FAQ's About Paid Online Surveys

I came up with a list of questions I am frequently asked. If you have any other questions that are not listed, please feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me.

What are online surveys?

Online market research is a growing trend that gives companies a reliable alternative to traditional ways of collecting consumer opinions. Online surveys are web-based questionnaires that allow companies to learn what consumers think about their products and services.


What are online survey panels?

Market research companies host online survey panels. These companies gather willing consumers with different demographics and geographic locations to share their opinions. By forming these online panels, market research companies can then host online surveys on new products and services on behalf of their corporate clients. The answers from all the participants are then compiled by the market research company and presented to their client.


Will survey panels try to sell me things?

No. Survey panels are only interested in summarized information on the attitudes, opinions, market practices, etc. of the sampled consumer groups. Some panels may offer you gift rewards or products to try, for free, as part of a study. However, sales or solicitation is not acceptable or permitted in legitimate and professionally conducted survey research.


How do I get started with online surveys?

If you want to earn money by filling out online surveys, you will have to spend some time creating accounts with as many legitimate sites as possible. I highly recommend signing up with my top ten best surveys sites on the web. Signing up with multiple sites may be time consuming, but it is not hard work. You are asked to fill out basic profile and provide your email address and your mailing address (so that rewards can be sent to you). Legitimate companies will NEVER ask for your social security number or bank account information.


Who can take online surveys?

Every site's requirements vary, but most sites require participants to be 18 years of age or older. (Some sites allow minors ages 14 to 17 if they have parental consent). Your country of citizenship may also determine your eligibility for certain sites. Males, people ages 18 - 24, and minorities are most likely to receive the highest volume of surveys, but anyone can make money with online surveys.


Why do you have to be at least 13 years old to participate in online survey panels?

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) says that online survey panels cannot accept panelists under the age of 13 to register directly their panel. However, input from children is still often needed, and in these cases parents that are panel members are often asked to provide input from their children for specific studies.


How do i know when i can take a survey?

When a research company has a survey available for you, they will send you an email invitation. The invitation generally specifies the time required for the survey, the topic, and the reward type for completing the survey. Most sites will also have the link available on their websites when you log into your accounts.


Which survey companies are the best to join?

There are hundreds of companies that pay to take online surveys. A lot of them are published and will be reviewed on this site. Take a look at my top ten companies to join. Also, it is important to join as many companies as possible to maximize your earnings.


How do paid survey companies pay you?

Paid survey companies conduct market research on behalf of companies that produce products and sell services. They offer you cash and prizes in exchange for your time and consumer opinions. Some companies will sweepstakes entries, and others will send you sample products. They will pay to conduct product evaluations.


How much money can you make taking paid surveys?

Typical cash paying surveys will take 10 to 30 minutes to complete, and will generally reward you $1 to $10 (or possibly more) for every survey you complete. Other sites may give you gift certificates or enter you into sweepstakes for cash or prizes. Some sites occasionally offer focus groups. These usually last 1 or 2 hours, but generally pay more the $50. For more details about a particular paid survey site be sure to read the reviews for the particular panel.


How many surveys can i expect to receive per month?

The number of surveys you will receive depends on your demographic profile. Survey panel conduct different studies for different consumers. For instance, a surveys study about a new shaving gel would target adult males, while a study about a new portable digital music player may target teens and young adults. The number of surveys you will receive also depends on the survey panel as well. Some survey panels will send more frequent survey invitations than others. Be sure to complete your profile surveys for each and every panel. The profile surveys are very important because they help the survey companies match the surveys to the desired segment of the population as required by the study.


Are paid survey panels free to join? Will i ever have to buy anything?

Most paid survey panels are free to join. There are lots of sites out there that would have you think that taking surveys involves paying for trial offers of services and products, but THIS IS NOT THE CASE. While it is true study, they should NEVER charge you for the products or ask for any compensation other than completion of the survey study.