Taking surveys is probably on every list of how to make money on the internet.
However, the views on paid survey sites are generally mixed.
So, are survey sites still legit in 2022?
When it comes to getting paid to take internet surveys, everyone seems to have an opinion.
It’s pretty hard to tell who’s right.
Some folks say they’re legit, while others say there isn’t a single authentic survey platform out there.
We’ll be digging deep into this debate to find out the truth behind the ‘paid-survey’ industry.
Can you make money off internet surveys?
In a nutshell, yes, it’s a little more nuanced.
However, should you take paid surveys?
It’s all a matter of perspective and how much you value your time.
I’ll fill you in on the details of what it’s like to make money taking surveys online these days. Let’s go!
How Survey Sites Make Money?
Unproven ideas have no place in business.
A company has to know if there is a market for its product before investing millions in developing, manufacturing, and promoting it.
There is a term for this practice: market research.
Revenue from market studies can be substantial.
Each year, American businesses shell out billions of dollars on focus groups, product testing, interviews, and surveys to learn which stuff will be the next big thing.
Online market research is still being adopted by an increasing number of businesses as a means to cut costs and increase efficiency.
Particularly convenient for surveys is the use of emails.
A survey sent to 200 people through email can run you between $2,500 and $5,000.
If you wanted to acquire the same number of responses from a snail mail survey, it would cost you between $5,000 and $7,000, and a phone survey could cost you as much as $15,000.
Consumers are incentivized to participate in paid online surveys by the lure of money and prizes.
Customers typically receive cash or points for their time and effort in filling out surveys.
You can trade in your points for merchandise discounts, free airline miles, or gas cards.
Companies and consumers alike may benefit from these services for completing online surveys.
By surveying a certain demographic of customers, a business can gain insightful data about its industry.
In contrast, the responding customer can save money or obtain free samples of things they already enjoy.
Related Reading: How To Get Paid For Doing Surveys – Learn That Here.
Is It Still Worth It To Answer Paid Surveys In 2022?
The fundamental question is whether or not taking part in paid online surveys is worthwhile.
Is it possible to earn several thousand dollars on the side by answering online surveys?
Is making money by completing surveys legit, or are they just scams?
To answer these questions, you must first ask yourself how much you value your time.
There is a wide variety in the lengths of online surveys, from a handful of multiple-choice questions to well over a hundred.
This means that they can be time-consuming to complete, especially if you’re answering truthfully.
Survey Police claim an average payout range of $0.50 to $5.00 per survey for surveys taken with trustworthy companies.
Certainly not thousands of dollars; that’s not a lot of money.
It also can be difficult to get paid by some survey companies.
Payouts for many of these sites are tracked using a point system.
If you want to cash in your points, you usually have to earn more than some arbitrary reward level.
Deceptive (though not always illegal) advertising is a hallmark of the survey scam type, with prizes being offered in the form of “points” rather than hard currency.
Paid surveys can be a quick and easy method to get some extra cash if you know where to look.
If you’re lucky, you could conceivably attract hundreds of market research surveys.
As a means to pass the time at work or make a few more bucks for happy hour, this may appeal to some folks.
That’s great if that’s what you’re after.
However, many people never realize their hopes of becoming full-time survey takers.
Some have tried it, but the financial rewards are much lower than those advertised by most market research companies.
Most people who participate in online surveys don’t even earn a few hundred dollars every month.
I suppose it’s not completely out of the question, but the odds against it are pretty high.
How To Weed Out Scam Survey Sites?
Both the companies that offer the surveys and the customers who fill them out are vulnerable to various risks when engaging in paid internet surveys.
Companies run the risk of participants being dishonest in order to receive payment for their time in completing online surveys.
It’s possible that some respondents will provide false information in their demographic profile in order to take part in more surveys.
They may create many accounts with the same company using different email addresses.
People who are in a rush to finish a survey may randomly check their answers as they move through a multiple-choice questionnaire.
Participants can increase their earnings from online surveys by lying and cheating, and the company will receive meaningless market research as a result.
It’s also crucial for participants to know that paid internet surveys have become a breeding ground for con artists.
There are shady third parties offering “exclusive lists” of legitimate online survey companies in exchange for “secrets” to making ridiculous sums of money from home.
Many of these go-betweens want users to pay a registration fee just to view listings that can be found for free with a quick Google search.
Signing up for a paid survey site has the additional risk that the site will eventually sell your contact information to spammers.
That’s why a secondary email address is a must when signing up for online surveys, even if you accept the site’s privacy policies.
Bookmark this comprehensive Social Rebel review for a captivating read later. Dive into the details and uncover the truth!
Signs That A Survey Site Isn’t Legit
Clickbait titles and taglines like “Win an Amazon Gift Card by completing this survey” are commonly used by online survey providers to persuade visitors to click.
Some businesses actually do offer stuff, but scammers use the same technique.
Different survey scamming tactics are used to acquire users’ trust, such as:
Phishing
Phishers will send fake surveys to people in an effort to persuade them to reveal personal information.
These surveys may take the form of banner adverts on various websites and social media platforms.
The survey form requires your login, social security number, payment card details, and passwords once you click and start filling it out.
A phishing survey would also have “fishy” mandatory fields.
Keep in mind that no reputable survey will ever require you to reveal confidential info.
Spamming
Mailing list signups can be confusing and time-consuming to keep track of.
So, when a survey pops up in your inbox that seems relevant to your interests, you might be tempted to take part.
It’s always malicious unless you prove that you voluntarily joined the survey’s contact list.
Any time you interact with a link, you risk installing malicious software on your computer or mobile device.
The attacker can now steal your personal data, including passwords and bank account details.
Criminals can commit identity theft once they acquire your personal information.
Companies that use this information may be in danger of breaking TCPA regulations because of fraudsters who sell it to third parties.
Posing As Reputable Companies
Although it may appear to be from a reputable company, like Amazon or something, not all online surveys should be trusted.
Even reputable businesses like SurveyMonkey can have their good names sullied by fraudsters.
Checking the address bar of the website the “business” sends you to is a certain way to tell if the survey is fake or not.
Examine the link closely. Does this URL seem sketchy to you?
If you followed the link and were taken to a new page, you should review it to determine what data the website is seeking.
The lock icon in the address bar of a web browser is commonly mistaken by its users for an indication that the site they are visiting is secure.
Seeing a lock symbol indicates a secure connection to a website.
However, this in no way verifies the site’s legitimacy.
Keep an eye out for phony emails and web addresses!
Poor Writing
Having poorly written content is almost surely a sign of a scam survey.
Con artists frequently juggle multiple schemes at once, and as a result, they don’t always give each survey their full attention.
As a result, the quality of the wording in these surveys is dismal.
Keeping your eyes peeled and your mind alert will allow you to notice the glaring typos and grammatical errors easily.
False Claims
Picture this: you’ve just opened an email from a clothing brand inviting you to take part in a survey for the purpose of market research.
When you finish the survey, they’ll give you a coupon for 25% off your next purchase.
However, clicking the button takes you to a completely separate survey, in which you’ll be asked to rate children’s toys.
You keep at it anyhow and finish the survey.
Finally, you’ll be redirected to a new page where you’ll be informed that you’ve won $2,000.
These discrepancies are obvious to you, right?
The scammer quickly upped the ante from 25% savings to a $2,000 gift card.
These things don’t add up and don’t make sense.
So when in doubt, click out.
Urging You To Install Games
Folks who participate in online gaming communities are the intended victims of this particular form of fraud.
This occurs when players visit suspicious survey links in search of in-game upgrades that are offered for free.
Malware can be downloaded and placed on your device if you click on these links, putting your data at risk or even allowing criminals to steal it.
Because they frequently appear on gaming sites, users may assume these surveys are harmless.
Scammers, however, can be found in any medium, including online games.
Related Reading: Is Survey Junkie Safe – Get To Know Here.
Steps You Can Take To Be Less Vulnerable To Survey Scams
Be Cautious When Asked For Sensitive Info
Let’s say you’ve come across a survey that seems legit enough to enter your financial details into.
You start to leave the webpage because you can’t bring yourself to go through with entering the information after all.
Unfortunately, it’s possible that scammers have already obtained your data using a keylogger technique that allows them to steal information you’ve typed on their website, regardless of whether you choose to submit it or not.
Think carefully about whether you want to reveal private information before you even start typing.
Always Check The Privacy Policy (Or If There Even Is One)
If you get a survey invitation and are unsure whether or not you want to participate, read the company’s privacy policy first.
Something is definitely wrong if they don’t have one.
In the event that a policy is made available, it should be studied carefully.
The majority of fraudulent websites will sell your personal information to third parties, who may then use it in ways you don’t approve of.
Stick To Reputable Survey Platforms
Joining a reputable research panel or paid survey platform is a great method to find legitimate surveys.
These sites are devoted just to conducting online surveys, and if your qualifications fit their needs, it’ll be hard to run out of surveys.
Conversely, be wary of businesses that want personal information or upfront payments.
It’s possible they’re trying to pull a fast one on you.
Watch how the companies you do business with are doling out incentives.
Prepaid cards, gift certificates, and electronic money transfers are the most secure methods for receiving survey rewards.
Examples of Legit Paid Online Survey Sites
Survey Junkie
Earning money with Survey Junkie is a popular way to supplement a busy schedule.
Simply creating an account and filling up your profile will award you with points.
Signing up is quick and easy, and you may use your Facebook, Google+, or email address at no cost.
After that, you’ll get points for every survey you fill out.
Once you’ve earned a certain number of points, you can exchange them for a variety of prizes, including cash, gift cards, and PayPal.
Using SurveyJunkie is simple, and you won’t be inundated with unwanted emails.
Also, there is a large pool of survey invites to choose from, so it is difficult to deplete them.
Swagbucks
Earning points in the Swagbucks rewards program is as easy as doing things like online shopping, watching videos, and filling out surveys.
The least you could do is switch your default search engine to Swagbucks.
After joining, you can earn Swagbucks (SB) points, which can be used for rewards like cash back and store gift cards.
Swagbucks provides users access to tens of thousands of paid survey opportunities.
Among survey businesses, it is among the largest and most reputable.
My Points
With MyPoints, you can earn rewards like gift cards for doing things you already do online, like answering surveys, viewing videos, or making purchases.
MyPoints gives you points even if you don’t qualify for a survey, and new users can choose between a $10 Amazon or $10 Visa gift card as a welcome incentive.
However, keep in mind that many offers will take you away from the MyPoints platform and onto third-party sites, which may not be as user-friendly.
Inbox Dollars
InboxDollars is an easy-to-use service that pays out actual money rather than points in exchange for doing simple tasks.
Signing up just takes a few minutes.
You can make a lot of money in a short amount of time if you do a few short surveys frequently throughout the day.
Ipsos i-Say Panel
You can redeem your points for Amazon gift cards, PayPal funds, cash, or items at one of the most legitimate online survey sites, i-Say by Ipsos.
You can get gift cards quickly because there is a low reward threshold.
To top it all off, you can use points to buy actual stuff.
You can use your PayPal balance to cover the difference if your points aren’t enough to cover an item.
But there is a catch: the surveys don’t pay very well.
Survey Club
Instead of conducting its own paid surveys, Survey Club serves as a marketplace for participants to find and join relevant research.
Even though Survey Club facilitates access to paid surveys, those surveys themselves are hosted by third parties.
It features regional market research opportunities in addition to paid internet surveys.
These were hand-picked for users, taking into account your unique characteristics.
To help you identify the surveys and market research that interests you, Survey Club streamlines the search process.
For those of you who are 16 or 17, please be aware that PayPal’s age requirements mean you can’t get paid until you turn 18.
Instead of cash, minors can choose to receive gift cards as incentives.
Related Reading: Best Legit Money Making Apps – Get To Know Here.
Valued Opinions
Although you may not receive many survey invitations from Valued Opinions, your chances of being selected for a survey are decent.
The Valued Opinions platform will only show you paid survey opportunities that are a good fit for you based on the information in your profile.
Each survey you take will typically pay $1 to $5 and require 15 to 20 minutes of your time.
Emails inviting participants to participate in surveys now include estimates of time commitment.
Branded Surveys
The Branded Surveys platform contains many quick “get to know you” survey questions and awards 100 points just for joining.
Gaining experience through activities such as introducing friends and family or completing surveys is how you advance through levels: bronze, silver, and gold.
Gaining a higher level grants access to higher-paying surveys and more opportunities overall.
Gift cards to popular restaurants and stores, as well as PayPal and Branded Pay, are all viable options for receiving payment.
However, some surveys require you to visit a third-party platform in order to complete it.
LifePoints
It’s no exaggeration to say that LifePoints is among the most influential networks in the world.
New customers can receive ten extra LifePoints as a signup bonus.
LifePoints makes it simpler to qualify for paid surveys than its rivals, and the vast majority of its polls can be finished in 10 minutes or less.
This may result in fewer rewards per survey, but your return on investment will be roughly the same.
Opinion Outpost
Opinion Outpost is an excellent place to start doing paid surveys because of its low reward threshold and user-friendly interface.
The points system is simple to understand, and the option to pay out to PayPal or gift cards for well-known businesses makes it adaptable.
There are always many surveys available on the site, so there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to take a few every day.
Google Opinion Rewards
Google Opinion Rewards is a free app that can be downloaded on both iOS and Android devices.
Although the survey compensation is modest, the average survey takes less than 20 seconds to complete.
All questions are multiple-choice, and there are no advertisements or hoops to jump through.
From what I gather from the reviews, the availability of surveys is very infrequent.
Still, the app can notify you whenever a new survey is ready.
You will have 24 hours to complete the survey after receiving the notification.
Toluna
Toluna is a brand-focused mobile survey app that encourages users to “make their voices heard” by providing feedback to major brands.
As an added bonus, the app hosts daily lotteries where you can compete for a chance to win 1,000,000 points (equivalent to $300).
There is also a social aspect, with many members connecting with each other.
Your earned money can be redeemed for a gift card or sent to you via a PayPal cash transfer.
Points expire 16 months after they are earned, so don’t let them sit around for too long!
PrizeRebel
Established in 2007, PrizeRebel has amassed a user base of over 12 million since its inception.
Whether it’s filling out surveys, viewing videos, signing up for partner offers, or recommending friends, PrizeRebel has a way for you to earn points.
A great perk of referring friends is that you get more than just a one-time incentive.
You’ll get a cut of your friend’s points.
PrizeRebel also has a loyalty program. It allows you to gain access to additional perks whenever your earnings reach a certain level.
Related Reading: Survey Junkie Vs. Swagbucks – Which One Is Best For You.
Final Thoughts
I’m sure nothing I mentioned above was particularly surprising.
Folks are always coming up with ways to “get rich quick.”
And there will always be scammers trying to take advantage of the vulnerable.
So, should you answer surveys for money?
If you do your research and deal only with legit survey sites, you may be able to earn a few bucks or win some concert tickets.
