Companies use survey websites to find out what consumers think about their products, and they’re willing to pay consumers for their opinions. But what are the best survey sites to get the most money for your time?
5 Best Paid Survey Websites
There are countless websites where you can take online surveys for money. There are so many that the options can easily become confusing. These five are rated among the best:
- Swagbucks
- Survey Junkie
- Opinion Outpost
- Branded Surveys
- InboxDollars
1. Swagbucks
Swagbucks aspires to put cash back in your wallet. The platform offers a wide range of ways to earn points, including:
- Taking surveys
- Shopping online
- Playing video games
- Searching the web
When you’ve earned enough points, you can redeem them for gift cards to your favorite retailers, like Walmart and Amazon. You can even exchange your Swagbucks for cash through PayPal. The platform has already paid out over $854 million in rewards and is one of the most reliable ways to make extra cash online today.
2. Survey Junkie
Unlike Swagbucks, Survey Junkie is 100% dedicated to surveys and market intelligence. When you join Survey Junkie, you have the opportunity to join two communities:
- Survey Junkie: The Survey Junkie community offers access to surveys.
- SJ Pulse: The SJ Pulse community gives you the opportunity to take part in paid behavioral market research.
No matter which you choose, the platform is simple to use. All you need to do is sign up, and Survey Junkie will alert you when a paid survey opportunity matches your profile. Simply take the survey and get paid.
3. Opinion Outpost
Opinion Outpost is another survey website that gives you the opportunity to earn meaningful extra money by sharing your opinion. With Opinion Outpost, you are able to:
- Test new products and share your thoughts.
- Weigh in on advertising campaigns.
- Give your opinion about current products.
Each time you do complete a task, you earn points that you can redeem for gift cards or cash via PayPal.
4. Branded Surveys
Branded Surveys is one of the largest market research communities in the United States. It also partners with other leaders in market research, like Nielsen, JD Power and Associates and Harris Interactive. It’s no surprise that Branded Surveys has earned higher than a four-star rating at Trustpilot.
When you join the website, you can participate in surveys, but there are also other opportunities to earn. You can expand your earnings with daily challenges, polls, and exclusive product and service offerings.
5. InboxDollars
Finally, InboxDollars gives you five ways to earn extra cash in your spare time. These include:
- Taking surveys
- Utilizing cash-back shopping offers
- Playing games
- Reading emails
- Utilizing grocery cash rewards
One thing that makes InboxDollars unique is the fact that the company doesn’t use a point system. This makes the platform highly transparent because it’s easy to determine exactly how much money you’ll earn when you complete an action.
How To Take Paid Surveys
The paid survey process has three steps. First, surveys are created by companies interested in consumer opinions regarding new and existing products and advertising concepts. Then, you provide valuable information by taking the surveys, and they pay you for your time.
Step 1: A Survey Provider Creates the Survey
The more you know about your audience and tailor your products, services and marketing efforts to them, the more revenue you can generate. Corporations know this, so they learn more about their audiences through paid surveys. An efficient way to do this is by using an intermediary like Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, Opinion Outpost, Branded Surveys or Inbox Dollars to create a survey offer.
Step 2: Take the Survey
Once the company creates the offer, the intermediary makes it available on its survey platform. If you’re interested in the topic of the survey and you are happy with the compensation it offers, you can elect to take the survey.
Keep in mind that companies pay good money for good information. Think of taking surveys as a business, and be as accurate as possible to provide the best information for your clients.
Step 3: Get Paid
Once you complete the survey, you get paid. Most paid survey sites use a point system and pay in points each time you complete a survey. Then, once you’ve accumulated enough points, you can cash out for gift cards or money.
InboxDollars takes the confusion out of this equation by avoiding the point system and dealing only with cash.
Final Take
Paid surveys are a great way to put a few extra bucks in your pocket, and many platforms offer other ways to earn as well. If you find yourself with free time and want to turn that time into dollars, consider signing up for one of the best paid survey sites explained above.
FAQ
Find the answers to the most common questions about paid surveys.- Do surveys online really pay you?
- Yes, there are several legitimate websites that offer real money for your opinion.
- What survey site gives the most money?
- The amount of money you can make depends on the surveys you take. However, no survey website will make you rich. In fact, you typically make far below minimum wage when participating in paid surveys.
- How many Swagbucks equals $1?
- One Swagbuck is equal to one penny. So, it takes 100 Swagbucks to earn one dollar.
- Is it worth doing surveys for money?
- Paid surveys are only worth your time if you enjoy sharing your opinion. Otherwise, earning far less than minimum wage may be a major turnoff.
- Are paid surveys safe?
- Paid surveys are a legitimate business. However, there are bad apples in every bunch. If you decide to share your opinion for money, be sure to only work with trusted brands.
Cynthia Bowman contributed to the reporting for this article.
Information is accurate as of March 17, 2023.