Paid surveys are a very popular way to make a little extra money online. The following sites provide surveys by market research companies. These companies value the opinion of consumers and thus are willing to compensate you for time spent giving feedback on different surveys.
Now tracking 28 legitimate paid survey companies.
Paid Survey Background Information
Paid surveys are a very popular way to make a little extra money online. The following sites provide surveys by market research companies. These companies value the opinion of consumers and thus are willing to compensate you for time spent giving feedback on different surveys. Taking individual surveys won’t make you rich, but it’s a great way of making some side money and having fun doing so.
Have you taken an online survey before? If so, skip below to view the list. If not, read the following pointers to make sure you make the most you can with paid survey opportunities.
- Almost every survey company requires that you reveal some background information about yourself. This will develop your profile and will determine how often and what kind of surveys you will receive. It is recommended to fill this out as complete and as quickly as possible in order to maximize your chances of receiving survey invitations.
- Survey invitations are typically sent once they are available via email. The numebr of survey invitations you receive will depend on your profile. Survey invitations typically don’t last long, so don’t wait for a few days before accepting the survey.
- Nearly every survey will screen you again once you accept the invitation. The screening process is a series of short questions to make sure you are the ideal candidate for the survey. If you don’t qualify, you’ll be thanked for your time then turned away. If you do, you’ll spend anywhere from ten minutes to an hour filling out the survey.
- The compensation you’ll receive for filling out a survey will be different with each company and each survey you take. You can expect at least $1 – $10 on average, depending on the length of the survey. Some specialized surveys can pay upwards of $25 or more. You will receive this money once you meet the survey companies minimum cashout requirement.
Recommended Survey Programs
denotes an “I’ve Tried That must-join” program.
- SurveySavvy
- The Lightspeed Panel
- American Consumer Opinion
- Global Test Market
- Opinion Outpost
- MySurvey
- ArcSurvey
- ClickIQ
- EliteOpinion
- Epoll Surveys
- Esearch
- Global Net Panel
- Greenfield Online
- Harris Poll Online
- HCDSurveys
- Ipsos I-Say
- Mindfield Online
- Media Transfer
- Netverdix
- NPDOR
- Opinion Central
- Opinion Now
- Opinion Square
- Pinecone Research
- Survey Spot
- Synovate Global Opinion Panel
- Toluna
- Yahoo! User Research
30 Responses
Thanks for the list – we also run a reviewed survey site with user reviews of each survey firm – so will add those that we didnt have
It’s so nice to have information available regarding online surveys and getting paid for them. Thank you for sharing with me.
Great post. I used some of the information on my website. Paid surveys are a great way to make money.
I signed up with the first three recommendations, and have mostly found Greenfield Online surveys in my mailbox since joining them a few weeks ago.
I try to take them as soon as I find them in my mailbox, and answer the questions honestly, as they repeatedly remind us to.
I have not qualified for a single paying survey; I’m guessing I’ve taken at least 20, but I can’t say exactly how many with Greenfield Online.
I just noticed that my three profiles weren’t completed — I wonder why those questions weren’t asked during the initial sign-up? Also, the incomplete profile “message” wasn’t in an obvious place; I found it while clicking around the site trying to find hints to be allowed to take paying surveys.
So now that my three profiles are considered completed, I’ll give them another week before I stop taking surveys with them.
The teaser of earning an entry in their $5000.00 give-away isn’t enough of a draw to continue wasting my time. Such a large prize probably has extremely large odds of wining. Maybe if they offered a lot of smaller prizes, it might be worth it to continue to take pre-surveys for free just to get points towards the drawing.
I haven’t earned at the other three top recommended survey sites on this post either, but they haven’t sent out nearly as many as Greenfield Online, so I’m not as frustrated with them yet.
I have been doing surveys for many years and Greenfield does not have a high acceptance rate. Most of the other sites are great. If you sign up and do the surveys, you can really make some money.
I wish I would have seen this site before paying for SurveyScout.com!
I just signed up (Oct. 5, 2008) and they haven’t updated their survey listing since July!
Being and optimist, I’d like to give them the benefit of the doubt. Their getting started instructions suggest registering with each of the survey companies on thier list – BUT – if this program is actually a LOSER I’d rather invest that time in something worthwhile.
Can anyone give me an opinion on SurveyScout? Has anyone else tried their program and had any results?
Thanks!
I was considering joining Survey sites like survey savvy. But i was thinking regarding those referrals that ‘lie’ on their forms to get through the whole survey. So in essence, you get paid for their false information, and so does not seem ethical. Although, the the actual survey site is genuine, and there is nothing they can do about that.
I saw that Opinion Outpost made the list. I’ve found that it is one of the best survey sites out there. It pays the best really well. I made $16 in the first 5 days, taking about 5 surveys. It pays about $2-$5 per a survey. I qualified for about half the survey’s that i received, which I believe is a pretty good ratio. It has slowed down a little since then, but i also haven’t had the time to take as many as i would like. I actually posted my earnings on my website so you can see for yourself.
LOOKING FOR MORE INFO ABOUT TAKING FREE SURVEYS PLEASE.
Click my name above, there is info on that link. It is my website.
It’s very nice to see that I’m not the only one that benefits from taking surveys. Not all of them offered are that great. View the list on this website. They don’t charge you at all.
Thanks for giving information related to online jobs and want to say thanks for recommending the right site from which i can choose
I tried opinion outpost and filled out surveys for 20 minutes and never “qualified” even though I went trough the whole survey. They got their survey and I didn’t get points.
I have been checking out each of these companies on the bbb and when I checked The Lightspeed Panel and, while it is not a bbb accredited business, it has a rating of F.
I’ve joined several survey sites and I’ve found my favorite is My Survey. I’ve been doing surveys with them for nearly 5 years now. Sometimes it’s slow, and then suddenly I’ll get several surveys at once; I’ve even done a few home trials on products. But act decently fast; if you wait a week or more, the survey may be gone. They assign points to the surveys based on how detailed/long they are (from 10-100+) and the points convert to money (1000 points = $10) or a huge range of products. I’ve readeamed my points for checks – I got one for $20 and another for $100. It’s genuine, and it really pays!! So go ahead and get clicking!
After completing the profile surveys… I have received one survey with point rewares from OPINION OUTPOST over the past 2 weeks. Over the same time period, I’ve received at least 8 from GREENFIELD but all for sweepstakes entries, no points or gift equivalent. From LIGHTSPEED I’ve received 2 for points (high point value, low cash equivalent – 575 pts=$5), and 4 for sweepstakes entries. Disappointed in Greenfield, but will give it a couple more weeks before I delete my account.
Just so you know, the BBB revoked their support of ClickIQ in November 2008. I don’t know how much the BBB weighs in on your decision to deem something legit but this made me want to steer clear of them.
I just noticed the statement above about Lightspeed. . .one of the other survey sites I belong to has had surveys clicked through from them. So, even though I did a Lightspeed survey, I am getting the reward from the other (recognized as legit and/or favorable) one.
I have good experiences with Lightspeed, SendEarnings, Inbox Dollars,Ipos Isay, Your2cents.
Lightspeed gave the fastets cash. Sendearnings 2nd. The trick is to sign up for several different sites. You have to build your earnings to the withdrawal amount. Using several sites lets you do thet regularly- at least on one.
I have been with survey savvy, but it hasn’t sent me any surveys to complete. How long does this usually take?
Survey Saavy is random. I’ve been with them awhile and in a week you can get a lot of requests (which by the time I get them, they’re already closed) or you don’t see any until who knows when. Keep your eyes peeled and make sure you add them to safe senders. Good luck with the timing.
OH, with Synovate, the most I got for being a loyal survey taker was a bunch of Synovate crap and an email on my birthday. Magnets, post it notes, etc. Never any cash. I’ve been with them several years, but I think I’m finally off the list since I stopped responding.
I can’t make out if this survey is for only US citizens or not (especially with regards to tax)
Global Net Panel,Harris Poll Online, HCDSurveys, Mindfield Online, Opinion Square, Your 2 Cents and lightspeed have all been good for me….I have made some good pocket change, received some samples of items, collected points to purchase whatever I’d like and have even won an apple ipod…If you stick with it there is money to be made..
I wonder if any one has got any info on “survey-Bank” surveys, it suppose be real good according to their website, but so many scams you really never know what is legit or B/S untill you buy into it, and then it too late!
Thanks Steve for all the good imput!.hopefully alot of these good references will pay off.also,i appreciate the other info given by people giving opionions of these survey sites.i wanted something i thought was ligit,stuck my neck out and paid to join “paid surverys on line” recently.does anyone out there have any output on this site?i too wish i had visited steves’ list first.however i have not been with the site i have joined only a few days.steve,please let me know if you get any more good outputs on sites.i have been searching the focus group panels listed on their websites.i have been told they pay the most money.every one so for i’m sure is free.will keep all posted if i start making moola with any of the free sites.God bless you all!peggy kight.
Hi Steve,Thanks for the nice reply via email.can you help me with this problem,or tell me where I can go on the web to report someone that just might be a hacker?I went to the site on the subect on hackers.but,I need someone to come to my rescue.I don’t recognize this person that keeps sending me email.I am not going to open this.but,I did email him or whoever this is and told him not to be emailing me.however it wasn’t long before I got a response which I didn’t open.what can I do? help!also while i’m at it can you by any chance refer me to a good site that lists job opens for work at home office type jobs that are free?forgive me if I have taken up too much of your time.may the good Lord bless you all.sincerely,peggy kight (P.S)the person who has been emailing me has been doing this for quite a while)
I’ve been doing e-rewards for 4 years now, and have earned enough skymiles to pay for 1/2 a reward flight. most of their rewards are $ off coupons for etailers, but the skymiles are put right into your account. they have most frequent flier programs that are out there
THIS IS FOR ANYONE WONDERING ABOUT PAYING FOR SURVEY SCOUT OR ANY OF THOSE CRAP SIGHTS, DONT. ALL THEY GIVE YOU IS A LIST OF FREE SURVEY SIGHTS, DONT BE LAZY, DO SOME RESEARCH AND YOU CAN FIND THE SAME LISTS FOR FREE. IF YOU ARE WONDERING IF YOU CAN REALLY MAKE MONEY, THE ANSWER IS YES. I STARTED SIGNING UP FOR SURVEYS ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AGO. I WAS SKEPTICAL AT FIRST, NOT GETTING AND CASH FOR MY TIME. YOU MUSH BE PATIENT, THE SURVEY COMPANIES ARE TESTING YOU OUT TO SEE IF YOU REALLY ARE WORTH THEIR MONEY. AFTER 3 WEEKS OF TAKING SURVEYS FOR NEXT TO NOTHING, I STARTED TO SEE A INCREASE IN THE AMOUNTS BEING PAYED, IM HAPPY TO SAY NOW THAT IT IS WORTH THE EFFORT TO FIND THE GOOD SIGHTS AND FILL OUT THE MEMBER PROFILES. i THINK IM UP TO 70-80 SIGHTS NOW. STAY AWAY FROM THE SIGHTS THAT WANT YOU TO LOG IN TO TAKE SURVEYS, IF ITS A GOOD SIGHT, THEY WILL CONTACT YOU WITH INVITES.
I pretty much think all these survey sites are a waste of time. I mean you spend so much time messing around with them and it seems like you rarely get anything in return for it.
i have used mysurvey ($80), ipsos ($40), and synovate ($100) since 2006.
rewards are slow in earning but i’ve also gotten to test products at home like lotions, shampoo, perfume from ipsos and synovate. i probably take at least 50% of the surveys and qualify based on subject (no pets or kids here)