Who doesn’t like to have some extra cash in their pockets?
The ease of earning extra cash online is precisely why online paid surveys are gaining immense popularity these days. You can easily take surveys for money, regardless of your location and skillset, and earn exciting rewards.
If you’re wondering how to make money answering questions, you’ve landed on the right page. Although survey-taking is a straightforward venture, there are many ways to earn money by taking paid surveys.
I’ve listed down how you can make money by taking surveys and creating a passive income for yourself today. Read along to pick the right option for yourself.
Ways to Earn Money from Paid Surveys
Let me guess, you’ve heard a bad review about survey sites from a friend of yours and are apprehensive about trying them out yourself. Hear me out; I’ll tell you how to make sure the same doesn’t happen to you.
The reason most people fail to earn any money while taking paid surveys is because of bad choices.
Believe it or not, there are millions of surveys circulating on the internet right now. Apart from quick paid surveys and high-paying surveys, you can find sites that let you take surveys online, at home, and even in person.
The trick to making good money using these sites is choosing a survey site that’s legit and offers the survey-taking mode that suits your needs, like the ease of payment or redemption flexibility.
Below, I’ve listed down the best sites for paid surveys that are worth your time. Along with that, I’ve categorized them for you so you can pick the one that meets your needs.
Taking Paid Surveys Online On-the-Go
Taking paid surveys online is one of the easiest ways to earn money on reward sites. All you have to do is answer a few questions when you’re waiting for a bus or standing in line at your grocery store.
However, to take paid surveys online whenever you want, you’ll have to choose dedicated mobile survey apps that you can access wherever you are.
Here are my favorite survey apps that you can download and use right away.
1. InboxDollars
Anyone who has ever thought of paid surveys as an earning option knows about InboxDollars. It is one of the pioneering sites in the online rewards genre and offers legitimate tasks in return for quick money.
The best part is you’ll get $5 as soon as you download the app and become a member.
This means that if you download the app on the way to work and start completing online tasks, you’ll have already earned some cash to cover your commute expenses by the time you reach your destination.
Moreover, InboxDollars has a plethora of earning opportunities apart from paid surveys. You can play games, watch videos, and answer short opinion polls to earn points and redeem them for cash or gift cards.
2. LifePoints
LifePoints is another legitimate survey platform created by the well-known Lightspeed company in the early 2000s. It has more than 5 million members on board, clicking away on their phones for money.
You can download its app easily on your Android or iOS smartphone and start taking online surveys right away. They partner with market research companies and let you provide your opinions to influence product development and ad campaigns.
The app will transfer points into your online account as soon as you complete your first survey. Once you have enough points, you can redeem them for cash or gift cards.
It’s a great survey option for moms, and you can get cashback on routine shopping.
3. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is a popular site when it comes to taking paid surveys and reward tasks on the go. Swagbucks is the ideal platform for maximizing your earnings by using the small pockets of time you get throughout the day.
You see, Swagbucks offers short surveys that take no more than 10-15 minutes to complete. Also, they do not screen you out of surveys when you’re halfway through, so you won’t end up wasting your time.
Similarly, the platform has easy tasks like surfing the web, watching videos, and rating products. You can download their app for free and complete all these tasks whenever you want.
Swagbucks has a low minimum payout threshold, so you can withdraw your earnings in cash or through gift cards within your first week of signing up.
4. Toluna
Toluna is one of the largest survey platforms on the internet. The good news is, it has a mobile-friendly app that alerts you when there are surveys available, so you can take them online whenever you want.
It is free to sign up on Toluna, although you will have to provide some details and complete your profile so they can suggest relatable surveys for you.
Besides that, it has some of the most exciting survey options, so you’ll never get bored. You can answer questions about your T.V. habits or your food preferences. Also, the platform offers online focus groups and product testing options to increase your earnings further.
You can download their free app right away and get started.
5. Pinecone Research
Pinecone Research is one of the highest-paying survey sites out there. It has paid surveys that are worth $3 or more, depending on the length and genre.
Most importantly, it has an accessible survey app that you can use to make money online, regardless of location. Just download the app for free, and you’ll have access to a plethora of earning opportunities on your palm.
Besides that, the platform holds frequent giveaways and sweepstakes for all its members. In these programs, you can easily earn around $500-$4500 if you’re lucky.
Taking Paid Surveys at Home
Those of you who don’t like the idea of taking paid surveys on the go can use your time to do so at home.
Below, I’ve listed down the popular survey sites that don’t have mobile apps but are great for stay-at-home moms and dads and even teenagers to spend their time productively.
If you spend an hour or so taking paid surveys on these sites every day, you can easily earn up to $50 per month.
6. PrizeRebel
PrizeRebel is one of my favorite paid survey sites. The sign-up process is free and takes no more than a few minutes to complete.
After joining, you can access a long list of paid surveys to take on the site.
Typically, it’ll take you around 5-10 minutes to complete a survey unless you choose a lengthy one. The longer the surveys, the higher the pay rates.
Most surveys pay about $0.5-$1 on the site, so you can get some extra change in your pocket immediately after using the site for an hour or two.
Similarly, this survey site increases your pay-per-survey rates once you become a regular user. This means that the more time you spend, the higher rewards you’ll receive.
7. Vindale Research
Vindale Research is an excellent money-making site for those who want to earn from the comfort of their home. Here, you’ll find surveys starting from $0.5 and ranging up to $50 each.
The price variation is because of the different topics and genres offered on the site. You can choose your topic of expertise while taking paid surveys, and the site will pay you for your credibility.
Besides that, their payment rates vary according to the length and difficulty of the survey. A simple survey about food habits or shopping behavior may only pay $2, while detailed health and technology surveys can pay up to $30-$50.
The high-paying surveys about health and technology make Vindale Research an excellent option for people who want to take paid surveys from home as part-time jobs.
Also, they denote your earnings in dollars instead of points, so you know the exact amount if you want to redeem your money in cash or via gift cards.
8. Opinion Outpost
Opinion Outpost is another platform where you can get paid from surveys while staying at home. The platform does not have a mobile app but has a user-friendly site that is easy to navigate, even if you’re a beginner.
What’s more, the site pays you a $1 bonus just for signing up on the site. You can then take surveys worth $1-$5 and accumulate points in your account.
Similarly, you can participate in product trials as well. Participating in product trials means the site will send free stuff to your home to test out and provide reviews.
Furthermore, you can refer the site to your friends and earn $1 for every person who signs up through your link. Once you reach their $10 minimum payout threshold, you can withdraw your money in cash or via gift cards.
9. Branded Surveys
Branded Surveys is a website where you can take legitimate paid surveys while sitting at home. Each survey is about 10-20 minutes long so that you can spend your time productively as a stay-at-home mom or dad.
The site pays you immediately after you sign up and offers 300 points for every survey you take.
Moreover, you can take their short opinion polls worth 100 points while you’re completing your daily chores to maximize your earnings on the platform.
Branded Surveys raise your level from Bronze to Silver and later to Gold when you start accumulating lots of credits.
The higher your level, the more access you’ll get to earning opportunities. You can later redeem your rewards through PayPal or gift cards.
Paid Surveys to Take In-Person
In-person surveys are some of the highest-paid surveys in the market. Why? Because you have to conduct credible research before you answer the questions put up for you.
By creating in-person surveys and focus groups, paid survey sites can provide quality data for their market research partners. In turn, they rake in good money, which they share with their survey takes.
If you have the time to go through legit research processes and provide truthful information for in-person survey sites, you can get profitable earning opportunities from the following websites.
10. Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie is hands down one of the best paid-survey sites there is. Apart from comfortable, short surveys, this site also offers legit in-person surveys that pay you about $150 per hour.
If you’re interested, you’ll have to opt for the detailed studies and focus groups on the site. Once you’re selected, you can test products, conduct in-person surveys by visiting locations near you, and answer questions on a phone call.
Each of these tasks pays around $50-$150, depending on the task’s difficulty, how much time you spend while doing it, and your data quality.
The sign-up process is completely free, and the site has a low minimum payout threshold. A low payout threshold means you can get your first payout through PayPal or via gift card within days of joining the platform.
11. Ipsos i-Say
Ipsos i-Say is a legitimate platform for paid surveys. Several high-profile market research platforms back it; that’s why it offers in-person surveys and focus groups that pay about $150 per hour.
You can either complete small surveys worth $5 on their site or opt for focus research groups depending on the time you have at hand.
When you sign up for focus groups, they’ll assign tasks where you’ll have to visit retailers and locations near you to collect data.
Ipsos i-Say has a payout threshold of 500 points. Once you reach the limit, you can quickly redeem these points through PayPal or via gift cards from Amazon or iTunes.
12. User Interviews
User Interviews is a dedicated platform for paid in-person surveys and focus groups. Unlike other sites that let you take short opinion polls, this platform allows you to participate in detailed in-person research programs.
The sign-up process is free and takes only a few minutes to complete. You’ll have to provide necessary details about yourself, including your name and city of residence so that the site can suggest appropriate studies for you.
Typically, these in-person surveys are worth $75 for every thirty minutes you spend on fieldwork.
You can check the payment rates on their site before you select a study for yourself.
The studies range across various topics, including consumer goods, sports, technology, transportation, beauty, and health. This way, you can choose your topic of interest and have fun while earning money.
This platform is currently only available for people in the U.S. and Canada, but they’re looking to expand their reach worldwide shortly.
13. Respondent
Respondent is a paid survey platform that allows you to take in-person surveys and also participate in focus groups.
The platform works internationally and provides research opportunities worth $100-$250 to users worldwide. All you have to do is create a free account on their website to get started.
After that, you can access their list of studies and select the ones that appeal to you. If you’re fit for the task, the site will send you an invitation. You can then choose the time that suits you and visit the location to conduct your research and collect data.
You’ll get to keep the amount offered by the company, while the website takes 5% of your earnings as commission.
Final Words
That concludes my list of the ways to earn money from paid surveys. Taking paid surveys isn’t just staring meaninglessly at a computer or mobile screen.
You can participate in genuine research and data collections that influence consumer behavior and society in general. The payment options and the ability to earn decent cash in a short period make paid surveys a legit job you can take up in your free time or do it as a part-time job from home.
If you still can’t choose whether you’d like to take surveys on-the-go, from home, or in-person, you can go to sites like Survey Junkie. You can use their app or website, depending on whether you’re at home or outside.
They let you avail of all three options so you can diversify your survey-taking approach according to your mood and availability.
This article originally appeared on Your Money Geek and has been republished with permission.
