Who doesn’t want a side hustle to earn extra money online with minimum effort? This post will list 15+ sites that I use that will pay you cash for participating in online surveys. Taking paid surveys online is by far the easiest way to make money in your spare time, right from the comfort of your own home or while you are sitting in the doctor’s office waiting!
This side hustle will not replace your day job but it can help you pay down debt faster, bring in extra money to make ends meet or finally get you to start a savings/emergency account.
First, let me tell you that I was very weary of this whole concept in the beginning. If it wasn’t for a few bloggers that I admire sharing their experiences with taking online surveys, I would not have even gave it a try. I thought it was a total scam.
But I had seen so many posts on Pinterest about making money taking surveys that I decided to at the very least, research it and share my personal point of view after having tried a few.
So at the beginning of December, I signed up for almost 50 online survey sites. For a week straight, I spent hours a day, doing surveys and exploring each of the sites.
The criteria most important to me:
- Must have a cash out option.
- Must be easy to navigate.
- Must regularly offer me potential surveys.
- Must offer points/cash for referrals.
- Must be available in the United States and Canada.
By the end of the week, I widdled down my list to 15. I must admit this is much more workable for me as I find checking in often to the sites gives you the best chance of securing the best survey’s with the best payouts.
I was doing very well collecting points on the various sites but then Christmas came and I had no extra time to keep up with the surveys I was being offered. I completely forgot all about my research till I opened up my email today and was happily greeted with a deposit to my Paypal account for $40 for ONE survey! Minus Paypal’s service charge of course.
I was so thrilled and am now actively back at taking surveys and making money online while I watch TV! lol
I am pleased to share with you the results of my research. These are a few of my observations and conclusions:
- you should sign up for as many sites as you can
- you should downsize your list to the sites that offer you the most surveys
- your list will look different than someone else’s depending on your household profile
- maximize your earnings by learning the bonuses offered by each survey site
- some sites are better than others based on your demographics
- you can make money online taking surveys
My other side hustle earns me at least $3000 every single month! You can do it too! Start your blog today with easy to follow steps right here.
Here is my list of survey sites that are free to join:
Best 15+ Sites That Pay Cash For Taking Online Surveys
This post may contain affiliate links – which means if you click on them and buy something, I may earn a small commission. For full disclosure policy, click here.
- American Consumer Opinion
- Earning Station
- Opinion Outpost
- Vindale Research
- Pinecone Research
- Inbox Dollars
- Swagbucks
- Survey Downline
- Survey Junkie
- Ipsos I-Say
- My Survey
- VIP Voice
- Toluna
- You Gov
- Survey Club
Frequently Asked Questions About Earning With Surveys
Do I Need Any Special Skills Or Equipment?
You do not need any special skills or qualifications to have the opportunity to participate in online surveys. You do need a desktop or laptop computer for most of the sites. A few sites do offer surveys that can be completed on mobile devices and have apps to facilitate this. Once you have signed up, all you need to do is complete your profile and answer all questions honestly. Then you will be offered surveys for sharing your opinion on a variety of products.
How Do I Know A Site is Legit?
Some warning signs that a survey site may not be legitimate:
- They quote an amount you can make per month. If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is. It would be very hard to earn a full-time income from one survey site. This is a side hustle, not a get rich quick scheme.
- All of the sites I recommend are free. If you are asked to pay a fee, walk away. They are most likely a scam.
- Keep a list of all the survey sites you sign up for. If you receive emails from a site you did not register with, do not click through and give out your personal information. They can be a phishing site and definitely a scam.
How Many Sites Should I Sign Up For?
Sign up for as many free online survey sites as you can and after some time, narrow your list down to an amount that you can comfortably handle logging into at the very least weekly. Narrowing down your list allows you to maximize each sites earning potential as well.
Depending on your household profile, some survey sites may send you more opportunities than others. Signing up for as many as possible in the beginning allows you to earn as much as possible as you may only receive a few surveys a month from each.
Should I Lie To Have More Survey Opportunities?
When creating your profile on the online survey sites, you will be asked many personal questions. Always be honest. They have a way of asking you the same questions multiple ways at the beginning of new surveys and you will never be able to remember your answers if you lie. You will quickly disqualify yourself. Plus, you never know what answers they are looking for anyway.
When you are the perfect fit for a survey, you will be able to answer all of their questions quickly. This allows you the chance to take more surveys in less time.
How Will I Get Paid?
Many online survey sites offer cash rewards, gift vouchers, free products and other prizes for each completed survey, depending on the type of survey you do. All the sites on my list have cash payout options.
Cash-paying online survey sites offer payout via a number of ways: PayPal, wire transfer, bank deposit, cheque, and virtual prepaid Visa card.
Cheques are sent by post. However, if the company resides in the United States and you live outside of the country, PayPal may be your only option available.
PayPal allows you to receive cash easily and quickly. If you do not have a PayPal account yet, it is free to set up. You can sign up here.
How Much Money Can I Make?
Personally, I have made just under $100 in this past month with very little time and effort. Most of my time was spent doing research and drawing conclusions. Moving forward, I am sure I will be able to make more money by being more focused and efficient in which sites I spend my time on.
I have heard claims of people making over $500 a month utilizing as many survey sites as possible. I do believe it can be done but you must have the time to complete larger surveys and you must find the online survey sites that best suit you.
Taking surveys is super easy and can be done while you are at home watching TV, so it’s a win-win money making side hustle!
How Will I Get Surveys?
Surveys will be sent to you by email when a new survey matches your profile and interests. Make sure you have email notifications turned on in your profile on each online survey site. Some surveys expire quickly and if you do not receive emails, you may miss the chance to earn.
You can also log into the survey sites and see what surveys are available. After a few qualification questions, you will either be excused or asked to participate further.
How Can I Maximize My Earnings?
If you want to maximize your earnings,
- join as many legitimate online survey sites as possible
- complete all profiles honestly
- fill out your demographic profile
- complete as many surveys as you can as it will enhance your profile and qualify you for more
- learn each sites bonus structure and take advantage of extras
- become an affiliate and refer friends
In Conclusion
Taking paid online surveys are a great side hustle and is a way to earn extra money from home in your spare time. Don’t expect to be able to quit your day job but you can, depending on how much time you dedicate to taking online surveys, be able to make an easy $50-$100 if not a lot more.
I hope my list helps you start your own side hustle earning extra money.
Do you belong to any online survey sites? Why or why not? What ones do you like and have you made money?