{"id":22902,"date":"2024-02-09T18:03:25","date_gmt":"2024-02-09T18:03:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/are-online-surveys-legit-safe\/"},"modified":"2024-05-24T19:56:49","modified_gmt":"2024-05-24T19:56:49","slug":"are-online-surveys-legit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.webmonkey.com\/are-online-surveys-legit\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Online Surveys Legit & Safe?"},"content":{"rendered":"
If you look up ways to make money online, one of the most common suggestions you see out there is to use paid survey sites<\/a>.<\/p>\n This makes sense for a few reasons. For one, survey sites are beginner-friendly, and you can use them on your own schedule. Plus, you don't need any experience to get started.<\/p>\n However, as someone who has tested dozens <\/em>of survey sites over the years, a lot of them are scams or aren't worth your time.<\/p>\n So, you're probably wondering: are online surveys legit? And is this side hustle idea<\/a> safe and worth it?<\/p>\n After five plus years of testing out survey sites and apps, I'm sharing everything you need to know about this side hustle, how to identify scams, and how to maximize earnings.<\/p>\n Let's get to it!<\/p>\n Online survey sites are websites that pay you for sharing your opinion. Generally, these sites ask you questions about topics like politics, health, entertainment, or specific products and then pay you with small amounts of cash or points for your time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Companies like Branded Surveys<\/a> and Survey Junkie<\/a> are perfect examples. Each website is free to sign up for, and they let you complete short surveys to earn rewards like free PayPal money<\/a> and gift cards.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The reason survey companies want to pay you for your opinion is because they generally sell this data to other market research groups or researchers.<\/p>\n Additionally, many survey platforms don't actually create the surveys you answer. Instead, they partner with market research groups like Dynata, Peanut Labs, YouGov<\/a>, and Harris Poll.<\/p>\n The data survey companies sell is amalgamated into anonymous data sets. But the bottom line is that you're getting paid for your opinions and data.<\/p>\n Also note that many of these “get-paid-to sites<\/a>” also offer other ways to earn, like playing games for cash<\/a>, shopping online, and watching ads<\/a>. But this survey guide is just going to focus on paid survey offers.<\/p>\n Yes, online surveys are legit, and you can earn a bit of extra cash and free gift cards by using them in your spare time. However, survey sites aren't a full-time income source, and many of them only pay a few dollars per hour at most<\/strong>.<\/p>\n I've been using various paid survey sites to earn money online<\/a> ever since college. And in that time, I've made a few thousand dollars from all the sites I've tested out.<\/p>\n But again, you're never going to earn a full-time income from these websites. Survey panels aren't online jobs<\/a> or serious income streams, so keep this limitation in mind.<\/p>\n Online survey sites are safe if you don't have to enter any sensitive financial information like a credit card. They're also safe if you don't have to enter sensitive personal information like a Social Security Number<\/strong>.<\/p>\n However, you need to be comfortable sharing some personal information to make money with online surveys. Examples of common questions you have to answer include questions about your:<\/p>\n If you don't feel comfortable answering questions about you, online surveys aren't worth it<\/a>.<\/p>\n Also note that survey sites should never <\/em>ask you for very personal information like your SSN or bank account information.<\/p>\n As someone who's answered online surveys for the last few years to earn quick money<\/a>, I've come across a lot <\/em>of legit online surveys.<\/p>\n However, I've also tested and reviewed plenty of survey sites that I think are scams or aren't worth it. So, here are some of the main warning signs you should watch out for when considering a paid survey website.<\/p>\n Legit online side hustles<\/a> don't require membership fees, and this includes online surveys. So, if a survey panel asks you to pay a membership fee or enter your credit card information, it's almost certainly a scam.<\/p>\n Just note that some sites have cash-back shopping offers, and these can be legitimate. But never pay a base membership fee to use a website.<\/p>\n Another sign a survey site is a scam is a super high cash out minimum.<\/p>\n Take it from me: legit survey sites usually let you cash out once you earn $1 to $10. Anything higher than this is a red flag since many scam sites make it easy to earn cash when you sign up but stop paying you when you're close to cashing out<\/strong>.<\/p>\n This is what InboxDollars<\/a>, a leading survey site, used <\/em>to do. And you can see how frustrated I was by this fact when I spent 10 hours answering surveys but still couldn't cash out:<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=H6cCosbcHpI<\/p>\n Thankfully, InboxDollars has changed since then and has a $10 to $15 cash out minimum. And sites like Swagbucks<\/a> <\/strong>let you cash out at just $1, so you don't need to waste time with high minimums.<\/p>\n You can read my post on surveys that pay cash instantly<\/a> for a list of 20+ sites with instant or quick payouts.<\/p>\n When researching paid survey sites, always look up Trustpilot reviews and testimonials on forums like Reddit beermoney<\/a>.<\/p>\n This type of first-hand experience can tell you if a survey site is a scam or not. Just be careful of fake reviews on Trustpilot and trust your gut.<\/p>\n Many scammy survey sites have massive promises, like making $200 a day<\/a>, or earning up to $50 per survey you complete.<\/p>\n But when it comes to earning money online, always remember: if something is too good to be true, it probably is.<\/p>\n The bottom line is that these are just beermoney sites<\/a>. You can't earn a full-time income from answering surveys online, so be cautious of sites that claim you can make thousands of dollars in a short amount of time.<\/p>\n If you want to try legitimate sites, you can read my post on the highest paying survey sites<\/a> for some good starting sites.<\/p>\n Since survey companies make money by gathering consumer data and selling it, it's vital <\/em>to understand how your data is being used.<\/p>\n I suggest reading the privacy policy of any money-making app<\/a> or site you use. If a survey website doesn't have a clear privacy policy or explanation of how your data is treated, it's probably not worth using.<\/p>\n Again, you have to be comfortable with giving up your data for this side hustle. But you should also know how it's used.<\/p>\n One final sign of a survey site scam is a flood of spam emails.<\/p>\n Most paid survey sites send daily or weekly emails to members to inform them of new surveys and money-making opportunities.<\/p>\n This isn't inherently a red flag. But if you start getting several emails per day with clickbait-type claims, you're probably getting scammed. Plus, spam emails are annoying and clog up your inbox.<\/p>\n Pro Tip:<\/strong> I always use a separate email for survey websites so my main email doesn't get spammed.<\/p>\n As mentioned, I've been using survey sites for the last 5+ years since college. This is because I think they're a good way to make money online for beginners<\/a>, and I test them all the time to write about them on WebMonkey.<\/p>\n In my testing, these are some of my all-time favorite survey sites that I think are legit<\/strong>:<\/p>\nWhat Are Online Survey Sites?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Are Online Surveys Legit?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Are Online Surveys Safe?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Common Online Survey Scams<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Membership Fees<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. High Cash Out Minimums<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. No Trustpilot Scores<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. It Sounds Too Good To Be True<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. No Privacy Policy<\/strong><\/h3>\n
6. Lots Of Spam Emails<\/strong><\/h3>\n
My Favorite Paid Survey Sites<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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