Paid surveys have attracted many online users with their promise to pay good amounts of cash for a few minutes of your time. It sounds really great I know but the truth is it is often not as great as it sounds. Before you take the leap to commit to taking paid surveys for all those companies that promise to pay you for your time there are a few things you need to know.
Paid surveys are a way to make a few extra bucks. You are never going to get rich from paid surveys. Most surveys pay very little if anything at all once all is said and done. Many companies have tricky ways of getting out of paying you anything once you take some of your precious time to answer their questions. Some companies do this by screening you out of the survey after much of your time. If you do not complete the full survey you do not get paid the incentive. Make sure to always read the email or survey description before you being. Sometimes the incentive you get upon completion is not what you thought you would receive. Companies that do not pay what they promise or screen you out after more than a few minutes of your time are not where you want to be taking surveys. You will waste time and never receive the payment you are due.
There are hundreds of survey companies out there that will promise you payment for joining their panel and taking their surveys. Very few of these companies are worth the time it takes to fill out the application to join their panel. Many companies you sign up for will never send you any surveys; some will send a few each month, while others will only send a few each year. I at one point in time was a member to well over 200 survey companies and less than 10 of those companies was ever worth my time. You must sign up with more than one company to make any money but signing up for hundreds is not going to fix the problem either. The important thing is to sign up for companies with a good track record of paying their members. These panels are generally difficult to join but will be worth your time if you can. The best ways to find these panels are online forums, friends, etc.
You will also need to know that you will not qualify for every survey you are sent. You screen out of surveys based on demographics, age, gender, etc. Most companies pay or give nothing if you screen out. There are a few that will pay a fraction of the full incentive, enter you in a sweepstakes, etc. Also understand that the more surveys you take for a company a better member you become. Many companies will only send sweepstake surveys to begin with and once you have taken a few will move you up to an earned incentive. Take note if companies only offer sweepstakes or if these are the only surveys you ever receive after you have been a member for a few months this may indicate that these companies want your opinion but never intend to pay you for your time. Keep the company if you like but put them on the bottom of your surveys to do list.
One of the most important lessons I learned while signing up for survey companies was to never pay for a list of survey companies. The list I received contained information that I had already found online free of charge. Even more upsetting than the information they sent me being available for free was the realization that I was already a member of at least 50% of the companies they sent in their list. Luckily I got a refund of my money but many times this is not the case. If you want to participate in paid surveys do online research and do not pay anyone for a list of companies.
As I mentioned before I am involved in a few good survey sites. Many of these sites took me years to find. Your patience in reading my article has earned you my knowledge of the few best survey sites I am aware of. Below are the best companies I have found to be honest, legit, and pay their members as they promise.
* NFO: This site sends surveys at random. I get quite a few from them but have been a member for some time now. When you take a survey for this company you are paid by points that can be redeemed for cash and prizes. This is one of the few companies that pay you a few points even if you screen out. Invitations to surveys are sent by email and will tell you a bit about the survey before you agree to take it or not. The incentive for the survey is posted in the email and is the amount you will receive if you screen out if you qualify you will receive more points that will be stated upon successful completion of the screening questions. You are not made continue with the survey at that point but are told what you can earn if you complete the full survey, how long it is expected to take, and then asked if you want to continue. You can choose no and still earn the screening question points.
* PineCone Research - This is the best panel I have ever found. This is also the hardest to join panel I have ever found. This company pays you five dollars for each survey you take for them. Their screening questions known as Household questions are short and do not pay but may qualify you for an upcoming paid survey. Each email will tell you if the survey is Household questions or a paid survey. I receive one or two paid surveys from this company most months of the year. The trick to this panel is the only way to join is you must find their link some where on the Internet. You cannot join by going to their homepage, referral, etc. The best place to learn of a link is by online forums but you better act quick once the company knows their link has been compromised they move it!
* View Point Forum - This panel is another good one that is difficult to join. The company does not send many surveys but the ones they send do pay in cash form. This is another company that you are paid a fraction of the incentive even if you screen out of the survey. The problem with this panel is they are very difficult to join. You have to find them in need of new members in order to sign up.
* Global Testmarket - This panel sends quite a few surveys that pay you in points. The points can later be redeemed for cash and prizes. The panel can be joined by going to their website at globaltestmarket.com. You will be invited to surveys by email. Each email will tell you the points that will be awarded upon completion of the survey.
These sites are just a few to get you started in your quest for paid surveys. These are some of the best survey sites that I have located in my many years of research and joining panels. You will not get rich by being a member of these sites but may earn a little bit of extra spending cash. There are hundreds maybe even thousands more companies available to sign up with but many of them may not be worth your time. Look for useful information to steer you in the right direction with survey companies so that you do not end up wasting your time.
All you need to know about paid surveys is right here in this article. Do your research to avoid wasting time with scams. When you sign up for a panel understand how members are paid and how you will be invited to surveys. Most companies will send emails but some will require you to check their site for available surveys. You are one among hundreds of other people that has likely been invited to take the survey you have received respond in a timely manner if you hope to qualify. Most all surveys come with a deadline and set amount of people who can participate. Be prepared to screen out of some surveys and not receive a dime for your effort. You are not going to get rich but you do have the ability to have your opinion heard by manufactures, the media, consumers, etc.