Online survey companies are a way to legitimately make some money from home. I found five new, legitimate survey companies that meet all the criteria I use for vetting.
New Survey Sites
Opinion Square (they don’t pay in cash, only in gift cards and prizes)
Survey Head (reviews online say that payments from this company are a little slower than others because they require that the survey close entirely before they credit your account. Then, when you request payment they take a few weeks to verify your account before issuing a check. They do pay, but the process is slower than others)
Tips for Getting Started
As you get started with these companies, keep the following things in mind:
Create a new email address
You will likely get a lot of email, especially if you join multiple survey companies. Open a new email account and dedicate to this kind of thing so you don’t feel overwhelmed in your main inbox.
Provide accurate and complete profile information
You are participating in market research. As such, surveys are targeted to people based on all sorts of demographic information they provide. You are more likely to receive a higher quantity of surveys, and thus opportunities to earn some money, if your profile is all filled in.
Set reasonable income expectations
You’ll earn a little side cash for your time taking surveys, but I doubt you’ll be able to pay your mortgage with the income. Especially at first you’ll have to take enough surveys to reach the payment threshold with each company. Only you can decide if it is worth your time. I think that those with more time on their hands, than money in the bank, might take the opportunity to make every extra penny they can.
Other Legitimate Survey Sites
If you haven’t joined the other survey companies that I am aware of and have vetted, feel free to check them out as well:
Ipsos I-Say Panel: for Everyone Else
Synovate Global Opinions Panel
Toluna (They are, by the standards I described above, a legitimate firm, but word on the street is that it takes longer to earn rewards with Toluna than with some of the other firms and they are slower to pay)
Valued Opinions (They pay out in gift cards to stores like Macys and Blockbuster versus others that pay in cash)
Your turn: How much time do you spend taking surveys each week or month?
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About Carrie Rocha
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