leaderboard

One of Freecash’s best value propositions is its daily and monthly Leaderboard feature where they give a cumulative $20,000 or more to over 1,000 users each month.

It’s not random, so you have some control over your chances of appearing on the Leaderboard on any given day.

Although unverifiable, where Freecash likely has hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of monthly active users, appearing on either Leaderboard is difficult and will require some strategic thinking.

In either case, users will likely have to unlock earnings for one or more high-ticket Offers to have a shot at appearing towards the top of the Leaderboard.

That said, they do pay out the top 1,000 slots on both the Daily and Monthly Leaderboard, so you may get some incremental payout so long as you’re a moderately active user.

Our Experience: Even on days we were earning $15 to $30 in coins, we were not making the top 1,000 of the Daily Leaderboard. This suggests that coming in near the top is extremely difficult.

Our recommendation? Stack offers that have instant payouts so that you can complete them all on the same day, if possible. Making the top 1% of the monthly leaderboard will require unlocking several high-ticket Offers and is likely not attainable for the average user.

Show more

Show Less

Affiliates

One semi-unique feature that separates Freecash from competitors is its generous revenue share-oriented affiliate program. While referral programs among GPT apps are commonplace, they generally pay a flat one-time bonus (let’s say $5 for inviting a family or friend).

Instead, Freecash offers a 10-tier system where users can work their way up based on the number of people they refer. The kicker is that you earn a lifetime percentage of your referred users’ earnings based on the tier you’re in.

Let’s say you reach Tier 6 by referring several friends and family members who have now cumulatively earned at least $500.00 in total earnings (not unusual across several active users). You’re now entitled to 10% of their future earnings, forever.

It’s not hard to see how this will far eventually exceed a flat $5 per referred user model.

Checkout Freecash’s tips for earning affiliated users to learn more.

Our Experience: We’ve yet to refer a user at the time of publishing, but we’ll be updating this review if we progress through the Tiers.

If you use our referral link to try Freecash, you’ll get to open up to four free cases valued between $0.05 and $250 (you can open these cases whether or not you use our link).

That said, we’re reader-supported, so we appreciate the assist!

Show more

Show Less

Arcade

Casino-like in nature, the Arcade offers users the opportunity to exchange coins for entries into random giveaways. There’s a house edge in both of the games they offer — Jackpots and Cases — with between 10% and 25% going to the house (Freecash).

At the time of writing, High Risk Cases dangled $599 iPhones and $150 AirPods in front of users for a mere $0.75 entry fee (they transparently display ~0.01% and 0.01% odds of winning respectively).

Our Experience: As a semi-professional poker player in the distant past, I was conditioned to never make negative expected value plays. As such, I’m not a fan of giving up a known portion of my winnings to the house over the long run.

Being the massive rebel that I am, I risked $0.11 to win $1 on the lowest tier Jackpot wheel. I did not win.

Fortunately, I bought a $0.75 entry into a Low Risk Case game and walked away with the $0.85 prize, nearly recouping my previous $0.11 loss.

Now, back into gambling retirement.

Show more

Show Less

+ Jump back to Features

While these features predominately cover the main ways users can earn money with Freecash, there are a few other time-sensitive opportunities to look out for.

For example, users can earn a free $0.15 by following Freecash on X (formerly Twitter).

Here, they periodically posted Bonus Codes that users can enter under the Rewards tab to claim additional earnings.

Similarly, Freecash frequently holds “Events” where they have an allotted prize pool they’ve elected to giveaway. This month, for their Spring giveaway, they’re divvying up $200,000 ($50k per week) worth of Apple and Google Play gift cards, AirPods, and iPhones, among eligible users.

Pros & Cons

Like every GPT site, there are benefits and drawbacks users may want to know about before investing time or energy into the platform.

Pros

1. Large Number of Earning Opportunities. Freecash offers a variety of ways to earn money, including surveys, games, and different tasks, providing users with multiple options to choose from based on their preferences and skills.
2. Low Payout Threshold. The platform stands out with a very low payout threshold of just $0.50 for Crypto and $5 for PayPal and gift cards, allowing users to access their earnings quickly and frequently, which is particularly appealing for those who need fast cash.
3. Clean User Interface. The clean and intuitive user interface makes it easy for new users to navigate the platform, reducing the learning curve and enhancing the overall user experience.
4. Good Payout Options. Users have a variety of payout options including PayPal, various cryptocurrencies, and gift cards, catering to diverse preferences for accessing earned money.
5. Robust Survey Offerings. Freecash provides a wide range of surveys, making it easier for users to find opportunities that match their demographics and interests, which can lead to higher earnings.

Cons

1. Offers May Not Track Correctly
   Some users may experience issues with offers not tracking properly, which can lead to frustration and lost potential earnings if completed tasks are not recognized by the system.
2. Some Broken/Expired Offers. Occasionally, the platform might list offers that are broken or expired, wasting users’ time and potentially discouraging continued use of the service.
3. Difficult to Level Up at Start. New users might find it challenging to advance to higher levels of earning opportunities, as leveling up can require significant initial effort and time investment.
4. Time May Be Better Spent on Higher-Earning Side Hustles. For some users, the time invested in Freecash might yield lower returns compared to other side hustles or part-time jobs that offer higher earning potential.

Tips for Maximizing Earnings

To help users make the most out of their time on Freecash, we’ve come up with some practical tips for maximizing earnings on the platform:

Disable Your Ad Blocker. We learned this one the hard way. Ad blockers can break the tracking parameters used to track when you convert on an Offer. If the tracking is broken, you won’t earn your payout as desired.

Choose High-ROI Tasks First. Prioritize tasks and surveys that offer the best ROI on your time. This ensures you’re making the most money for your time spent on the platform.

Complete Daily Goals. Freecash often offers daily goals or challenges that can unlock additional bonuses. Make it a habit to complete these each day to boost your earnings. Modest earnings add up over time.

Freecash Alternatives

Freecash operates in a competitive space with several well-established platforms that offer similar opportunities to earn money through micro tasks, surveys, and games.

Here’s how it stacks up against its three largest competitors.

Freecash vs Swagbucks

Both platforms offer multiple avenues for earning money online, but they excel in different areas. Freecash stands out with its exceptionally low payout threshold of just $0.50, making it easier for users to access their earnings quickly, compared to Swagbucks’ $3 minimum. On the other hand, Swagbucks offers a broader variety of activities, including shopping and video watching, which may appeal to users looking for more diverse earning opportunities beyond the surveys and tasks that FreeCash emphasizes.

Freecash vs Survey Junkie

Freecash and Survey Junkie cater to users interested in earning money through online surveys, but Freecash differentiates itself by offering additional ways to earn, such as playing games and completing various tasks. This variety can appeal to users looking for more engaging and diverse earning opportunities, beyond just surveys.

Freecash vs InboxDollars

While Freecash features a mix of surveys, games, and micro-tasks, InboxDollars offers an even broader range of activities including reading emails, watching videos, and shopping, potentially appealing to users who prefer more everyday activities as earning mechanisms. However, Freecash stands out with its ability to pay out in cryptocurrencies in addition to traditional methods like PayPal and gift cards, providing a unique option for users interested in digital currencies, which InboxDollars does not offer.

Is Freecash Worth It? Our Verdict

After thorough exploration and firsthand testing of Freecash, it’s evident that the platform is a legitimate and viable option for those looking to supplement their income with accessible online tasks. With its low payout threshold and diverse earning methods, Freecash distinguishes itself in the competitive field of GPT sites.

While Freecash is never going to replace a full-time job, it offers a practical solution for anyone—from teenagers to adults around the world—seeking a flexible way to earn a bit of extra pocket money each month. Particularly for those who may not have access to higher-paying side hustles, Freecash presents a straightforward, low-commitment option that’s worth trying out, potentially even preferable to its competitors for earning a little on the side.

Related: 56 Legit Ways to Make Money Online

FAQs

Rating Methodology

To determine the review score for Freecash, we considered the following criteria, each of which contributes to the overall effectiveness and user experience of the platform:

The post Freecash Review 2024: Pros, Cons & Is It Worth It? appeared first on DollarSprout.

Some of them I’ve loved, while others have proven too tedious, low-paying, and not worth the time.

I’ve learned that the best survey sites have a few things in common. They’re simple and easy to use, transparent about earnings, and have lots of survey opportunities.

Branded Surveys checks many of those boxes. Plus, they offer a bonus structure, so the more surveys you complete, the more bonus points you can earn.

In this Branded Surveys review, I share the platform’s pros and cons, tips for earning the most, and other helpful insights I’ve gained from using the platform for the past four years.

Key Takeaways

• Earnings and Points System: Branded Surveys pays users for taking surveys, with most paying between $0.50 and $5.00​​​​.
• Earnings and Time Frame: Earn $1 for signing up and completing your first survey, and earn an additional $10 to $25 per month by completing a few surveys each day and maintaining a good quality score.
• Cashout Options: At 500 points users can cash out via PayPal, Branded Pay (direct deposit for U.S. users), or choose from a variety of gift cards. Cash or gift cards arrive within 1 to 3 business days​​​.
• Market Position: Branded Surveys is well-regarded in the survey-taking community. It has over 50,000 five-star ratings and just 9% of verified users rate the site at 2.0 stars or lower. It’s considered one of the better survey sites due to its ease of use, security, and comparatively higher payouts​​​​.

Verdict: 4.0 out of 5 stars

• App Design: 4.0 out of 5 stars
• Cost: 5.0 out of 5 stars
• Ease of Use: 4.0 out of 5 stars
• Rewards: 3.0 out of 5 stars

What Is Branded Surveys?

Formerly MintVine, Branded Surveys is a market research firm that partners with Fortune 500 companies to pay consumers real money for their opinions on new-to-market (or recently revised) products and services. These companies use the feedback for things like marketing, product improvements, and inspiration for entirely new products.

As a Branded Surveys member, you’ll earn points for taking surveys and can redeem those points for cash, gift cards, or a donation to one of your favorite charities.

Get Started

$1 Sign-Up Bonus

DollarSprout Rating

Branded Surveys pays users for their opinions. Users earn money by taking paid surveys that are redeemable for cash, gift cards, or as a charitable donation. The minimum cash-out threshold is 500 points, or $5. The site offers a 50-point sign-up bonus for creating an account and another 50 points for completing your first profile survey.

How Branded Surveys Works

Like other survey sites, Branded Surveys is simple to use. All you need to do is register for a free account, answer a few demographic questions, and start taking surveys.

There’s no application to complete and no waiting period to find out if you’re accepted into their program.

You get 50 points for creating your account and another 50 after taking your first survey, equal to a total $1 sign-up bonus.

Branded Surveys uses their Survey Matching Engine to match you with qualifying surveys.

This helps streamline the process by eliminating the need to search through dozens of options to find one you’re qualified for. Instead, you’re automatically sent surveys that match your profile.

Since I didn’t want to spend any time sifting through opportunities I might not even qualify for, the fact that they do the initial work was a selling point for me.

Take Surveys

After setting up your account, you can log in to your account dashboard to see the surveys you qualify for. These are listed under “Survey Spotlight.”

You’ll also see the estimated time it’ll take to complete them and how many points you’ll earn, both of which can help you determine if it’s worth it to take the survey.

Keep in mind that the time listed is an estimate. I found that some surveys took significantly less time to complete than what was listed. For example, I earned 39 points for a survey listed at 10 minutes, but it only took me about 2 minutes to complete.

You’ll find anywhere from one to three survey options as well as “Extra Earning Opportunities” like completing partner surveys, profile questionnaires, and taking the daily poll.

In addition to surveys available through your dashboard, you can also have notifications sent to your email address. You’ll need to respond to all requests rather quickly; surveys can fill up or expire within minutes. However, if you’re able to take these surveys during your downtime, you can earn extra points and move through the tiers within a few weeks.

The only issue with these surveys is they often take quite a while to complete. The offers I received averaged around 20 to 30 minutes. That’s kind of a long time, especially if I wanted to take a few in a day. Since it was more time than I wanted to spend, I tended to not take as many as I could.

Related: 18 Best Places to Find Micro Jobs Online

Branded Elite Program

Branded Elite is Branded Surveys’ bonus program. There are three tiers: Bronze, Silver, and Gold.

You can go to Branded Elite on the navigation menu in your account to see your status and how many points you need to move to the next tier.

The higher your Branded Elite status, the more bonus points you can earn for reaching milestones of 12, 20, or 30 surveys in 7 days.

For example, Bronze members earn a 5% bonus for taking 12 surveys in 7 days. If you’re in the Gold tier, that bonus jumps to 15 for the same number of completed surveys.

The bonuses are added to your account at the end of each week in addition to what you earn from taking surveys.

Related: 15 Legit Paid Focus Groups You Can Sign Up for Today

Email Notification Settings

One strength of using Branded Surveys is the ability to control how many survey options you receive via email per day. Rather than finding your inbox bombarded (or empty) with offers, you can set how many emails you receive and at what time of day you receive them.

If you know that you’re on your laptop from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., you can set your preferences to only send surveys at that time, and you can opt for up to 10 survey notifications per hour.

On the other hand, you can choose to receive zero options while you’re asleep, meaning you won’t have an inbox full of Branded Surveys emails to review when you first log in the next morning.

If it gets to be too much or you want to quit, you can choose to unsubscribe from emails at any point. If you choose this option, you’ll only receive surveys when you open your Branded Surveys dashboard.

Cashing Out

Once you’ve accumulated 500 points, worth $5, you’re eligible to cash out your winnings. You can elect for a cash payment via PayPal or Branded

Pay (their proprietary payout option that allows U.S. users to receive payments directly to their bank account). You can also exchange your points for gift cards to places like Amazon, Apple, and Buffalo Wild Wings or donate to charity.

You’ll typically receive your cash or gift card within one to three business days.

Additional Ways to Earn

In addition to earning points by taking surveys, there are other ways you make money with Branded Surveys.

Refer Friends

When you create a Branded Surveys account, you’ll receive a unique referral link you can send to family, friends, or social media followers. If they sign up and achieve Silver status, you’ll earn an extra 50 points for each person who registers with your link.

There’s no limit to how many bonus points you can earn through referrals, and it’s not that hard to achieve Silver Status within a few days of joining. It all depends on how many surveys you qualify for, how many points they’re worth, and how often you take them.

Daily Poll

Each day, Branded Surveys will add a daily poll to your dashboard (found under “Extra Earning Opportunities”). Taking this poll is fast (it’s usually one question), and nets you an easy five extra points.

Leaderboard Bonuses

Branded Surveys offers a friendly competition among users, encouraging them to take as many surveys as possible to make it to the top of the leaderboard.

By staying atop the leaderboard, you can earn up to 1,000 bonus points, plus a chance for entry into drawings for additional points.

Survey Streak

Branded Surveys rewards users with bonus points as they complete streaks. For example, if you complete 12 surveys in seven days, you’ll earn a 5% bonus on points you earn. If you complete 30 surveys in seven days, that percentage increases to 15%.

The bonus points percentage increases based on your Elite Branded status. The higher up you are, the more bonus points you’ll earn.

Promo Codes

Branded Surveys will occasionally send users promotional codes, typically through special contests, emails, or promotions. You can use these codes to add additional points to your account. These don’t seem to happen too often so make sure you cash in on it when you can.

Branded Surveys Alternatives

If you’re new to getting paid to take surveys, or you want more survey options, here are a few more of the best places to take paid online surveys.

InboxDollars

InboxDollars is a survey-taking site. In addition to surveys, it also allows users to redeem cash-back offers and watch ads or play games to earn extra cash.

You get a $5 bonus just for signing up. Once you earn $30, you can cash out your earnings for a check, e-gift card, or prepaid Visa gift card.

Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie pays users for taking surveys, testing products, and joining online and in-person focus groups. Like Branded Surveys, Survey Junkie pays in points.

Once you accumulate 1,000 points, you can cash out through PayPal, redeem them for e-gift cards, or transfer the cash equivalent ($10) directly to your bank account.

FAQs

Final Thoughts: Is Branded Surveys Worth It?

Branded Surveys is a legitimate way to earn extra money if you like spending time online taking surveys. It’s easy to use, there are lots of ways to earn points, and the payout process is relatively simple.

It’s a nice complement to other online gigs like getting paid to watch ads or videos or participating in focus groups.

Keep in mind that pay can be low for the amount of time you spend taking surveys, and sometimes the surveys can take a long time to complete. Given that, it’s a smart choice to combine taking surveys with another side hustle to maximize your online earnings.

However, when it comes to paid survey sites, Branded Surveys has my vote.

Related: 50+ Legit Ways to Make Money Online

The post Branded Surveys Review: Here’s How Much I Earned in 3 Hours appeared first on DollarSprout.

Any site with the name “bucks” in it immediately sets off my internal scam alert.

That said, I’ve been a user for over seven years now, and I can definitively say that Swagbucks isn’t a scam. In fact, it’s one of the most popular online rewards sites in the United States. 

If you’re looking for an easy way to earn a little extra cash each month, grab a seat as I go over the best (and worst) ways to make money with Swagbucks. 

What Is Swagbucks?

Swagbucks is a rewards platform where users can complete surveys, earn cash back, and perform other short tasks to earn “Swagbucks” (also known as SBs).

Users can exchange SBs for PayPal cash or gift cards to places like Amazon, Walmart, or Target. Or, you can donate your earnings to charities like the American Red Cross and UNICEF.

Swagbucks is a subsidiary of the media company Prodege, LLC along with three similar sites: MyPoints, Tada, and InboxDollars.

Since its launch in 2010, Swagbucks has grown to over 20 million users and paid out over $935 million in cash and free gift cards. Swagbucks’ reputation is well known in the online sphere. They’ve been featured in publications such as Reader’s Digest, Cosmopolitan, and U.S. News & World Report.

$10 Bonus

$0 Price Free to use

$10 Sign-Up Bonus Conditions apply

DollarSprout Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars

Swagbucks is an online rewards platform that offers redeemable points when users complete surveys, shop online, purchase gift cards, or sign up for free offers. Points can be exchanged for gift cards and PayPal cash for as little as $1.

Show Hide more

Pros

• Free to use.
• $10 sign-up bonus available.
• Wide variety of ways to earn points.
• Most points are credited to your account immediately.
• Clean website and mobile app with an easy-to-use interface.
• Earn rewards for completing everyday tasks.

Cons

• Won’t replace your primary income.
• Unclear point attribution at times (Swagbucks Search).
• Some of the opportunities require you to spend money, negating the implied benefits.

How Swagbucks Works

Swagbucks’ focus has shifted in recent years to include features beyond just paid online surveys. Coupons and cash-back shopping have additionally become core product staples as they seek to increase the number of ways members can earn rewards. 

Specifically, members can earn SBs in at least ten different ways. Swagbucks refers to them as:

Top Swagbucks Features 

I’ve tested virtually every feature and/or way to make money with Swagbucks. Here’s an overview of each, my experience, which I think are worthwhile, and which aren’t worth your time.

1. Answer

The most popular way to make money on the site is by taking Swagbucks surveys.

Major brands rely on companies like Swagbucks to gather helpful feedback from consumers. When you take a survey, those companies pay Swagbucks for your answers, and Swagbucks passes on some of their earnings to you.

When you first sign up for Swagbucks, you’ll fill out a demographic profile with your age, location, income, and interests. Swagbucks uses this information to match you with surveys that are a good fit.

You’ll still need to answer pre-qualification questions to take some surveys, and there’s a chance you’ll be disqualified. If that happens, you may end up with a small reward or no points at all. 

Typically, you’ll find a few new survey options in your account each day. The more accurate and complete your profile, the better your survey matches will be, which should mean less time answering pre-survey questions just to be disqualified.

Swagbucks offers three main survey options:

1. Survey Profile
2. Answer Surveys
3. Daily Poll

Survey Profile

Your Survey Profile can be found on the right side of the Answer tab. 

You get 2 SBs for every 10 questions you answer. That may not sound like much, but the questions are short and multiple-choice, so SBs can accumulate pretty quickly. 

That said, there only appears to be 40 to 50 questions in total. As such, your earning potential here is low, and will only amount to a few cents per month.

Swagbucks primarily uses these interest-based surveys to match you with larger, more relevant surveys from brands seeking targeted feedback. Each month, I tend to notice a few new questions pop up on my sidebar as Swagbucks seeks to find relevant participants for newly introduced surveys.

Answer Surveys

Answer Surveys are the standard surveys that appear on the Swagbucks Answer tab. The estimated completion time, SB per minute, total SB amount, and Survey ID are listed on the page. 

Selecting Start Survey will take you to a screening page where you’re generally asked 5 to 7 questions to make sure that 1) you’re not a bot, and 2) that you provide answers that are consistent with the demographic information you provided in your Survey Profile. 

Assuming those all line up, you’ll then be re-directed to a third-party site that offers the survey. 

Completed surveys generally award between 50 and 500 SBs, the cash equivalent of $0.50 to $5.00. Our experience suggests you will qualify for about 20 to 25% of the surveys listed on your profile.

As such, it’s common to begin a survey, and then be screened out (disqualified) after completing a variable number of questions. I generally receive a proportional number of the advertised SB Amount depending on how far I made it through the survey before getting screened out. This typically falls between 1 and 15 points, but Swagbucks isn’t clear about how those totals are determined. 

A common complaint that people have about survey sites is that sometimes you will get booted from a survey and you’ll have no way of knowing if it was just a glitch or if you were disqualified from the survey. That ambiguity has hurt the online survey space’s reputation over the years, but one thing I really like about Swagbucks is that it transparently provides an Activity history under your profile (top right corner of your dashboard) that shows how many SBs you earned for every activity on the site, including survey disqualifications. 

Daily Poll

The daily poll renews each day. It’s 1 question worth 1 SB. Not much, but an easy point for little effort.

2. Shop

Swagbucks Shop works similarly to Rakuten and other popular cash back apps. When you shop through one of their links, Swagbucks receives a small commission. They pass on part of that commission to you as a cash back reward.

For example, a 5% cash back deal at Walmart means you’ll get 5 SB for every $1 you spend when you purchase something through a Swagbucks link.

Swagbucks offers a wide range of retailers to choose from, including Amazon, Athleta, Lowe’s, Banana Republic, and travel sites like Priceline and Hotels.com.

The Swagbucks Shop page also offers coupons for local deals through Groupon. When you find a deal you like, just click the link that directs you to the company’s site where you can complete your shopping trip.

Sometimes Swagbucks offers multiplier deals for specific retailers. So if a store normally offers 1% cash back, but has a 10x deal, you’ll receive 10% cash back, or 10 SB, for every $1 you spend. There are no codes necessary for the multiplier deal.

It can take 30 days or more for your Swagbucks points to show up in your account depending on the retailer.

3. Magic Receipts

The Magic Receipts feature is similar to Ibotta and other receipt-scanning apps.

When you find something you like, you add it to My List on Swagbucks and purchase it from a participating store like Walmart, Target, or Kroger.

Then, just upload the receipt to claim the advertised SBs.

Each item is worth a different number of SBs. Some are worth an easy 50 SBs (bread, bananas, etc.) and others can be worth as many as 3,000 SBs (tequila, cleaning supplies, etc.). Certain items are also brand-specific or require in-store shopping.

Be sure to click on each offer and read the “fine print” section for all the requirements. Many deals require that you purchase a minimum amount to receive your points.

After you shop, return to My List in Swagbucks to submit your receipt. Swagbucks will ask you where you shopped and which items you bought. Upload a picture of your receipt, and Swagbucks will scan it and credit your account.

Other Swagbucks Features 

We intentionally decided to place these features in their own separate category for a few different reasons. For starters, they won’t be applicable to everyone.

Furthermore, several are low-earning features that may even require you to spend money to earn SBs. This isn’t ideal as the likely cost won’t offset the number of SBs you’re slated to earn. (If you planned to spend money on these items anyway, then you may as well earn SBs to offset the cost). 

4. Discover

With Swagbucks Discover, you can earn SB by signing up for product trials, donating to charities, downloading mobile apps, and more.

In a nutshell, they’re all offers from companies that partner with Swagbucks. Some of them require you to make a payment or deposit, and others just require a sign-up.

Several of these offers have a long(er) locking period. Whereas the points earned from surveys and cashback offers generally appear in your account within days if not immediately, the Discover offers can take a month or more to show up.

Additionally, not all offers are “high-value”, but you can sort and filter to find the ones that make the most sense for your situation.

If you’re interested in exploring new brands and earning the highest rewards, you’ll want to check out the Featured and Sign Up and Earn listings.

5. Swagstakes 

While the Swagstakes feature has been around for a long time, the speed at which Swagbucks has grown has recently made this a more lively feature. 

Member users can use their earned SBs to buy entries into raffles for a number of different prizes. Common prizes include large SB payouts (i.e. risk 25 SB to win 100,000 SB), gift cards, crypto vouchers, or other high-value items (like a Peleton bike giveaway currently running). 

The odds of winning a prize are directly correlated to how many entries there are, assuming a single prize is being awarded. 

6. Search 

One way to passively make money with Swagbucks is to use their Search feature. You can use the Yahoo-powered search engine straight from your Swagbucks account, by visiting the website directly, or by making it your homepage. 

The platform randomly awards users SBs for using the search engine as a part of their daily lives. I spent some time using the Swagbucks search engine, and I did not earn any points for my 10 to 20 searches. That said, here’s what I learned from Reddit users who have earned with Swagbucks Search:

• Swagbucks will notify you when you get a “Search Win” and tell you how many points you’ve earned.
• You’ll have to complete a Captcha to prove you’re not a robot.
• Rewards range from ~5 to 25+ SBs for a winning search.
• Not all searches will unlock a Search Win and Swagbucks doesn’t share the types of searches that will unlock them (otherwise people would try to game the system). 

7. Play 

Swagbucks offers three main ways to earn with games:

• Make in-app purchases
• Reach a minimum level within a specified timeframe
• Play online and win randomly

Popular Swagbucks games include WSOP Poker, Sudoku, Bubble Shooter, Crossword Puzzle, Solitaire, Grand Mafia, and many more. For some of these games, you can earn points for each dollar you spend on in-app purchases.

This section is pretty straightforward. When you find a game that interests you, just be sure to read the requirements so you know what you need to do to receive the points.

Related: 23 Best Apps and Games That Pay Real Money

8. Swag Ups

Swagbucks occasionally offers ways to earn larger bonuses or temporarily unlock increased SB acquisition rates. For example, the $10 Welcome Bonus is technically an available Swag Up. 

These are generally one time offers (OTO) and disappear once claimed. I’ve since made a purchase to unlock my Receipt Upload and Welcome Bonus, so those no longer appear on my account. 

9. Daily Bonus

Swagbucks gives you a custom daily earnings goal based on your previous earning history.

Whenever you hit your daily goal (mine is 34, as you can see below), you’ll get bonus SBs. You can also get bonus points for checking items off your daily to-do list and building earning streaks.

A 7-day streak of meeting your daily goal will net you 25 extra SBs.

You won’t see bonus points in your account immediately. Swagbucks awards bonuses on the 5th of each month, so you’ll receive a notification when they’re available.

10. Invite Friends

When you sign up for Swagbucks, you get a unique referral code. If you enjoy using the site, send your code to any friends or family members you think would also benefit from it.

When they sign up and start using the site, you’ll get 300 SBs when your referral earns 300 points or more within their first 30 days. Plus, you’ll earn 10% of their lifetime earnings for as long as their account remains active.

For example, if your coworker registers using your referral link and earns 300 SBs in their first month, you’ll get 300 credited to your account. It’s one of the simpler, more passive ways to collect SBs.

Right now, Swagbucks is also offering a 100-point bonus when someone you refer adds the SwagButton on their laptop or desktop.

How Much Can You Earn with Swagbucks?

You won’t get rich or even come close to earning a full-time income with Swagbucks. The company is clear about that. It is purely a way to earn a little extra money each month. 

For example, I earned 256 SBs over the past three days by taking a single survey, uploading one receipt, and testing out the Play feature.

If you use the site regularly and do a modest amount of online shopping, then expect to earn the cash equivalent of $10 to $30 per month in redeemable SBs, or more if you take advantage of their full suite of features. 

Swagbucks’ website states that users can reasonably earn $1 to $5 per day, or $365 to $1,825 per year._[1] 

We rate this claim as “True”, but lacking in context.

It is understandably difficult to maintain daily activity, and, as time passes, the average user becomes eligible for a lower number of surveys as they work through the existing database. 

Users who frequently shop online, take daily surveys, and refer similarly active friends can feasibly earn towards the higher end of Swagbucks’ stated earning range. 

How to Sign Up for Swagbucks

Registering for Swagbucks is simple. Simply head to their homepage and create your account to get started. Though not required, you can use any of the Swagbucks referral links in this post to become eligible for the $10 Welcome Bonus.

(You will be eligible for the $10 bonus regardless of whether or not you register for Swagbucks using our link.) Our content is reader-supported, so your patronage is very much appreciated. 

After registering, you’ll be asked a series of onboarding questions, and then you’re free to begin exploring the platform.

Similarly, you can download and use the mobile apps in conjunction with, or in lieu of, a desktop account.

• Swagbucks – Google Play
  • Rating: 4.3 stars, 127K reviews

• Swagbucks – App Store
  • Rating: 4.4 stars, 96K reviews

Swagbucks Alternatives 

Swagbucks isn’t the only rewards site of its kind. If you enjoy using Swagbucks and would like to know about similar sites to maximize your earnings, consider looking into:  

Branded Surveys 

Unlike Swagbucks, Branded Surveys focuses solely on surveys. However, their Branded Elite program gives you the opportunity to increase your earnings by completing multiple consecutive surveys. As you earn more, you’ll be entered for the chance to win additional points. At 500 points, you can cash out via direct deposit or PayPal or exchange your earnings for gift cards to your favorite retailers.

Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is another site that pays users to take surveys. Like Swagbucks, users can register and opt-in to email notifications about survey opportunities. However, unlike Swagbucks, users can additionally earn money through focus groups and product testing opportunities. There are no shopping portals or search engines, and users must redeem their rewards in $5 increments.

InboxDollars 

InboxDollars works like Swagbucks in that users can complete surveys, sign up for offers, and redeem cash back offers. Like Swagbucks, you need to qualify for surveys before you can take them. InboxDollars does offer wholly unique features like WinIt codes and Scratch & Win tickets that allow users more chances to earn free cash rewards. 

FAQs

Swagbucks Review: The Bottom Line

It’s hard to do a Swagbucks review justice. There are so many options for earning points that it’s almost overwhelming.

My personal favorite ways to earn with Swagbucks are with Answer Surveys, Magic Receipts, and online shopping. Search seems good for passively earning bonus points, but it’s not something I rely on.

The best way to use Swagbucks is to look for ways to fit it into your daily life. If you frequently shop online, installing the SwagButton on your computer could help you cash in on easy rewards.

If you spend evenings watching Netflix while scrolling through Facebook, consider downloading the Swagbucks app and answering survey questions during that time.

Swagbucks isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. If you’re interested in earning cash back for things you already do, Swagbucks can be a great tool for the part. However, if it’s a high-earning side hustle you’re searching for, you should consider something more robust like these work-from-home jobs.

Related:

• 42 Easy Ways to Make Money Fast
• 17 Best Passive Income Apps to Earn Extra Money
• 15 Places That Offer Paid Research Studies

The post Swagbucks Review 2024: Is the Rewards App Worth It? appeared first on DollarSprout.

For example, if your goal is to make a lot of money, save for a major goal like buying a home, or you’re looking for a realistic way to make ends meet, then taking online surveys won’t be your best option.

However, if you have time to burn and you want to earn some extra spending money while riding the subway to work, watching Netflix, or waiting in line at the grocery store, then Survey Junkie can help you accomplish that.

What Is Survey Junkie?

Survey Junkie is a free online community that pays its users for completing online surveys. According to the site, its mission is to “connect your voice to big brands — helping shape our world.”

In other words, well-known companies pay Survey Junkie to research their target audience and test new product ideas. That way they don’t waste money creating products and services that may fail. You get to help shape product ideas, and in return for your help, Survey Junkie passes along some of its earnings to you.

Visit SJ

$5 Minimum Payout

$1.70 Sign-Up Bonus

DollarSprout Rating

Survey Junkie offers a simple way to take paid online surveys. Most surveys are 5 to 20 minutes in length and are worth 20 to 400 points. Once you reach a minimum of 500 points, you can redeem your earnings for PayPal cash or electronic gift cards.

Show Hide more

Benefits

• Free to create an account.
• No special skills needed.
• New surveys available daily.
• Fast payments to PayPal or via electronic gift cards.
• Earn points for answering screening questions.
• Extensive FAQ and good customer support.

Drawbacks

• Survey questions can be redundant.
• You will only qualify for 20 to 25% of surveys, which is less than competitors.

Is Survey Junkie Legit?

First, let’s discuss what makes a survey site legitimate: a positive history, real ways to earn money, and no shady tactics.

Survey Junkie was founded in 2011 in Glendale, CA. The company is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and currently has a B rating._[1] According to the BBB website, the reason for its rating is that it has over 1,070 complaints from customers, all of which appear to be answered or resolved.

It also has a 4.2-star rating on Trustpilot._[2] With a combined total of more than 44,400 reviews, Survey Junkie has an overall positive track record.

Their website transparently states “You will not get rich by taking surveys,” and thousands of users report earning real money with its surveys.

How much does Survey Junkie pay?

Survey Junkie surveys typically pay between $0.20 and $4.00 each.

Their website additionally states that members who “complete three surveys daily can earn as much as $40 monthly.” 

If you qualify for the occasional product testing or focus group, then you could earn an additional $5 to $150 for each one you participate in.

There’s no way to accurately determine the number of surveys you’ll qualify for or how much money you ultimately make. It depends on your demographic information, the companies Survey Junkie is working with, and the products and services they’re testing. 

How Survey Junkie Works

Among the more user-friendly platforms, creating an account and starting to take surveys can be done in 5 minutes or less. 

Create an account 

Members can leverage their existing Facebook or Google account to create their Survey Junkie account, or manually enter their email address and create a password.

After creating an account, one will receive an email to confirm their information. Then, log in to Survey Junkie to start earning points.

Users who complete the registration fields and confirm their email address are awarded 50 free points (equivalent to $0.50). 

Users who register, confirm their email address, and complete the available profile questionnaires will be awarded 170 points in total (a free welcome bonus equivalent to $1.70). 

Ways to Earn Points 

Survey Junkie offers seven different ways to earn rewards. You can complete your profile checklist, take paid surveys, participate in phone surveys, test products, win promotions, or join online and in-person focus groups.

The estimated potential earnings cited below are based on a combination of factors including our personal experience, what Survey Junkie claims you will earn, and the experiences of other Survey Junkie users. Actual earnings may vary.

1. Take paid surveys

Earning potential: 20 – 400 points per survey

The main way to earn rewards with Survey Junkie is by taking paid online surveys.

When you log in to your Survey Junkie account, your available surveys will be listed on your dashboard. Each listing includes the number of points the questionnaire is worth and how long it should take to complete.

Selecting a survey from this dashboard redirects you to a third-party site. Each client that hires Survey Junkie has a slightly different site: how it looks, how it asks questions, etc.

The first screen typically asks qualifying questions to confirm that you match the survey demographics. If you do, you’ll see a message with an invitation to participate.

If you don’t qualify, Survey Junkie typically awards you a few points for answering the screening questions. Similarly, if you do qualify but the survey already has enough participants, you’ll still get a few points for trying.

When new surveys become available, Survey Junkie will send an email to let you know. It includes the time it should take and the number of points you can earn so you don’t have to visit the site to decide if it’s worth it.

2. Complete phone surveys

Earning potential: $5 – $100 

Phone surveys work similarly to online questionnaires, except they’re done over the phone with a researcher.

First, you’ll be invited to complete a short survey online. Then a researcher will call and ask you about your experience with the product or service.

These aren’t available often — typically once a month or less.

3. Test products

Earning potential: $5 – $50

Product-testing opportunities are available once a month or less depending on whether or not you qualify for current studies. If you’re chosen to test a product, you’ll first complete a brief online survey.

Once you finish, you’ll receive a free product in the mail to use and keep. After a set amount of time, Survey Junkie will ask you to complete a more in-depth survey about the product and your experience using it.

4. Join focus groups

Earning potential: $25 – $150

Focus groups are conducted both in person and online. Similar to other opportunities available on Survey Junkie, you’ll first need to complete a short survey. If you qualify, you’ll receive an invitation to the panel.

For online focus groups, you may need a webcam in order to participate. You’ll agree to a set time, and then have a call to discuss the product or service with other users. Both in-person and online focus groups take place once a month or less, and they’re the highest-earning opportunity available with Survey Junkie.

5. Install the Survey Junkie Pulse browser extension

Earning potential: 100 points 

You can passively earn additional points by installing the Survey Junkie Pulse browser extension and leaving it installed for at least 30 days.

SJ Pulse works by automatically tracking your digital activities. These include but are not limited to:

• What you search for
• Websites you visit
• Apps you use
• Products you shop for
• The ads you view

As SJ Pulse becomes familiar with your activity, they’ll also start to match you with relevant surveys. 

The Survey Junkie site and SJ Pulse operate semi-independently. Therefore, by adding SJ Pulse to your browser and/or opting in through the mobile app, you’ll be eligible for exclusive surveys not otherwise available to normal Survey Junkie users.  

6. Use the Survey Junkie app

Earning potential: 100 points 

Using the Survey Junkie app increases the likelihood that users will engage with the platform, but offers no additional features that aren’t otherwise accessible to browser-based users. 

Survey Junkie offers both mobile and desktop apps, and users can earn an additional 100 free points for having one continuously installed for 30 days. 

Survey Junkie Mobile App Ratings:

• Google Play (Android): 4.4 out of 5 stars (88,000+ reviews)
• Apple App Store (iOS): 4.5 out of 5 stars (69,000+ reviews) 

Mobile app users will note that the navigation menu is the same. You can take surveys, view earned points, watch tutorials, read FAQs, and update your profile questionnaires all from the Survey Junkie app.

7. Bonus point promos 

Earning potential: 10,000 points (or more)

Members can earn bonus points during monthly promotions by completing a predetermined number of surveys each day within a predetermined window of time.

These promotions are a terrific way to increase your earnings while taking part in a fun challenge.

How to Redeem Points

Earned points appear on the left-hand side of your account. You can click “Lifetime Points” to view your earning history and see how many points you have left to earn before you can redeem them for Survey Junkie rewards.

Note: You will need to verify your identity before redeeming a reward. The process is simple and took me less than 10 minutes to complete. 

To verify your identity you’ll need to: 

• Take a picture of the front and back of your driver’s license or government I.D.
• Take a selfie to confirm it is your ID. 

Every 500 points you earn with Survey Junkie is worth $5. Once you reach at least 500 points, you can cash out through PayPal, exchange your points for e-gift cards, or transfer your earnings straight to your bank account. (This is a welcome reduction from the 1,000 points previously required by Survey Junkie to cash out.)

E-gift cards and bank transfers are available to U.S. participants only. 

If you choose an e-gift card, you can only redeem your rewards in $5 increments. To redeem your rewards via PayPal or a bank transfer, you’ll need to cash in your entire earnings. You can’t receive partial payouts. 

Your gift cards will never expire, so you can use them whenever you want. I personally cash out to PayPal as soon as my balance exceeds $5 in case anything were to ever happen to my account. 

Pros of Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie’s intuitive interface, helpful FAQs, and email notifications make it an easy way to earn some extra money.

Simple and easy to use

Some survey sites offer a variety of different ways to earn points, like watching videos or playing games. Survey Junkie is straightforward: complete surveys, earn rewards. The conversion is simple as well; every 500 points is worth $5.

Unlike many survey sites, Survey Junkie also has a clean, intuitive interface that’s easy to use. Even if you’ve never signed up for an online survey site before, it won’t take long to learn your way around the platform. Additionally, you don’t need any special skills or software to complete online surveys, making it an accessible way for most people to earn extra money.

Email notifications

When you qualify for new survey opportunities, Survey Junkie will notify you via email. This makes it so you don’t have to worry about constantly checking your account or missing a chance to earn rewards.

If you complete the screening questions and don’t qualify, or if the survey is already full, then you’ll still earn a few points — you’ll never walk away empty-handed.

Flexible rewards options

You have three options for cashing in your Survey Junkie rewards:

1. PayPal
2. Bank transfer
3. Electronic gift cards

Other sites may require payment by a check in the mail or e-gift card. But with Survey Junkie, you get to choose the option that’s most convenient for you.

Relatively low payout threshold

You need $5 in points in order to cash out your earnings with Survey Junkie. That’s on the lower end compared to other common survey sites. While some only require $3 or $5 to redeem rewards, others have a minimum payout of $20 or even $50.

For many new members, it shouldn’t take longer than two or three weeks to reach the payout threshold. Others may reach it in just a few days.

Good customer service

If you have a question, Survey Junkie makes it easy to ask for help. Just click “Help” on the top navigation bar and you’ll be taken to its frequently asked questions page.

Questions are broken up into categories such as membership, surveys, points, and redemption. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, click the “Customer Support” link below the FAQs to fill out a short form. Someone from the Survey Junkie team will reach out to you within 48 hours.

Cons of Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie isn’t right for everyone. Here are the things that might hold you back.

Redundant questions

As with most survey sites, you’ll probably answer the same types of questions over and over. Some of this can be avoided by accurately completing your profile information. However, you may end up answering the same questions multiple times only to find you don’t qualify for certain surveys.

Frequent disqualification

As previously stated, members typically only qualify for 1 out of 5 surveys. That means you’ll probably spend a fair amount of time answering qualifying questions and being turned away anyway.

You’ll still earn a few points, usually between 2 and 7, even if you don’t get to participate in the survey. That’s the equivalent of $0.02 to $0.07.

If you don’t fit the consumer profile it’s looking for, then you may qualify for even fewer surveys. You could go a few days or even weeks without receiving a new survey opportunity.

User complaints

The most common complaints users have about Survey Junkie involve difficulties cashing out their earnings. For some, it’s because Survey Junkie couldn’t verify their identity. Some users say they tried to cash out their earnings but never received a gift card. Others complain that their account was marked as fraudulent and they were banned from the site. 

The best way to prevent being flagged for fraud is to provide consistent answers in all your responses. If your profile says you make $50,000 to $60,000 per year, but you respond to a survey that you make $70,000 to $80,000 per year, Survey Junkie may catch the discrepancy and think you’re trying to game the system.

Remember, Survey Junkie is a legitimate company. If you have trouble redeeming your earnings, reach out to customer support and ask for help. You should hear back within 48 hours.

Limited earning potential

As is the case with any survey site, you won’t get rich using Survey Junkie. It’s very upfront about this fact on its site. There are lots of ways to make money online that pay more than surveys.

However, if you’re looking for a way to earn some cash for extra spending money, surveys can still be a good option.

Related: 30 Practical Ways to Make $500 Fast

Alternatives to Survey Junkie 

Survey Junkie is pretty good at achieving its core mission — connecting users with relevant surveys. But if you’ve run out of surveys to take, dislike the platform for one reason or another, or are having trouble logging in to your account, there are several similar survey sites available to you. 

Branded Surveys 

More narrow in focus, Branded Surveys only offers surveys as a means for earning rewards. That said, one of the perks of the platform is its loyalty program, Branded Elite. Users can earn Bronze, Silver, and Gold badges for consistent use, unlocking bonus points for each survey taken. There’s also a referral program where member-users can refer members for additional points. Overall, it’s one of the highest-paying platforms on the web. 

Swagbucks 

The largest paid survey site on the web, Swagbucks has paid users nearly $1 billion since its inception in 2008. The biggest perk here is that Swagbucks offers a large number of ways to earn points and rewards beyond just taking surveys. Users can earn additional rewards through their cash back program, large coupon database, and Discover Deals. They also offer an unlockable free $10 bonus after making an eligible purchase. 

Ipsos iSay

A personal favorite of mine, Ipsos iSay is similar to Survey Junkie in that they excel at their core offering: surveys. It’s very easy to use, and it’s a good supplement to Survey Junkie if you simply want to qualify for more surveys and don’t need other fancy features. Plus, the surveys are hosted on the iSay platform, so there are fewer redirects and I come across fewer broken surveys.

FAQs

Survey Junkie in Review: Is It Worth Your Time?

One of the most common complaints about survey sites is that the payouts aren’t worth the time spent completing surveys. But it really depends on the number of surveys you qualify for, your goals, and what you think your time is worth.

If you need to make money fast or want to earn a few hundred dollars per month, you won’t accomplish either by taking online surveys. However, if you just want an easy way to make a few extra dollars while watching TV or on your lunch break at work, then you might find Survey Junkie to be well worth the minimal effort required.

While it won’t allow you to quit your day job, Survey Junkie is a safe and legitimate way to make a little extra money each month. It’s free to sign up, so you don’t lose any money if it doesn’t work out. If you find that Survey Junkie isn’t a good fit, then you can easily unsubscribe from the emails or contact customer support to permanently delete your account.

Related: 

• 17 Best Places to Take Paid Online Surveys 
• 42 Easy Ways to Make Money Fast

The post Survey Junkie Review 2024: Pros, Cons & Is It Worth It? appeared first on DollarSprout.

You can get started in just a few minutes, and you don’t need any sort of special skill or even prior experience. Simply put, you’ll be sharing your opinion on popular brands, products, and services, and in exchange, you’ll earn anywhere from a few cents to a few dollars [per survey] for your time.

In our Ipsos iSay review, we thoroughly tested the survey platform to help determine if the site makes sense for you.

From exploring the platform’s ease of use and sifting through all of its features, to vetting privacy concerns and looking at earnings claims, here’s everything to know about the survey site before signing up.

What Is Ipsos iSay?

Ipsos iSay is an online survey platform owned and operated by the market research giant Ipsos.

Founded in 1975 in Paris France, Ipsos partners with over 5,000 clients to conduct 70 million surveys each year, reaching participants in over 100 countries.

The idea behind iSay is simple: users complete surveys and engage in certain activities to help Ipsos better understand what consumers want. In return for your valued opinion, you get paid with points that you can redeem for free gift cards or cash.

Start Earning

$0.25 to $1.00 Earnings Per survey.

$0 Fees Free to join.

DollarSprout Rating

Founded in 1975, Ipsos is one of the world's largest market research companies, operating in 89 countries with over 19,000 employees. Their iSay panel generally pays member survey takers between $0.25 and $1.00 for each study they complete.

Show Hide more

Pros

• A+ rating with BBB.
• 4.2/5.0 rating on Trustpilot.
• Transparent earning expectations.
• Low payout threshold (only $5).
• International users welcome (check website for exact locations).
• Earn points even if disqualified from a survey.

Cons

• Few high-paying opportunities.
• Mobile application is sometimes glitchy.
• Occasional broken surveys.
• Few gift card options.
• Limited number of ways to earn points.
• Like many survey sites, may be disqualified after starting a survey.

Is Ipsos iSay Legit?

Ipsos iSay is as legit as any other noteworthy survey platform on the web. The Ipsos group holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and has zero unresolved complaints.

Additionally, they maintain a strong 4.2-star rating (out of 5.0) on Trustpilot.

The Ipsos iSay app comes in notably weaker at 2.9 stars on Google Play and 1.9 stars on the Apple App Store. This appears, in part, due to negative reviews revolving around a glitchy survey interface and the inability to use the app in landscape mode.

Ultimately, users should expect to earn points and receive payouts in the advertised manner.

How Ipsos iSay Works

Like most other survey sites, iSay requires that you create a member profile during the signup process.

It is normal for them to ask you to answer questions about seemingly personal demographic information.

Age, gender, location, marital status, and number of dependent children are but a few of the many areas they may touch on in their Sensitive Personal Information Profiling Survey.

Additionally, you’ll take Profiling Surveys in several other categories such as Travel, Technology, Personal Care, Home and Garden, and General Consumption Information.

Your answers will be stored under My Profile and are used to match you to relevant studies during the survey pre-qualification process. They can be changed or deleted at any time.

Notably, Ipsos iSay has streamlined its platform in recent years. Previously available features such as Polls, Contests, and their Loyalty Program have been removed.

Unlike other platforms that offer an array of ways to accrue points, there are now just two ways to make money on Ipsos iSay: completing paid surveys and referring friends and family to the app.

Paid Surveys

After completing the signup process and completing the Profiling Surveys, one can immediately start taking “real” surveys to earn points.

Available surveys on your active member profile will share an estimated completion time and the number of points you can expect to earn (up to).

No surprise, the longer the estimated completion time, the more iSay points you’re generally eligible to earn.

Surveys will often start with a number of qualifying questions to make sure you’re a good fit for the survey.

After screening in, users will then complete the survey in front of them. Surveys can be anywhere from one to dozens of questions in length, and take as little as 1 minute, to 30 minutes or more, to complete.

Questions are presented in a number of different formats including:

• Multiple choice
• Select all that apply
• Matching
• Drag-and-drop
• Or even short answer fields.

Additionally, some surveys will ask if the participant is comfortable allowing access to their webcam (to gauge physical response to a prompt) or if they’d be willing to upload a photo of products [in use] in select circumstances.

These are optional and can be declined at every occurrence, but may be worth the hassle given their often higher-than-average earning potential.

Earned points are typically delivered instantly upon survey completion, but the website does state to allow up to a few days for the point crediting process to complete.

Earning Potential

Over a large sample size of surveys, it becomes readily apparent that a reasonable earning expectation for taking surveys with Ipsos iSay falls between $3 and $5 per hour.

Related: 190 Side Hustle Ideas for Making Extra Money in Your Spare Time

Referrals

In light of iSay removing previously held Contests, the Polls feature, and their Loyalty Program, the second and only other point-earning method available is the ability to Refer a Friend.

If a friend or family member signs up through your link and completes an incentivized survey — not the default Profiling Surveys that everyone completes at registration — you’ll be awarded 100 points. (Each successful referral will earn you $1.)

There is a monthly cap of 10 referred users, so you won’t get credit for referring more than that.

How to Sign Up

Creating an Ipsos iSay account is easy. Simply head to their website (affiliate link) and create an account.

If you’re on a mobile device, the homepage has links to the respective app stores. I would go through their homepage instead of searching through the app stores because there are often knock-off apps that try to emulate the official iSay app.

Ipsos iSay does not currently offer any sort of bonus code or referral bonus for the user.

Any person or website promoting one is a scam.

Our content is reader supported, so we will earn 100 points if you choose to try Ipsos iSay through our link. Your patronage is much appreciated. 

How to Redeem Ipsos iSay Rewards 

One of the nice things about iSay is that it’s stupidly simple to use. There are just three tabs on the dashboard, and if you head to the Rewards tab, you easily see the three ways you can redeem your hard-earned points.

1. Redeem points for cash

My go-to redemption preference once I have enough points, I head to the Money Transfer section of the Rewards tab and elect for cash to PayPal.

There are no incentives to save for a larger deposit amount so I cash out every time I meet the minimum threshold (currently 510 points for $5 in PayPal funds).

The one drawback about cashing out to PayPal is that there is a significant delay of 1 to 3 weeks between requesting a payout and funds hitting your account. This is significantly slower than other sites in this industry, but the funds do eventually come. If you desire faster payouts, the gift card option below may be a better option. 

*There does appear to be a nominal 10-point transaction fee for PayPal payments. Gift card redemptions do not include this fee.

2. Redeem points for gift cards

iSay does offer cashouts to several popular merchants, but the number of options is somewhat limited. Currently, you can redeem your points for gift cards at the following places:

• Amazon
• Lowe’s
• Grubhub
• DoorDash
• Virtual Visa Prepaid Card
• Target
• Starbucks
• ROBLOX

The digital gift cards are delivered instantly to your email address on file.

3. Donate points to charity

Lastly, iSay does provide a method for donating your earned points to the Ipsos Foundation — a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that focuses on educational projects for disadvantaged youth across the globe.

Since its creation in 2014, the Ipsos Foundation has funded 67 education projects for children in 34 countries, totaling more than €1.8M.

The minimum threshold to donate is just 200 points ($2 effective donation).

Ipsos iSay Alternatives

Ipsos iSay is one of many market-research-focused platforms on the web, each with pros and cons that may make them more worth your time. Other survey sites include:

Branded Surveys. Offers a user-friendly interface and a consistent flow of survey opportunities, which can lead to quicker earnings compared to iSay. They also have a wide range of redemption options. However, the average payout per survey is generally lower than iSay, which means that you might need to complete more surveys to reach the same earnings.

Survey Junkie. Known for having a vast selection of survey topics, providing a more engaging experience than iSay. That said, Survey Junkie tends to have stricter qualification criteria for surveys, which can lead to higher disqualification rates.

Swagbucks. Offers more earning opportunities beyond surveys, such as watching videos, playing games, or shopping online, providing a more diversified experience compared to iSay. On the flip side, the value of rewards earned per activity can be lower, and it might take longer to accumulate enough points to redeem for cash or gift cards.

FAQs

Many of these answers can be found scattered throughout the Ipsos iSay review, but we’ve consolidated some frequently asked questions here in case you missed them.

Is Ipsos iSay Worth It?

Generally speaking, paid surveys are a not-so-fun way to earn extra money in your free time. But they are legitimate, and you can take home a few extra bucks each month for your efforts.

Very consistent Ipsos iSay survey takers can plausibly earn between $50 and $100 each month, but that means taking surveys almost daily for one hour on average.

There are certainly other ways to make money online whose earnings will far exceed that of taking paid surveys, but those opportunities may require physical labor or skills that you simply don’t have.

Ultimately, Ipsos iSay is amongst the better market research platforms out there. Its simplicity makes it easy to use, and earnings are on par with other survey providers.

If paid surveys are a good fit for you, iSay should be amongst your earning repertoire.

Related: Honeygain Review: How I’ve Made $2,000 Selling My Unused Internet

The post Ipsos iSay Review 2024: Pros, Cons & Realistic Earning Expectations appeared first on DollarSprout.

Everywhere you turn, there’s a company claiming to “pay for your opinion!”

Some come with a lot of bells and whistles, but my favorite survey sites are the ones that keep it simple.

That’s what I like about Opinion Outpost. They focus solely on surveys and offer a simple point-tracking system with a low payout threshold.

Many customers love Opinion Outpost, reflected in their higher-than-average online ratings. But based on my experience, their unpaid profile surveys, misleading “badge” system, and less-than-satisfactory customer support are major points to consider before you sign up.

Is Opinion Outpost Legitimate?

$0.50 Bonus

$0.50 Sign-Up Bonus For the profile survey

DollarSprout Rating Low payout minimum, decent pay

Opinion Outpost is an online rewards site that pays you for taking surveys, testing products, and participating in online focus groups. You can redeem your points for gift cards or PayPal cash. Sign up for free and earn your first $0.50 for completing the welcome questionnaire.

Show Hide more

Pros

• Free to create an account
• Easy to track points
• Low minimum payout
• Offers cash payment (in addition to gift card options)

Cons

• No mobile app
• Limited number of survey options
• Doesn’t pay for qualifying questionnaires and profile surveys

Dynata, LLC (formerly Survey Sampling International) owns the Opinion Outpost brand. The company also owns other survey sites like Opinion World, OneOpinion, and QuickThoughts.

Dynata has an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau site, and the Opinion Outpost brand has a 4.4-star rating on Trustpilot with over 3,200 reviews.

According to Opinion Outpost’s site, they have over 2 million users worldwide and pay out “the equivalent of $390,000 a month” in rewards to their users.

Most reviewers on Trustpilot report having a positive experience. The most common complaints are not qualifying for surveys and not getting any points for answering pre-qualifying questions.

The company appears to be very responsive on Trustpilot. Most negative reviews have a response from Opinion Outpost offering assistance to help resolve the issue.

Watch out for scammers using the Opinion Outpost name

According to the Better Business Bureau, Dynata and its brand names, including Opinion Outpost, have been used in scams dealing with fraudulent secret shopping checks.

In these scams, the fake company sends a check and asks you to spend some of it on secret shopper activities, keep some as payment, and send the remaining balance back to them via wire transfer or in the form of prepaid gift cards. If you’re thinking that sounds odd, you’re right.

The hope is that you’ll complete the activities and send them the “balance” before your bank catches the fraudulent check. This isn’t how Opinion Outpost works. If you come across an offering from someone claiming to be with Dynata, Opinion Outpost, or one of their other survey brands, don’t accept the offer.

Always keep an eye out for common online scams. Opinion Outpost is legitimate, but these types of offers are not.

How Opinion Outpost Works

Opinion Outpost’s model is simple. You’ll complete profile surveys that will help match you with paying opportunities. The more surveys you take, the higher the badge you’ll earn. And when you reach the cashout threshold, you can redeem your points for free gift cards or PayPal cash.

Profile Surveys: ★☆☆☆☆

When you first create a profile on Opinion Outpost, you’ll be asked to complete an onboarding survey to earn a 5-point welcome bonus.

This is a more general questionnaire that helps the site match you with the best-fit surveys. For more accurate matches, you can complete additional profile questionnaires. Some of the topics include health conditions, finances, food and shopping, and your technology activities.

Only the general questionnaire is worth points. All other profile surveys are currently unpaid.

Paying Surveys: ★★★☆☆

Opinion Outpost offers surveys across a variety of industries, including social issues, shopping and retail, and banking and finance.

When you log into your account, you’ll see a list of recommended surveys. Most surveys take 15 to 20 minutes to complete and are worth $0.50 to $5 (5 to 50 points).

In addition to simple questionnaires, you can also earn points for participating in paid focus groups and testing products at home.

Badges: ★☆☆☆☆

Inside your Opinion Outpost account, you’ll see a menu option for “Badges”. These levels represent your “Achievements”, including the number of surveys you complete and how frequently you attempt them.

For example, to advance from Bronze to Silver, you have to complete at least 25% of your profile, take and complete your first survey, and earn your first survey credit.

Once you complete all the milestones on one level, you’ll automatically advance to the next. Achievements expire every 365 days.

Rewards: ★★★☆☆

Opinion Outpost currently offers 12 different reward options. Most rewards come in the form of gift cards, including Amazon, Apple, Target, and Home Depot.

You can also redeem your points for a prepaid Visa gift card or PayPal cash.

Each point you earn is worth approximately $0.10. The minimum amount to cash out is 50 points, equal to $5, for an Amazon gift card. All other rewards require 100 points ($10).

Related: 50 Legitimate Ways to Make Money From Home Online

Alternatives

Opinion Outpost isn’t the only paid survey site of its kind. Here’s how the company stacks up to its competitors:

The main thing that sets Opinion Outpost apart from similar survey sites is that users seem to love it, indicated by the company’s high BBB and Trustpilot ratings. The site is clean, simple, and easy to navigate. The payout threshold is fairly low, and surveys pay on the higher end compared to the company’s competitors.

FAQs

Opinion Outpost Review Summary

Opinion Outpost is definitely a legitimate survey site.

The pay is in line with competitors, and the platform is clean and user-friendly.

The biggest drawbacks are that their Badge system offers no financial incentive (more surveys, bonus pay, etc.) and their unpaid profile questionnaires take a long time to complete. Not to mention you can’t update your responses easily if your situation changes.

Based on these factors and my experience with their customer support, having no details as to why my account was suspended, I can’t in good conscience recommend Opinion Outpost.

That said, many other users have had a positive experience with the site and cashed out multiple times.

If you’re looking for a new survey site that’s simple, pays decently well, and has a relatively low minimum payout threshold, Opinion Outpost might be worth the risk.

Related: 18 Best Places to Take Paid Online Surveys

The post Opinion Outpost Review 2024: Features, Pay & Concerns appeared first on DollarSprout.

The trick is finding survey sites that are worth your time and energy. LifePoints, formerly MySurvey, is one option you may have heard of.

LifePoints lets you earn points for taking surveys and completing simple tasks online. You can then turn those points into gift cards for top retailers or redeem them for cash through PayPal. Basically, you get paid to shop just for telling brands what you think about their products and services.

Taking surveys online may not make you rich, but it could put some extra money in your pocket with minimal effort. Curious about whether LifePoints is worth your time? This LifePoints review breaks down everything you need to know.

What is LifePoints?

LifePoints is an online platform that rewards its members or panelists with points for taking surveys.

It’s actually a merger of two other paid online survey platforms, MySurvey and Lightspeed. These were both established companies in the survey-taking space prior to the merge, and LifePoints has continued to live up to that reputation.

10-Point Sign-Up Bonus

10 Points Sign-Up Bonus Earn points just for signing up.

DollarSprout Rating A fun way to earn gift cards or cash.

LifePoints awards members for completing surveys. The points are redeemable for gift cards or cash. The minimum cash-out threshold is 550 points, or $5. The site pays 10 points for signing up and 10 points for completing your profile.

Show Hide more

Pros

• Easy sign-up process (it takes less than 10 minutes to create an account and profile)
• Free to sign up, no credit card or bank account information required
• Wide variety of survey options that you can take online or on your mobile phone
• You only need to earn 550 points to redeem your first $5 reward
• Decent range of redemption options when you’re ready to use your points

Cons

• Some redemption options require a lot more points than others
• Some LifePoints users have complained about technical glitches that have caused them to lose progress in the middle of taking a survey
• Some of the surveys ask unusual/personal questions

Is LifePoints Legitimate?

Yes, LifePoints is a legit online survey company. Its history goes back to 1946, when National Family Opinion (which eventually became MySurvey) was established.

Today, LifePoints operates in 70 countries worldwide and has more than five million members. The company specializes in consumer research done by asking its members to share their opinions on products through surveys.

LifePoints isn’t a scam, and you’re not asked to share your financial information in case you’re worried about being hacked. However, you do have to share some personal details, such as your household income and marital status, to get started with taking surveys.

Related: 38 Easy Ways to Make Money Fast When You Need It

How Does LifePoints Work?

LifePoints works by letting you earn points as a panelist for doing various tasks. Mainly, this means taking surveys, but you can also get paid to test products, complete mini-polls, and participate in data collection activities.

As you accumulate points, you can then redeem them for rewards in the LifePoints Rewards Center. Points can be used toward gift cards or cash.

Here’s a closer look at how to get started with LifePoints, how to earn points, and how to redeem them.

Become a LifePoints panelist

Signing up with LifePoints is simple. You go to the website, hit the ‘Join Now’ button, and complete your application.

There are a few things LifePoints needs for your application, including your first and last name, email address, and physical address. You also have to provide your date of birth and gender.

Next, you’ll check off the boxes to accept LifePoints’ terms and conditions. Once you do that, LifePoints will send a confirmation email to verify your account. When you verify your account, you’ll automatically earn 10 points.

This step is where it gets interesting. LifePoints will ask you more questions about things like:

• Household size
• Number of children living with you
• Income

Then you take your first survey to earn another 10 points. The questions may seem a little unusual. For example, here are a few of the questions I got while completing my initial onboarding:

• Do you personally own a pet snake?
• Have you completed a marathon in the last 3 months?
• Have you been written a ticket for running a red light in the past 6 months?

After taking your first survey, you’ll get 10 points.

You’ll then be directed to your personal dashboard, which looks like this:

You can easily see how many points you’ve earned and how many more points you need before you can redeem them. If there are any survey opportunities waiting for you, you’ll see those here as well.

Earning points with LifePoints

Earning points with LifePoints is easy. LifePoints adds surveys to your dashboard, you choose which ones you want to take and complete them.

After completion, points are awarded automatically. Some tasks pay more points than others. For example, I took a poll that earned me one point for answering a question about whether or not I smoke.

Other surveys can take longer to complete, and LifePoints updates your dashboard with new surveys daily. If you don’t have any surveys in your dashboard, you can head to the LifePoints Community to see what opportunities are available.

For example, here’s a quick look at some of the surveys featured on my Community page today:

I decided to do one called “What is your favorite form of potato?” because it seemed fun and easy. Plus, who doesn’t like potatoes?

When I clicked on the button to take the survey, it took me to a Typeform page where I had to decide on the best way to eat potatoes. I chose waffle fries.

I didn’t earn any points for this, but it was fun.

Related: 29 Best Mystery Shopper Jobs & Companies

Redeeming rewards with LifePoints

Once you’ve accumulated some points, you can start redeeming them for gift cards or cash from PayPal.

You just click the “Rewards” tab on your dashboard to see redemption options. You can filter by the minimum number of points required or choose from any of the retailers listed on the home page.

How much are LifePoints worth? 

Redemptions vary based on the number of points required. For example, you’ll need 5,400 points for a $50 e-gift card to brands like Best Buy, Target, and Lowe’s. But you only need 541 LifePoints for a $5 Amazon card or 600 points for a $5 PayPal cash payout.

The gift card options are pretty good compared to other survey sites I’ve used. For example, you can redeem points for gift cards to places like:

• eBay
• Google Play
• iTunes
• Sephora
• Starbucks
• Bass Pro Shop
• Bath & Body Works
• CVS Pharmacy
• Domino’s
• Kohl’s
• Nordstrom

You can also donate points to charity through PayPal. Again, you need 600 points to redeem for a $5 PayPal cash reward.

Redeeming points just involves clicking a button. You choose which redemption option you want, add it to your cart, and check out to spend your LifePoints.

LifePoints Alternatives

LifePoints isn’t the only legitimate survey website you can use to make extra money. If you’re looking for some other survey sites to try, here are a few worth checking out:

• Swagbucks lets you earn points toward free gift cards by watching videos, taking surveys, searching the web, and shopping online. If you do all of those things regularly, you could have even more opportunities to earn rewards than you would with LifePoints. The site also offers a $10 sign-up bonus for new members.
• Survey Junkie also rewards you with points for taking surveys that you can turn into gift cards or cash. Each 1,000 points earned is worth $10 in redemption value.
• With InboxDollars, you can earn money watching videos, taking surveys, or playing games. Tasks can pay anywhere from a few pennies to a few dollars each and the more time you spend on the site, the more you could earn.

In Review

Overall, LifePoints can be an easy way to earn free gift cards or cash in your spare time. You can do one or two surveys a day or more, if they’re available, to pile up points.

I personally haven’t had any negative experiences with LifePoints, either during the sign-up process or when taking a survey.

I have come across some comments from LifePoints panelists in online forums that mentioned issues with the website glitching out in the middle of taking surveys, causing them to lose all their progress.

The Trustpilot reviews for LifePoints are largely positive, and the site has a 4.6 rating with almost 12,000 reviews. I saw only one negative review that mentioned the glitch. Most users seem to be highly satisfied with the site’s ease of use and ability to earn taking surveys.

Related: 15 Legit Ways to Get Free Gift Cards (Apple, Visa, & More)

The post LifePoints Review 2024: Legit & Safe, but Worth Your Time? appeared first on DollarSprout.

Answering online surveys for money isn’t a new concept. Every year, dozens of new sites pop up that offer to pay users for sharing their opinions. Some are certainly better (and less spammy) than others, so I wanted to find out for myself how Crowdtap compares to the competition.

TL;DR: If you’re ready for a new opportunity to earn additional cash, Crowdtap can make it happen, and it doesn’t require a big commitment from you.

What Is Crowdtap?

Founded in 2009, Crowdtap is an online community that rewards consumers for sharing their views and opinions. They work with well-known brands, including Verizon, Kraft, eBay, and Sony. Crowdtap also works with new brands that are wanting to test out their ideas on the open market — for example, one of the surveys I recently took was on potential taglines for a new tequila brand. 

Crowdtap allows users to earn points in multiple ways, similar to other paid online survey sites. The activities include answering survey questions, participating in discussions, and sample testing. For new users, though, the primary focus is on surveys. Once you’ve received points from these tasks, you can redeem the points for gift cards to various stores.

Crowdtap also has a referral program that gives you bonus points for referring friends to sign up.

Try Crowdtap

$0.25 to $0.75 Earnings Per survey.

$0 Sign-Up Bonus No current offering.

DollarSprout Rating Glitchy at times.

Crowdtap pays users for completing online missions such as answering polls and surveys, reviewing sample products, participating in online discussions, submitting photo or text content, and signing up for promotional offers. Users need 1,000 points to redeem a $5 gift card.

Show Hide more

Pros

• Simple to earn points and redeem gift cards.
• Easy to get free products from reputable brands.
• Flexibility to choose the brands you work with.

Cons

• Can’t redeem rewards until you reach 1,000 points.
• Website can be glitchy at times.

Is Crowdtap Legit?

Crowdtap is a reputable company. Reviews of Crowdtap on Trustpilot put it at an “Average” rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars._[1]

However, it’s important to look at why people are complaining. There are a few common gripes that people have with survey companies, mainly an excessive amount of emails, being disqualified from surveys, and having difficulties with payouts. But if you look through the most recent complaints that people have had about Crowdtap, most of them are due to technical issues on the site. I can attest to that as well; I had a hard time registering on the site and was logged out multiple times as I was taking surveys (see my video review at the top of this article).

In my opinion, the hiccups felt more like authentic glitches than anything nefarious or scammy.

There are also some reviews of Crowdtap on Reddit that complain that the company suspends accounts regularly and that it’s difficult to get them reinstated without contacting customer service multiple times. I haven’t yet experienced this myself, but it’s definitely something to be aware of.

As far as rewards rates go, I found Crowdtap to be in line with what other survey sites are paying. Earning 1,000 points earns you a $5 gift card, and it took me about an hour and a half to reach that threshold. 

Related: 20 Best Money-Making Apps to Earn on the Go

How Crowdtap Works

Ideally, it should only take a few minutes to create an account and start earning rewards with Crowdtap. I had issues creating my account and had to wait several minutes to confirm my phone number, but once I got in, I was good to go. 

1. Create an account

You can sign up with an email address or a Facebook account. They also ask for your full name, city, state, ZIP Code, gender, and birth date.

After verifying your phone number, you’re sent to the home screen dashboard where you can start to accrue points. 

2. Choose your “Mission”

The quickest way to get points is to answer the survey questions on your dashboard. During my Crowdtap test, I earned my first 91 points in less than 5 minutes on the site.

With Crowdtap, you can earn money through:

• Online discussions
• Survey Q&A
• Reviews or polls
• Joining programs
• Submitting drawings, photos, or other content
• Sample product testing

The sample product testing missions are more involved than other options because they require you to test a product before sharing your opinion. Crowdtap can send a sample to you by mail or give you a coupon to use in stores. I haven’t been selected to do one of these yet, but I’m interested to try it out and see how it works. I will update this review if/when that happens.

Your home screen lists all the opportunities you have to earn points. Click on a square to begin a survey. You earn 10 points for answering basic questions, like why you decided to sign up for Crowdtap.

The information in your profile helps determine which opportunities are a good fit for you. Each brand has different requirements, and you may not qualify for every survey. One thing I did appreciate about Crowdtap is that being disqualified from a survey is a quick process; you don’t have to answer dozens of questions only to find out that you don’t qualify and won’t earn points. Usually within just a few questions it was obvious if I was going to qualify or not. 

Most of the questions that brands ask are open-ended or multiple-choice. Some are there to make sure you’re paying attention. For example, this question asks for your favorite color but tells you to pick “yellow” as your answer. If you pick anything besides yellow, the site knows you didn’t read the instructions.

Crowdtap’s site is easy to navigate, and it displays your points in the upper-right corner of the screen. As you complete missions, the next one automatically pops up to help you earn points more quickly.

3. Collect your rewards

Once you hit 1,000 points, worth $5, you can exchange your earnings for free gift cards to retailers like Amazon. While users can earn points with the Crowdtap app on their phones, you can only redeem rewards on the website. 

Before the company’s relaunch in 2018, Crowdtap automatically redeemed points for a $5 Amazon gift card every time you hit the 1,000-point threshold. Now, users can control when and how they cash out rewards, including saving points to redeem for a higher value payout.

When I hit my 1,000 points, I decided to cash out for an Amazon gift card. The time I decided to redeem my points until the time the gift card was in my inbox was around 10 minutes, which was great. I’ve heard horror stories about other survey sites withholding redemptions and always dragging their feet to pay users, so getting paid this quickly by Crowdtap was very much appreciated.

How to Earn the Most on Crowdtap

How much you earn on Crowdtap depends on several factors. The time you spend completing missions mostly determines how many points you earn. Every mission is worth a different amount of points, so the missions you choose will also impact your progress.

To make the most money on Crowdtap, make sure to:

• Apply for as many missions as possible
• Select missions with high points values

Also, be sure to check back on the site every day for new opportunities. I don’t know this for sure, but my hunch is that Crowdtap limits the number of surveys you can complete in one session to keep your attention and responses “fresh”. Whenever I came back the next day for more surveys, they always had something available. 

Crowdtap Alternatives

While Crowdtap is a reasonable platform for taking paid surveys, you may find there is a better fit for you. 

Whether you seek more options for earning points or rewards, you’re having account issues with Crowdtap, or have simply run out of surveys, these other sites like Crowdtap can help keep the rewards flowing. 

FAQs

Sometimes answers can be hard to find embedded in a long blog post. Here’s a summary of the questions people most commonly ask about Crowdtap.

Crowdtap Review In Summary: The Verdict

As long as your expectations are in line with reality, meaning, you are cool with earning $2 to $4 per hour for answering surveys in your spare time, then yes, Crowdtap is worth it.

If you have extra time in your day, Crowdtap can help you make money online in your spare time. The ease of use and variety of gift cards to choose from when redeeming points makes the company stand out from other survey sites. If you have better things to do with your time, though, you should probably do more meaningful activities. 

Doing paid online surveys won’t make you rich, but using Crowdtap can help you earn extra income. It also gives you a chance to test out new products and share your opinion about them. If you like getting free stuff, Crowdtap might be worth exploring.

Related: 14 Data Collection Apps That Pay for Your Information

The post Crowdtap Review 2024: Pros, Cons & Earnings Expectations appeared first on DollarSprout.

Survey Voices is a site that aggregates different paid survey opportunities on the internet. It’s free to sign up for Survey Voices, and you’ll be instantly connected to surveys from sites like Swagbucks and Survey Junkie.

Before you get started, it’s important to keep in mind there are some downsides. You’ll have to provide personal information to register, and Survey Voices has a history of complaints with the Better Business Bureau.

You’ll also have to keep track of rewards across different sites, and it might take longer to cash out.

If you’re aware of those negatives but still want one place to see many different paid survey opportunities, Survey Voices might be right for you.

What Is Survey Voices?

Survey Voices is a paid survey aggregator. That means the Survey Voices website doesn’t have its own surveys that you can take to earn money. 

Instead, Survey Voices connects you with paid online survey sites. So when you click on a survey opportunity on Survey Voices, the link will direct you to a different site to take the survey. According to their site, their goal is to filter out scammy and low-paying websites so that you only see the best-paying survey opportunities.

How Does Survey Voices Work?

It’s free to sign up for Survey Voices, and the site is open to anyone 18 and older. You just have to provide your email address and fill out a qualifying questionnaire. The questionnaire asks about your home address, employment status, and homeownership status. It also asks if there children in the household and if you own a car.

Your answers to the questionnaire will help Survey Voices connect you to paid survey opportunities that you’re eligible for. For example, some market researchers may target homeowners or specific geographic locations. Your answers to the questionnaire will help Survey Voices match you to the right paid surveys.

Whenever you click a link to take a survey in Survey Voices, you’ll be directed to a third-party website. There, you’ll follow the instructions of that website to complete the survey.

Survey Voices doesn’t pay users directly. Instead, you’ll need to track your rewards for each site you complete a survey through and follow each site’s cash-out procedure. Survey Voices also doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be paid for your responses.

Related: 23 Best Apps and Games That Pay Real Money (2024)

Is Survey Voices Legit or a Scam?

There are some Survey Voices reviews that say the site is a scam. Survey Voices doesn’t charge money to join and is clear on their homepage that they are a survey aggregator, not a direct provider of paid surveys.

On the other hand, Survey Voices does engage in some questionable marketing tactics that might mislead you. When you click the button to sign up, Survey Voices mentions that you can earn your first $300 or more a month.

If you look at the FAQ, you see that you’d have to work 40 hours a week at approximately $3 an hour to earn $300. That’s definitely not as quick and easy as the site claims.

You may have privacy concerns about the sign-up process since you have to provide your full name and address to register. Survey Voices also asks for your phone number and date of birth. 

It’s important to read the fine print on the registration. Not only are you consenting to receive emails from Survey Voices, but you’re also agreeing to phone sales calls and text messages. Some users complain about receiving a large number of email and telemarketing solicitations from Survey Voice’s marketing partners.

You can revoke the site’s permission to share your information with third parties at any time. However, if you gave them permission upfront and they’ve already shared your information, you’ll need to reach out to or unsubscribe from each of their marketing partners individually.

RewardZone USA, LLC owns Survey Voices. RewardZone isn’t accredited by the Better Business Bureau and has a BBB rating of C.

According to the Better Business Bureau and other customer reviews, the company has failed to resolve multiple customer complaints. Trustpilot doesn’t have any reviews for Survey Voices or RewardZone, and they’re also hardly mentioned on Reddit.

Legit Survey Site Alternatives to Survey Voices

Rather than working with an aggregator site like Survey Voices, you can connect directly with the sites that offer paid survey opportunities. When you sign up with one survey site, you’ll have an easier time managing your rewards rather than spreading them out across multiple sites. 

Branded Surveys

Branded Surveys is a site that focuses on providing online surveys for money. You can get started by signing up and filling out your profile. You’ll earn 100 points for creating your account and additional points for each survey you take.

Once you reach 1,000 points, equal to $10, you can redeem them for gift cards or for cash via PayPal or direct deposit. 

Swagbucks

On Swagbucks, you can earn points by taking surveys, watching videos, and shopping online. Trade in your points for gift cards to retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and iTunes.

The minimum threshold for payout is $1 for an Amazon gift card, or roughly 160 Swabucks. It’s free to sign up, and you can earn a $10 sign-up bonus if you complete certain tasks after you register.

InboxDollars

Earn cash with InboxDollars by taking surveys, watching videos, and more. You can even earn money by playing video games or shopping at your favorite stores.

On InboxDollars, you’ll earn real cash rewards instead of points. You can get a $5 bonus just for signing up. The minimum threshold to request a payout is $30.

Survey Voices Review Summary

Survey Voices may work for you if you want to see lots of different paid survey opportunities in one place. However, it does have its downsides. You may have difficulty collecting your rewards, and you may receive marketing emails and sales calls from their partners.

Based on these downsides, you’ll likely have more luck and a better experience by signing up directly with paid survey sites.

Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, and InboxDollars are all legitimate survey sites that help you earn money by taking surveys, watching videos, and more. These sites make the sign-up and rewards process transparent.

Taking paid surveys isn’t the only way to make money online, either. For example, you could get paid to play online games, proofread documents, or earn cash back by shopping at your favorite stores.

Whatever route you choose, read the site’s reviews and check out its reputation on Trustpilot, Reddit, or the BBB before you make your decision. There are plenty of legitimate side hustles and ways to make extra cash if you decide not to use Survey Voices.

The post Survey Voices Review 2024: Legit, but a Giant Waste of Time appeared first on DollarSprout.

We’ve tested the most popular sites to cut through the hype and find the ones that actually pay. Our insights will help you focus your time on the best survey opportunities and avoid wasting effort on platforms that don’t deliver.

Best Sites to Take Paid Surveys

Registering with too many companies can lead to contact overwhelm, making it difficult for you to find the best opportunities. Rather than sifting through the myriad of options, stick with the ones that fit your demographics and availability.

1. Branded Surveys

Branded Surveys holds a 4.1 out of 5-star rating with Trustpilot and over 100,000 user reviews. The parent company, Branded Research, has been conducting market research since 2012.

When you register as a new member, you’ll earn 50 points, then another 50 points will be credited to your account after filling out your profile (a $1 sign-up bonus in total).

Once your account is created, you can immediately start taking surveys, which can be worth up to $5 each. After you reach 500 points (equal to $5 USD), you can cash out your earnings in your local currency (USD, CAD, GBP).

Branded Surveys’ loyalty program, Branded Elite, offers the opportunity for anyone to earn bonus points on a weekly basis. You can increase your bonus amount by advancing through Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers. To advance, you must complete a certain number of approved surveys, and your bonus is based on your badge level.

I earned $7.41 and nearly reached the Silver badge tier within the first 2 hours of using the platform.

Additional ways to collect Branded Survey points include inviting friends to join, taking the daily poll, ranking on the leaderboard, and being randomly selected for up to 1,000 points. Learn more about my experience in our Branded Surveys Review.

2. Freecash

More a survey aggregator, Freecash.com is a “get paid to” (GPT) site that partners with several reputable survey providers like Pollfish and Bitlabs, allowing users to make money taking surveys online.

What makes the platform appealing is that surveys are just one of several ways to make an extra — or several hundred — buck(s). Testing apps or websites, signing up for offers, and taking quizzes are but a few of the many other ways users can earn. In fact, they have over 5,000 different offers users can complete to unlock free cash.

New users will earn a free $1 merely for creating an account and verifying their email address and get to open a “Free Case” for a chance to win $250 more.

During my testing, I earned from several avenues, including surveys and other offers, with nine offers alone totaling over $205 in value. While a few tasks required an upfront investment of $46 to unlock their payouts, surveys proved to be a consistent and accessible way to add to my overall earnings.

While not all of them will be relevant to you, it’s not uncommon to see some tasks with earnings of $100 or more, assuming the exact criteria are met. Learn more in our Freecash Review.

3. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a paid survey site owned and operated by Prodege, LLC. Perhaps the most popular survey site in the world, it holds a 4.4 rating on the App Store with 123,000+ reviews, and a 4.4 rating on Google Play with an additional 197,000 reviews.

Completed surveys pay between 1 and 350 Swagbucks (also called SBs), depending on the length and topic popularity. For every 100 SBs, you’ll earn an additional $1 that can be redeemed for PayPal cash or gift cards to places like Amazon, Lowe’s, and Target.

New Swagbucks members can earn a $10 signup bonus after spending at least $25 at one of the site’s featured retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, or Walmart.

Paid online surveys are not the only way to make money with Swagbucks. The company awards its members SBs to shop online, search the web, and watch videos. You can start redeeming your earnings as soon as you reach 100 points.

In three days of passively using the platform, I accrued 256 points — roughly equivalent to $2.56. Over thirty days with a similar effort, I’d expect to earn around $25.

The more SBs you accumulate, the higher the value of the gift card you can redeem. You can unlock more store options and find gift cards to places like Starbucks, Walmart, and iTunes. Learn more about my experience in our Swagbucks Review.

4. InboxDollars

InboxDollars has been in business since 2006 and was acquired by Prodege, LLC back in 2019. They hold a B rating with the BBB. According to its website, the company has paid more than $80 million to its members.

InboxDollars users accumulate earnings in cash instead of points, which makes it easy to know how much you’ll earn before committing to a task. Most paid opportunities offer a small amount of money, but the more surveys you take, the more you can earn.

It’s free to sign up and get started with InboxDollars, and you will get a $5 bonus once you activate your account. You’ll then answer a few simple questions about your income, race, education, and other demographic information. This initial screening will help InboxDollars match you with relevant paid surveys.

Other ways you can earn money with InboxDollars include watching video ads, playing games, and shopping online at stores like Target, Walmart, and eBay.

I earned mere pennies playing the games currently available over the course of 30 minutes but brought in $1.50 taking the paid surveys available to me after registering. Learn more about the experience in our InboxDollars Review. 

5. Ipsos i-Say

Ipsos i-Say is a survey site based in Paris, but it allows users around the world to get paid to take surveys. It has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and a 4.5-star rating on Google Play with over 66,000 reviews.

You can register with Ipsos i-Say by creating an account using either your email address or Facebook account. You’ll then answer some demographic questions so the company can connect you to relevant opportunities. For example, if you’re a new mom, you may see a survey asking about which diapers you use.

After you complete a survey, you’ll earn points. How much you earn varies, but it’s typical to earn between 45 to 90 points per survey or $0.45 to $0.90. You can also earn up to five points if you’re disqualified from taking a survey. Once you reach 500 points, you can cash out your earnings for PayPal cash, gift cards, or charitable donations.

I’ve found Ipsos iSay to be one of the more reliable survey providers and consistently hit the $5 per hour threshold in terms of survey earnings. This is among the highest in the industry, especially for a site that only provides surveys and little to no other ways to earn.

You can learn more about my experience in our Ipsos i-Say Review.

6. Pinecone Research

After 21 years in business, Pinecone Research has earned a spot among some of the highest-rated paid survey sites. Pinecone Research is owned by The Nielsen Company, which holds a rating of A+ with the BBB.

Pinecone Research members influence future products and services every time they complete an online survey. Each survey pays 300 points, worth $3, and should take only a few minutes, according to the company.

You can also get paid to test new products as a member of Pinecone Research. You’ll be paid between $3 and $5 to complete a short report on each product. You might even be allowed to keep the product after the study is complete.

Pinecone Research is one of the more elite survey sites and limits its members based on demographics. You can apply for membership to see if you qualify.

7. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is another leader in the survey industry, with a BBB rating of B. The company has been in business since 2011 and serves more than 20 million members.

Survey Junkie is best known for the basics and mainly offers paid survey opportunities. This site tracks earnings in the form of points. Every 100 points equals $1 earned, and it takes a minimum of 500 points (or $5) to cash out via PayPal or with e-gift cards.

The site does offer some users the chance to earn money testing products, participating in online or in-person focus groups, or via phone surveys. It pays between $5 and $150 per task, but that option is extremely limited at this time.

Start making money within five minutes when you sign up and complete your profile. Most of the surveys are fairly easy to complete. You also won’t be forced to sign up for something or buy anything in order to complete a survey.

Our favorite part about the platform is that they award you a nominal number of points even if you’re disqualified from a survey. You won’t earn the full amount displayed, but it’s better than zero return on your time, as is the case with many other survey sites.

Learn more in our Survey Junkie Review.

8. American Consumer Opinion

American Consumer Opinion (ACOP) is owned by Decision Analyst, Inc. which has been in business for more than 41 years. The BBB gives this site an A+ rating.

When you create an account with ACOP, you can start your first paid survey in under two minutes. Your first survey pays five points and includes questions regarding your demographic information like marital status and education level. If there are surveys available, you will see them listed in your account.

ACOP keeps things simple and offers nothing more than surveys for money. The company accumulates your earnings in points, and you’ll need to earn 1,000 points, or $10, to cash out.

9. MyPoints

MyPoints, owned by Prodege, LLC, has been in business since 1996, holds a B rating with the BBB, and has paid out more than $236 million to its 10 million members.

With MyPoints, you can take online surveys for money, but the site also has other paid gigs. These include shopping online and in-store, printing and redeeming coupons, watching videos, playing games, and booking travel accommodations. It also gives you five points if you are not qualified to take a survey, with a maximum of 25 disqualification points per day.

All of your earnings through MyPoints accumulate in points. You can claim a $3 gift card once your account reaches 480 points. Or for 15,800 points, you can get a $500 gift card.

Note that points may stretch further depending on where you redeem them. Redeeming points for a prepaid Visa card requires a minimum of 1,500 and is worth 150 points per dollar, or $10.

MyPoints gives $10 Amazon or Visa gift cards to new users. You’ll need to spend $20 or more using MyPoints shopping to redeem this bonus.

10. Toluna

Toluna is a market research firm that’s been in business since 1994. It has an A+ BBB rating and a 4.1-star rating on Trustpilot from 99,000 member reviews.

After you create a free account, you’ll receive a confirmation link in an email that, once you click, will finalize your registration and allow you to start taking surveys. You’ll also earn 500 bonus points just for signing up.

Each survey Toluna offers is worth between 15 and 50,000 points, depending on the length and time needed to complete the survey. Like other sites, you will have to qualify for surveys. If you don’t qualify, you don’t receive disqualification points. Instead, you’re entered into a sweepstakes.

The minimum points you need to redeem a reward is 10,000, which lets you plant a tree in Peru, Thailand, or Uganda. For gift card rewards, 30,000 points will get you a $10 gift card to major retailers like Starbucks, Petco, and Kohl’s.

11. KashKick

In addition to surveys, KashKick pays users for watching videos, surfing the web, and signing up for deals through the platform.

Surveys are on par with industry standards, with opportunities to earn upwards of $2 per completed questionnaire. Payments are processed every two weeks, and you need at least $10 before you can cash out via PayPal.

The primary complaint from former users is losing earnings for inactivity. If you fail to verify your email address, provide incorrect contact information, or don’t log into your account for 60 days, your account might be deactivated. In this case, any earnings you had will be forfeited.

You can reactivate your account within 60 months, but you can’t get back any previous earnings. KashKick wipes inactive accounts right before processing payments, so be sure to log in regularly and verify your email address so you don’t lose your rewards.

12. YouGov

A globally recognized survey site, YouGov allows users to share their opinions on politics, public affairs, products, and brands. Unique for its focus on current events and societal issues, YouGov provides an engaging platform for those interested in influencing decision-makers and contributing to public discourse.

For example, YouGov has had data from dozens of polls shared across massive networks like CBS News, Politico, Yahoo, and more, across a variety of topics. Trump and Biden head-to-head numbers, support for IFV, where Haley voters will fall after her dropout, and the Israel-Hamas war are but a few recent hot-button topics they’ve shared data on.

Members earn points for completing surveys, which can be redeemed for various rewards, including cash and free gift cards. Earnings vary based on survey length and complexity, with YouGov offering a transparent and straightforward platform for users to voice their opinions and earn rewards. New members get a free 1,500 welcome bonus for signing up.

13. Crowdtap

Used by more than 2 million members, Crowdtap is a popular paid survey site because it offers more ways to earn than just taking surveys. Member users can also earn points by participating in online discussions, product testing, art and other content submissions, research programs, and more.

To get started, merely register for a free account. After completing the registration process, you’ll receive an email confirmation. After that, you can begin earning points by taking surveys you qualify for.

Most surveys are worth $0.25 to $0.75, but their homepage suggests you can find surveys for $25, $50, or even more. I recently took surveys for about 90 minutes and earned 1,000 points, good for a $5 gift card, but earnings of just $3.33 per hour.

That said, one nice thing about Crowdtap is its low minimum withdrawal threshold. Once you reach the minimum threshold of 500 points, you can cash out for e-gift cards to popular retailers. Learn more about my experience in our Crowdtap Review.

14. PrizeRebel

Since its debut in 2007, PrizeRebel has paid more than $19 million to its 9 million members.

PrizeRebel’s sign-up process is quick to complete. You just need to provide your name and email address. After confirming your email address, you can start taking paid online surveys. The first required survey asks for your demographic information and is worth 10 points.

You can cash out when you’ve earned at least 500 points, worth $5. Most surveys pay between 40 and 60 points and can take up to 15 minutes to complete.

PrizeRebel has a unique program that awards members based on the level of earnings. If you earn 4,500 points, you’ll reach Gold level status and receive a 1% bonus to your earnings and a 1% discount on your prize. Platinum level (10,000 points) gets you a 2% bonus and a 2% discount, and Diamond level (16,000 points) gets you a 3% bonus and a 3% discount.

15. Survey Club

Survey Club has been around since 2005 and has an A- rating with the BBB. If you sign up as a member, you’ll join more than 16 million other users.

After you become a member and provide your demographic information, Survey Club will connect you with paid studies. It also refers members to other sites like Survey Junkie, LifePoints, and Pinecone Research. Your earnings from surveys hosted by Survey Club are added to your account in cash, and you can cash out when you earn at least $25.

Survey Club also provides paid focus group opportunities. It reports the average earnings of those who participate as $50 to $200 per hour.

16. Panda Research

Panda Research has paid out more than $2.2 million to its members since 2005. The company is owned by A&A Marketing, Inc. and has a B+ rating with the BBB.

To get started, you’ll need to complete your member profile and confirm your email address. The company also requires a valid phone number to become a member. Then, you can take surveys that pay up to $50 each. You can also earn up to $25 per time you cash out for reading paid emails.

Panda Research pays members with earnings of at least $50 on the 1st and 15th of each month via PayPal. Note that you will only receive your payments in increments of $50, so if you have total earnings of $110, you will be able to cash out $100 and the balance will carry over to a future payment request.

17. LifePoints

Originally known as National Family Opinion, LifePoints has been around since 1946 and has more than 5 million members worldwide. Trustpilot gives the company a 4.0 out of 5-star rating based on 41,000 real member reviews. You can become a member for free and start earning LifePoints by taking online surveys. You’ll get an immediate 10 LifePoints added to your account when you verify your email address and provide basic information like your name, date of birth, and address. Filling out a complete profile will allow you to view and select surveys that fit your demographic.

LifePoints survey topics range from technology to automobiles, to household brands, and more. When I signed up, I was matched with various surveys, including ones about car brands and everyday tech products. Some surveys pay up to 600 points, or $5 each, but most opportunities pay between $0.50 and $1 to complete. I found the interface easy to navigate, and I appreciated the range of survey topics available. We share more about the paid opportunities with the company in our LifePoints Review.

18. Opinion Outpost

To get paid to take surveys with Opinion Outpost, you will need to complete the initial screening. You’ll have to answer questions about things like your education level, work status, and the number of children you have. Then you’ll complete a questionnaire based on recent events like whether you’ve taken your pet to the vet or watched a movie in theaters. Opinion Outpost will ask duplicate questions along the way to make sure you’re answering honestly.

Most surveys are worth 3 to 30 points. You can cash out for free Amazon gift cards, $10 iTunes or App Store gift cards, or a $10 PayPal credit. Alternatively, at 30 points you can unlock games on Alawar.com or join the MileagePlus Program to use your points toward travel credits. You’ll need at least 105 points to receive 300 Award Miles.

Opinion Outpost offers some of the highest-paying surveys we’ve found. I recently completed a shopping and retail survey and earned $2.50 in under 30 minutes. The biggest con we’ve discovered is that the number of surveys users are eligible for is lower than that of other paid online survey sites we’ve used. Learn more in our Opinion Outpost Review.

On a philanthropic note, every month Opinion Outpost makes a donation to the American Red Cross in honor of the time its users take to complete surveys. Its corporate donation does not impact your points balance, but you can use your points to make a separate donation if you’d like.

When to Avoid a Survey Site

Although the sites on our list are trustworthy, you can’t trust every site that claims to pay you to take surveys. Avoid survey sites if they:

Ask for payment. A legitimate survey site will never ask you to pay to join.

Ask for private information upfront. You should not be asked to provide your Social Security number unless you’ve earned at least $600.

Have no history or ratings. Well-established companies are more trustworthy. You can read what real users have to say about them and verify their history of payments and available opportunities.

Pay too little. Legitimate survey sites offer higher-paying opportunities that make the effort worthwhile.

Have a glitchy or outdated site. Companies that don’t take care of their websites may not take care of their members.

Make it hard to qualify for surveys. Don’t waste time on a company if it consistently disqualifies you for surveys.

Even if the site seems legitimate, if you’re skeptical about it or it spams you with emails, remove yourself from its list. There are enough quality survey-taking opportunities available that you can avoid ones that annoy you or aren’t a good fit.

Related: 6 Common Work-from-Home Scams to Look Out For

Tips for Earning the Most Money

There are a number of things you can do to maximize your earnings when taking surveys for money.

Stick with a few trusted sites. You don’t have to sign up with hundreds of survey sites to earn some cash. Focus on the best, highest-paying options.

Fill out your profile completely. Completing your personal profile on each survey site allows the company to match you with relevant offers. Update your profile if you have a life change, like having a baby, getting a pet, or quitting smoking. You might find yourself eligible for new or different surveys.

Watch the time. Keep track of the time spent completing surveys. You’re not likely to earn a high hourly rate completing easy surveys so, if possible, do surveys when you have small windows of time, like when you’re standing in line to fill a prescription or waiting for a meeting to start.

Answer consistently. Take the time to read each question and respond honestly and consistently across sites. Survey sites compare answers and can disqualify users who appear to be inconsistent in their responses.

Check for free offers. Some survey sites have a “free offers” section where you can earn points for signing up for free trials or newsletters. You can also watch for exclusive bonus opportunities on social media and refer friends to your favorite sites to earn free money or bonus points.

Take the highest-paying surveys first. If you register with multiple websites, you might receive dozens of surveys to choose from. Take a few minutes to estimate your earnings per hour before you start a survey. You may be able to make more by picking the highest-paying opportunities first.

Best Practice for Taking Paid Online Surveys

Even if a survey site is trustworthy, there are still precautions you should take.

1. Use a separate email address. Create a separate email for survey offers to keep your main inbox free of clutter. Plus, if you stop doing surveys, you can stop checking that email account instead of unsubscribing from a bunch of sites.
2. Be mindful of what you share. Good survey companies will keep your individual identity a secret. But that doesn’t make it safe to provide them with your Social Security number, driver’s license number, or bank account numbers. Legitimate survey companies do not need this information.
3. Use anti-malware software. Anti-malware software can keep your laptop virus-free. If you visit multiple survey sites per day, it’s important to protect your computer from malicious spyware and viruses.
4. Take frequent breaks. Survey fatigue is real. Taking breaks helps you stay focused and avoids mistakes or inconsistent answers.
5. Fees and false promises. Any survey site that promises you’ll earn thousands per month is either a scam or at least misleading. Make sure the sites you join make realistic statements about your potential earnings and the amount of time it takes to complete surveys.

FAQs

Keep Your Expectations Realistic

Paid online surveys are the perfect side hustle for someone looking for an easy gig to do while at home or on the go. If you’re uncomfortable sharing your demographic information or want to earn a high hourly rate, you should consider a different option.

But if you do want to give online surveys a try, be realistic about how much you’ll make. Manage your time wisely so you maximize your earnings, sign up with multiple sites to receive the best opportunities, and research the company before registering.

While there are better ways to make money online, most will require more skill, training, and time than taking surveys for money.

Rating Methodology

With so many options available, it’s hard to know which sites are worth using. We took a look at some of the most popular ones and considered these three important categories to decide which sites to recommend:

1. Track record. Trust was our number one priority when picking a survey site. The best ones maintained a successful history documenting timely payments and positive user reviews.

2. The number of opportunities. When reading reviews of a survey company, we looked for those that mentioned the number of opportunities available. We didn’t want to recommend sites that offer limited opportunities to earn money.

3. Income potential. We tried to get a feel for how well the companies pay for your time. We did that by testing out a few and by reading reviews to see how much they pay.

Related: 20 Money-Making Apps for Earning on the Go

The post 18 Best Places to Take Paid Online Surveys (Up to $50/hr) appeared first on DollarSprout.