Quite often you might wonder are survey taking jobs legit, especially when you hear of scams on the internet and people losing money online. For one, I wouldn’t call it a job per se but more of a side gig or a part time work, to supplement your income.
There are many people who claim to be making a passive income off of these types of side gigs. The best part about it is that as a side gig, you can do it on your commute or in your free time at home.
I know folks who watch TV or Netflix and do some quick surveys online at the same time!
That brings us to the question…
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Do Survey Takers Really Pay Anything?
Why should these companies pay any money at all? This is the most important question that I have been asked and it depends on which site you are using. Some of them have been around for years and are known to pay on time.
It is the money that they pay for your time and participation that involves some effort. After all even though it is answering questions you are giving away information pertaining to your shopping habits, and all that has value.
Popular Survey Sites:
Let’s take a few examples here:
- Swagbucks, one of the most popular survey sites. You get paid by something known as SB that you can redeem for PayPal cash or gift cards.
- Another popular company InboxDollars pays through PayPal, epayment through Visa card and gift cards including Amazon cards and it takes 3 business days.
- It’s very similar to MyPoints with a variety of gift cards from different retailers.
- Survey Junkie also has an option of being paid directly into your bank account.
Usually there is a minimum payment threshold that you have to reach to get paid though, but that is the only catch. All of them do pay in my experience and none defaults on payment.
The clients who request for information pay the companies and there is no reason why the participants should not get paid. It is money being paid for the user, that is you who is giving the information including some personal information that pertains to your profile and personal habits in terms of shopping.
Paid Surveys That Are Legitimate
There are quite a few surveys that are legit, a few examples being given above. Some others are as follows:
- iPoll
- Toluna
- Survey Club
- Pinecone Research
- Nielsen
- FusionCash
- Mindfield
- Opinion Outpost and
- Vindale Research.
All these companies have been around for some time and are used by tens of thousands of people with very few complaints. They have the largest number of surveys among all the sites. They are all reputed and pay out on time. Most of them have more than one mode of payment and use gift cards as one of the methods.
Highest Paying Online Surveys
How much these companies pay depends upon various factors. First is the type of surveys you opt for. Your location is also a factor that decides what type of surveys you get. Even the time that you participate is one of the factors because surveys come and go, and you have to be quick to get to it before it gets full with respondents.
The payments could vary from a few dollars per survey to upto $50. I do know of high paying surveys in Vindale Research, Swagbucks and Panda Research, but they are not the norm and more the exception so don’t have high expectations.
How Much Can You Earn From Online Surveys
Online surveys generally pay a few dollars up to $50 for a high paying survey, with an average of $2 per hour. They can never replace a full-time income but can help pay a few bills if done consistently for about one or two hours everyday.
It also depends on how much you do, and where you are located and as well as your personal details. Females and shoppers are always preferred as they will give the best responses to the client companies.
But Why Don’t I Qualify For Surveys
All these companies have their clients, who are the ones who are seeking the information. The creators of the surveys are hired by the clients to design questions that will elicit the correct response. They also look for the right profile so that they can get the right information they want.
This means that you will have to fill out a questionnaire with options that you have to tick, before you get the actual survey. You will start receiving surveys only if you fit the correct profile that they are looking for.
In general, women are preferred over men because of the fact that they are shoppers and take buying decisions for their households. You will also be targeted by location for the kind of things that you shop for.
How To Qualify For More Surveys
The first thing that you must do is to complete your profile at each site. The more details you fill in about yourself the higher will be the chances of getting more surveys. Also, update your profile regularly so that it becomes easier to match your profile accordingly.
A common mistake that people make is to rush through the questionnaire and even submit the wrong information. The companies have ways to figure out who is lying and hence they receive fewer invitations. So make sure that you pay attention to the questions and be honest.
Do surveys regularly because the more you participate the more you will get. While it is never wise to use your main email account for receiving their emails, you must have a special email account created for the purpose. Check this email box regularly for invites.
How Do You Get Paid
All established sites have various modes of payment. The main form of rewards is through points that are accrued for the tasks. The points are then made redeemable in different ways. The modes of payment include gift cards that are hugely popular with users.
Other forms of payment are through PayPal while some even offer direct bank deposits. However, lesser known sites may not give monetary rewards instead enter you into sweepstakes or pay you only if you refer others. That’s certainly a downer and I would never join such sites unless I have enough spare time or am confident of referring lots of people.
Are Online Surveys Safe From Scams?
As long as the company is established and has good user feedback, and you give the surveys directly on the site you are safe. Avoid middlemen or sites with negative feedback, and stay away from those that ask you to pay to take surveys.
If you are interested in a new survey company you must research its background before committing to participate in any surveys. The reason being that they are many scammers who may pose as legit individuals or companies but will include your personal details in a database that they will sell.
My Verdict
So, are survey taking jobs legit or not? Well, it depends on the type of company that you choose. There is no dearth of scams if you choose middlemen or lesser known companies with no or poor feedback. But if you go for established survey sites with positive feedback, yes they are legit.
All the sites mentioned above are well known and you will never go wrong with any of them. You can also do your own research and if you see a warning sign as mentioned in my post, just run!
Once you have tried some do come back and relate your experience so that it can benefit others as well.
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