While taking surveys online won't earn you gobs of cash or a full-time income (if they promise to, its probably a scam), you can earn a little pocket change and other goodies---which is not bad just for giving your opinion.
Speaking of opinions, below you will find mine on various online rewarded survey programs I have participated it and been payed through. Hope you find it helpful.
You earn points redeemable for cash (payed by check).
Yes. They have an affiliate program where you can earn $1 for every person who joins through your affiliate links.
They have a low points redemption minimum. You can cash at at 50 points ($5). Completed surveys range from 1 to 55 points (most are around 20). They have excellent customer service--I've gotten a quick response every time I've contacted them.
Cash (usually around $2-$10 payed by check) or sweepstakes entry.
Yes. They have an affiliate program where you can receive $0.50 for every person who signs up through your links.
This is just a good steady survey site. I don't receive tons of payed surveys, but I receive enough to make it worthwhile--and a lot of the higher paid surveys ($5-20) I get are through ACOP.
Right now, I don't have any. I had previously said that most of the surveys they send are for sweepstakes (which I didn't like), but for quite a while now the only sweepstakes surveys I've gotten are screener surveys (short surveys to see if you qualify for other surveys). The rest have been paid.
WARNING: Mystery Shopper Scam
The following alert was posted on American Consumer Opinion's website and thought I should share it here also:
A fraudulent Canadian company is using the American Consumer Opinion® name to mail counterfeit checks for thousands of dollars, instructing you to deposit the check and then wire part of the money back to them. The company falsely claims the money you wire will go towards your training to become a mystery shopper. This is a criminal and illegal scam. Do not attempt to cash or deposit the check. Do not wire any money to anyone. Membership in American Consumer Opinion® is always free.
You receive points redeemable for cash. You can cash out once you reach 1000 points ($50).
They have an affiliate program, but it's hard to get into (i.e. they didn't let me in -- oh well).
They are one of the higher paid survey sites, and send surveys very frequently. It only took me about a year and a half to earn the $50 cash out (even considering that I missed a lot of surveys due to browser incompatibility). The only program I've earned more from over the same time period was Pinecone Research.
They have a very high cash out threshold -- so don't join this site unless you are willing to stick with it for the long haul.
They pay well ($3 - $10), and seem to send surveys at least once a month. Some of their surveys are creative--on occassion in stead of just asking you questions they will have you arrange a photo collage on a topic and then explain what it means to you. I like that.
You earn points redeemable for rewards including gift cards, and get an optional entry into their sweepstakes with every survey.
Yes. You can earn points for referring up to 5 friends by e-mail.
They send surveys regularly, so its fairly easy to earn enough points to cash out. They also often have sent surveys on interesting topics (like religion or politics) as well as the typical consumer surveys. They make an effort to avoid redundant questions and keep surveys interesting--most of their surveys are relatively short.
When I actually calculated how much the points were worth when cashed in for gift cards, I discovered I was only making $0.15 to $1.50 per survey. Also, they have reduced the number of gift cards they offer (they used to offer Target and several other cards they no longer offer).
Yes. They have an affiliate program where you can receive $0.30 for every person who signs up through your links. You can access the affiliate program here.
The surveys were fun. They had a lot of surveys on Televisions, celebrities and current events...not just product surveys. I received my first reward (a CD) not long after joining.
I don't get sent surveys anymore. I haven't for years. I think it may be because of the browser I used, because after I switched to Linux (Mozilla) the surveys they sent didn't work and then they stopped sending them at all. (This probably wouldn't be a problem now, with the new version of Mozilla)
$1-$5 cash per completed survey (via pay-pal), plus sweepstakes entry. The amount of money you recieve is randomly choosen after you take the survey (so you don't know ahead of time how much the survey offers.) Often when 2 Cents sends surveys, they only mention the $5,000 sweepstakes, which can give the impression that is all they are offering--but you earn money, not just sweepstakes entries, for EVERY survey you take.
No.
Even if you don't qualify to complete a survey, you get an entry into the $5,000 sweepstakes. When you complete profiles you get a $1 bonus added to whatever amount you receive for regular surveys you complete. (Most sites don't pay anything for profiles).
I don't qualify for most of the surveys they send me.
You receive points redeemable for rewards, or cash through paypal, and sweepstakes entries.
They have an affiliate program where you can receive $0.75 for every person who signs up through your links. One thing that I don't like is they have no simple text link option--according to their terms of use you must not change links so I have to include the whole description they provide or none of it (or just put a banner, as I have above).
Their site is very easy to navigate, and they send surveys frequently. You get sweepstakes entries even for surveys you don't qualify for, and for answering mini-polls (fun one question polls), quick-matches (short profiles) and longer profiles.
I believe it took me around 3 years to get enough points to redeem $10 by pay-pal, and I took quite a few surveys in that time. (I do seem to be building up points quicker since I last cashed out, so maybe that's changing.) Beware, points can expire if you don't use them within a certain amount of time---I was one survey away from having to choose a lesser prize (they have $5 Amazon gift certificates or music downloads I could have settled for) or loose points the last (only) time I cashed out.
Pinecone Research Not usually taking participants through their main site -- occasionally I see advertisements recruiting new members on Delphi Forums
Reward Method
Referral Rewards?
Likes
Dislikes
They previously payed $5 per survey but are moving to a $3 plus sweepstakes compensation per survey. Sometimes you may get to test products (thought I haven't yet).
No.
I've been payed more through Pinecone than any other site. They send surveys frequently, and at $5 per survey it adds up quickly.
Used to have problems taking surveys with them on the older version of Mozilla, but that's fixed now. As I mentioned above, you can't, at least for the moment, sign up directly through their website. I mainly list them here so that if you happen to see them advertised you will have some info on them.
Viewpoint Forum
NOT CURRENTLY TAKING NEW MEMBERS WITHOUT A REFERRAL
Reward Method
Referral Rewards?
Likes
Dislikes
Points redeemable for cash (by check). (You can also get points for submitting weekly poll ideas).
Yes. Once you are a member you receive points for referring up to 5 friends.
At one time this was the site I was getting paid most frequenly through. I've also received free samples to test. You often get some points just for completeing the screener questions, even if you don't qualify for the survey.
They are only taking new members through referrals from current members, and I have used up all my referrals. They also don't send surveys that often any more.
