recommended paid survey sites
I have personally used and been paid by all of these websites. Keep in mind that completing surveys isn’t necessarily something to pay the rent with. It is a good form of supplemental income, however, where you can gain $100-200 more per month.
Just click on the banner or link below each description to be directed to the respective survey site.
TestSpin
This site was one of the first sites I was introduced to for paid surveys, and I still regularly use it. The process is very simple: you sign up for the site, complete you user profile, and then you will be sent emails containing survey opportunities. I generally receive several emails per day for survey opportunities. Most of the surveys are from $1-4 dollars, but I have personally complete surveys for as much as $10. Generally, TestSpin surveys are more broad and easier to qualify for than other survey sites. You can be paid in Amazon.com gift certificates and now PayPal. There is a cap of $600 per year earnings so that no W-9 has to be filed. Also, their FAQ is very comprehensive. I have personally made $180 from this site.
Weekly Reader Insiders
This is a survey sites directed exclusively towards kids and teens. I remember how hard it was for me when I was younger to just make a few bucks, and it is refreshing to see a website such as this. All surveys are for kids 18 or younger. You can complete short or long survey for points; on average, one would earn about 1,500 points for a longer survey. The surveys are generally fun things such as reviewing commercials and movie previews and other such things. Although you can use points to bid on items, generally the rewards start at 10,000 points (a $10 gift card). I personally used this site for several years, and I was able to obtain several $50 American Express gift cards.
Clear Voice Surveys
This is a simple survey site; when you sign up, you will complete a long personal profile that will help you qualify for surveys. In order to maximize the amount of surveys that appear in your profile, make sure to select as many options as possible. After that, log into your account often to see what surveys you have available. This site is unique in that if you are disqualified from a survey, you get paid $0.25 just for trying. It is better than nothing. The surveys range from $1-5 for a completion. I have personally made about $30 from this site.
Pinecone Research
Pinecone Research has distinguished itself as one of the most prominent survey and market research companies on the internet. Consequently, membership is by invitation only. Why are these so prestigious and selective? First, they decently priced payouts. You get $3 for each completed survey immediately, not in several weeks (it actually used to be $5 but was lowered due to the recession). Payments are received either by check or PayPal. Because the site is so exclusive, Pinecone maintains very rigorous respondent standards. A member can be easily removed. Generally, for this site, you should not create multiple accounts, lie on a particular survey, or exit a survey without completing it. All sites prohibit these things, but they are actually strictly enforced on Pinecone. Occasionally, I have heard of the pinecone website (http://www2.pineconeresearch.com/) have a sign-up form, but this seems to be very rare.
There are two ways to join the Pinecone Research Panel. This first is by member referral. Sometimes Pinecone will ask members to find individuals who meet a certain criteria. If a panelist selects you, a link will be sent in an email to you. The other way is through banner ads. Pinecone will place banner ads on sites with particular topics to target the type of people who would go to these sites.
The problem with finding a recruitment banner is that it does not stay up very long; I would guess they usually stay up less than a day. Honestly, all you can really do is search for ‘pinecone banner’ or something like that on Google until you find a site with a valid banner. I have a link posted here, but there are no guarantees it will work for long. Get in while you can.
http://mysurvey123.com/index.php/Paid-Surveys-Reviews/Pinecone-Research.html - UPDATE: For U.S. sign ups, you must visit this link and post a comment that you'd like to sign up.
http://mysurvey123.com/surveys/join.php?pid=pinecone-uk – United Kingdom
http://mysurvey123.com/surveys/join.php?pid=pinecone-ca - Canada
Other Survey Sites
There are literally tons of legitimate survey sites from which you can get paid. Below are more sites that pay great. I have personally tried all of these.
1. Synovate Research Panels – (https://www.globalopinionpanels.com/) pays via check.
2. Your2Cents – (http://your2cents.com/) pays via check.
3. SurveyHead (http://www.surveyhead.com/) Get a $5 sign-up bonus. Pays via PayPal.
4. Greenfield Online – (http://www.greenfieldonline.com/) many surveys. Pays via check or PayPal.
5. GameSurvey.us – (http://www.gamesurvey.us/) all surveys related to video games. Get checks, PayPal, or Amazon.com gift certificates.
6. Bergen vDICE Lab – (http://vlab.uib.no/) psychology-related surveys. Pays via check.
7. Stanford GSB Behavioral Lab – (http:// https://cgi.stanford.edu/group/gsb-behlab/cgi-bin/behlab/registration/fp.cgi) surveys on behalf of their graduate school of business. They pay $5-15 per survey in Amazon.com gift certificates.
8. Survey U – (http://www.surveyu.com/) – survey site exclusively for college students. You cannot sign up unless you have a .edu email address. [Hint: Free .edu Email address - http://mail.australia.edu/userhome/signup/]
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