Updated on: April 1, 2016
Legitimate paid surveys are a great source for earning extra money online.
I have been making a living online for a long time, and one of the earliest methods that I have ever tried was online surveys. I was so amazed I could get paid to fill out simple questioners that I just fell in love with participating in market research studies.
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To me, this is the perfect work at home job for lots of people. College students, stay at home parents, retired seniors, and anyone who is looking for a way to make a few bucks without getting scammed to death could benefit from participating in survey panels.
And I think what makes it as a potential way to earn money appealing to lots of people is that it's an easy way to make money without spending a dime.
It's quite fun and enjoyable.
You get to test products that you probably use in your everyday life. You get free samples of all kinds of stuff. You also get to sample products that are not even in the market yet. And most importantly, you don't need a degree to take surveys.
How do Online Surveys work?
Getting paid for online surveys is basically the same as mystery shopping or focus groups. Companies and manufacturers hire market research companies to conduct research on their behalf to gather information and feedback from consumers (you and I), to find out what consumers like or dislike about the product, and how they want it to be improved. They then use this information to improve their products and services to make it more appealing to consumers.
In essence, market research and the data gathered by research companies help shape the products and services that we use in our day to day lives.
The feedback these companies and manufacturers receive from panel members is perhaps one of the most important tools in their disposal that helps them improve their products, and create brand new products that consumers want.
Want More Money?
If you have to only sign up for one paid survey site to make money with, I recommend Ipsos-iSay. Ipsos is the most fun and well-paying panel. Give it a try to see how you like it. It is free anyway!
Is it even worth it?
OK, as you all know by now, I don't like to hype things up. Let me be straight with you - you will not get rich taking surveys, nor will you be able to quit your day job!
This is not a get rich quick solution, it's just a simple way for you to earn some extra cash without having a website, investing, or having any kind of especial experience and know-how.
I know there are hundreds of websites claiming you can make thousands of dollars filling out simple online surveys, but the truth is that while a few people may manage to make a few thousands dollars a month, most people will not make that much money.
Now, I am not saying you can not earn a decent amount of money, you may very well be able to. I am just trying to give you a realistic view of what is and whats not possible. If you put enough time and effort into it, you can certainly make it worth your while.
Scams Vs Legit
Unfortunately, just like most other online income producing methods, scammers have found a way to use the increasing popularity of online panels to milk unsuspecting people. Of course, that has influenced how so many people look at paid surveys, pure scam!
But the truth is that while there are many scams out there trying to rip people off, there are also hundreds of legitimate and reputable market research companies out there conducting real studies and research, and are willing to pay for your opinion.
How do you spot scams?
One thing that makes it easy to spot paid surveys scams is that all legitimate sites are 100% free to join, and needless to say, scam sites are the ones that charge people to join.
Also, keep in mind that there are many free survey sites out there that seem like legit companies, but when it comes to paying their members, they simply ignore them.
So, as you can imagine, finding trusted companies is not that easy. When I first started, it took me a while to finally find the legit ones, and of course in the process, I was scammed a few times as well and wasted a few dollars, not to mention my time.
But with persistence I was able to find lots of legitimate sites that I could register with for free, and earn extra cash by filling out survey questioners for them.
I have been member of some of the best survey panels for a long time now, and quite frankly, I have made enough money with them through the years to make it worth my while.
This whole experience helped me to differentiate between scams and legitimate sites. So, to make it easier for other people to find real market research sites without getting scammed, I thought I would build a list of all the legit sites that I have come across throughout the years. And this is what I have come up with more than 40 legitimate free surveys sites that actually pay.
Now, some of these are sites that pay through PayPal, some are websites that pay by Check, and there are others that give prizes and gift cards. Regardless, they are all real survey sites that pay you.
