Want to Earn a few extra dollars in your free time by taking these online surveys? Learn from our experience what you can earn with these survey sites.
In today’s fast-paced world, finding a flexible side hustle that fits into your busy schedule can be a game-changer. Online paid surveys promise to offer just that – a convenient way to earn extra income from anywhere, at any time.
Whether you’re a student, a full-time employee, or a stay-at-home parent, these surveys provide an opportunity to make your opinions count while padding your wallet. At least that is what they say.
These paid surveys are online; you have to sign up on their websites and answer a few simple questions.
What Simple Questions?
Nothing fancy questions like algebra, only questions related to your routine life like shopping, eating or drinking, etc.
So let’s find out the details.
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The Reality of Online Paid Surveys
Our journey into the world of online paid surveys revealed a common theme: the payout is modest at best.
Despite the promise of easy money, the reality is that the earnings from these surveys are relatively small, especially when considering the time investment involved.
But, surprisingly, this doesn’t seem to deter many participants (including me in my earlier years). For most, it appears that the act of taking surveys serves more as a casual pastime, with the added benefit of earning a little extra cash.
How Surveys Work In a Nutshell
The process is straightforward. After signing up on a survey site, you’ll complete a profile that details your demographics, interests, and shopping habits.
This information is used to match you with surveys that fit your profile.
Once you complete a survey, you’ll earn points, cash, or other rewards, which can eventually be redeemed. That’s all there is to it.
But before going into all the best survey sites you can try, I will clear some things up for you so that you understand the working model and don’t get trapped in scams.
Paid Online Surveys are Genuine or Fraud?
This is a genuine business, and many reputed companies are conducting these online paid surveys.
But the very nature of the business attracts fraudsters, many of whom are not genuine and will waste your time and energy.
Even some of them can try to scam you in the name of giving you tons of money. So here are the signs which can identify a potential fraudster.
- They ask for sign up money
- Lure you with the promise of millions
- They ask for your card details
Beware of these scammers, be realistic and don’t get trapped in the fancy promises.
Legitimate survey sites will never ask for sensitive personal information like your social security number. Be cautious of sites that promise unusually high payouts or those that require a fee to access surveys. A genuine survey site has a transparent reward system and clear terms and conditions.
But Why do They Pay you Money For Filling Surveys?
So what is the catch here? Why would someone pay you just to answer questions about your personal life?
What they have to gain by knowing what channel you prefer watching on your TV or things like that.
Several sites are offering online paid surveys for money. They are middlemen between you and potential companies where you will spend your money by buying their products.
So, here is the deal: these companies will take your dollars and pay you some money upfront to know your preferences so that they can fine-tune their products to extract more money from you.
For that purpose, only they hire these middlemen (survey companies) to take your opinions, who keep a commission, and the rest pay to users.
And keep in mind you are paying with your time which is your most precious possession for those few dollars.
So, Where to Start With Taking Surveys?
Due to all these scam websites out there, it’s essential to start your survey hunting with the reputed websites only.
For this reason, I have collated here all the best-paid survey sites, a few based on my personal experience and others on recommendations from online reviews.
These websites have been included in the list based on their reputation and earning potential. So these are the highest paying survey sites.
It is recommended to sign up with several paid survey sites so that you are eligible for the most paid surveys. Try to signup at all these paying survey sites to maximize your earning potential.
Because a few survey sites may be more rewarding to you based on your location, work etc.
Once you figured out top-paying survey sites that work best for you, stick to the top 3 and don’t waste time on others.
Our Experience of Online Paid Surveys
In the year 2023 for this post, three of us (1 in the US, 1 in the UK, and 1 in India (not all apps worked here) ) spent collectively 90 hours on the 10 below-listed apps with 3 hours for each app by each of us. We were able to make $168 total out of which we managed to cash out $113 as we couldn’t reach the cashout threshold in a few of the apps.
That translates to roughly $1.86 per hour or realistically $1.25 per hour if you look at money in the bank. But it also was because one of us was in India which lowered the overall earnings and the person in the US had comparatively higher earnings of $2.1.
This value correlates with the average number which I suggest generally to my readers ($50 per month earnings if they spend one hour a day taking surveys).
So, is it a good number? Certainly not! as even a minimal federal wage is multifold higher. But like always, I never suggest you take surveys as a source of primary earnings. If you like taking them in your free time, then by all means it’s a good way to have some extra cash every month.
But, I will be transparent with you, I won’t tell you for the sake of a few cents of affiliate commission that I love these surveys nowadays. I don’t take them anymore as I find them a waste of my time as I have now other more rewarding things to do in that time even if it is free time.
However, they were the first sources of my online income and were my regular way to earn some extra cash in college days. And it was totally worth it. So, if you are still in that stage, you can go ahead and get some dollars.
That being said here are the best of them.
List of Best Online Paid Survey Sites
Most of these websites give signup bonuses to attract new users, and their amounts are generally below the threshold to cash out.
So you get up the boost initially and then complete a few best-paid surveys for your first payout.
1. Survey Junkie
Average earning: $2.85 per hour
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- Highest Paying Surveys
- Up to $50 per survey
- Industry-leading surveys
Survey Junkie is one of the best-paid survey sites and works on a points system. Survey Junkie has recently enhanced its user experience by introducing a more intuitive dashboard, making it easier for users to find suitable surveys quickly.
The surveys themselves are engaging and varied, covering a wide range of topics. With an increased range of surveys covering diverse topics, your opinions can significantly influence market trends and consumer products.
1,000 points equate to $10, and when you get 1000, you can cash out.
Sign up here for Survey Junkie(US, Canada, Australia)
In addition, you can become their affiliate partner and earn a commission for referring your friends to them.
Become an affiliate partner by clicking here.
2. Swagbucks
Average earning: $2.63 per hour
If you are even a little bit familiar with paid surveys sites, you might have heard of Swagbucks.
Swagbucks is one of the most respected and best-paid survey sites that pay cash instantly.
You get a survey based on the information you provide, and then for every paid survey you take, you are compensated in Swagbucks or SBs. Then you can convert SBs into cash, gift cards, or PayPal credit.
They have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau to prove their business is legitimate.
Other than high-paying survey apps that pay instantly, they also offer other ways to earn money, such as Cashback programs for online shopping, searching the web, and watching videos.
Swagbucks continues to lead with new features such as enhanced mobile app functionality, making it easier to earn rewards on the go.
Their partnership with major brands has grown, providing more diverse survey opportunities. Your engagement on Swagbucks not only rewards you but also shapes the market.
At times, earning significant rewards can feel slow and you feel you are not getting anywhere. But for average users, that is compensated by a variety of earning ways that keep them busy.
Register here for Swagbucks(US)!
Register here for Swagbucks(Germany and France)!
3. Branded Surveys
Average earning: $2.41 per hour
There are a few different ways to make money with a branded surveys website. One way is to sign up for a signup bonus. This is usually a small amount of money, but it is a good starting point.
After signing up and completing your profile, start making money with branded surveys website by completing surveys. You will usually be rewarded with points for each survey you complete, which you can redeem for cash or prizes.
Finally, you can also refer friends to the website. If they sign up and complete surveys, you will earn a commission.
You can maximize your earnings from a branded surveys website by taking advantage of these opportunities.
Branded Surveys has expanded its survey offerings, including more opportunities in niche areas. However, after an initial few high-paying surveys we were given a lot of lowball offers.
Sign up here for Branded Surveys!
Don’t forget to verify to get your bonus points.
4. InboxDollars
Average earning: $2.19 per hour
Just sign up and answer a few basic questions about yourself to get paid to take surveys that pay instantly.
Answer questions, and you get money, which is the difference from the previously mentioned website where you get points. You don’t have to change points into gift cards or PayPal here.
InboxDollars has updated its payout structure, offering more frequent cash-out opportunities. The platform has also introduced a wider variety of surveys and tasks, including watching videos and trying new products.
Reaching the payout threshold was easier in this app compared to most other apps.
Sign up here for InboxDollars(US)!
Sign up here for InboxPound(UK)!
Don’t forget to verify for a $5 bonus. You will also get paid e-mails where you will earn money to read emails!
5. Ysense
Average earning: $1.97 per hour
There are different ways to earn money with Ysense. For example, you can take surveys on the best legit survey sites to make money.
You can start earning Ysense survey apps that pay instantly with different online tasks such as surveys, watching videos and other offers.
The user interface is simple, but we found that the earning potential varies greatly depending on the availability of tasks and surveys, which can be inconsistent.
6. Reward Survey
Average earning: $1.75 per hour
Other great legitimate surveys for money sites to earn rewards by online surveys. This paid survey site pays users with different rewards other than cash.
There are many choices of magazine subscriptions and other gifts available for you.
What’s more, get $30 instantly by filling out a few surveys after registration. The initial bonus on Reward Survey is a great start, and the unique reward options like magazine subscriptions are a nice touch. However, the selection of surveys can be limited at times, affecting the earning pace.
7. Zap Surveys
Average earning: $1.53 per hour
Zap Surveys is one of the best paid survey apps that pay instantly if you’re looking for fast cash.
Are Zap surveys legit? Yes, they are legal, and they guarantee you $6.25 on the first survey you take!
Zap is available only on App. There is no desktop site, so you’ll need a smartphone or tablet to use this one.
The only downside to Zap is the higher threshold to cash out $25. After reaching the threshold, you can get payment by PayPal account. The app-focused platform is convenient, but the higher cash-out threshold means it takes longer to see the rewards.
8. Opinion Inn
Average earning: $1.31 per hour
Opinion Inn surveys apps that pay instantly have a high $10 joining bonus and pay well for the paid surveys you complete.
It is available in the US, UK, CA, AU, and India.
Despite the high signing-up bonus of $10 at Opinion inn surveys, it has a relatively higher payout threshold of $25. Reaching that amount can take some time and need patience.
Opinion Inn surveys are worth checking out. The surveys are well-paying, yet the frequency and availability could be improved.
9. Feature Points
Average earning: $1.09 per hour
Feature Points, another well-known website in the paid surveys space and similar to InboxDollar, also pays in cash for surveys.
They pay higher amounts, and surveys are accordingly more complicated. My experience with Feature Points was mostly positive, with a good variety of tasks and surveys. However, some of the higher-paying surveys require more time and effort, which might not suit everyone.
You can also try out their website or survey apps that pay instantly for more ways to earn money.
10. OneOpinion
Average earning: $0.88 per hour
After signing up, you get points for filling out high-paying surveys.
1,000 points = $1, and you can cash out once you reach 25,000 points. That’s $25 and we couldn’t reach that amount despite liking the site. Maybe they need to lower their payout threshold to attract more casual survey takers.
They also do product testing, and you can have the opportunity to pay for market research and test new products before their release.
A Closer Look at the Survey Experience
Our own experience with these sites was enlightening. Spending hours answering questions yielded a modest sum, certainly not comparable to a full-time job’s wage but something nonetheless.
The ease of participating, coupled with the flexibility of doing so from home, added to the appeal.
However, the experience wasn’t without its downsides. We encountered surveys that were mundane or poorly matched to our profiles, and sometimes the compensation was confusingly structured. The demographics of the participants often played a significant role in the type and frequency of surveys offered.
In a few survey sites payout threshold is generally beyond reach for many people who are not consistent.
Another common problem was, that we were many times filling out screener questions and after taking our basic information, like name, age, sex, profession, and household earnings, we were not chosen for the paid surveys. And it didn’t happen once but at least 3 out of 10 times.
While giving out that information, we didn’t think much as it seemed mundane information, but if you think about it, it is information that can be used against you like it can be sold to insurance companies or healthcare providers.
And we didn’t got a single penny from that.
Our Suggestions if You Take Online Surveys
Set Realistic Expectations: You will not get rich with these surveys, so set realistic expectations (~ $5- $100 a month). If not seem like much, you can use this time for higher rewarding activities like taking website testing jobs, doing gig jobs, taking up hobbies that pay, or simply leveling up your skills.
Don’t waste Useful Time: For the same reason don’t spend too much time on them which you can spend on some other high-reward activities. Set aside a specific time each day for surveys. It could be during your lunch break, while commuting, or in the evening.
Use a Separate email address: We were already aware of the fact that the email you signed up with gets flooded with a lot of spam emails. So never give away your work email, you may end up losing important emails in a pile of junk emails.
If possible use some old device: A lot of these survey sites send you to third-party sites to complete surveys and you never know which might have malware. So, if you have an old device use that for these surveys, and don’t forget to install anti-malware software for protection.
Don’t share sensitive information: You may be disqualified for a lot of surveys for this, but I would not suggest sharing sensitive information like your health or specific diseases with survey sites as it may be used against you in the long run.
Use VPN Cautiously: If you are in low-paying geographies like India or Africa where a lot of surveys are not available or payout is very low, you may be tempted to use VPN. But a lot of these sites forbid the use of proxies and you may be banned if they found out (two of our accounts were banned in the initial try after spending three hours on them).
Cashout Frequently: Our last point takes us to this point. As these survey sites are notorious for banning users for a variety of reasons, you lose all the effort you have put in to earn those dollars. There is no reason to keep money in your account once you reach the threshold, so cashout ASAP.
Want to Earn More, Try These Resources:
Conclusion on the Best Paid Survey Sites
You will not get rich by doing these paid surveys online, but certainly, you can earn a few hundred dollars in the comfort of your phone or desktop. Plus, every opinion counts, and your participation in these surveys can also help shape the products and services of tomorrow.
Anyways if you are spending time scrolling social media, why not monetize that and earn some money by filling out these surveys that pay cash instantly, playing games, or testing products these websites offer?
I will recommend sticking to this list initially because of the many scams in this space.
Once you are comfortable and know the field, you can explore more, and there are more websites available that are a little more complicated such as MindSwarms, which offers video surveys and pay higher.
However, if surveys are not worth your time there are other side hustles like blogging, or writing you can explore on this website.
Paid Surveys Sites FAQ
Do I Need Some Qualifications for Paid Surveys?
No, and Yes!
Online paid survey sites are for common people to give their opinion; hence no special education or degree is required to take these highest-paying surveys!
But that being said, few detailed surveys need some particular audience, such as a gaming company will want gamers to give opinions about their new games.
For selecting their required audience, they have prescreening questions you need to qualify to take these online paid surveys.
Is it Possible to Earn Money without Doing Anything?
Yes, kind of!
Earning money with paid surveys is easy. You don’t have to do much, and you need to put only minimal effort. Do it while watching TV or traveling when you have free time.
I will not say you don’t have to do anything, but you need minimal effort to earn money with paid survey sites plus you are paying with your time.
How to Earn Maximum With Paid Surveys?
To maximize your earnings with online paid surveys, I highly suggest signing up for the maximum number of these highest-paying survey sites.
Their payments and the number of surveys available depend upon your location and a few other things.
That’s why by signing up at multiple paid survey sites, you can figure out which ones pay best.
Select the top three paying survey sites and stick with them. This way, you will never run out of surveys, and you won’t be wasting your time on low-paying surveys.
Just go through the list, and it will take you 20 minutes to sign up and confirm.
What are the Best Survey Sites That Pay Cash?
We’ve got the list above, but here they are condensed. These are the best legitimate paid online survey sites:
All survey sites listed in this article are high-paying survey sites, but for general guidance, these three are generally the highest-paying:
- Survey Junkie (highest paying survey sites)
- Swagbucks ($5 registration bonus)
- Inbox Dollars ($5 bonus)
What Will be the Questions in Best Paying Surveys?
There can be all sorts of surveys available depending on who is conducting the survey. You just have to give your honest opinions when you qualify.
Just don’t rush through the answers, as they have fraud detection systems in place, and they might disqualify you from the highest-paying surveys.
Read the question entirely and give your opinion.
Sumeet is founder of MoneyFromSideHustle and an experienced side hustler who replaced his full-time income with side hustles. His work has been quoted on major finance websites like CNBC, Yahoo! Finance, GOBankingRates, MSN, Nasdaq, AOL, and more. He has helped thousands of people find side hustles and is here to help you find your extra source of income. More about him.
Yes, surveys can be a steady source of occasional income.
Indeed, rememebring the “occasional” is important here.