With zero set-up costs, minimal barriers to entry, and no special skills needed, it's easy to see why people flock to paid online surveys to boost their bank accounts. In fact, you’ve probably seen ads for survey companies asking people to sign up and start earning.
Online surveys pay compensation in return for honest opinions and reviews of all kinds of products and services. They also conduct market research. It sounds good, but can you really make money with online surveys?
Here, we take a deep dive into one of the more popular online survey platforms – Survey Junkie – to find out if it’s worth your time. We also offer some alternatives and explain why Whop should be your first (and only) port-of-call when it comes to making money online.
How Do You Make Money with Online Surveys?
Companies want customer feedback so they can improve their products and services. They also want honest reviews of new products and to gather market research for a range of purposes.
In short, they want data – and lots of it – from potential customers.
Online survey platforms help this process by connecting companies with a huge database of people from all age groups, income brackets and lifestyles.
People sign up for these online survey sites. They can then access relevant surveys and fill in their responses. This can take as little as a few minutes.
The company gets the data, while respondents receive compensation in the form of:
- Cash
- Promo codes
- Coupons
- Free products
- Reward points
The rewards are not huge but these sites can be an easy side hustle or a way for students, stay-at-home parents, or others to bring in a few dollars.
One of the most popular online survey sites out there is Survey Junkie.
What is Survey Junkie?
Based in California, Survey Junkie is an online focus group, which rewards users who sign up and complete various tasks.
According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the business was set up in 2011. It now claims 20+ million members. It has been a BBB Accredited Business since 2017.
How does Survey Junkie work?
While the tasks available in Survey Junkie are mostly short online surveys on a variety of topics, users can also take part in other market research-type activities.
Survey Junkie has two communities and you can choose to take part in either or both.
SJ Opinion
This is the core Survey Junkie offering. Once you’ve signed up, you can complete surveys and take part in focus groups. You are rewarded with points (more on this below).
Surf to Earn
This works as a browser extension or via a mobile app. Participating in Surf to Earn requires you to share certain data, such as your location, and to let Survey Junkie monitor your online activity, including:
You automatically earn points for participation in Surf to Earn and can access bonus surveys to add more to your total.
How do you sign up with Survey Junkie?
To get started, simply fill in your email address. You can also sign up through your Facebook or Google account.
Note that you can only sign up to Survey Junkie if you are aged 18+ and are a resident of the U.S., Canada or Australia. A UK site, SurveyJunkie.uk, was live but has closed down.
Once you’ve clicked “sign up”, you’re taken through a five-step process during which you’ll be asked for some basic information, including:
- Zip code
- Name
- Birthday
- Gender
You are also required to verify your email address.
Once complete, you are taken to the profile questionnaire section. This section is optional but completing one or more of these profiles will increase the availability of higher-value surveys.
You can start accumulating points right away, with 25 points available for signing up and 10 points on offer for completing some of the profile questionnaires.
What types of surveys are available?
Surveys are available on a variety of topics. However, there is no guarantee that surveys will be available on demand. In addition, you might run into issues taking some of the listed surveys if you don’t meet the set criteria.
Similarly, if you don’t fill in enough lower-value surveys, you may be restricted from accessing surveys with higher points attached.
So, the best advice is to check the site regularly and aim to complete two or three surveys a day. You can complete the surveys on a computer or laptop, with some also suited to mobile devices.
You aren’t obligated to fill in any of the surveys, so if you feel uncomfortable answering questions on things like your health or income, you can always skip the survey or close it if you’re midway through.
If you fail to complete the survey, you won’t get your reward points.
How much does Survey Junkie pay?
Survey Junkie rewards users who complete surveys or other tasks with a set number of points. Each point is worth $0.01. You can keep track of your points via the dashboard.
The number of points varies per task, but surveys pay on average $0.50 to $3.00 and take between 2 and 30 minutes to complete. This gives you an idea of how long it will take to build up a decent amount of money in your account.
If you regularly complete surveys on the site, making $50 to $150 a month is possible. Still, this is dependent on qualifying for enough surveys.
When you want to enjoy the fruits of your labor, the minimum amount you need in your account to cash out is 500 points, equivalent to $5. There are no fees for cashing out. Survey Junkie pays via PayPal, so if you don’t have an account with this platform, you’ll need to sign up. For users in Canada and Australia, this is your only cash-out option.
If you’re U.S.-based, you can opt for a direct bank transfer instead or redeem your points for an e-gift card for a retailer like Target or Amazon (in $5 increments). You may be asked for ID verification for non-PayPal cash-out requests.
Good to know: If you’re a U.S. resident, once you hit $600 on the site in a calendar year, Survey Junkie will ask you to fill out a W-9 form, so it can issue you a 1099 document for tax purposes
So, is Survey Junkie Legit?
Survey Junkie is a legitimate online survey site. It has received BBB Accreditation, which offers peace of mind that the business is reputable.
However, as with all these types of sites, this is not a place to make your fortune. Survey Junkie is open and honest about that on its FAQ page (as most of the legit sites are). Also, be aware that the average survey qualification rate is around 20%.
What does this mean for you? Well, it means that you won’t get to take part in a lot of the surveys because they have narrow qualification criteria or fill up quickly.
This can be frustrating and a bit of a time waste as you might have to fill in a pre-qualification survey or get part way through the main survey only to then get rejected or be told it’s filled up.
You might get a few token points in compensation for your time but not the full quota.
Overall, user reviews of Survey Junkie are largely positive:
Positive user reviews report a good overall experience with Survey Junkie. Some users have managed to turn their time on the site into a nifty side hustle.
Negative reviews flag issues like frustration over not qualifying for surveys and a lack of available surveys.
Pros and cons of Survey Junkie
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Legitimate site / BBB Accredited | ❌ Not always surveys available |
| ✅ User-friendly interface | ❌ Some surveys fill up quickly |
| ✅ Pays via PayPal | ❌ Can be time intensive |
| ✅ U.S. users have other cash-out options (bank transfer & gift cards) | ❌ Need to fill out personal profile info to access some surveys |
| ✅ Flexible | ❌ Only in U.S., Canada, and Australia |
| ✅ Only needs internet access | ❌ Limited cash-out options |
| ✅ Can earn a little extra cash | ❌ Not a place to get rich! |
Alternatives to Survey Junkie
If you like the idea of taking part in paid online surveys but aren’t sure Survey Junkie is the right choice for you – or you want to sign up for more than one – here are some other popular sites.
1. Swagbucks
The name might sound suspicious but this is one of the more popular sites. You are compensated for taking online surveys or performing other simple tasks like watching videos, playing games or shopping online.
You get paid in SB, Swagbucks’ digital currency, which can be turned into cash (paid via check or PayPal) or rewards, such as a gift card for Amazon, Walmart or Starbucks.
The minimum amount you can receive as cash is 2,500 SB, equal to $25, with gift cards available from 300 SB or $3. Earning $1 to $5 a day here is realistic.
2. Toluna
Toluna is an online market research platform, which boasts 21 million users or “influencers” across 50 countries. People who sign up get compensated for completing surveys, playing games, and engaging in community content.
The platform pays in Toluna points. Again, these can be redeemed for rewards or as cash payments processed through PayPal.
The minimum cash or reward payout is 30,000 points, equivalent to $10. Surveys pay from 15 to 50,000 points.
3. Opinion Outpost
Another leading market research platform is Opinion Outpost. Simply sign up, fill out the surveys, and receive points. As with the other survey sites, this one collects detailed information so you can be matched with relevant surveys.
The points have a cash value of $0.10 each. They can be redeemed as cash via PayPal or as a gift card for Amazon or Apple.
The minimum cash-out amount is 50 points, or $5. Surveys pay between 10 and 250 points.
As you can see, if you’re looking to make a living or make your fortune, online surveys are not the solution. So, why not cast a wider net and explore more ways to cash in online on your terms?
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FAQs
Can anyone sign up for online surveys?
The sites are usually open to all kinds of people (a minimum age is likely to apply) to ensure a good mix of opinions.
In all cases, you will need to fill out the registration and answer some questions, Based on your answers, you will be matched with surveys suited to your lifestyle, interests or other factors.
Is my personal data safe with online survey companies?
This is something to think about when signing up for an online survey site. You will be asked to share data, which will be passed on and even sold.
Do your research to find legit survey sites and never share things like your social security number, credit card details, or bank account info. In fact, being asked for that type of sensitive data might be a red flag that the site is not legit.
Ensure your anti-virus software is up-to-date and consider setting up a separate email address just for surveys.
And you know that long “privacy policy” notice on websites – the one you usually just scroll to the bottom of and click “accept”? It’s a good idea to read that before you sign up, so you know what the survey company is actually going to do with your data.
Should I quit my job and just do paid surveys?
Not a good idea. It’s unlikely you could make enough money to replace a job. As you can see from Survey Junkie reviews, the compensation paid per survey is pretty low and may take the form of rewards rather than cash. The work can also be inconsistent.
However, if you focus on the sites and surveys with the most lucrative returns, over time, you might net a few hundred dollars or some cheap swag for your efforts.
