There are tons of ways you can make money without getting out of your pajamas.
The most prevalent form is to answer paid surveys.
If you have time and an internet connection, you’re good to go.
I’ve compiled a list of the best-paid survey sites around, so you don’t waste your time.
Even if you’re binge-watching shows or hanging out with your family all day, you can earn extra cash.
You could even get your “opinionated” family members in on the action too.
Of course, the rewards for each market research company will differ.
But generally, most sites pay with Paypal funds or gift cards for Amazon, Walmart, Target, and other retailers.
You can make money online with the best survey sites by filling out questionnaires and participating in focus groups.
You’re also aiding firms in developing better products and services by using these online survey sites.
You can help improve the brands you care about by participating in product testing, brief questionnaires, and polls.
Not all survey clubs are legitimate, though.
Turn away from any survey site that offers the opportunity to quit your day job.
Paid surveys are an easy way to make some extra money on the side.
However, they are not a reliable source of income.
Survey takers can still earn free Amazon gift cards, cash, and other perks as an extra hustle.
Remember, there is a market where you may make your voice known.
This post serves as a comprehensive reference for legitimate survey givers.
It’ll teach all you need to know about taking surveys and when and how you may expect to be compensated.
So, What Are The Best Paid Survey Sites Around?
There are a plethora of legitimate survey sites available to us.
For the purposes of this post, I’ll focus on the sites that I’ve tried, evaluated, and proven to be reliable.
I’ve gotten real rewards from these sources, including gift cards and checks in the mail.
I’ll show you how to make money from various survey sites and how much money you can make.
You can join up for all of them if you want to maximize your earnings.
Because I’m the most knowledgeable about these survey companies, my rundowns on Survey Junkie and InboxDollars are more thorough.
Here’s the dirt on how to make money on the finest survey sites, straight from a survey expert to you.
Survey Junkie
Users of Survey Junkie can earn points by taking surveys or by having their digital activities monitored through the SJ Pulse program.
If you sign up for SJ Pulse, Survey Junkie will keep track of the following:
- The adverts you view
- Your online purchasing activities
- The websites you visit
- Other digital activities you engage in
Of course, this information is anonymized for your privacy.
Survey Junkie conducts market research and compiles a comprehensive picture of online consumer habits.
As you explore the web and go about your everyday digital activities, you collect points, but the actual payments remain unknown.
Once you’ve earned $10 or more, Survey Junkie pays out by PayPal or a gift card to a store of your choice.
Average payout per survey: $0.20-$5.00
Average time required: 10-30 minutes per survey
Sign-up requirements: must be at least 18 years old
Sign-up bonus: $0.25
Trustpilot review score: 4.5/5 stars
Supported devices: Desktop, tablet, and mobile
Related Reading: Is Survey Junkie Safe – Find Out Here
InboxDollars
InboxDollars offers a decent mix of surveys, including various lengths, themes, and demographics.
It also has a fun social engagement aspect and earning transparency.
You must qualify for the surveys, as with other survey websites.
You must complete a pre-screener study to ensure you are part of the target audience.
What Makes InboxDollars Unique
- Generous Referral Program
You’ll get $1 for each eligible referral if you get a friend to sign up.
Plus, you get 30% of their qualified earnings for the rest of their lives.
Many other survey referral programs only pay you 10% to 20% of the profits of your referrals. Sometimes, you don’t get anything at all.
- A Hefty Sign-up Bonus
Just for joining up to try InboxDollars, new members get $5 free.
Before you can cash out the $5 bonus, you must first obtain a particular level of profits.
- Payout Transparency
You earn dollars and cents, not points or other forms of virtual currency.
- Access To Other Ways of Earning Cash
You can earn anywhere from a few cents to $50 or more by joining various social contests.
Smaller reward contests with a higher possibility of winning a cash prize are held many times per week or more.
Over the years, InboxDollars has added various ways to earn more money.
This includes a daily trivia poll and the chance to win free grocery coupons.
The app also lets you scan highlighted product barcodes in actual stores.
How To Start Earning on InboxDollars:
1. Sign up.
With a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop, you may download the InboxDollars app or sign up on their website.
Simply enter your email address and come up with a password.
2. Confirm your email address.
The confirmation email can take anywhere from 10 seconds to 2 minutes to arrive in your inbox.
Just in case, double-check your spam folders. The email confirmation is how you earn the $5 cash incentive and activate your account.
3. Go through the new member checklist.
It will show you where to look for surveys and other opportunities to earn money on the site.
4. Go on InboxDollars daily and complete the daily list of ways to earn.
It will include simple tasks and activities like viewing current discount promotions or visiting a retailer’s website, in addition to questionnaires.
Average payout per survey: $0.50-$5.00
Minimum earnings to cash out: $10
Average time required: 5-25 minutes per survey
Sign-up requirements: must be at least 18 years old
Sign-up bonus: $5.00
Trustpilot review score: 4.3/5 stars
Supported devices: Desktop, tablet, and mobile
MyPoints
MyPoints is well known for its shopping deals, but it also has a lot of survey prospects.
The majority of surveys pay between 30 and 500 points; however, there are those that pay even more.
Use your points to obtain free gift cards to places like Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and other well-known retailers.
Prepaid Visa gift cards are also considered a payment option.
The point to dollar ratio varies, but it’s usually 175 points to $1.
MyPoints began as a discount purchasing website.
As a result, it offers a wide range of opportunities to earn points through purchasing items.
Incentives include cash back at thousands of merchants, promo codes, discount codes, printable coupons, visiting featured sites, and cheaper flight bookings.
It’s worth joining MyPoints if you’ve ever bought something online or plan to buy something online in the future.
Merely for enrolling, you’ll receive a free $10 registration incentive.
Simply spend $20 or more at any MyPoints endorsed retailer (there are over 2,000), and your account will be credited 1,750 points.
You can redeem these points for a free $10 gift card to the merchant of your choosing.
Average payout per survey: $0.25-$3.00 (50 to 500 points)
Average time required: 5-30 minutes per survey
Sign-up requirements: must be at least 13 years old
Sign-up bonus: $10.00 (But you have to earn $20 and complete a shop activity first)
Trustpilot review score: 4.4/5 stars
Supported devices: Desktop, tablet, and mobile
Swagbucks
Swagbucks pays out within 24-48 hours on average.
Because Swagbucks must validate your account information, the initial payment may take longer.
Funds are then deposited into your Paypal account.
Gift cards are sent to you through email as electronic vouchers.
You can redeem or keep the promo codes in your favorite digital wallet by linking them online.
One dollar is equal to 100 SB.
To obtain the linked cash reward on Swagbucks, you must qualify for and complete the survey, just like most survey sites.
What Makes Swagbucks Unique
- Low minimum cashout requirement
To receive your rewards, some survey businesses require that you have earned $20, $30, or $50.
You can cash out at Swagbucks if you’ve earned at least $3 or 300 SB.
You can withdraw $3 in the form of an Amazon gift card.
Swagbucks has the smallest cashout requirement of any survey company.
- Discount gift cards
You can obtain a $25 gift card to Target or Amazon for 12% off when you pay out your points.
That’s the equivalent of paying $22 in cash to receive $25 in cash.
Because you can buy almost anything at Target or Amazon, a gift card to either store is like cash.
Discounts will be available on other gift cards throughout the year.
For example, you can get a 10% discount on an Apple Gift Card or a 13% discount on a Visa $25 card right now.
- You can earn SB even if you don’t qualify for surveys.
Let’s say you are disqualified from a survey. You will receive SB as a thank you for taking the time to try it out and as an incentive to keep going.
- Many payout options
You can use PayPal, a prepaid Visa card, or a gift card from over 500 prominent retailers to cash out.
- Tons of other ways to earn money
Swagbucks also has a variety of additional ways to make money, including online games, web searches, trivia, and receipt posting.
You can even make money by laying your eyes on some videos.
Swagbucks has recently implemented additional online shopping and savings tools.
When you visit their website through the Swagbucks shop page, you can receive cash back from over 2,000 different retailers.
You’ll also find a ton of online coupon codes and promo codes.
You can print out supermarket coupons and local discounts that you can use to save money and receive cash back.
How To Start Earning on Swagbucks:
1. Sign up.
With a phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop, you can download the Swagbucks app or register on their website.
Simply enter your email address and come up with a password.
2. Confirm your email address.
The confirmation email can take anywhere from 10 seconds to 2 minutes to arrive in your inbox.
Just in case, double-check your spam folders.
3. Go through the new member checklist.
It will show you how to earn money and where to find surveys.
4. Go on Swagbucks daily and complete the daily list of ways to earn.
Average payout per survey: $0.50-$5.00 (50 to 500 SB)
Minimum earnings to cash out: $3
Average time required: 5-25 minutes per survey
Sign-up requirements: must be at least 13 years old
Sign-up bonus: $10.00 (But you have to earn $20 and complete a shop activity first)
Trustpilot review score: 4.3/5 stars
Supported devices: Desktop, tablet, and mobile
Related Reading: Is Swagbucks Safe? – Check Out Here
Pinecone Research
Pinecone is one of the more generous survey websites.
The majority of surveys pay out 300 points ($3). Pinecone’s membership base is more discerning; thus, fewer surveys may be accessible.
Pinecone Research also solely offers survey-based chances.
With Pinecone Research, it takes longer to complete surveys.
However, these surveys are usually for major brands and companies.
You get a relatively large compensation for each survey you complete.
If you are not accepted the first time, do not try to join the next day or lie about your profile.
You may be blacklisted as a result of this.
It’s preferable to wait a few weeks and try again. Opportunities for market research and demographic demands are constantly changing.
And once you’re in, you’re in for the long haul.
Average payout per survey: $3
Average time required: 20-30 minutes per survey
Sign-up requirements: must be at least 18 years old
Sign-up bonus: None
Trustpilot review score: 2.4/5 stars
Supported devices: Desktop, tablet, and mobile
SurveySavvy
The appeal of SurveySavvy is that you may join for free if you’re 13 years old.
Plus, you can cash out once you’ve earned at least $1.
However, none of the surveys pay more than $1.
They are all far less generous than the other sites.
However, there are other methods to generate money.
For example, if you link your smartphone, desktop or laptop computer, and tablet device each month, you can earn $5 per device.
Please note that you must continue to be an active member and participate with the SurveySavvy site or SurveySavvy Connect.
Because payment is made by check in US dollars, cashing out and receiving your incentives takes a little longer.
There is no way to receive money via PayPal, gift cards, or other coupons.
Yes, their surveys do not pay as well as other sites. Still, you can earn $10 per month simply by connecting two Internet devices.
If you connect three devices, you’ll pay $15 per month.
You are giving up some privacy, but it isn’t that different from searching the Internet with Chrome or Bing.
Almost every company is doing research to understand online consumer behavior better.
Average payout per survey: $0.15-$0.50 (50 to 500 SB)
Average time required: 10-30 minutes per survey
Sign-up requirements: must be at least 13 years old
Sign-up bonus: None
Trustpilot review score: 2.6/5 stars
Supported devices: Desktop, tablet, and mobile
OneOpinion
The sign-up process for OneOpinion is a little different.
Instead of filling out forms or a short form, Emily, a virtual chatbot, will collect your information.
She’ll ask for your first and last names and your acceptance of the terms and conditions and privacy policy.
You also have to consent to the usage of cookies and how your data is used and shared.
Finally, you’ll be asked for your birthdate, street address, gender, and password.
You’ll be prompted to confirm that the information you provided is correct at each step.
OneOpinion is a legitimate company, even if it is a little bothersome.
I think disclosing that much personal information to see what’s going on behind the scenes is excessive.
After providing that information, you’ll receive an email confirming that they’ll check your information and contact you if you’re accepted.
According to the notification, it takes 3-5 days, but in my experience, it can take less time.
It may even get to you on the same day.
This is merely a security precaution.
After you’ve been accepted, you’ll receive email invites to participate in surveys.
Alternatively, you can go to OneOpinion and look at the surveys that are available in your dashboard.
You earn points by completing surveys. A dollar equates to 1,000 points.
You may exchange your points for Amazon gift cards, Paypal, prepaid Visa cards, or gift cards to other popular retailers.
However, you have to earn at least 25,000 points (or $25) to do so.
OneOpinion does not give out payments in cash.
Average payout per survey: $0.05-$2.50 (50 to 2,500 points)
Minimum earnings to cash out: $25
Average time required: 10-30 minutes per survey
Sign-up requirements: must be at least 18 years old
Sign-up bonus: $5.00
Trustpilot review score: 2.0/5 stars
Supported devices: Desktop, tablet, and mobile
YouGov
YouGov is a market research firm established in the United Kingdom.
Residents of the United States and the United Kingdom aged 14 and above are eligible to participate in surveys.
You’ll get a $1.00 welcome bonus when you sign up.
Taking surveys earns you points, with 1 point equaling $0.50.
Once you’ve earned 5,000 points ($25), you can cash out.
Points can be exchanged for PayPal funds, gift cards to your favorite stores and restaurants, or transferable credits.
Average payout per survey: $0.20-$2.00 (40 to 400 points)
Minimum earnings to cash out: $25
Average time required: 20-30 minutes per survey
Sign-up requirements: must be at least 14 years old
Sign-up bonus: $1.00 (But you have to earn $20 and complete a shop activity first)
Trustpilot review score: 4.3/5 stars
Supported devices: Desktop, tablet, and mobile
Related Reading: How To Earn Money By Playing Games – Click Here To Learn More.
Branded Surveys
Branded Surveys, formerly known as MintVine, is one of the best paid online survey services.
These surveys can encompass anything, from your daily activities to your favorite restaurants.
You’ll obtain points for each survey you finish, which you can then redeem for prizes.
Some of the biggest brands utilize the information you provide on Branded Surveys to help them make decisions.
They do research to determine which items to release next or which demographic to target.
Unlike some other paid survey sites like Swagbucks, Branded Surveys is solely a survey site.
It does not offer additional ways to earn money, such as watching movies or earning cashback on your purchases.
You must earn points that you may exchange for Amazon gift cards, Visa gift cards, or Paypal cash.
To cash out, you must obtain a minimum of 1,000 points (or $10.00). Payments from Branded Surveys are usually processed within 15 days after the month’s end.
Average payout per survey: $0.25-$3.00 (25 to 300 points)
Minimum earnings to cash out: $10
Average time required: 15-30 minutes per survey
Sign-up requirements: must be at least 18 years old
Signup bonus: $1.00
Trustpilot review score: 4.3/5 stars
Supported devices: Desktop, tablet, and mobile
Opinion Outpost
Opinion Outpost is not like other survey sites that flood visitors with information and offers.
Thanks to its uncomplicated, straightforward website, you can take survey after survey without much consideration.
You might like the site’s simple scoring system if you’re a beginner.
It comes to about ten cents each point.
Most importantly, you have the opportunity to earn actual money.
Your points can be exchanged for Amazon gift cards, prepaid Visa cards, or PayPal money.
You can also earn points by doing “real-world missions” in your community, such as checking into stores or scanning new products.
Average payout per survey: $0.50-$1.50
Average time required: 10-30 minutes per survey
Sign-up requirements: must be at least 17 years old
Sign-up bonus: None
Trustpilot review score: 4.3/5 stars
Supported devices: Desktop, tablet, and mobile
PrizeRebel
You only need to amass 200 points to get a $2 Amazon gift card with Prize Rebel.
So if you’re looking for a speedy payout, this is it.
You can typically get roughly 20 points for completing a 10-minute survey, so explore other ways to gain points.
For example, you can complete offers and watch videos.
Taking surveys earns you points.
You can use them to pay for things with PayPal, Amazon, Bitcoin, game codes, or gift cards from well-known merchants.
On PrizeRebel, 100 points equals $1.00.
Average payout per survey: $0.60-$0.85
Minimum earnings to cash out: $2
Average time required: 10-20 minutes per survey
Sign-up requirements: must be at least 18 years old or 16 with parental consent.
Sign-up bonus: None
Trustpilot review score: 3.3/5 stars
Supported devices: Desktop, tablet, and mobile
Toluna
The market research firm Toluna is headquartered in France.
You know the drill.
You take surveys to earn points.
You can cash out for rewards such as sweepstakes tickets, getaway vacations, electronics, and other products, gift cards, and vouchers.
You can also get paid in cash once you’ve earned 30,000 points ($10).
Participating in Topics, Polls, Thumbs it, and Battles can also earn you money.
These are also opportunities to get involved in the Toluna community.
You can start a conversation and give others feedback on products and ideas.
Toluna is appealing since it provides more unique ways to earn incentives as well as some tangible prizes.
Toluna’s point to dollar conversion is 3,000 points = $1.00.
Average payout per survey: $0.33-$0.66
Minimum earnings to cash out: $10
Average time required: 15-20 minutes per survey
Sign-up requirements: must be at least 16 years old
Sign-up bonus: $5.00
Trustpilot review score: 3.9/5 stars
Supported devices: Desktop, tablet, and mobile
I-Say
Ipsos, the market research business that owns this site, offers surveys through I-Say.
The site has fewer surveys than aggregators, but you stay on i-Say for each one, making the experience more manageable overall.
It sometimes shows surveys you’ve already completed, which is confusing.
Depending on how many points you earn, I-Say lets you convert them for charity donations, gift cards, or cash.
The value of each point relies on the reward you choose.
For example, one point is worth 1 cent for a gift card and 0.98 cents for a PayPal cash payout.
Tips To Keep In Mind Before Earning Money With Surveys
Despite the disadvantages of online surveys, some people may find them to be an appealing option.
After all, there is barely an entry barrier, and they can be completed from any location with an internet connection.
However, it’s still a good idea to remember the following:
1. Be careful with your sensitive information.
Leave the survey site if you’re asked for your Social Security number, bank account number, or driver’s license number.
When it comes to providing other confidential information with survey sites, I advocate being “deliberate.”
Giving medical information may not be worth the risk if you’re answering inquiries regarding a TV commercial, for instance.
2. Create a separate email address specifically for survey sites.
The majority of survey sites will send you multiple emails every day.
Using a different email address, signing up for these sites keeps survey solicitations out of your primary inbox.
3. Don’t spend your entire day on these sites.
Longer survey sessions may transpire, with your face glued to the computer screen the entire time.
The American Optometric Association suggests the 20/20/20 rule to prevent eye strain.
So, every 20 minutes, take a breather for 20 seconds and look at anything 20 feet away.
If you decide that surveys aren’t worth your time, there are other options for earning money online.
You could try blogging, selling items, and freelancing.
Those strategies may require more effort, but the potential benefit is more substantial.
4. Have anti-malware software in place.
If some survey sites take you to a spammy third-party client, I recommend taking this step for added protection.
5. Watch out for scams and avoid fake survey sites.
The ones to be wary of are the ones that offer too-good-to-be-true deals.
It’s also worth noting that product testing sites do not ensure that you receive products because users are chosen randomly.
In effect, please be skeptical of anyone who promises this.
Furthermore, all of the paid survey sites listed above are entirely free to join and use.
Whatever they promise, don’t get lured into paying for a subscription to any online survey websites.
You shouldn’t have to pay to answer surveys.
6. Cash in immediately.
It’s preferable to cash in early with these paid survey sites unless you want to build up a large amount of money.
You might also be going for one of the top rewards that you have time for.
Also, keep in mind that certain websites have limitations on when you can use your points and how long they’re valid.
Related Reading: How To Get Paid To Read Books – Check Out Here.
Final Thoughts
Taking surveys can be low-paying compared to other career options, regardless of the survey site.
The minimum wage in the United States is $7.25 per hour.
As you may know, most survey sites require a certain number of points before you can redeem them for rewards.
After five hours of labor on several of the sites, you may have reached the minimum amount.
You give up vital personal data as well as your time to these survey sites.
You’ll be questioned about your date of birth, ZIP code, income, health problems, ethnicity, and a variety of other things.
After disclosing that information, we don’t give second thoughts after spending hours in question-and-answer mode.
Still, it may still be beneficial for you to try out the paid survey sites above to monetize your idle time.
All of these sites have a corresponding mobile app, so you could make some extra income on the go.
But if you have that much spare time, you might want to consider something a bit more worth your while.
Disclaimer: While survey companies have been around for a long time, they’re definitely not the best way to make money. You will make a very low hourly rate (I did a test to see how many I could do in 60 minutes – watch it here). In my opinion, they only make sense if you have tons of free time and just like filling out forms.
