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Paid Opinion Survey Frequently Asked Questions
Paid opinion surveys can be a fun and interesting way to make some additional cash. Below, you will find honest answers to some of the most commonly asked paid opinion survey questions and some additional advice for when you are up and running.
1. How do paid online surveys work?
2. How much can I earn completing paid opinion surveys?
3. Is there a fee to join any of the paid survey companies we list?
4. Is my personal information secure?
5. Will I get lots of spam emails in my inbox?
6. How frequently will I recieve paid survey invitations?
7. What is the difference between a paid survey, a focus group and product testing?
8. When I get a survey invitation emailed to me, do I have to complete it?
9. What type of rewards do I get for participating?
10. What is the minimum age you can be to join paid opinion survey companies?
11. Additional hints, tips and advice
1. How do paid online surveys work?
Why do you get paid for completing online surveys? It's simple, because you matter. The thoughts inside your head are valuable to companies in areas such as advertising, product development, statistical data analysis and product testing.
When you sign up with a paid opinion survey company, they will initially gather some basic demographic data. Once they find a survey that fits your profile, they will send out a survey invitation email . The invitation contains a link to the survey, the approximate time required to complete it and also how much you will receive for your time and effort.
You are not obligated to take the survey, but regularly completing them may get you more invitations in the future. You will usually get paid for your surveys when the money in your account reaches a certain amount. Each company is different, but it usually varies from £10.00-25.00.
Most sites will send you either a check, a gift voucher or will pay directly into your Paypal account.
2. How much can I earn completing paid opinion surveys?
Whoever you are, after signing up there is a good chance you will receive paid survey invitations within a few days.
Typically, each opinion survey you are accepted for will earn you anywhere from £0.25 - £2.00. Higher earning surveys in the £5.00 - £10.00 region are offered less frequently, but they do happen!
You are never going to make a living completing paid opinion surveys. You can however generate a little extra income to supplement other earnings or to go towards little treats for you or your family.
Potentially you could earn around £125.00 per month, depending upon your demographic. Some of you will earn more and some less than the figure show here. This could work out at over £1,500 per year. Your opinion IS valuable after all!
Increasingly, opinion survey companies are offering their members the chance to join brand community groups for companies such as Virgin and Philips.
If you are selected to join one of these communities you can earn £10.00 - £20.00 per month for signing in to the community and participating in activities such as brainstorming, product testing and product development.
3. Is there a fee to join any of the paid opinion survey companies we list?
The simple answer is NO! You should never be charged a fee of any kind to join a paid opinion survey company. There are some companies out there (particularly in the U.S.A.) who charge for joining. They promise higher rewards and the sort of returns which are quite frankly never going to happen.
We recommend you never join them. We will never add any company who charges you to the list on our site. Marketing research regulations actually state that you are not allowed to charge for information.
4. Is my personal information secure?
Yes, your details are secure with the paid online survey companies we list. Initially, you will tell them some general details about yourself. The survey companies then use these details to decide your demographic (eg. active woman in her 30's with 2 children who shops at Sainsburys).
They will then use your demographic details to decide which paid online surveys to invite you to participate in. In the example we have just used, the woman may get paid survey invitations from Tesco to find out why she shops at Sainsburys.
You still need to be vigilant though and take all the same internet security precautions as you would for browsing any other website.
5. Will I get lots of spam emails in my inbox?
The short answer to this is no! You will not receive any correspondance from the opinion panel companies we list here. The only way they contact you is by email and usually either a survey invitation or a reward confirmation. They will not contact you by post, phone or text (unless you agree to participate in a survey which requires such contact).
These are all reputable companies who do not waste your time with spam. Remember, they need you!
6. How frequently will I recieve paid survey invitations?
This largely depends upon how 'sellable' your opinions are. Opinion research companies represent clients selling a huge number of different products to both men, women (and even children) of all ages and backgrounds.
Whoever you are, after signing up there is a good chance you will receive paid survey invitations within a few days. At first you may not receive very many survey invitations (perhaps a few per month from each company you sign up with).
Nearly all the paid opinion survey companies we list will get you to fill out what is typically called a 'hot topic' section. This is basically a chance for you to provide more detailed information about yourself, your lifestyle and your habits.
By filling out these 'hot topic' sections you are effectively providing the paid survey company with more specific information which should guarentee you will receive a lot more surveys relevant to your particular demographic.
7. What is the difference between a paid survey, a focus group and product testing?
Paid opinion surveys are competed online from an invitation you will receive when you sign up with one of the companies we list on our site. They are usually around 5-45 minutes in length, following which you will be given a reward for your time and effort.
Focus groups are more invloved. When you sign up with one of the companies we list and you establish a record of completeing survey invitations, you may be asked to join a focus group, where you will be asked to take part in forums and other online activities to provide your views on products or services.
The rewards for joining focus groups are usually significantly higher than you will get by doing paid surveys. Typically you can earn £10-25.00 per month for becoming a member.
Product testing as the name suggests, is where you sign up to test a product. You usually don't get paid for the testing part, but you should get to keep the product. Usually you will get paid for submitting some kind of follow up product review.
Toluna have a very good product testing section on their site and it's very easy to join. They have new products coming up for review every week, so you are bound to get selected to test a product at some point.
8. When I get a survey invitation emailed to me, do I have to complete it?
No, you don't. You don't have to complete any invitation you receive, it's entirely up to you. If you don't feel like responding or you don't have time, then it's ok just to delete the invitation.
9. What type of rewards do I get for participating?
Rewards for completing paid online surveys come in a few basic types. Some companies pay out cheques for a monetary sum which you can pay into your bank account. You may get gift vouchers which you can spend online or in high street stores from some companies. Companies will also agree to pay your rewards into your paypal account if you have one.
You may be also entered into prize draws for completing surveys. Your chances of winning are not that bad when you consider that you are only competing against a realatively small number of people compared to something like a lottery.
10. What is the minimum age you can be to join paid opinion survey companies?
In the U.K. you will need to be at least 16 years old to join any of the paid opinion survey companies we list on this site. There are strict guidelines which reputable market research companies must follow, which means that if you are under 16 they cannot accept your applications.
11. Additional hints, tips and advice
