Affiliate Disclosure
The following content may contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through the links, at no added cost to you. For more information, see my disclosure policy.
Many survey companies offer to pay people for their opinions, so finding them isn’t the problem. The biggest problem is finding the best survey sites.
Not only is there a large number of survey sites, but you’ll discover just as many reviews about them. Unfortunately, some reviewers are just in it for the referrals, so they’ll say positive things about the company just to get you to sign up using their link.
Here at Living Frugally, I’m all about being honest, and that’s why I joined several survey sites and put in many long, sometimes boring hours, testing each one in order to lead you to what I think are the best survey sites based on my personal experience.
Yes, I, too, will get a little extra money by referring you to some. However, I’m not just telling you untruths to earn money. I want to save you time and aggravation, so I’m giving my unbiased opinions on each survey site I signed up for and spent over a week testing.
Best Survey Sites for Extra Spending Money
- American Consumer Opinion
American Consumer Opinion has no shortage of surveys. They flood in through emails, and sometimes I stumbled upon more in the account dashboard.
Now, about those point promises on the dashboard surveys… Turns out they can be a bit iffy. A few times, the rewards for completed surveys fell short of what was stated. Still, I was pretty happy with my earnings, but accurate info upfront would’ve been a nice touch.
The average completion time for email surveys was around 20 to 25 minutes, with most being 200 ($2) or more points. After finishing up, I’d get a message saying my points would be credited within two weeks, but they magically popped up straight away.
All in all, my experience with this survey company was a delight. What really stood out to me was the pre-survey screener questions that earned me a few extra points. Not many survey sites offer this incentive, so that was a nice touch.
American Consumer Opinion is definitely worth a shot if you’re looking to pad your pockets with a little extra cash. 😉
- Minimum Payout: 1,000 ($10).
- Cashout Options: Paypal, Hyperwallet and check.
- Branded Surveys
When I hopped on board this survey site, I scored a cool 100 ($1) points just for getting started and finishing my first survey. I quickly piled up more points by tackling those profile surveys.
All the surveys were lined up right on my dashboard once I logged in. Each one showed me the points up for grabs and how much time it’d take to complete. Super straightforward!
I hit a couple of bumps with disqualifications along the way, but that’s just par for the course in the survey game. No sweat, though, as I found it was usually a quick turnaround to snag another survey.
What really got me excited were the extra earning opportunities! Everyday, I got to tackle a quick poll question for a neat little bonus. And if I wanted to rack up even more points, I could refer other savvy survey takers, aim for the top 20 on the leaderboard and even bag some badges for extra points.
Getting paid was a breeze. I just popped in my Paypal email, verified my payout offer through the link Branded Surveys sent to my registered email, and my earnings were on their way to me. Easy peasy!
If you’re all about a user-friendly platform, plenty of short surveys and a daily dose of excitement with bonuses, Branded Surveys might just be your next go-to spot.
- Minimum Payout: 500 ($5).
- Cashout Options: Paypal, transfer to your bank account and gift cards.
- E-Poll
I received most of the surveys through email, and I was thrilled to see average rewards of over 200 points. Plus, they were a breeze to finish, usually taking less than 20 minutes.
When it came time to cash in my rewards, I chose Paypal, which was super easy. The only drawback? It took about two weeks for the funds to hit my account. I did get a bit antsy, but the process was reliable, and I got my reward.
One thing to note is that E-poll has a policy on inactivity. If you don’t complete at least one survey a year, any points you earn will be taken away. So, it’s a good idea to stay active.
E-poll has been a fun and easy way to share my opinions and earn money. If you’re on the hunt for a simple survey site that won’t feel as if it’s a huge time commitment, I recommend giving E-poll a try. Just remember to check your email and stay active to keep those points rolling in!
- Minimum Payout: 3,750 ($5).
- Cashout Options: Paypal and gift codes for retailers.
- LifePoints
My experience with LifePoints has been quite rewarding. When I first signed up, I was thrilled to receive 10 points just for joining. It’s fantastic that even teens as young as 14 can participate and pocket some extra cash.
Let me tell you, those diary surveys worth 600 points are awesome! They’re all about jotting down your daily experiences with specific products, usually what you snacked on or sipped. Quick and snappy, only taking around five minutes a day, with points hitting my account in just six days.
As I examined the policy, LifePoints mentioned that points expire either after three years from when you earn them or if you go inactive for 12 months. Noted!
Whenever I cashed out, my PayPal money was in my account within five days, which is always a plus.
LifePoints was a fun and easy way to earn some extra cash! I suggest giving them a try.
- Minimum Payout: 1,200 ($10) for Paypal.
- Cashout Options: Paypal, Venmo and gift cards.
- Prize Rebel
Out of all the survey sites I tested, Prize Rebel was my least favorite. The qualifying time for surveys in some categories was longer than what I experienced on other sites.
I did, however, qualify for quite a few surveys that I found in the Prize Rebel category on their surveys page. The surveys in that category were the best because there were quite a few with less disqualifications. They also had decent payouts and a time commitment of less than 10 minutes.
Another thing I liked about Prize Rebel was their leveling system. As I earned more points, I advanced to higher levels, which came with these awesome perks:
Although Prize Rebel may not have been my absolute favorite survey site, they do provide a decent selection of surveys with fair payouts. If you’re willing to invest some time in qualifying for the surveys, the extra perks from leveling up make it worth considering.
- Minimum Payout: 500 ($5).
- Cashout Options: Paypal and gift cards.
- Qmee
There were a few surveys available on my dashboard whenever I logged in. While most paid less than $1, I did come across a couple that offered a bit more. I appreciated that the surveys usually took less than 10 minutes to complete, making it feel worthwhile.
At first, I found it a bit challenging to qualify for some surveys, but I noticed that the more I participated, the easier it became.
One of the features I loved was that Qmee showed the topic of each survey, which helped me choose ones I found interesting and was more likely to qualify for, especially those related to consumer trends. They also offer additional earning opportunities, such as cashback for shopping and games. I didn’t explore those much since I’m not a gamer and found other sites like Swagbucks offered better cashback options.
When it came to cashing out, I was pleasantly surprised to receive the payments in my Paypal account the same day. Not having to wait is always a good thing, right? 😉
While I would’ve loved to see a larger selection of surveys, my experience was positive, and I welcomed the extra incentives Qmee offered for my daily participation.
- Minimum Payout: None for Paypal or Venmo.
- Cashout Options: Paypal, Venmo and gift cards.
- Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie always had a good selection of surveys available. Most paid under $1, but they were quick, typically taking less than 20 minutes. I was grateful for the three points for every survey I didn’t qualify for, which softened the disappointment of not qualifying.
I ran into one issue that left me a bit frustrated. I spent around 15 minutes on a survey I qualified for, and after completing it, I was taken to a page thanking me for my participation. I was then prompted to click a button to continue and receive my points. However, when I clicked the button, a message popped up saying I didn’t qualify, and I only received the usual three points for my effort. Not cool! 🙁 Fortunately, this was the only problem I faced with Survey Junkie.
As for navigating the platform, it was straightforward. I loved the box at the top of the page that displayed my total points and how many more I needed to request payment. I could even switch from points to USD to see the dollar amount, which was super helpful.
Cashing out was a breeze. I requested payment through PayPal, and the funds appeared in my account within minutes. I prefer PayPal over gift cards, but I heard from other users that they also received their gift card codes quickly.
Survey Junkie offers additional incentives, such as earning points for joining, confirming your email and answering profile questions. You can even get extra points for installing their “Surf to Earn” app, which promises more high-paying surveys as well as a monthly bonus of 50 points.
While the payouts could be higher compared to other survey companies, the quick surveys and three points for ones you don’t qualify for makes Survey Junkie worthwhile.
- Minimum Payout: 500 ($5)
- Cashout Options: Paypal, transfer to your bank account and a few gift cards.
- YouGov
Navigating the YouGov platform was smooth sailing. The member page was clean and user-friendly, with big enough text that it was easy on the eyes. Once I logged in, a quick click on the “start now” button (in the research survey box) whisked me away to the screener questions. I wish I could’ve seen survey details upfront, but I was happy getting the lowdown on points and estimated time upon qualification.
On my very first day, I knocked out three short surveys in under 20 minutes and racked up a cool 1,100 points!
I must admit, the high reward minimum was discouraging. Yet, snagging 500 points for a 5-minute email survey was a sweet deal. And the cherry on top? After each survey, I had the chance to take quick follow-up surveys that usually took less than five minutes and offered an extra 100 points for sharing my thoughts on brands, people and shows.
When it came time to cash out, YouGov kept it simple with bank transfers or gift cards. I lean toward cash so I can grow my savings or pay a bill, but since I wasn’t comfortable sharing my bank info, I opted for a $15 Amazon gift card instead. To my delight, I received the code just five days after requesting it, sooner than the three-week wait they mentioned.
Overall, I found YouGov to be a solid site. The surveys were quick, and I didn’t face many disqualifications. Sure, the high payout minimum might give you pause, but if you’re a regular survey taker, reaching it won’t take as long as you think.
- Minimum Payout: 25,000 ($15) for a gift card or 55,000 ($50) for a bank transfer
- Cashout Options: Bank transfer and gift cards
Little Known Facts About Survey Sites
Don’t Be Intimidated by Estimation Times
Beginner survey takers may take more time than those who do surveys a lot. Usually, after you do a few paid surveys, you quickly learn how things work and move along more quickly than someone just beginning their survey-taking side hustle.
Watch Out for the Trick Questions
Be sure to read surveys closely. Some companies will place questions asking you to select a certain answer just to make sure you’re reading the survey. If you answer incorrectly, you’ll be disqualified regardless of how far into the survey you are.
Don’t Risk Losing the Money You Earn Due to Inactivity
Some survey companies want you to complete at least one survey a month to keep your account thriving. If you fail to follow this policy, you’ll lose any money you’ve earned, and in some cases, your account will be deactivated as well.
Consider Limiting Your Selections
When taking surveys, you’ll often encounter questions that ask you to pick from a list of brands or type in brand names you recognize. It’s tempting to select or name a bunch, but the more you choose, the more questions you’ll have to answer about each one. To keep things simple and the survey short, Limit your selections or naming to just three brands that you know well. This way, you still give honest answers without getting bogged down by too many follow-ups. It will make the whole experience smoother and way more enjoyable!
Improving Your Success Rate for Acceptance
- Complete profiles and keep them updated.
- Be honest. As tempting as it may be to lie to avoid disqualification, don’t do it! They’ll eventually catch on, resulting in you losing your account and earnings.
Keeping Your Sanity on Paid Survey Sites
- Take breaks.
- Grab yourself a free Google Voice number. Sharing your personal digits could result in your phone blowing up from spam calls.
- Set up a separate email for survey sites. I’m sure you don’t want to be bombarded with spam emails in your personal inbox.
- Aim for surveys with the highest reward and the least amount of time to complete them.
Staying Safe and Secure While Taking Surveys
- Turn on your antivirus software to ensure you’re protected from any redirects that may lead to spammy third party sites.
- Refrain from sharing information that’s too personal (e.g. social security number, bank account details, or credit and debit card information).
- With technology nowadays using facial and eye recognition, you may want to skip the webcam surveys.
Paid Survey Sites I Liked the Most
LifePoints is number one on my list of favorite survey companies. Their diary surveys are what put them in the number one spot. Being as the diary surveys are normally 600 points, I can do two of them to meet the minimum needed to cash out.
Survey Junkie is another favorite of mine. Regardless of the few downsides I told you about, the quick surveys and immediate payment after cashing out make this another favorite of mine.
The unfortunate truth is paid survey sites won’t turn you into a millionaire (we wish!), but they’re perfect for earning some side hustle moolah that you can save for a rainy day.
