Intro Guide
If you are new to paid surveys, check out our introductory guide.
Paid Survey Guide is an independent resource for free paid survey sites. We provide all the resources you need to starting earning money from online paid surveys.
A paid suvey is an online survey where you are compensated for your time. Compensation may be cash, prizes or sweepstake entries.
A focus group is a discussion group where you will discuss a certain topic with a few others. Usually lasts 0.5 - 2 hours. The compensation is usually higher than surveys - $50+
Compensation from survey companies can range from $1 up to $75 per survey, and most surveys take around 5 - 15 minutes to complete. There are some companies that offer points for completing a survey, and those points can then be redeemed for gift certificates, merchandise, cash and prizes.
No matter what the compensation, all legitimate survey companies will tell you before you begin the survey what the compensation will be. Payment is usually made through check, PayPal, or directly to bank account.
Different sites pay at different times. Some sites pay your balance at the end of each week or month. Some sites require a minimum payout level before you can request payment. Other sites have no requirements and earnings can be withdrawn at any time.
Paid surveys are suitable for everyone over 13 (18 for some sites). When you register with a market research company, you will typically fill out a profile of your demographics, which is then used to determine what surveys and focus groups you will be invited to participate in.
Questions usually involve your opinion on typical everyday products like soft drinks, cars, software, shampoos, etc. Personal questions such as income are usually not asked. Even when they are, a 'prefer not to say' option is included.
No! You will NEVER be asked to pay ANYTHING. Legitimate research companies will NEVER ask for an 'entry fee' because they earn their money from businesses, not you.
Paid surveys strikes the perfect balance between being able to earn a reasonable amount and spending as little time as possible, all for the cost of nothing.
Paid surveys is easy, risk-free, flexible and TOTALLY FREE. Now the same can't be said for any other methods of earning money online.
Other methods usually involves significant time commitment to learn the industry or risking your money, or both. With paid surveys, you have no pressure whatsoever, and earn only when you want to.
Referrals is an excellent way to complement your earnings on any site. They provide a small but constant source of earning that can really add up in the long term.
Common referral techniques include posting on forums with your referral link in the signature, starting blogs, using social websites like MySpace and Facebook, posting in advertisement pages and classifieds, etc.
The most important thing to remember is that there's already a million people using these techniques to get referrals. So the best ways of getting referrals are your original ideas.
As with anything online, there are scams out there. However, all of our reviewed sites have been check vigorously and we can guarantee that all reviewed sites are legitimate.
Given that new sites are popping up every day, we cannot review every site. If you come across a site we have not reviewed, please let us know and we'll put it onto our review list.