Yes, paid online surveys are definitely real. However, I can understand how a beginner could doubt that after an initial search. It can be tough finding the legitimate, reputable sites amongst the myriad of so-called Paid Survey sites that appear on Search Engines. For someone making that initial investigation it can be quite confusing and daunting.
An unfortunate fact of internet life is the opportunistic scammers that constantly find ways to exploit its users. One of the areas these swindlers have latched onto is online paid surveys. Two of the methods used to do so are:
(1) Creating sites that promise to provide access to lavishly paying surveys, after you pay them a joining fee; and
(2) Providing a coded link (earning them a commission) to real survey sites, but not before obtaining your email address to sell to spammers.
Market research survey taking has been around long before the advent of the internet of course. Previously, printed questionnaires, either posted or delivered personally, and telephone polls, extracted opinions and feedback from consumers like us. Many businesses and services provider’s employ Market Research Companies to conduct these surveys or polls in order to improve existing products/services or to launch new ones. They research the market place by testing their ideas, their products, their service, or a current or proposed advertising campaign, on a small sample of the population.
As the internet grew in popularity, these Market Research Companies soon established Online Survey Panels as another opinion-gathering tool. The likes of GlobalTestMarket, Greenfield Online, and Toluna etc. appeared and began recruiting members. Over the last decade, more sites that are legitimate have been created. Unfortunately, so have many more dubious and downright fraudulent ones as well.
The “real” online paid survey panels invite FREE (without exception) membership, and ask you to complete a number of profile surveys. These form your demographic and determine the survey topics that the panel sends you email invitations to attempt to complete. The first few questions will determine if you qualify for each particular survey, and if you do, and successfully complete the survey, you earn an “incentive” or “reward”, depending on the panel. This can be cash (via check or PayPal), gift cards, online vouchers, entries in sweepstakes/prize draws, or the opportunity to donate to a charity.
In the context of this article, “real” means legitimate, reward in cash or cash equivalent, send email invitations regularly, and (most importantly) actually pay up. The following international sites satisfy that criteria:
www.surveyhead.com Cash offered on all surveys. Caution - can be slow in verifying and paying.
www.globaltestmarket.com Points accumulating to a cash threshold on some surveys; sweepstakes entries only on others.
www.pureprofile.com Cash offered on all surveys, including a token amount for attempting but failing to qualify.
www.valuedopinions.com Cash value accumulating to a gift card offered on all surveys.
www.opinionworld.com Points accumulating to a cash threshold on some surveys, sweepstakes entry and charity donation on majority.
I am not an affiliate of any of these sites, nor are the links coded to benefit me in any way. Therefore, if you are interested in making some money online, while at the same time voicing your opinion, you can confidently give surveys a go.