Have you been thinking of taking online paid surveys? If so, you might want to keep reading this article to get a comprehensive overview of such surveys.
Three of us sat down on a mission to get to know, learn, and earn as much as possible from paid online surveys. And the results were not so overwhelming since we concluded that you can’t earn your living based on paid online surveys.
All you can earn is some extra cash over your steady paycheck.
Online Paid Surveys: The Lowdown
The first thing we observed was taking paid online surveys was quite easy and simple. You can access these surveys with an Internet connection and a system right from the comfort of your home.
We tested 12 survey-taking websites and found that using these websites required no special skills or knowledge. You just need to know the basics of using the Internet and that’s about it!
You will find two kinds of surveys. Some are simple yet dull and will give a few bucks whereas some are outright boring with no substantial earnings in the end. Some websites paid us quite well. These were also those websites that were explicit about how much cash they would give after finishing a survey successfully. Some websites had confusing reward point systems and we dreaded these websites.
But one thing we observed was that the chances of qualifying for a survey were highly dependent on the demographic and other characteristics. When we fit the requirement of the survey, we were able to participate. However, if we didn’t, we were disqualified. So, always remember this when you start taking a survey.
12 Paid Survey Sites
So, during our exploration, we participated in paid surveys on the following 12 paid survey sites. Here a rundown of our experience of using these websites. These websites are listed based on their popularity on Google.
- Swagbucks
If you are looking for extensive opportunities for taking paid surveys, Swagbucks is the site you should visit. However, know that the chances of disqualifying for a survey are also high on this website. Sometimes, just by clicking the survey link, we were disqualified. These sites also host several third-party surveys on the website. And these third-party survey websites are much easier to use. It takes a lot of time to earn points, but you can choose your preferred option of payment from the large reward marketplace of the website. You can choose from sweepstakes, gift cards, PayPal payments, and more.
- Survey Junkie
This website is small yet quite easy to use. The website has an easy dashboard where you can see all the information. You can get a high point value for every survey you take on the website. Also, you can see the direct conversion of points earned into dollars. For example, you have earned up to 1000 reward points, you can see it converted into $10. This is important to know if you want to cash out.
- InboxDollars
When you get a $5 bonus in your inbox for signing up at the website, don’t expect much further when you start taking the surveys. This website had the lowest pay out for taking a survey that is 41cents. Sometimes it happened so that the website took us to promotions websites instead of taking us to a survey.
- MyPoints
Out of all the websites we tested, this website offered the greatest number of surveys taking opportunities, 75 to be specific. But the hourly pay out rate for the website was slow and low. Also, the website didn’t clarify the reason for disqualifications. At certain points, we were disqualified just after writing simple words such as Purple. We did spell the word correctly, however, we were disqualified.
- Opinion Outpost
The best place to take surveys for money is Opinion Outpost. The website didn’t bombard us with hundreds of opportunities but allowed us to easily take surveys that we were eligible for. The website also had the best pay out rate, and we earned a substantial amount. The hourly pay out rate for this website was $1.50 per hour. We cashed it out at Amazon.
- i-Say
This survey website is owned by Ipsos which is a marketing firm. Hence, it provides surveys offered by the parent company. Therefore, the number of surveys you can take is quite low, however, simple, and easy. Sometimes we were made to take the same surveys twice. This surely confused us too. Once you have 500 reward points, you can cash it out. This is equivalent to $5.
- OneOpinion
Being an aggregator survey website, they do have a robust screening process. With an informative and organized dashboard, the website is above average when it comes to offering surveys. For each survey, you take you will be awarded 500 to 1000 points. However, in terms of cash, these reward points are not significant. It comes down to about 50 cents or a dollar. Also, until you have up to 25,000 points, you can’t cash out. These points amount to $25.
- Toluna
One of the best things about this survey website is that it will allow you to pick the topics for the surveys such as travel or electronics and such. Initially, were quite impressed by this feature, however, our happiness lasted until we found the pay-out amount. This website has the lowest cash pay-out which is 71 cents per hour. We gave up to 5 hours to this website and we were not able to earn enough points to cash out.
- VIP Voice
Amongst all the websites that we tested, VIP Voice had the most relevant surveys, a particularly good user experience, and a high success rate. But it was disappointing to see the pay-out method the website used. As far as online surveys for money goes, this website had limited options. They offered sweepstakes entries, bids on auction items, and more. We are highly doubtful about how people can earn substantial using such pay out methods.
Online Paid Surveys: Are They Worth It?
After testing 12 websites, there is one thing we would say that with paid online surveys you can make meagre earnings. You certainly can’t make a living from paid online surveys. Yes, they can be a source of extra cash over your steady paycheck. Several websites offered reward points that could be redeemed for cash, but the pay-out was low. Sometimes, we were not even able to reach the reward point threshold in the time we spent answering the surveys.
Also, another important thing to note is that while registering on these websites and taking surveys, we gave out our personal details such as date of birth, address, ZIP codes, ethnicities, incomes, living arrangements, and more.
One of the biggest risks with giving out such personal information is identity theft. This is especially true if you give your date of birth along with some other personal information. It can be used against you. Also, there is no guarantee that the website will ensure the safekeeping of this information.
Most of the information we gave was harmless, but the date of birth is one detail that can be used to steal your identity.
Taking an Online Survey? Here’s what you should know
Due to easy entry options, online paid surveys are an attractive way to earn some extra cash. But there are a few things you should know that we observed during our time of taking surveys:
- Make sure you don’t overshare information. Don’t share sensitive information such as your social security number, bank account numbers, license number, or such. If a survey website is asking for such information, leave the website right away.
- Don’t forget to create an email address just for survey websites. Each website will ask for an email address and will send numerous emails in a day regarding surveys. So, having a separate email address would be beneficial.
- Always download anti-malware software on your system. This will protect your system and other personal information when you are taken on a third-party website.
- Don’t forget to take breaks. Some surveys will be quite long and will need you to stay glued to your system. So, make sure you take a break.
One thing is for sure that there are better ways to earn money online such as freelancing, blogging, and more. They do take more effort, but you will get a good return on investment.
So, make money online with paid online surveys with caution. Have a fun time taking surveys.