{"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

What Are Online Survey Sites?<\/strong><\/h2>\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

\"Branded<\/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

Are Online Surveys Legit?<\/strong><\/h2>\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

Are Online Surveys Safe?<\/strong><\/h2>\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