Over the last few years one of the fastest growing online phenomenon has been paid survey sites. If you do a quick search on any search engine you’ll be given pages of results that includes sites offering surveys. One of the questions that keep coming up is if they are legit or not. Can you really make money by completing online surveys? Or are they elaborate ways to scam you out of your personal information or money? These are very fair questions for anyone to ask. And the answer to both is “yes.” You can really make money by filling out legitimate surveys online and there are a few survey sites that are scams and just trying to get your information or make money off you.
What does a legitimate site look like?
There are many different legitimate survey sites that pay consumers to take surveys, sit on panels, or provide reviews. Each survey site has its own rules for participation. Some sites just offer users surveys, but many of the legit sites offer registered members a variety of ways to make money. Survey sites that pay will allow users to sign up as a member of their platform they never ask for money. You should run from any site that asks you to pay them in order to earn money. That’s like paying to go to work. It just doesn’t make sense. A legitimate paid survey site will never ask you to pay to sign up.
How do survey site pay?
Most of the survey sites offer different ways for users to receive their payout. Some of them use sites like PayPal to transfer money directly to the user. Others offer cash outs via gift cards and still others offer ways to win items of value. You are not going to get rich taking surveys but you can earn quite a bit of extra money that can be helpful. Each site has its own minimum payout. Some of the top sites payout when your account reaches $30 and some have their minimum set at $50. It really depends on the site’s policy, just be sure to check about the payout process when you sign up.
Scam Sites and their Claims
Usually scam sites ask you to pay a fee to join and then offer you outlandish rewards that might even sound reasonable to some. This is how they trick people into participation. Once they get their fee or information if that’s what they are seeking, then they either don’t send surveys, you never qualify for surveys or you get caught in a huge loop so that you don’t ever reach payout. Many scam sites will provide surveys until you get close to the minimum payout and then they stop sending surveys. However, there are real sites that really pay just like they say.
How do I know if a site is a scam?
Two things to look for when you are looking at survey sites. The first thing is that they should never charge you to participate in their surveys; remember you are the one trying to earn money. The second glaring clue that a site is a scam is if they make claims that sound too good to be true. Face it, it’s not realistic to think you will be able to make a million bucks doing nothing. Scam sites will also have very short signup processes and ask for very little information. Reputable survey sites typically have new members fill out an extensive survey when they first sign up so that they can be matched with the types of surveys they will qualify for.
Lists of Legitimate Sites
By taking your time and researching each survey site you can come up with a list of legitimate sites that pay you to take surveys. It can be a very fulfilling way to make money, however, finding the right survey sites to meet your needs can be time consuming. Fortunately there are a couple of sites that provide lists of legit surveys. Elite Survey Sites offers a wide variety of resources to people who are looking to earn money taking surveys. This helps protect users from getting scammed by sites set up just to phish for information. The Penny Hoarder also offers a lot of insight into taking surveys and making money doing them. These are two invaluable resources for those looking for legit sites to work from.
How many sites should I sign up with?
You are not going to get rich quick filling out surveys, but you will make more money by signing up for more sites. You will want to select the sites that you find most interesting and the ones which you fit better. Start by signing up for at least 4 or 5 and see how well you can handle it timewise. You don’t want to sign up for so many you cannot handle the workload or you might find it discouraging. Once you get used to the first 5 or so you sign up for and kind of learn how each one works, then add more sites as you can handle them.
Are paid survey sites worth it?
If you want to make some extra cash survey sites are a wonderful way to do it. Surveys give you the opportunity to make a difference. Companies really want to know what consumers think and they provide surveys to help with their marketing and or product designs. They are very much worth it and a productive way to make money without consuming hours of your time. Sure there are some scams out there to be avoided, but there are also plenty of legit sites that are ready to pay you to take surveys. It’s just about finding the right surveys that fit you and are interesting to you, signing up and filling out a questionnaire. After this simple process, you start getting surveys to fill out. There are legit sites that truly pay for surveys and it is worth the little time it takes to make some extra cash.
