Can You Really Get Paid From Online Surveys?
Is It Worth The Effort?
Can you really get paid from online surveys?
In short, yes.
You just need to be wary of which survey sites you decide to use.
I’ve come across some survey sites that turned out to be complete phonies – they would require users to spend their time taking actual surveys, but when it came time to cash out, users would never get paid.
Likewise, I’ve seen websites which charge people for access to the “best, high-paying surveys”.
I caution you to avoid these sites.
You do not need to pay in order to participate in survey taking.
Nor should you pay someone to show you the “best” ones.
They usually end up being scams.
When it comes to taking surveys:
- Do research prior to getting involved with a company
- You don’t need to pay to take surveys
- Avoid places promising you access to high-paying surveys for a fee
These are just a few tips to keep you safe.
Below, I’m going to share with you a few survey sites that I have personally used and enjoy.
While there’s an application process involved to join as with most surveys, these are completely free.
See How I Make a Full-Time Living Online – No Surveys.
Survey Sites That Will Pay You
#1 User Testing
User Testing happens to be one of my favorite sites when it comes to taking surveys.
It’s a bit different than your traditional survey and in order to work with User Testing, there are a few things you need.
Aside from the obvious, being an internet connection and access to a computer, you will also need a mic (headphones with microphones work fine), a mobile device if you wish to participate in their mobile surveys, and you will need to download their software.
The Tasks
As a tester, you are given the task of visiting websites at which point you are asked to record your thoughts aloud.
The point of this is to offer feedback to companies website which you are visiting.
You will be given tasks to do while visiting the website (such as find the About page).
Your feedback helps companies fix things that may be broken and the goal is to help them create a better user experience for their website visitors.
I will admit the whole thing was a bit awkward at first but they do a good job preparing potential testers and even give you a test run before providing feedback for an actual company.
For each 20min. review you provide, you could earn up to $10.
To learn more about User Testing, you can find our full review here.
Or you can get started with User Testing here.
#2 Survey Club
Survey Club is a member only directory survey that has been around since 2005. They connect you with surveys at no cost.
To get started with Survey Club, you need to go through the application process and pick a list of other survey sites you want to join.
Swagbucks, NiceQuest, FusionCash to name a few.
After completing the application process and filling out a demographic form, you should be good to go.
Like with most surveys, the more time you spend doing the actual survey, the more compensation you can recieve.
The earning potential here is a few cents to a couple dollars for surveys that are “high-end”.
#3 SwagBucks
SwagBucks is an online reward and cash back program.
And as all the other survey sites we’ve shared, it’s completely free to join.
Swagbucks has a modern feel to it, compared to other online cash back programs. I feel this has much to do with their popularity.
With SwagBucks, you are literally earning swagbucks – this is the term used for their point or credit system.
You can earn swagbucks by inviting friends, searching the web using their own personal search engine, watching videos, playing games, shopping, and yes, by taking surveys.
I don’t use SwagBucks often, as I now operate my own online business, but have earned a few neat things thru them:
To learn more about SwagBucks, read our full review here.
Final Thoughts
Though I enjoy survey taking for their simplicity and for the fact that they can be convenient to take (for example, taking a survey while sitting around in the waiting room), I no longer use these as a method to earn online.
I realized that one’s time could be better spent elsewhere.
With surveys, you put in an incredible amount of work for little pay.
What I suggest to people interested in earning money online, is to look into starting your own online business.
An online business requires work and commitment but can be very rewarding. I work from home full-time now as a result of an online business.
You can learn more and get started here for free.
What are some of your favorite survey sites? We would love to hear from you in the comments below and would like to add more to our list above 🙂
I agree with your final thoughts. I have tried multiple survey sites, and while they might pay you, the compensation to work-time ratio is so large, it is definitely not worth it. I appreciate, though, you giving legitimate sites for people to use if they are interested. I have tried some of them, and I have also tried less reputable ones. In the end, I still don’t think it’s really worth it. There are many other ways to make money that will actually get you somewhere.
Completely agree. Ones time could be better spent building their own website and learning how to profit from that. Among other ways to earn online.
But then again, some people may be looking to casually earn a few dollars online and could successfully do so using the survey sites above.
We appreciate you taking the time to comment, Jade.
Have a nice weekend.
great review.
I was under the impression that all the site survey sites were scammers. I’m surprised to find out that some of them are legit. It makes sense, especially for the companies that want someone to go to their site to see if it’s working and if it’s easy to navigate.
I understand your conclusion that it’s a lot of time for not much pay. Thanks for the review. Useful.
Hey Tucker,
Yes these are sites that I have personally used myself and I can safely say that they are legit.
Now, for someone who is looking to earn a little more than any survey site can offer, I do recommend that they start here.