How to Take Surveys for Money: 10 Paid Survey Sites

Taking surveys is a legitimate endeavor that does pay real money (usually through PayPal or gift cards).

However, the pay is incredibly low—much less than what you’d make at almost any other job or side hustle. Each survey you take will pay out just a few cents, and most sites require you to earn a certain amount before you can cash out your rewards (e.g., $10).

This means that taking surveys is a big time commitment for a small amount of money.

Additionally, not all paid-survey sites can be trusted. Bad actors are very common in this space, and many survey takers allege bad-faith behavior from popular survey sites, such as not honoring rewards and shutting down accounts without cause.

If you’re getting into taking surveys, be aware of the possible pitfalls and keep these tips in mind:

• Guard your personal information: Be very careful about what information you provide to survey-taking platforms. Tailoring your profile can qualify you for demographic-specific surveys, but don’t relinquish information that can be stolen and used against you.
• Never give away bank information: In particular, if a survey site requires payment of any kind or claims to distribute rewards directly to your bank account, debit card, or credit card, it’s almost certainly a scam. Do not give up any of your personal financial information beyond your PayPal handle or account link.
• Use a VPN & anti-spyware: Use the appropriate software to keep your computer (and your sensitive info) safe. Many survey sites are on the sketchy side and have relationships with hackers and other bad actors, so keep your virtual guard up by installing a VPN and an anti-spyware program.
• Be prepared for disappointment: A common sentiment among people who take surveys as a side hustle is that it’s a hugely frustrating experience. Many claim that they often spend 20 minutes or more on a survey just to find out they don’t qualify for it. Even if you do qualify for a survey, you may end up spending the better part of an hour on one questionnaire that pays out mere cents. Don’t get your hopes up that paid surveys are a get-rich-quick scheme—they aren’t.

1. Poll Pay

Poll Pay has quickly become a social media darling, most likely due to its user-friendly app and appealing aesthetic. It claims that users can choose what surveys to take based on what appeals to them, what they qualify for, or what offers the highest rewards.

What you can make

Poll Pay doesn’t advertise the earning potential for its surveys, but you’ll make a minimum of $0.01 for any survey you participate in, as you get a one-cent compensation when you disqualify for a survey you’ve started.

Beyond that, some have claimed that they’ve made up to $0.25 for completing a single survey, though the average payout is likely significantly less.

There are many options for redeeming your rewards. Most notably, you can redeem them on Google Play, as Amazon or Apple gift cards, or as cash (via PayPal).

What real users say

2. Survey Junkie

The market research group Survey Junkie invites users to “be an influencer” by sharing their opinions on brands through paid surveys. The group offers two types of research you can participate in:

1. Attitudinal: Share your opinions about a company’s products and marketing strategies.
2. Behavioral: Share access to your digital browsing activity to allow analysis of real users’ online behavior.

What you can make

Your payouts will vary depending on what you choose to share and what types of research you participate in. Most sources indicate that you can make $0.50–$3 per survey.

You can redeem your rewards as a direct bank deposit, via PayPal cash, or as a gift card.

What real users say

3. Swagbucks

One of the most recognizable survey-taking platforms, Swagbucks claims to have paid out over $870 million to users to date, and it gives away 7,000 gift cards every day. The site is primarily geared toward deals and coupons, but it also offers users the chance to take surveys and answer polls in exchange for rewards.

What you can make

According to the site, most surveys pay between ​​$0.25 and $5.00. Occasionally, you may even find surveys with payouts of more than $20, but this is rare.

Points can be cashed out as PayPal deposits, Visa cards, or gift cards. You can also use them to enter sweepstakes and vie for bigger prizes. 1

What real users say

Read our review of Swagbucks for more info.

4. InboxDollars

Sign up to take paid surveys for InboxDollars and immediately enjoy a $5 sign-up bonus when you confirm your email to activate your account. The site offers a variety of tasks you can complete for payment, including taking surveys, playing games, and watching ads.

What you can make

Surveys on InboxDollars pay between $0.25–$5, depending on the survey and your qualifications. When you’re ready to redeem what you’ve earned, you can request payment as cash, PayPal funds, gift cards, or donations to a charitable organization.

What real users say

Read our review of InboxDollars for more info.

5. Zoombucks

If you’re willing to forego a signup bonus, consider creating an account with Zoombucks to make money taking surveys. This can even make a viable online job for teenagers, as 13+ year-olds can sign up with parental permission. But don’t expect this gig to pay your college tuition—payouts are low, even for this type of work.

What you can make

Most surveys earn you $0.01–$0.02 (equivalent to roughly 10–20 Zoombucks points). You can redeem your points for PayPal cash once you have at least $3 in your account, or for gift cards once you’ve earned $5.

What real users say

6. Valued Opinions

Over 3 million people work with Valued Opinions to give feedback to brands, and you can be one of them. You can earn money by completing surveys on their own, or you can test various products and services and review your experience.

What you can make

This platform has relatively high earning potential. Valued Opinions pays up to $7 for each survey you take. Unfortunately, online reports suggest that these rewards can only be redeemed as gift cards for retailers like Target and Amazon, but not as direct cash.

What real users say

7. Prize Rebel

After you join Prize Rebel and confirm your account, you’ll immediately earn a 100-point welcome bonus. After that, complete surveys and offers to earn rewards that are redeemable for cash or gift cards.

It’s unclear what dollar value the points hold, but you’ll need at least $5 worth of points to be able to cash out your earnings.

What you can make

As mentioned, points can only be redeemed in $5 increments, which isn’t the worst minimum threshold, but it’s still a bit inconvenient. You can redeem your points for PayPal cash or gift cards.

What real users say

8. GrabPoints

GrabPoints offers rewards in exchange for completing surveys, exploring offers, and watching TV. This is a particularly intriguing offer for screen junkies, who can turn their video viewing into cash and gift cards.

What you can make

The amount that you’ll make for watching videos varies based on the partner. For example, Lootably offers 5 points per video watched, while Hideout.TV offers 7. 2

Point values seem to fluctuate, but according to online sources, they range between $0.002–$0.005. 3 Points are redeemable as gift cards in increments of $5–$10.

What real users say

9. InstaGC

Fill out surveys and questionnaires in exchange for gift cards with InstaGC, aka “Instant Gift Card.” The site advertises over 320 gift cards to choose from and over 1.4 million gift cards redeemed to date.

A major draw of this platinum is its claim that it delivers its gift cards immediately when you redeem them (many other sites have a waiting period).

What you can make

InstaGC pays up to $1 per survey, which is also the minimum cash-out limit—lower than most of the competition. Needless to say, you can only redeem your rewards as gift cards.

What real users say

Read our review of InstaGC for more info.

10. Google Opinion Rewards

If you’re worried about finding a reputable survey site to join, ease your mind by downloading Google’s own survey app, Google Opinion Rewards. The app lets you fill out surveys, opinion polls, and reviews in exchange for Google Play or PayPal credit.

What you can make

Google doesn’t advertise pay rates, as they vary per survey and your answers. However, online sources indicate that surveys typically pay between $0.14–$0.50.

What real users say

Should you sign up for multiple survey sites?

If you’re interested in taking surveys for money, it’s often worth it to sign up for more than one platform. Most of these sites have a limited number of surveys and refresh them at fairly long intervals (e.g., every 24 hours). If you use just one site, you might run out of surveys to take.

No matter how many sites you sign up for, you won’t earn big bucks (unfortunately, that just isn’t a realistic expectation with this kind of work), but if you strategize, you can boost your earnings as much as possible.