Many people who sign up and answer online surveys can earn between $50 and $250 a month. Sometimes, you get free products to try out as well.
Online survey-taking can be a good deal for stay-at-home-moms, in particular, who can’t leave the house while children are home napping. Moms can simply log on to a survey site of choice and sign up to take a survey if one is available. Other sites send emails alerting participants when a survey is available. It’s important to answer the email and indicate your interest quickly, and then take the survey when you get time, because spots can fill up fast. Signing up for several survey sites gives you more opportunities to find available surveys for which you qualify. Retired people often find that online surveys are an easy way to get a little extra spending money. Sometimes, opportunities arise for children to participate as well. A company may want feedback for a television show aimed at children, for example. In that case, your child would watch a 20-minute-or-so pilot, answer questions and receive money.
Popular Sites
Some of the more popular survey sites include Survey Savvy, SurveyHead, Brand Institute and Toluna USA. But, many more good survey sites are available. Generally, the more personal information you give, the more likely you qualify for surveys. Never give your personal bank account number or Social Security number to any online site. Reputable sites won’t ask for this information in the first place. Typical information survey sites want to know when you sign up is your name, where you live, when you were born, your gender, your household income, your ethnicity and your email address.
Pay Attention to the Details
Each survey site has its own particulars about how much it pays, when you receive your pay, and how you can qualify for the surveys. Read and understand that information before signing up to assure the site’s terms are suitable for you. For example, some survey sites pay in cash, and others pay in reward points that you redeem for merchandise. Sometimes, there is a catch with the merchandise-only survey sites — that the reward points only buy you a discount. You may still have to shell out your own money to receive the merchandise. If you are signing up for surveys as a way to make some extra money, stick with the sites that pay in cash.
Scams
Scams do exist in the online survey world. For example, if you are on a website and you see a blinking light beckoning you to click on it after answering one “survey” question, this is probably not a reputable online survey site. Likewise, if a site requires you to send money for any reason, even to get a product to try, don’t do it. Reputable survey sites do not require participants to pay to participate. If you are ever unsure, check out the site with the Better Business Bureau, SurveyPolice.com or with Scams.com. In addition, don’t be a scam artist yourself. It’s not fair for you to lie just to be able to take a survey. Companies rely on your answers to make decisions, and if you are being dishonest, you may be affecting the outcome of products that your friends and neighbors use.