The internet is awash with ads calling for people to take online surveys for cash. With so many online scams being unveiled by the day, you might be skeptical about the entire concept and fearful of survey scams. However, it is possible to get paid for taking online surveys. There are a good number of online firms that make payments to persons who have participated in focus groups, online surveys and product tests.
Such firms are market research organizations that are hired by large companies and corporations to establish how their advertising campaigns and products/services are faring in the public eye. These big firms spend billions on advertising on an annual basis and spending a little bit more on ascertaining whether or not they are headed in the right direction is quite a feasible expense. This is primarily the reason why they pay market research companies to create online surveys on their behalf.
1Is There Truth in Paid Online Surveys?
It is possible to get paid cash for taking online surveys and as such many people are always on the look out for such opportunities. The truth of the matter is that finding genuine opportunities in this context is quite an uphill task – there are a lot of survey scams to contend with.
2How Much Can You Earn Taking Online Surveys for Cash?
While it is possible to get paid cash for taking online surveys, the monies you can earn from the same are dependent on two main factors: the online survey website that you have signed up for and your location in the world, with preferences being made to US-based applicants. Such applicants can earn anywhere between $3 and $75 whenever they answer a survey. One of the main reasons behind the payment discrepancies is that the marketing research firms are organizing the surveys on behalf of US-based firms; the results will be much more credible if they are obtained from US-based applicants. Applicants from other continents can expect lows of $2 and highs around $30.
Looking at the bigger picture, it is illogical to expect earnings as high as $1,000/day having completed surveys worth $75 every instance.
3Is There a Fee to Get Started?
A number of genuine online survey websites will require you to remit a membership fee, even though from an overall ‘perfect world’ perspective people should not pay such fees. Just as a guide, it is prudent to keep away from websites whose membership fees go beyond $10.
Once you get enrolled by a genuine website you should expect to spend anywhere between fifteen and twenty-five minutes on each survey that will get you paid. By participating in five such surveys you can make anywhere between $75 and $125 daily, and $375 and $625 weekly. Monthly earnings of between $1,500 and $2,500 can be quite useful, especially considering that you are based at home and that you don’t require any additional skills to tackle these.
4Ways to Ascertain the Genuineness of an Online Survey
Before you register with any website to take online surveys for cash, you should first conduct an assessment of your own to ascertain whether or not the site is a possible scam. Genuine websites should indicate their membership with the Better Business Bureau. Some of the other organizations of repute that these websites should be members of include the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO).
5What are some Legitimate Websites You Can Consider?
- Global Test Market
For this site you must sign up to get invites to do surveys via email. For each survey you earn cash sweepstake entries, i.e., market points each worth .05/point with a survey being worth 5-150 such market points. Payments are made via check once a member accrues 1000 points and getting the money can take between six and eight weeks. - Opinion Outpost Survey Research Panel
Here you also have to sign up to get surveys. Each of the points in a completed survey is worth .10, with the survey being anywhere between ten and twenty-five points. You can request a payment check or Amazon e-certificate when you reach the $5 threshold or alternatively you can choose to let the money accumulate for a bigger check or e-certificate. - Lightspeed Consumer Panel
This is yet another website where you can get paid cash to take online surveys. For this website, members earn Lightspeed Points and the surveys are worth between 5 and 150 such points. The least number of points that can be converted into a $1 Amazon e-certificate is 110.

