All You Need To Know About Paid Online Surveys but Were Afraid To Ask

Paid online surveys are somewhat shrouded in mystery. Not because there is a lack of information about them but because there is so much of it. Some are claiming it’s a complete scam or a waste of time. Others say it’s a good way to earn extra income.

The truth is somewhere in the middle, but we are often afraid to get into it. Straightforward answers are easier to accept, but that’s not what we are about here. This is everything you need to know about paid online surveys.

What are Paid Online Surveys?

Online surveys, just like offline ones, aim to collect answers from the general public on a certain topic. All the action takes place online on your laptop or smartphone. Some of them are unpaid and done voluntarily, while others allow participants to make some side-money.

You rarely see companies or governments asking questions directly. Usually, this task is outsourced to paid survey platforms. They get paid for collecting public answers with their vast network of participants and infrastructure – apps, websites, rewards, payment systems, etc.

Since paid survey platforms need a constant flow of people answering their questions, they are willing to pay for it. Sometimes, it’s money. Other times, it’s various rewards or gift cards. The latter are widely accepted as the best payment option as it doesn’t involve any taxes or fees and is instant.

The more difficult the questions, the more survey platforms pay for participating. The topics themselves are known to everybody – popular brands, political events, fashion, celebrities, market trends, medical products, habits, etc. You will likely know what the questions are about. However, you need to be prepared to answer honestly.

Most questions involve the Likert scale or are closed-ended, but there might be questions that are open-ended. They will take a bit more time to write, but you should be careful not to hurry. Some questionnaires involve questions that are purposefully complicated to test whether you are paying attention. 

Is It a Legitimate Way to Earn Money? 

Are surveys for money legit? Unfortunately, not all of them. Some of them have unreachable thresholds, others ban users who are about to reach them, and yet others think of different ways of not paying participants. I can recommend a few that were quite profitable for me.

Pawns.app, YouGov, and Survey Junkie are a few platforms that do not have any of these fraudulent practices. You are sure to earn at least something on the side by answering the questionnaire there.

However, you should be modest with your earning goals. Many people criticize even the best-paid survey platforms because they themselves don’t get a lot of paid surveys there. In most cases, the reason is their demographics.

Why So Many Paid Survey Platforms Have Negative Reviews?

The field of paid online surveys is in constant flux. Different companies at different times, need different kinds of data. If you are a male from central Europe, you can’t expect to have a constant flow of well-paid surveys because your opinions aren’t constantly in demand.

This isn’t discrimination of any sort. It applies to all demographics and especially geographical locations. Of course, some markets have more money, and these customers are questioned more frequently.

Unfortunately, people who need side income from online surveys the most tend to get the least opportunities. Poorer countries have weaker markets, and consumer trends aren’t that relevant. Most negative reviews and comments about how paid online surveys are scams come from people in such regions.

It’s not that they are wrong. It might be true for their demographics – region, gender, nationality, etc. You cannot draw conclusions about how your experience will be based on these reviews. Your demographics might be different.

You Should Use Multiple Platforms

Another important point when it comes to paid online surveys is that no one who earns decently from them uses only one platform. You must mix and match different platforms. It’s the only way to get a steady flow of at least two surveys per day.

Using multiple platforms solves two problems. First, you will have a competitive edge against others. Everybody is rushing to take the surveys first. There are thousands of participants and only a few dozen surveys every week. Using two or more platforms betters your chances.

Secondly, paid survey platforms themselves get different deals from companies that want to purchase data on consumer opinions. For example, some platforms get more medical surveys, while others get surveys from the government.

You can’t expect to be eligible for all of them, so it’s a much better strategy to use a few of them concurrently. Registering and starting to use them is much easier than it looks like.

Most platforms are similar and can be used on a smartphone. You can easily complete questionnaires on the go or during your work break. You’ll barely feel like spending time with them, as it’s usually a healthy change from mindless scrolling.

How Much Online Surveys Pay?

Most surveys are paid around $1 if the platform is legitimate. If you see only surveys priced less than a dollar, I recommend not wasting your time on such platforms. If you use multiple paid survey platforms, you can expect to get two, maybe three, but no more than five surveys per day.

Let’s say you get 15 surveys per week. That’s $15 dollars just for your commute time. If you are lucky enough to keep up with this pace, you can expect to get around $50 each month. Keep in mind that this is just an estimate. Some people report more earnings, some less. It’s all up to your proactiveness and demographics.

Conclusion

This is almost everything you need to know about paid survey platforms. Almost, because the rest is best learned with practice. This isn’t rocket science. It’s just $20-$50 per month for some of your free time. Go on and take it.