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I first started using survey sites when I was a student in desperate need of extra cash, and they’ve remained a reliable source of extra cash ever since.
In those days, earning a little extra money on the side was essential and now? It’s a bit of a thrill. There’s nothing like slobbing out in front of the TV making some extra cash by completing online surveys in the evenings.
There’s a lot of talk about making money online with survey sites, and that’s because they’re a proven way to supplement your income. Not by thousands every month maybe, but enough to make a noticeable difference if you’re committed and consistent.
In the past (when I actually had a TV to sit in front of!), I’d earn from £25 – £100 a week depending on how much time I committed to survey sites every evening. The work is easy and doesn’t take up much brain power, and can be done from anywhere – perfect for an easy side hustle after your main 9 – 5.
There are a lot of survey sites on the internet. There may be better ones than listed below (and if there are I’d love you to tell me!), but the ones below are the best survey sites I’ve used, tested, and had good results from. To me, that’s the most important thing: be able to recommend legitimate sites that actually pay for the time you put in!
10+ Best Survey Sites to Earn Money Online:
In this post, I want to talk you through 10 of my-go to survey sites for picking up some extra cash on the side, and 5 others that have also proven their legitimacy. Again:
These sites are not going to earn you thousands of pounds in a month
– but they are a great way to supplement your income when you have the time.
My top 5 sites that are known for being legitimate, reliable with payouts and offer good payouts are: Swagbucks, Pinecone Research, Valued Opinions, Inbox Dollars (free $5 sign up bonus) and YouGov.
Which to choose? The more sites you sign up to, the more opportunities you’ll have to complete surveys and earn money. All these sites are free to sign up to and take 5 minutes to register, so try out a few at once to see which you like best!
Some things to bear in mind when earning money from survey sites:
The More the Better
I’ll be the first to say that survey sites aren’t going to make you rich quick. You have to fill out a lot of surveys to make a good chunk of money, so that means the more survey sites you sign up to, the more surveys you’ll have access to, which means more potential earning power.
Create accounts for a few of the different sites above and spend an hour each evening get used to them, the content and see what you like best. You may find you’re particularly quick at one sites surveys, or that you like some of the prizes on offer somewhere else (survey sites often offer Amazon gift cards and other prizes as well as cash!).
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Be Honest
Survey sites pay because they genuinely want the information you give them. For the businesses, the biggest risk is people spamming their surveys in order to fill them out quicker and earn more money.
Survey sites pay because they want genuine, honest answers.
Do the right thing and give them that!
While filling out the surveys quickly does work to your advantage, be honest and fair when filling out the surveys. After all, these sites are willing to pay you cash for your insights, so the least you can do is share your own opinions rather than making something up! Keeping our answers honest also ensures paid surveys stick around online and that companies don’t move on to other forms of market research!
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Know Your Value
Track how much time you’re spending on each site versus how much you’re earning in return. It’s important to make sure that you’re actually getting more back than you put in!
If a survey site seems to have a particularly low rate of return, it may be better to try a different one out. Of all the ones mentioned above, Swagbucks is the most established and arguably one of the better-paying sites.
They also allow you to do things like watch short ads/videos instead of filling out surveys to change things up every now and again.
How to Spot a Bad Survey Site
Of course, not all survey sites play fair. I’ve listed my top 10 above because there are some that pay a pittance – or worse yet, you’ll find your account frozen or miraculously empty before you ever get a payout!
A few signs of bad survey sites include:
- A lot of spam to your inbox (although I’d recommend using a new email address to save clutter regardless!)
- Promises of earning thousands of dollars every month. If it sounds too good to be true, it always is.
- Any site that requests a fee for signing up
- Sites without valid privacy statements
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Best Survey Sites You Can Actually Make Money From
Swagbucks
Swagbucks is the first survey company I signed up for, and that’s because it’s one of the leading online rewards sites available. In my opinion, they’re one of the most legitimate survey companies and always pay on time.
You can receive gift cards for Amazon and other retailers, or get cash back from PayPal in exchange for completing online activities such as answering surveys, watching videos, and browsing the web – which is nice when you get fed up of answering questions all the time!
Get $5 simply by signing up to Swagbucks with my code here!
Pinecone Research
Pinecone Research is one of the largest and best-paying survey sites available. It’s free to sign up to, and users can earn money by completing surveys that pay up to $3 each. You can then earn money via PayPal or through vouchers to popular retailers.
The best thing about pinecone research is that it’s completely free to sign up to and use, and the surveys are all very simple and straight forward and can be filled out in your own time.
Check out Pinecone Research and sign up with my link here.
Inbox Dollars
One of the best things about Inbox Dollars? You’ll get a free $5 sign up bonus for simply registering with them – that’s easy money in itself!
This is another great site for earning a bit of extra cash in the evenings by filling out simple surveys, watching videos, surfing the web and signing up for products. The cash out is at $30, and a great feature of Inbox Dollars is that they have an estimated ‘how much will you earn’ section before you commit to completing a survey.
Click my link here and earn $5 for simply signing up to Inbox Dollars.
YouGov
YouGov is a world-leading market research company and pays users in cash back or vouchers for taking part in surveys online.
I like this site because it has a huge range of surveys on all sorts of topics, and the site feels very clean to navigate without any pop-up ads!
Check out YouGov and sign up to take your first paid survey.
Valued Opinions
Valued Opinions pays between 25p-£30 per survey, again in the form of vouchers and gift cards, or cash back. The site also has online focus group opportunities as well as surveys which can be quite interesting!
The community has over 3 million members, with gift cards available from a number of popular retailers including Amazon, Sainsburys Macy’s, iTunes and Nike.
You can register with Valued Opinion using my link here.
MySurvey UK
MySurvey is a global survey site where the surveys you take part in influence business and product decisions. Surveys, online polls and product tests are all available to take part in on MySurvey.
Users are paid via products, gift cards, vouchers and cashback from PayPal. You can earn money with this site by taking surveys, and also referring your friends will add points to your account!
Here’s the link to sign up to MySurvey.
Harris Poll
Harris Poll offers rewards from favourite brands as well as cash back in return for completing online surveys and polls in a range of subjects from politics and business to sports.
This is a particularly good site because they’ll give you points not only for the surveys you complete, but also the ones you’re directed to but not eligible for. They have an app available which is particularly handy for getting a few apps done when you’ve got some spare time!
Sign up to Harris Poll here.
Other Great Ways to Earn Money Online:
Survey sites aren’t the only way to earn money online. Check out my full list of over 60 side hustle ideas for more inspiration, but below are a few of my top ways to earn money from the comfort of your home:
Cash Back Sites
Cashback sites a great because you earn money back by simply shopping online as you normally would, but through the cashback sites. These sites get a commission from the retailers you buy through, which they return to you in full – it’s really simple.
Two legitimate cashback sites that give a great return in cash back are:
&
Try them both out and see what cash back you can get on each site – you may find that each one is more generous for certain retailers, so I’d definitely advise seeing for yourself!
User Testing
User testing is a site my Dad referred me to years ago. You just need a webcam and microphone, and you can get paid to voice your opinions and thoughts on websites!
Companies want genuine insights into the usability of their websites so they can make changes to reach their audience best, so you can make some pretty good money but simply giving your opinion whenever you choose.
Blogging
Not the quickest way to make money online, but one with a lot of potential if you work hard! Check out my step-by-step guide to starting a blog of your own today.
Investment Hunting says
How many of these sites have you tested? I’m curious if the time spent on site actually makes the money made worth it. I’d love to see your results.
The Wallet Moth says
I’ve used all of these sites at one point and found them to be legitimate in their payouts. It’s true that the time spent/money made can be the biggest issue with survey sites in general – I’ll try to find the time to do an experiment in the near future and post some figures!
Eliza says
Paid Viewpoint – This is a real survey program that you get paid for answering simple questions & cash out through paypal. I personally love it!