Completing paid online surveys provides a great way to make a little extra money. While you won’t necessarily get rich taking on this side hustle, your earnings can add up quickly if you partner with the right websites.
Often, places like the Census Bureau and Pew Research Center offer surveys and then choose their panels. But if you can’t wait for the luck of the draw, here are five other opportunities you should consider:
1. Swagbucks
The popular survey site Swagbucks has paid out money to the tune of more than $600 million since its inception. Did you know you can start earning money on the site simply by signing up? From there, choose from any number of paid surveys to start earning points to cash out as money to your PayPal account or convert your earnings into gift cards. Best of all, Swagbucks shows how much you’ve earned in real-time. You’ll see a tally bar at the top showing how close you are to the next payment goal.
2. Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie offers payments in $5 increments, with a variety of surveys to complete. Generally, the longer the survey, the more points you’ll earn toward your next milestone. Interestingly enough, you can earn more points simply by installing the Survey Monkey web browser extension and keeping it for at least 30 days. You won’t know the topic of a survey until you start taking it, as all surveys are listed with a survey number instead of a headline or topic.
3. LifePoints
Through this paid online survey platform, available on computers and mobile devices, you’ll earn LifePoints that add up to money. LifePoints tends to be more thorough with identity verification questions up front to weed out bots or unscrupulous survey takers. As a survey taker, you can earn points toward PayPal vouchers, music downloads, gift cards, or charitable donations. This is a global company with a footprint in 45 counties and 26 languages.
4. Toluna
Unlike most other platforms, Toulna puts you in the driver’s seat to select the topics you find most appealing. You will also be referred to as an “influencer” and will be part of an “online social voting platform,” not just a survey taker. You earn points at the exchange rate of $1 for every 3,000 points. Toluna showcases some of its partner brands like Amazon, L’oreal, Kellogg’s, and Coca-Cola.
5. Opinion Outpost
Through Opinion Outpost, you earn a dime per point, with an endless scroll of surveys catered to your demographic information. You’ll need to answer 20 questions about your family, profession, education, health, and hobbies to get started. Payment comes through a wide selection of gift cards or a PayPal option.
Survey Says…
Before you start any survey-taking side hustle, there are a few best practices to keep in mind:
- Create a new email address: These survey sites send a lot of email notifications, so you should open a separate account just for this correspondence.
- Install security software: Make sure you have anti-virus software installed on your system or device to avoid any chance of viruses or malware attacks.
- Provide limited personal information: Often, you’ll be asked for your name, phone number, email address, and zip code. Additionally, to determine eligibility, you’ll likely need to provide your age, lifestyle information, and education history. You should never be asked for (or give out) your Social Security number, bank account information, or driver’s license number.
Finally, if you eventually earn money more than $600 taking surveys, vendors are required to send you a 1099 form, according to the IRS. In other words, you’ll need to pay taxes on your earnings.
Earn Extra Cash with Paid Online Surveys
Taking paid online surveys is a great opportunity to offer your opinion on the products and services of different brands. Sign up with a paid survey app to start earning in your free time today.
