12 Legit Survey Sites that Pay
Looking for a way to kill some time and make a few extra bucks? Completing online surveys is one of the easiest ways to make some money on the side. Unfortunately, there are many survey sites out there that will collect your personal information with no intention to pay out. Read to the end to learn about the top 12 legit survey websites to earn cash now.
Pinecone Research
Pinecone Research is one of the oldest survey and product testing platforms out there. They have been around for a long time and can afford to be picky because they are legit, they compensate panelists very well (relative to most survey sites), and they pay quickly.
How it works: PineCone Research will send panelists surveys from time to time that will earn you points to be redeemed for cash or prizes. Surveys often pay between $3-5 each, and product tests around $6 each. The sign-on bonus is 300 points (equivalent to $3). You will get paid in the form of cash via Paypal, gift cards from an expansive collection of online retailers, prepaid debit cards, and/or movie vouchers. PineCone also offers bi-weekly and quarterly sweepstakes for $500 and $4500 prize drawings!
Click here to start earning money with Pinecone Research.
Swagbucks
I mentioned Swagbucks in my article 12 Online Apps to Make Money Fast and it makes the list again here; it’s a fan favorite and also the largest get-paid-to (GPT) take surveys site. Membership is free, and as a member you will be asked to take personalized surveys from top brands and agencies.
Swagbucks offers other opportunities to earn points as well from watching videos to browsing the internet. Since launch in 2008, SwagBucks has paid out more than $200,000,000 in rewards. It’s been featured in TechCruch, BuzzFeed, Fox, Time and ABC because it’s good. And easy. And free.
If you find yourself constantly online, would like to start earning something extra, and are looking for a variety of ways to earn, be sure to check out SwagBucks and collect your free $5 sign up bonus today.
Click here to start earning money with Swagbucks.
Vindale Research
Sign up is easy and like may other survey websites, Vindale offers compensation for completing market research surveys. The best part about Vindale is that it’s easy to collect your cash. Many or should I say most other survey sites will offer you points for completed surveys that are redeemed for rewards. Other survey sites may also have waiting periods, requiring you to accrue a certain number of points before you are able to redeem the cash. Vindale Research will fork over the cash for completed surveys—not fussy, just straightforward–cash for your time. Surveys pay up to $50 for more complex surveys, or even $75 in cases where a product is sent to the user for review. There is eligibility criteria for some surveys and compensation varies based on the complexity of the survey.
Please note that the screening process is critically important. You should only spend your time on survey topics where you feel your input is relevant to the survey’s research goals, and/or on topics in which you have personal experience! If you don’t qualify in the end, you won’t get paid. Sign up here and be sure to refer your friends for a $5 bonus each.
Click here to start earning money with Vindale Research.
E-Poll Market Research
Similar to many of the other survey sites, E-poll offers rewards for completed surveys in the form of points that may be redeemed into cash via PayPal, giftcards, charity donations, and sweepstakes entries.
Many users prefer E-poll due to their engaging surveys. In fact, this is the most common reason people join E-poll and stick around: for the interactive surveys, often involving videos and with an inclination toward the entertainment industry. Once you join, you will be sent survey invitations via the email address you provide. You may not request surveys—they are ONLY sent via email.
E-poll has been around since 1997, so it has a longstanding name in the business. This site is legit and even bears and A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Click here to start earning money with E-Poll.
Opinion Outpost
You probably won’t be able to earn a living taking surveys online alone. But if you decide to dive into a new side-hustle, Opinion Outpost is one of the best options out there. First you’ll need to sign up (fast and free) and log into your dashboard. The dashboard is impressive—much more intuitive and simple than others I’ve seen and used. Once you select a survey you will be prompted to answer a few multiple choice questions to “increase your chances to earn more rewards” (from the website). If you are disqualified, you will be entered into a $10,000 quarterly drawing.
If you are not disqualified, you will then be asked some basic, demographic type questions followed by more detailed questions and tasks. For instance, you may be asked to provide feedback on advertisements. Your qualification rate will depend on your demographic information. Overall, OpinionPost has a relatively higher compensation and qualification rate compared to other sites so it’s definitely worth a shot.
Click here to start earning money with Opinion Outpost.
Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie’s mission is to connect companies to the public. Through online surveys, users are given a voice in brand, messaging, and product develop for participating companies. They are a market research company and will be looking for information such as: shopping habits, household needs, household income, personal interests, use of technology, and other background information. No special skills are required to participate. Rewards are paid out in the form of points that may be cashed in after accruing at least 1,000 (where 1,000=$10). Completed surveys pay anywhere between $2 and $75. Pro tip for you: be sure to take demographic surveys to qualify for higher paying surveys!
Most importantly, Survey Junkie is a very popular and trusted survey. Just check out Trust Pilot and you will find it has a close to 5 star rating with nearly 12,000 reviews. Not too shabby.
Click here to start earning money with Survey Junkie.
CashCrate
CashCrate is another get-paid-to (GPT) survey site with an impressive variety of ways to make money beyond surveys. You will be asked to complete the typical profile information upon signup. You may complete surveys but you may also complete free and paid offers. For example, a company will pay you to sign up for their website and try out a service. You may also receive coupons with varying conditions to complete the offer for cash in just a few short minutes. The user-interface is very intuitive and easy to navigate, which is always a bonus when compared to other survey sites.
It seems easier to qualify for surveys on CashCrate; I qualified for nearly all the surveys I attempted. However, it is important to remember that you will never qualify for every single survey (on any survey site). The good and bad of CashCrate? It is not primarily a survey site and in fact all surveys available have been outsourced from third parties. Unfortunately, this means you get paid less. The good news is there are quite a few unique ways to earn cash such as signing up for products (mentioned above), completing minor jobs tasks, and participating in contests.
Click here to start earning money with CashCrate.
Ipsos i-Say
Ipsos i-Say is an online division of Ipsos, a market research firm that has been around for nearly 45 years. To get started, all you need to do is register on their website, take a survey, and start earning points. You can also make money by participating in focus groups, testing products, using mobile apps and referring friends. Points (1,000 points = $1) can be redeemed for prizes and cash.
Upon sign up you will be asked to complete pre-survey questions. Once you answer the qualifying questions, you will then receive an email with an account activation link. Ipsos is a straightforward survey site, so do not expect any product trials or other ways to make cash. You should, however, expect a robust experience using the site to complete surveys.
Click here to start earning money with Ipsos i-Say.
InboxDollars
Inbox dollars is arguably one of the most popular and legitimate survey sites that pays in real cash sent via Paypal, check or Visa Cash Card. The online rewards club boasts more than 1 million Facebook fans and the total amount of cash paid to Inbox Dollars members surpassed $50 million in 2017. Immediately collect $5 just for signing up. In addition to earning fast cash through their site, they also have a loyalty program that services up tons of awesome prizes on a regular basis. Earn up to about $5 per survey. However, earn even more cash by signing up for offers. For example, I was able to earn $20 just for signing up for Fabletics.
Overall InboxDollars is a tried, trusted and convenient way to earn as much cash as you want (yes, cash, not points!) at your own pace, hassle free.
Click here to start earning money with InboxDollars.
Toluna
One of the best perks of using Toluna is that you are able to choose survey topics in categories of interest…versus answering a bunch of question on topics you could care less about.
They offer profile surveys that take about 2-5 minutes to complete, designed to learn more about you. You may be qualified or disqualified from surveys based on demographics. As a consolation for disqualification, you be may entered in monthly sweepstakes.
The longer surveys are intended to gauge your interest in certain topics. Once you select a broad survey topic, you may receive close to 10 emails per day for seemingly endless opportunities to earn money! Completed surveys will earn you points which may redeemed into e-gift cards or cash send via PayPal or check. The verdict: customized experience and the opportunity to select survey topics creates a more engaging user experience relative to other survey sites.
YouGov
YouGov is one of the largest market research companies in the world with a presence in around 25 countries and over 4M members. Join the online panel and get rewarded for completing surveys or even participating in focus groups. Compensation for each completed survey ranges between 300 and 500 points for 5 to 15 minutes of your time. The more complex the survey, the greater the reward. The first survey you take upon joining will earn you 2,000 points. Redemption options and points to cash translation varies from country to country, but in the U.S. 35,000 points will get you a $15 gift card. The best part about YouGov is that they will never send you a survey that you do not qualify for, so you don’t have to worry about wasting a bunch of time with a screening process.
Use your voice and see how your survey responses are being used! The monthly newsletters report on national and international stories where survey results have been quoted.
Survey Club
Like YouGov, Survey Club has ample opportunities for international users, partnering with companies from all over the world. Companies and organizations pay Survey Club to create and implement their surveys. You’ll find yourself answering questions that will shape the organizations advertising and branding.
In some cases, you may be invited to work and get paid directly by the company. The details of the offer will be outlined in the initial invitation. Paid focus groups give you a high earning potential up to $200 for your participation. The biggest draw to this site is for these opportunities to participate in high-paying studies and/or focus groups over typical surveys offered on other sites.
Sign up here! Once you’re a member, you’ll have access to a dashboard that lists all available surveys, estimated time to completion, and potential earnings.