Before you become a survey stasher, there are a few things worth knowing. Remember, patience and consistency are key virtues.
Survey companies aren't banks. There's no protection if one closes, taking your cash with it. So withdraw your cash as soon as you reach the payment threshold. When a previous survey firm closed down, many lost money.
Don't use your normal email address – it'll be immediately flooded. Instead, set up a dedicated email account. As a powerful free option, Gmail is among the best.
This is also a quick way to check which surveys you've been given.
DON'T expect to be instantly rolling in it
One downer is you've no control over how many surveys you're picked for. So it can take a while to earn enough to hit survey sites' payout thresholds. If you give up, it means the surveys were done for nowt.
For this reason, it's important to understand it's not quick cash. Yet it's nice extra income, provided you consistently fill out the surveys, and have a little patience.
If you have a choice, opt to get paid in cash. If you do get paid in gift vouchers, spend them ASAP. That way the retailer can't go bust on you, invalidating them. Plus you can't lose them or forget them until they go out of date. Full info on this in Gift Voucher Warning.
DON'T tell porkies
Be honest. When a survey pops up that's clearly aimed at a certain group, it's tempting to say, "Yes, I am a 41-year-old, tobacco-chewing dentist from north Manchester who was a middle child." Yet, in the long run, you'll lose out. Companies often corroborate previous answers, and will uncover any fibs.
A few forumites have amassed Ј40 over a year, only for the website to accuse them of fraudulent answers and wipe the balance. Rare, but worth knowing.
Likewise, don't sign up with two different email addresses to double the income – sites kick people out for this too.
DON'T forget to check your emails
The key is logging in often, because surveys close once enough people have responded. If your boss doesn't mind, check surveys in your lunch hour with a cuppa.
Some sites are better than others at tracking which surveys you've completed. To avoid wasting 20 minutes, keep a record of all surveys filled out, jotting down the title and the promised payment. Take a screenshot and make a note of any reference numbers.
Missing some cash? Chase the sites up, asking them to give you the correct points. Survey sites are often happy to add them to your account.
DON'T forget tax
Before you start counting the dosh, don't forget some of it belongs to the taxman. For most people it'll be around a third. Survey earnings are unlikely to push non-taxpayers over the threshold, however.
As any sources of extra income need to be declared so it's worth getting in touch with HM Revenue and Customs. It's a tricky one as survey earnings are technically self-employed income, but declaring your status might depend on how much you're taking home each year.
If it's loads, you might need to register with HMRC as newly self-employed, but if you're just doing a few for fun, you might not. It's worth giving them a ring on 0300 200 3504 to check if you're not sure. You need to register, so make sure you do so by the end of the third calendar month after you've started – or you could face an automatic Ј100 penalty.
DO complain via Facebook and Twitter
If you've complained about problems to no avail, try using social media such as Facebook and Twitter to voice your issue.
There's a glut of survey sites on the internet charging up to Ј80 to register, promising to pay Ј100s after you've coughed up. Never pay to register with a survey site.
DO refer a friend
Most survey sites require you to earn a certain amount before you can withdraw your cash, for example Ј25. Trouble is, people often find themselves stuck 20p below the threshold, waiting for that one survey email to push them over.
If you're left in limbo, try referring friends. Many pay you 50p for referring a mate – handy if your survey emails mysteriously dry up with a few pence to go.
DON'T worry too much about screenouts
Some survey companies have a cheeky habit of asking several questions, then suddenly announcing that you don't qualify. Fine if it's only a few secs, but frustrating if you've donated 10 minutes of your time for nowt.
The list of top survey sites below notes the worst offenders, but in the long run, most people qualify for enough other polls to make up for it.
Step 2: Start taking the surveys!
As soon as you register, start signing up with the marketing research companies on the list. Sign up with as many as you can and be as complete and accurate as you can as you fill out your profile with them. The more they know about you, the more surveys they can send you.
Very quickly you will start receiving requests by email to complete the surveys that you qualify for. Here's a little hint: in the beginning, they might send you some of the lower paying surveys. They are checking you out and seeing if you're serious. If you are responsive and accurate with the first few surveys, they start sending you the higher paying ones. As it goes on, eventually you get invited to the focus groups that can pay up to $100 for an hour's work.
Try to respond to as many surveys as you can. The more you fill out, the more you get from the marketing research companies and you can be more selective with which ones you want to fill out.
Want to see what a sample of a $20 survey might look like? Click here: Sample survey. Looks easy, doesn't it. The higher paying ones are usually longer than this one. We just used this short one to show you an example. Some surveys are shorter, some longer. Some pay more, some pay less. Sometimes it's just for a sweepstakes entry. But they are all pretty easy to complete.
Step 3: Start receiving cash, prizes and rewards!
Here's a little secret--the formula for success: the more survey companies you sign up with, the more surveys you get. The more you get and fill out, the more cash you earn.
Set a goal to sign up with at least 3 marketing research companies a day. In a week, you'll be a registered panelist with over 20 companies.
You can choose to receive a check, gift cards, or have the money sent to a Paypal account. Don't set your expectations too high initially. You won't make thousands per month doing this, but if an extra $200 to $500 per month would be helpful to you, then that's an attainable amount. Many people report making more than this, but they have added on participation in focus groups (which we show you how to do).
Here's another great little secret most people don't know: some companies choose to pay with prizes instead. Don't miss these! Here's why: the prizes are often provided by the company that is paying for the research. It is cheaper for them to give away the items they manufacture than to pay cash.
This means that you could get a more expensive item that is worth much more than the cash you would have been given. Wouldn't it be great to get an iPod rather than $50 cash?
If you are serious about this and register for 20 marketing research companies your first week, you might be surprised how fast the paying surveys show up in your inbox. Get started now.
To encourage you to take action NOW, I'm also including my 14 day e-course, "7 Days to Survey Success" for free. Honestly, it will make the difference between success and failure for you because we'll show you the hottest and highest paying surveys. We'll also coach you through all the insider tips and hints to really make paid surveys work for you. You'll get the first lesson right after you sign up. Be sure to look for the confirmation email from me.
You'll love this way to make money from home in your spare time! Sign up now.
Copyright 2005-2017. www. surveymoneymachines. com. All Rights Reserved.
