How To Get Paid To Take Surveys
Written By: Joshua Watson
Paid surveys, as explained by Wikipedia, are a type of statistical survey where the participant is rewarded through an incentive program. In other words, the person taking the survey is "paid" for completing the survey. Unfortunately for those wanting to make some cash, the payment most often is an entry into a large sweepstakes. You increase your odds at winning such sweepstakes by completing more surveys and therefore obtaining more entries.
There are however, surveys that will pay real money for completions. These types of surveys are hard to find and even harder to be accepted into. Usually, a participant is selected because they fall into a certain demographic. If you are selected to participate in a paid or sweepstake survey, you will be notified via email and given the opportunity to participate.
Surveys are not a complete waste of time though and often a few entries into a sweepstake drawing can result in several thousand dollars each month. Before you begin taking surveys though, you must first decide which surveys are worth your time and effort. There are several hundred survey companies to choose from and most of them are scams. There are a few reputable companies out there and I have tried to list them at the bottom of this page.
When you choose a survey program, you must begin by registering. Registration usually involves telling the survey company about yourself. This data will be used to determine what demographic you fall into and what surveys you will be selected for now and in the future. For the purpose of this guide, I chose to sign up with American Consumer Opinion (A.C.O.) because they appeared to be the most reputable company and I found a lot of good referrals during my research. Unfortunately, I found that the amount of money you can earn was limited. Paid Surveys are definitely not a way to get rich quick. If you are looking into a paid survey company, please keep in mind that if it sounds too good to be true, it is. There are a lot of paid survey scams out there so be careful.
According to SuccessWithAuctions.com the most successful participants are people that register with as many paid survey companies as possible. The thought behind this tactic is to increase the odds of being selected for a paid survey as well as increasing your odds at winning a sweepstake. It makes sense and I suggest that anyone wanting to make money with paid surveys sign up for at least four separate offers.
Registering with American Consumer Opinion was very simply and straight forward. Here are some screen shots of the registration process.
- Step one. Visit the American Consumer Opinion website and register.
- Complete the online form part 1.
- Complete the online form part 2.
- Confirm your registration online.
- Review the e-mail notice page.
- Read and follow the e-mail confirmation (check your e-mail)
- Read your "received confirmation" e-mail.
- Success! You have now signed up for A.C.O.
After you have finished your registration, wait a few hours and you will begin to receive survey invitations via e-mail. On average I received one or two survey invitations every other day. While I waited for my invitations, I signed up with as many other survey companies that I could. After one week I was making about $75 and received a few prizes from drawings.
As I mentioned above, there are many survey companies to chose from and I will list as many as makes sense below. Several of the companies (like A.C.O.) are free to register with, while other companies charge as much as $39.99. It is up to you to decide if you want to pay some of these companies to be included in their survey lists. Keep in mind however, that the more companies you register with, the better your odds are to earn some cash.
Paid Survey Companies: (no charge to register)
Paid Survey Companies: (small fee to register)
- Survey Scout $34.95
- Survey Pass $39.95
