If you’re in a daily struggle of finding enough money to make ends meet, you’re not alone. According to the US census, over 13 million Americans have a second job. Whether you’re just trying to meet your monthly bills, pay off student loans or other debts, or saving for your future, everyone has their own reasons for taking on a side gig.
Of course, not everyone can get a part-time job. Perhaps you are not in great health, and a second job would be too tiring. Maybe you have small children at home, and the cost of childcare would negate any financial gains you might otherwise enjoy. Even transportation can be an issue. Everyone has unique challenges.
If you need to make some extra money fast and a second job is not an option, getting paid to do surveys might be the answer. While you won’t get rich with this side hustle, it does afford a simple way of earning some cash from home. Since you don’t need any specialized skills or training, you can start right away, and with the right survey platform, you can also get paid quickly.
In this article, we’ll go into more details about paid online surveys and how they work. For example, did you know that you can also earn free gift cards for taking surveys in addition to cash? We’ll also discuss how you can find the best survey site for you and what to avoid. If you’re ready to learn more about the lucrative world of paid surveys, read on for the inside scoop.
What Is the Purpose of Paid Online Surveys?
Companies, organizations, brands, and even governments worldwide are always looking for strategies to introduce new products and services to the marketplace. Should they go with the red packaging or the blue packaging? Which flavors will consumers prefer? What percentage of households will likely purchase a certain product?
Information like this is vital to brands as it can help determine the success of a new (or existing) product. It’s called market research, and it’s one of the most important ways for organizations to understand their target market better. In short, market research can predict whether a product will be a sensation or a flop.
Given the importance companies place on forecasting the successful outcome of a new product, it’s easy to see why they would pay for this data. And one of the easiest ways to achieve this is by offering a financial incentive in exchange for the information. That’s where paid online surveys come in. Brands partner with survey platforms to gather the answers they need to make sound business decisions.
How Do Paid Surveys Work?
Online surveys are pretty simple. You sign up and complete various tasks in exchange for a certain amount of points. The tasks might include answering questionnaires, taking a poll, referring other users to the site, and other activities. While each platform is slightly different, all legit survey sites will award earnings fairly and within a reasonable time frame.
Will I Earn Cash Taking Online Surveys?
Yes. Once you accrue enough points, you can exchange them for cash via an online payment processor. Typically, this will be PayPal, but some companies have their own payment platforms, too.
Alternatively, many sites offer users the option of surveys for free gift cards. Gift cards can be an excellent option if you are trying to save for something specific, like books, clothes, or electronics. The best survey sites offer a variety of gift card selections from retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Walgreens, Target, and many others.
How Much Will I Earn Taking Surveys?
On average, you can expect to net between $0.25 to $3 or more for each survey you complete.
If you complete several each day, these small chunks of change can add up fairly quickly. Many survey takers earn several hundred dollars a month. Naturally, your earnings will depend on the number of surveys available to you and how much time you spend completing them.
How To Find a Trusted Paid Survey Site
If you’ve decided to take the plunge and try out paid surveys, the most important consideration is finding the best survey site. Not all survey companies are created equal, so finding a site to complete legit surveys for money is crucial to your overall success. But how do you know if you’ve found a reputable survey site? Here are a few things to watch out for:
Reputable Sites Never Charge a Fee
Never, ever, pay to join a survey site, even if it’s just $1.00. Legit sites do not charge a fee for their users to join. Instead, they will be the ones paying you.
Don’t Give Out Personal and Financial Information
A legit site will never ask you for your social security number, nor will they ask you for things like your bank account information. You will, however, need to provide some demographics like your age, address, and other details that will help match you with the best survey opportunities.
The exception to this is when a site needs your account and routing number when you have chosen to receive payments directly to your bank account.
Don’t Fall for Over Inflated Claims About Earnings
If you find a survey site advertising super-high earnings (hundreds of dollars a day, for example), don’t fall for it. No business can sustain itself with high payouts like that. This is simply a way to get you to sign up so they can harvest your information.
Finding the Best Survey Site
If you’ve already done any searching online for legitimate survey sites, you’re probably familiar with a few of the bigger names in the business: MyPoints, Survey Junkie, Swagbucks, and many more. One site, Branded Surveys, is a top-rated option, thanks to its reliability, excellent cashout selections, and multiple survey opportunities.
Branded Surveys
Branded Surveys works with legit market research companies to offer you a unique money-making opportunity. Plus, they have some of the best payout options around—you can elect to cash out your earnings via PayPal, Branded Pay, or choose from dozens of free gift cards instead.
At Branded, your profile is matched with surveys that are perfect for you based on your specific demographics. The more detail you give when filling out your profile information, the more chances you will get to complete different surveys. Once you have completed a questionnaire, your feedback is provided to the appropriate market research firm, and you are credited with points to your account.
Depending on the value of the survey, you can earn up to 300 points, which translates to $3.00. Once you reach 1000 points, you can request payment in the form of direct deposit to PayPal, your bank account, Branded Pay, or a gift card. Typically, your payments will be awarded within one to two days of approval.
All you need to do to get started with Branded Surveys is sign up and confirm your account. Then, you can start filling out your profile information and completing surveys immediately. Depending on how much time you have, you could even earn enough to cash out by the end of the day.
Another thing we love about Branded Surveys is that it’s an established and trusted site. In fact, the company has a TrustPilot rating of excellent, based on over 30,000 reviews.
Closing Thoughts— What Is the Best Way To Earn Cash From Online Survey Sites?
As we wrap up this post, it’s important to remember that the amount of cash you can earn on survey sites will vary depending on several factors. However, to give yourself the best chances of earning, there are a few things you can do to boost your performance:
- Answer All of the Profile Questions Thoroughly: To get matched up with the best survey opportunities, answer your profile questions completely and with real information. The more complete your profile is, the more surveys you will receive.
- Be Honest: When filling out the questionnaires, you’ll want to provide honest feedback and be as informative and descriptive as possible. Companies will value your insight more, and you will likely be invited to participate in future studies.
- Use a Dedicated Email Address: To avoid having your main email flooded with information, you can set up a separate email address just for paid surveys. Just be sure to check it often, as many opportunities come via email that you might miss out on otherwise.
- Check in To the Site Daily: If you want consistent earnings, schedule a time to check in to your survey dashboard daily. This way, you will be able to scan over any new opportunities available for you right away. Often, only a certain number of participants are allowed to take a particular survey, so you need to be on the lookout for new ones before they get snatched up.
- Contact Support With Questions: If you don’t understand some aspect of the site or the survey you are working on, don’t be afraid to check in with customer support. They are there to answer your questions, and since their success is also tied to your success, you can feel confident they are committed to helping you.
