FAQs

This page has the answers to your major questions. Clicking one of the above questions will take you instantly to another part of this page to the corresponding answer. Note that we place "paid e-mails" under the same umbrella as "online surveys" in our answers below.

Ready to move on? Read about scams to avoid. Then, sign up with our best online survey panels and/or paid e-mail programs.

1. "Getting paid for online surveys? This has got to be a scam!"

Answer: It's only a scam if you have to pay to join the online survey panel or if you don't get paid after participating repeatedly in online surveys. If you pay to join, you will just be redirected to a page of free-to-join online survey companies, some of whom aren't even in business anymore because they were scam operations. We're providing a list of the best free-to-join online survey panels, on the other hand.

Secondly, an online survey company is a scam if you don't get paid for a long time, if at all, because the longer you go without getting paid, the more work you essentially do for free. In our experience, we've found that you should be getting paid on average at least $10 for every 3 surveys you complete, so if you don't even make $10 a month, then it's a scam. Return to top

2. "How do online surveys work?"

Answer: Online survey companies are intermediaries for bigger corporations releasing new products on the market or gauging their position in the market. Corporations want to know if people like their products, their brand name, or even their brand logo. How can they find this out? They enlist market research companies to give online surveys and gather this data for them. The more they know about the consumer, the more money they can make because they can fix what people don't like and focus on what people do like. Since consumer opinions enable corporations to reap greater profits, online survey participants are compensated with cash and prizes for their input. That is why you can get paid to take online surveys, and we'll help you join the best online survey panels. We must emphasize that you won't be a millionaire doing online surveys! However, you can earn extra cash each week--something everyone needs. Return to top

3. "How much money can I make filling out online surveys?"

Answer: You might have seen this a mile away, but here it is: it depends. Pinecone Research pays you $5 per survey, and you take 4-5 surveys per month. InboxDollars pays you a few cents just for looking at e-mail ads, but pays you $5 for each friend who signs up under you. In short, the amount of money you make depends entirely on how often you participate, which depends on how many online survey panels you join, as well as the number of referrals you generate.

But, don't just join any survey company. Visit this website frequently to learn of new online survey companies that we personally have tested and meet my criteria: must pay YOU and must pay frequently. Return to top

4. "Aren't these going to be a waste of my time? I have better things to do."

Answer: If you make millions of dollars a year, then yes, these will be a waste of your time. I'm trying to reach the people sitting at home, tapping away at their keyboards, and not making any money doing it. If you're a student who wants to make extra cash, taking paid surveys is a great source of income to supplement a part-time job. If you're pregnant, retired, or disabled, it is a fine way to make a money from the comfort of your home. If you have any spare time whatsoever, we believe that completing online surveys will be a more productive use for your spare time. You can certainly do much worse with it, so give paid online surveys a shot. Return to top

5. "How long will it take for me to get paid?"

Answer: It depends on the program. Checks from cash surveys are usually sent the same week (or deposited to PayPal). Checks from points-for-cash surveys take a little longer. Return to top

6. "Will these online survey companies sell my personal information to third-parties?"

Answer: No, online survey companies won't sell your personal info, nor will they spam you. We have been doing online surveys for over three years, starting as a college freshman, and have yet to receive spam (other than the spam I normally get, of course). Return to top

7. "What kind of people do these online survey companies need on their panels?"

Answer: Everybody is eligible, provided they have a mailing address and/or PayPal account (for payment purposes), reliable internet access, and a functioning personal computer. Other eligibility requirements may be required and are almost always given in the survey invitation. Return to top

8. "Who the hell are you, and why are you doing this?"

Answer: We're just college grads just trying to do something other than study and work. Return to top

9. "How can I maximize my earnings if I do join?"

Answer: The main plan of attack is as follows:

join as many of the online survey companies on this site as possible
get as many of your friends to sign up in order to maximize referral bonuses

That way, you participate in more surveys and your friends generate revenue for you every time they complete a survey. This plan seems simple because it is--maximize income streams in order to maximize income. Return to top

10. "I'm convinced. How do I get started?"

Answer: Click on Online Surveys and Paid E-Mails to sign up with my pre-screened companies (and NOT "pre-screened" based on referral kickback size). Then, tell all your friends, your friends' friends, and your friends' friends' friends to sign up through you. Then, wait for the checks to start rolling in as a result of the few minutes of "work" you put in during your spare time. Return to top

The Paid Online Survey Center

FAQs