How to make money from online surveys – A guide + best program sites!
Could you use a little extra cash? How about money you can make at home while you’re watching TV or spending time with the kids? Online surveys can provide you with an opportunity to make money from your computer, tablet, or mobile phone – and all it takes to profit is a bit of know how and organization.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to making money from online survey.
- Create an email address for your survey taking
Even the most legitimate online survey sites will send you a LOT of email. Make sure you’re prepared for the onslaught. You can always set up a different label (if you’re using Gmail) or filter for survey emails, but having an entirely separate account is most advisable. If you want to make some serious money with online surveys, you need to think about it like work: that means setting aside time each day to doing it, and the separation helps.
- Research online survey companies
You’ll need to devote a couple hours each week to staying on top of the best opportunities. We have some tried and true recommendations (see below), but some of the higher paying gigs might show up locally on Craigslist, for example. Make sure you research the issuing company as well to avoid scams.
- Put in the effort
Make sure you review and respond to the emails that the email survey companies will send your way. Sometimes, these surveys cap: meaning you need to be among the first to respond in hopes of qualifying. After some time, you’ll get an idea of when the survey companies release their email notifications, allowing you to stay on top of it.
5 Best Email Survey Companies (That Pay!)
Swagbucks
Swagbucks offers a variety of casual money making opportunities. You earn “swagbucks” which you can turn into real money in the form of PayPal and Amazon gift cards. It’s a nice way to pay for groceries or treat yourself to something on your wish list. You can log into Swagbucks with Facebook and click on the survey option.
Swagbucks surveys are mobile friendly and ask you some basic questions about your household and buying preferences.
YouGov
YouGov is one of the more interesting survey sites out there – they ask you about politics and social policies. If posting about politics on Facebook makes you feel like you’re screaming into the void, you can help shape how people think about and market political views by answering these surveys (and getting paid to do so).
Global Test Market
Global Test Market is one of the more popular US-based online survey companies. They’re pretty active, so it’s easy to get consistent work from them.
Branded Surveys
Do you want a low payout threshold ($10) and a reward for earning your friends? Give Branded Surveys a try. They have a snappy website with a new design, making it easy to use. This one is recommended for people with large social media networks due to the referral potential.
iPoll
iPoll doesn’t offer quite as many surveys as the other option, but they are pretty steady and do pay out quickly. You can expect each survey to take around 15 minutes.
What Else Do You Need?
While some survey companies are able to send you checks, most of them pay out in gift cards and in PayPal. Make sure you have an Amazon account or a PayPal account (free) to take advantage of your rewards and get pay.
Survey sites generally don’t pay a lot – you’re making less than minimum wage at $5 per hour, and there are usually checks in place to ensure you don’t rush through and click nonsense. Surveys are great for earning extra money while you’re hanging out or engaged in a boring activity like waiting at a doctor’s office.
