Make Money Online (Official Guide)
An increasingly popular topic online has been how to make money online. Throughout the past year or so I’ve done a bunch of ‘reviews’ of survey and other companies that pay you online.
I thought it would be beneficial to have a list full of all the sites that we and our online community recommends. Remember when joining a survey type site you don’t need a credit card, otherwise it’s 99% a scam. Be careful with your information! This is who we recommend:
Global Test Market – This is one of the first survey companies that I started using. I’ve been able to cash out a few times. I’m not really a fan of “points” for survey sites, but this one is worth checking out.
Inbox Dollars – I do have to admit it might take a while to earn points with this one for a reward, but it can be worth it. For this one you can cash out just by reading their emails. However it doesn’t pay as many points… but it doesn’t take long throughout the day. Follow my drift? Regardless it’s still worth a minute or two each day! (read review here)
MyPoints – This is a site that you can earn prizes by participating in surveys, using their toolbar, and searching the web. (read review here)
Opinion Outpost – This one is a new one we’ve added that Shannon wrote for us. After seeing a bunch of nice checks on our Facebook wall it was time to start recommending this! (read review here)
Pinecone – This is by far the VERY BEST online survey company. The problem with being the best (at least for them) is that it’s limiting when you only have so much budget etc. Pinecone is a closed registration site, so you can either only be invited or have to wait until they open registration. It’s currently closed.
Survey Spot – This is the VERY first company I used to take surveys with. We made a few $100 over a year or two as well as some fun product testing offers. It appears they did change the site structure though so check into this one.
Swagbucks – This is personally my all-time favorite. Through this site I have been able to earn tons of gift cards that I have gladly used as giveaways for our awesome readers. Plenty of our regulars average several gift cards per month or two! (read review here)
Survey Savvy – This one appears to be one of the smaller companies, or it was when I used it. I was able to generate a check or two but it felt like the surveys closed faster (not as many people able to qualify). However they do have a way you can refer friends and you can earn $ that way.
Synovate – Another one we’ve reviewed in the past. Just by signing up and taking the initial surveys you are only a few surveys from cashing out at $5! (read review here)
Toluna – I have never used this one, so I asked a friend to give us a summary! “Toluna allows you to collect points for taking surveys and cashing those points in for rewards such as a check or entries into high value sweepstakes. You can also get points for taking polls and creating opinion topics for others to comment on. The results of the polls and opinion topics that you create can then be used on your own personal sites or blogs. The main difference with Toluna compared to other survey sites is that even though you can refer others to join there is no bonus or reward for doing so. I’ve been using Toluna for a few years and really like it.”
Do you use these sites to make money online? Please comment below on your opinions!
I have been using Toluna for about 6 months now and am close to getting my third $20 check. Not its not fast, you get a lot of surveys that the quota is already filled etc, but the points you do get add up very fast. I like it. I also do Swag Bucks, have for about 6 months as well and Love it! I have gotten so many free things. I ordered my 5 amazon gift cards for the month and still have enough bucks for $60 more in Amazon gc. Im well on my way to having a lot of my 2011 Christmas paid for.
I do Synovate as well, that one sends you a lot of test products, which is not so bad either, plus you earn points to change over to dollars.
I do Global Test Market, but do not get many surveys sent to me, so that one is slow going in adding up the points. I have applied to Pinecone several times when it has been open, still have not been accepted.
The last one I do is Nielson, I keep track of all purchases with a scanner, yes it can be a pain remembering to scan but I enjoy doing it.
Here’s my list.
Surveys That Pay!
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I started keeping records of my online paid surveys January 31, 2008. I spend an average of two to three hours per day taking surveys. Here are the amounts that I have earned from my 27 best paid online survey sites. I have earned $8342.85 in 33 months from 27 survey sites, which is $252.81 per month. The average survey site earned $9.36 per month. My actual receipts are $8093.65, which is $245.26 per month. I have added the dates that I joined each site as well as whether they have PayPal, Invokes or product tests. About 10% of my earnings are from product tests and Invoke Interactives. Another 10% is from survey sites that I don’t earn enough per year to bother keeping track. I do not keep track of prizes or free products, but I do include contest wins and forum moderation fees. I only add in points accumulated after they have been redeemed due to the difficulty of calculating point values. I am now including earnings from written assignments and forum moderation fees to show why I might be less inclined to continue with trial offer sites like Tik Tik Cash ($106.06), InboxDollars/SendEarnings ($270.39), Daily Paid Surveys ($95.75), etc. 76.17% of all of my earnings comes from my ten best survey sites.
1. YourFreeSurveys $1858 ($30 po) (PayPal) (2008-03-01) ($1708 rec’d) ($60 from contests – $1610 from forum moderation) [Last cash out 12-30-10]
2. GetPaidSurveys $780 (PayPal) (2009-02-10) ($700 rec’d) ($30 from contests – $555 from writing assignments) [12-17-10]
3. Opinion Outpost $713.70 (50 = $5 po) (2008-02-04) ($663.90 rec’d) [12-13-10] ($49.80 req’d)
4. SurveySpot $685 (1000 points = $10 minimum pay out) (PayPal) (Invokes) (product tests) (Joined: 2008-01-30) ($685 rec’d – [received]) [12-19-10]
5. Global Test Market $658.90 (1000 = $50 po) (2008-03-01) ($658.90 rec’d) [1-12-11]
6. IPSOS I-SAY $550 (2010-01-15) (product tests) ($500 sweepstakes win) ($550 rec’d) [1-14-11]
7. Toluna $527.02 (60000 = $20 po) (product tests) (2008-02-11) ($527.02 rec’d) [1-12-11]
8. Surveyhead $444.15 ($25 po) (PayPal) (2009-02-05) ($429.05 rec’d) [1-11-11]
9. Valued Opinions $364.95 ($20 po) (Amazon gc [gift certificates] and VISA pre-paid gc) (product tests) (2008-02-18) ($360 rec’d) [12-16-10]
10. MyView $261 (35000 = $25) (2009-03-01) (pre-paid VISA debit card) ($261 rec’d) [11-19-10]
11. Pinecone Research $195 ($3 per survey) (PayPal) (product tests) (2008-04-03) ($195 rec’d) [12-7-10]
12. MySurvey.com $195 (550 = $5 po) (PayPal) (product tests) (2008-02-02) ($195 rec’d) [12-16-10]
13. Elite Opinion $185 (1150 = $10) (PayPal) (2009-03-11) ($185 rec’d) [1-11-11]
14. SurveySavvy $177 (2008-03-01) ($141 rec’d) [1-24-11
15. Socratic Forum $160 ($5 po) (2008-03-28) ($160 rec'd) [1-3-11]
16. Mindfield Online $154 ($5 po) (PayPal) (product tests) (2008-02-01) ($144 rec’d) [11-29-10] ($10 req’d)
17. ShopTalk $150 (Amazon gc) (mystery shopping) (2010-11-01) ($150 rec’d)
18. Church’s Chicken Surveys $150 (Amazon gc) (2010-01-15) ($150 rec’d) [12-30-10]
19. Global Opinion Panel/Synovate $140 (5000 = $5 po) (product tests) (2008-05-02) ($120 rec’d) [10-4-10] ($20 req’d)
20. LightSpeed $130 (575 = $5 po) (PayPal) (product tests) (2008-04-02) ($125 rec’d) [1-11-11]
21. HCD $124.05 ($10 po) (1000 = $10 po) (2008-02-27) ($124.05 rec’d) [2-27-10]
22. ACOP $119 ($10 po) (2008-03-01) ($119 rec’d) [12-21-10]
23. Viewpoint $116.95 (375 = $10 po) (2009-01-21) ($116.95 rec’d) [1-10-11]
24. Consumer Research (Gongos) $105 (2009-11-01) ($105 rec’d)
25. 20/20 Research $100 (Invokes) (product tests) (2009) ($100 rec’d) [10-15-2009]
26. OnlyCashSurveys $89.75 (PayPal) (2010-03-23) ($65 rec’d) [1-11-11] ($20 req’d)
27. Springboard Surveys $68.50 (2009-05-01) ($50 rec’d) [7-28-10]
28. Epoll $60 (3500 = $5) (PayPal) (2008-02-19) ($55 rec’d) [5-16-10] ($5 req’d)
29. OpinionPlace $40 (PayPal) (2009-01-09) ($40 rec’d) [12-16-10]
TOTALS
Earned: $9262.52
Received: $9078.72
Last updated: January 24, 2011
I love survey savvy over the last two years have earned over 465.00 and thats doing random surveys not all the time, and from getting referalls, plus you can request a check at any amount!
I’m a member of almost all the sites you’ve listed and like them all a lot. I haven’t had as much luck as Lee up there (at least I don’t think so.. I don’t keep track like he does), but I also don’t have time to spend 2-3 hours each day doing surveys. I usually spend a couple hours on my days off to do them, and by then, a lot of the surveys I have waiting for me have expired. Oh well. The only site you listed that I’ve ever had problems with was Opinion Outpost, and that was just a weird happening where I was deactivated out of nowhere. But I wrote to them and asked what was up and they fixed it very quickly and I haven’t had any problems with them since.
That’s a load of shiiiite! Those first two sites are notoriously crooked survey sites that make you pay to sign up and steal your private info and flood your computer with spam. Get real dude.
I do surveys/studies for colleges online. They pay a heck of a lot more than trying to add up all my survey points to cash out.
Angel, you should post a list. I only use Stanford one.
As for the other websites, Opinion Outpost is pretty cool. Sometimes I get enough surveys every week, to make like $5 a week and I can cash at $5. I always get the Citi Prepaid Card. You get the money the very next day and you can use it for online payments or you can order a plastic card.
I’ve made around $60 from Survey Spot in like 6 months. Most surveys don’t pay much – 50 cents for a 20 min survey, but they have lots of surveys every day so they add up.
Ipsos I-say is pretty cool as well. I only made $30 so far, but they sent me 2 bonus cards – a total of $15… i guess just for being a member. Plus I got to test several products
Surveyhead used to be better – your money can be pending for as long as 2 months and then it takes forever to get it too. And now you need $50 if you wanna cash by Paypal or $25 if you want an Amazon card.
Synovate doesn’t pay that much and their checks take like a month to get to you. Only made $10 in a few months and got to test a product (and I didnt get to keep it
)
I never qualify for SurveySavy or Toluna so I gave up on them….
ANGEL, COULD YOU TELL ME WHICH SURVEY/STUDIES YOU DO ONLINE?
Hi All,
Do you have to pay taxes on the income you get from the survey sites? Is it reported miscellaneous Income?
marye, as far as i know, you don’t have to pay taxes, unless you make more than $600 a year
I’ve been using MyPoints for years basically to collect gift cards to give away at Christmas since I’m usually tapped in December and cannot afford gifts. Since I’ve been unemployed, the free gas cards have come in handy.
Angel, please post your sites. I’m back in college and would love to use the online surveys to not only help pay for books but maybe help me transfer to an online college to finish.
Thanks!
I use Crowdtap too! It’s new, and can take some time to add up cash, but you can donate some of what you make to a charity and Crowdtap matches what you donate. The rest of the money you earn goes to an Amazon Gift Card!
Have any of you tried sendearnings.com? it’s a good one
I’ve made over $10k in three years. Find out how at getpaidsurveys.com
I do a few of the ones listed, but spend more time on the freebiew and sweepstakes…I did want to tell you about another one I do, which is invitation only. I’m not sure how I got invited–siomoething to di with its partners. anyway, it’s called e-rewards.com. You earn e-dollars which you can redeem for different things, like magazine subscriptions, free blockbuster rentals, frequent flier miles and hotel points. i used to cash out at $10 for magazines, until I realized I have no time to read them (LOL), so then I’d go for $15 Border bucks or 6 Blockbuster rentals at $25 e-dollars. But now I’m saving up higher–$100 e-dollars will give me 7000 Hilton Honors points.
e-miles.com is a way to earn frequent flier miles. filling out the profile surveys earns you a lot, after that they’re smaller increments. but when you reach 500, you can transfer to your mile account.
Swagbucks rocks!
Thank you for posting this.
I think you should also add, that “Pinecone” is only for people in their early 20′s, that should be added to your description.
Have a great day…:=)
I have only had luck with opinion outpost and Swagbucks. I am slowly building up on inbox dollars but it is taking forever.
Here is my opinion outpost earnings- Points Earned Since Joining
2683
$268.30
I can’t believe Mysurvey isn’t mentioned.
i do pinecone and love it…far from my early 20s..lol.
I’m making good money online with Inbox Dollars. I’m trying Pinecone next!