Winning the Online Survey Game.

  Earn cash or prizes and get free products by taking surveys

Are you making money or getting free products by taking online surveys yet?

Some of the biggest companies in the world are willing pay you for your opinions. They understand how essential consumer feedback is - and they NEED your input.

In the past, these companies got their consumer feedback mostly from the clipboard-kids at the mall and telemarketing firms, but thanks to the internet (and the new federal 'do-not-call list'), they can now pay consumers directly for their opinions.

That's great news for us!

If you want to earn money and get free products simply by sharing your own opinions, here are some valuable tips to help you get started:

  Get a new email address just for surveys and turn the spam filter off.

A dedicated email address is a great way to organize your survey offers. Because you expect all emails at that address to be surveys you won’t accidentally delete a survey opportunity by mistake.

You can do that with Yahoo Mail, emailchooser.com, or even our very own Abby~mail

  Keep a log about all the companies you work for.

A file that lists each company and your log-in information in one place is a big help – you can add notes & comments as needed. It's also helpful to keep track of your income.

  Use software to automate the tedious stuff.

I use - and recommend - RoboForm. It's free, easy to use, and it will save you a LOT of time.

  Give each company as much information as possible.

The more they know about you, your family & your lifestyle, the better they can match you to potential surveys. For instance - if you don’t tell them that you have a cell phone, they won’t match you to potential cell phone service surveys.

While we're on the subject, make sure the information you provide is accurate - don't claim to be a family of four if you're single, etc. A company can blacklist you if you provide falsified information and it will cost you in the long run.

  Give them your complete contact information & keep it updated.

Some of the best paying surveys are phone surveys - and they can’t call if they don’t have your phone number. Don't miss out on these high-paying opportunities.

  Make a habit of answering the surveys promptly.

It's easier if you have a routine time for taking surveys and try to stick to it. Also, some surveys are only open for a couple hours, or a day, or when they reach their budget cap, so you have to stay caught up on your email or you could miss out.

  Register with as many companies as you can.

On average, I only get one or two surveys a day, but I've only registered with about forty different companies. If your goal is to make more than a couple hundred a month from this, then you need to register with as many different companies as you can.

The more you register with, the more surveys you can take and the more money you make. It's that simple.

Most of the companies listed on our surveys page are companies that I work with, (some of them are non-US). That would be a good place to start. There are other places that list more, just do a Google-search for 'Paid Surveys' and go down the list.

If you're willing to join a paid survey program and use their database, I'd suggest Survey Scout - it's the one I joined and I can vouch for the quality and usefulness of their database. It wasn't hard to get my money's worth, but make sure that you check for updates often.

There are sites that have a free database, but the ones I've seen weren't worth the time it took to find them... their databases were riddled with expired offers and/or led to companies that don't do what the link said they did.... and they sent me a lot of spam.

Then again, free survey sites have to make money somehow, and I think they do it by getting your information themselves and selling it ~ to profit them and not you.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I Really Make Money From Surveys?

Yes, you can! But like any other job it takes a little time and effort.

You really can make $50-$100 an hour... but it depends on how many surveys you complete. Getting into the consumer databases of a lot of companies is essential - and that takes time. Even with the best software and a fast internet connection you can only do so much in a day.

This is a good, easy way to make extra cash... but you won't get rich. After your profile gets into the databases of the best paying companies, you will have more than enough opportunities to make what you want, and your income will depend only on the amount of surveys or focus groups you're willing to participate in.

What's the difference between surveys and focus groups?

Surveys are most often on the internet, sometimes by telephone, and rarely via the mail. Most take between 5 to 30 minutes to complete. Generally, they are just a series of questions about a product, brand or service. Sometimes they ask opinions about different types of advertising. Surveys pay anywhere from $1 to $100 dollars - the longer and more involved, the more they pay.

Focus Groups are made up of small groups of individuals who fit a specific profile. They are asked to test (or just look at) a specific product or ad, then provide feedback and offer suggestions as a group. Focus groups pay from $50 to $250 an hour. Some groups meet in person, some do it by phone conference calls.

How Much Can I Make?

That all depends on how much you are willing to participate and how quickly you respond to offers. For more information visit Survey Scout and request their free report - it's a transcript of an interview with one of their members who makes a very nice income just from surveys and focus groups.

There are also companies that will send you free stuff to try out. You get to keep it and all they ask is that you fill out a survey about it after using it for a week or two.

Can Anybody Do This?

All types of people with different backgrounds and lifestyles are needed for consumer research. College students, the unemployed, the retired, housewives, stay-at-home moms, and anybody who just wants an easy second income to help make ends meet or save for a vacation.... anybody.

Should I Join A Paid Survey Program?

There are many free-to-join survey sites that talk about their big databases, but you get what you pay for ~ usually nothing. When you join a free survey database site, you will often be taking surveys for FREE - not for pay.

Most paid purvey database sites charge for their database because they offer support, provide you with updates, and they put you into direct contact with the companies who pay you for your opinions - they do not serve as middle men or handle your pay for surveys or focus groups.

The average fee to join a paid survey database is between $25 and $75. If you decide to join one, make sure that the fee is a one-time charge, not a recurring monthly charge. You may also want to make sure that they use a secure payment processor like Click Bank or PayPal, and that they offer a refund if you aren't happy with the database after joining. (Click Bank and PayPal refuse to process payments for sites who do not honor their refund policies.)

Again, let me recommend Survey Scout if you are thinking about getting into a good database, I'm quite satisfied with my membership there.

Do You Really Do This Yourself? What's It Like?

You bet I do ~ and I've been doing it for about three years. First thing in the morning ~ with my wake-me-up coffee ~ I check the mail and take whatever surveys are waiting.

I don't really know how much I've made in that time, if I had to guess I'd say about three grand. It would be a LOT more, but I have other demands on my time ~ like this huge website to maintain, two newsletters to write every week, two kids, three cats, my day-job and everything else.

My own personal experiences with doing surveys has been interesting... and sometimes even fun. If I had more time to devote to it I would have been in a few focus groups too. I've done surveys where I watched a couple different movie trailers, then gave my opinion on which one made me most want to watch the movie... lots of surveys with questions about recent family purchases... tried out some new products and filled out surveys about them, (eww... avoid the toothpaste one, it was icky)... taken at least a dozen phone surveys, they mostly took only about ten minutes and they pay more than online ones.

I've gotten free dishsoap, cat litter, car cleaner wipes, dryer sheets, air fresheners, deoderant, toothpaste, plant food, dog food... and more, just for taking the survey after I try them out. It's not the same as getting a check, but it's nice to not have to buy something just the same.

Since I got the broadband connection I've watched new TV commercials (some that never made it to the tube), and gave my impressions about them... plus the movie trailers I mentioned earlier... (Those are interesting - seeing them before anybody else does ;)... but mostly the surveys I get are just fill-in-the-form type surveys that only take five or ten minutes. Easy money.

If you are interested, but don't really know if it's right for you, then I'd suggest you start with just a few different companies ~ say about ten ~ and see what happens. It won't cost anything but a little time to try it out.

The companies listed on the surveys page with the little smiley-face star next to them are my personal favorites... they would be a good place to 'get your feet wet' and see what it's all about.

But this above all: Have fun with it. In some ways it is like a job ~ but let it be a fun job ~ or it's just not worth it.