Surveys for Money Online: Legit Companies that Pay You

In 2024, there’s never been a better time to make extra money by taking legit surveys for money online. Whether you want to earn extra cash or make a reliable part-time income from home, paid online surveys can help.

I’ll be upfront – 95% of survey sites are scams. But the remaining 5% of legit, high-paying survey companies can help you earn a nice side income. And an even smaller number of that 5% are even worth your time. This post will be covering those legit survey sites.

At different points over the years, I have pulled in an extra $400-1,050 per month in my spare time with using the surveys for money in this post. That’s a nice chunk of change that really adds up over time!

If you follow this guide, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been doing surveys for a while or if this will be your first survey, this guide will help you maximize your survey earnings and lessen the amount of time you spend.

Before we get into the guide, I will show you how online surveys work and why their worth taking.

Inside Look: How Do Online Survey Sites Work?

You might wonder how survey sites make money if they pay you.

Essentially, companies pay the survey sites to gather research on their target demographics. Taking online surveys allows them to quickly and easily gain insights into consumer behavior.

Your honest survey responses about products, media, trends, etc. help shape future products and marketing campaigns for companies all over the world.

Now, the more accurate info you provide, the more active and higher paying surveys will be made available to you.

If you provide bad or inaccurate info, survey sites will likely identify and restrict your access. So always provide thoughtful, honest survey input.

Why Taking Legitimate Paid Surveys is Worth It

For the longest time, I was very skeptical of survey sites. Most seemed too good to be true, scammy, and scummy. However, after testing over 30 survey sites and doing deep research, I found a small handful that are legitimate and pay real money.

Here are the main reasons online surveys are worth your time:

You earn real money. Top survey sites pay out via PayPal, bank account, gift cards or other convenient methods like cryptocurrency. The money might not replace your full-time job, but it’s a good way earn a nice side income or money in a crunch.
Work from anywhere. As long as you have an internet connection and device, you can take surveys on your mobile device such as a phone or laptop from anywhere in the world. It’s extremely flexible.
Get paid for your opinions. Brands want consumer opinions so they can improve their products and marketing. Good survey sites simply connect you to these brands, facilitate the survey taking process, and pay you for your input.
Short time commitment. Most surveys take 5-30 minutes. When you have pockets of downtime like waiting in line or watching TV in-between commercials, you can knock out a quick survey. No long-term commitment is required.
Open to everyone. Survey sites accept people from all backgrounds, education levels and skill sets. As long as you match a survey’s demographic criteria, you can participate and earn.

I hope this gives you an idea of why legitimate paid surveys can be worth checking out! Just make sure to stick to reputable sites so you actually get paid. I will help you identify reputable online surveys before I walk you through my 5-step system for maximizing online survey earnings.

Red Flags: When to Avoid a Survey Site

While the coming online surveys I write about in this guide are reputable and worthwhile, you’ll still want to keep an eye out for red flags with any new sites you encounter. Protect your time and information by avoiding survey sites that:

❌ Appear unprofessional: Glitchy, broken pages or outdated designs typically reflect limited resources and care put into the user experience. Legitimate survey companies will always prioritize more modern, functional platforms.

❌ Charge fees: Legit companies won’t require payment, subscriptions or excessive personal details just to participate. Entry should always be free.

❌ Pay a small amount of money: Quality companies offer surveys paying $1+ for 10 minutes maximum time investment. Consistently lower rates likely signify an unreliable or unsustainable operation.

❌ Disqualify excessively: Even targeted surveys should not rule out eligible users at ridiculous rates. Sites that consistently waste your time on false starts should be ignored.

❌ Lack transparency: Well-reviewed survey sites with long operating histories and ratings are far more credible. Newer entities without ratings or evidence of payouts may not have members’ best interests in mind.

With so many high-integrity options in the survey industry these days, we thankfully have the choice to be selective as we keep these considerations in mind.

Now onto my 5-step survey guide!

Step 1: Sign Up for the Best Survey Sites Online

The first and most important step to this guide is sticking to trustworthy online survey sites that pay well and don’t waste your time.

Over the years, I’ve narrowed my list down to the twelve best surveys for money online:

Survey Junkie
Swagbucks
Qmee
Vindale Research
InboxDollars
BrandedSurveys
YouGov
PrizeRebel
Lifepoints
Toluna Influencers
Pinecone Research
MyPoints

I cover these 12 survey sites in more detail later in this article.

Step 2: Fill Out Your User Profiles Completely

Once signed up for your survey accounts, the next crucial step is properly filling out your user profile within each site. Don’t just breeze past this part! Taking a bit of extra time here can majorly impact your long-term earnings.

Why is the profile so important?

It determines the survey opportunities you will qualify for.

Accurately and thoroughly completing your profile allows the algorithm to appropriately match you with relevant surveys you are the right demographic fit for.

If you barely fill out anything or provide inaccurate details, you simply won’t be considered for most high-paying survey openings. And that means losing out on money!

So what exact information should your survey site profiles contain to be complete? Essentially, you’ll provide basic demographic information. Here is a checklist that some survey sites may include:

Full Name: Use the name that matches your PayPal account or chosen payment method.
Email Address: Use a clean email without numbers/symbols if possible. Enables quick contacts.
Postal Code: Important for regional survey targeting.
Gender: Helps segment surveys by male/female topics.
Birthdate: Confirming your accurate age range opens more age-specific survey opportunities.
Marital Status: Opens surveys related to relationships, parenting, etc.
Parental Status: Specify number/age of kids to qualify for family surveys.
Race/Ethnicity: Allows you to give perspectives from diverse groups.
Home Ownership: Renter vs owner qualification matters for some surveys.
Employment Status: Retired? Student? Stay-at-home parent? All useful to specify.
Income Range: Critical factor for finances/shopping related surveys.
Education Completed: Directly related to eligibility for many surveys.
Interests/Hobbies: The more specifics listed, the better! Enables passion/lifestyle related survey targeting.
Other Demographics: Any other definitive characteristics like military service, small business owner, ancestry, disabilities, etc.

As you can see, the ideal user profile covers extensive demographic ground. Some sites may ask for more or less, but try to provide what details possible.

And remember – be fully honest! Any discrepancies or inaccuracies could get you disqualified and lower your survey earnings long-term by limiting future matches.

Note: Never give out your social security number or your physical address.

Okay, profile fully optimized? Then let’s continue to making serious survey money…

Step 3: Choose the Highest Paying Surveys

When you first log into your survey site dashboard, you’ll likely see a large listing of many open surveys. Now at first, you may be tempted to try completing as many as possible to maximize profits.

But attempting ALL available surveys is often the worst strategy!

Here’s why:

Most open surveys pay very little for your time. We’re talking $0.50 – $1 for 15-20+ minutes. That hourly rate is way too low.
Many surveys will boot you out halfway through once quota caps are filled by earlier participants. There goes 10-15 minutes of your life for zero pay.
Some shady surveys try to scam members by never crediting you the full stated pay after finishing.

The solution? Be super selective and only attempt surveys that meet strict criteria:

✅ $2+ pay

✅ 10 minutes max duration

✅ Reputable provider

✅ Interesting topic

Surveys meeting standards like these ensure you earn a great $12+ per hour pay rate while spending time on topics you enjoy learning about.

Scanning every study description and applying these criteria takes just seconds longer but guarantees 5X+ better hourly pay versus attempting them all indiscriminately.

Over a month this adds up tremendously. Don’t leave money on the table by being careless!

Okay, got the right surveys lined up? Then let’s make sure they get completed properly…

Step 4: Take Your Time and Answer Thoughtfully

I cannot emphasize this enough – surveys are not a race against the clock!

Many people blow through them as fast as possible just to finish. I certainly did this when I first did surveys. But, this results in two huge problems:

You get kicked out for rushing and missing details.
You provide inaccurate/contradictory info and get banned.

Slow down and read each question closely. Provide thoughtful answers tailored to that specific survey using logic and reason.

For example, if a question asks which laundry detergent brand you use most or what stores you shop at for clothes, pull from actual recent memories.

Taking your time ensures accurate data which lets you fully complete surveys and get paid for your efforts. Rushing results in wasted time and no money. It’s that simple.

Ok.

Now for the last step.

Step 5: Rotate Paid Survey Sites

No single site will always have fresh surveys available. When you run out of good options on one survey site, simply move to the next site on your list or bookmarks.

Having a constant rotation is the best way tomazimize your profits. While you may end up finding 2-3 “go-to” survey sites over time, keeping them all your memberships active maximizes profits.

Also some of them use algorithmic matching which rewards frequent survey takers with more options over those falling inactive for long periods. So stay engaged across your accounts.

Alright!

Now let’s take a deeper dive into the best survey sites.

The top 12 Survey Sites that are legit, pay well, and cash out fast

Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is my personal favorite survey website for several reasons:

One of the most reputable survey sites out there
Very high pay per survey (up to $50 for a 2-hour survey)
Fast payout: You can cash out via PayPal within 24 hours – no other site pays that quickly!

With SurveyJunkie, I’ve made $25 per hour taking surveys (though admittedly that’s rare), then get my money in my account the very next day. That convenience is hard to beat, though!

They have an extremely user-friendly dashboard that shows you available surveys that fit your demographics. I easily qualified for high-paying surveys on my very first try.

With fast profits and a great user experience, SurveyJunkie is absolutely my #1 recommendation.

Click here to sign up and start making money with Survey Junkie.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks comes in at a very close second to SurveyJunkie in my book. I love how they offer so many different ways to earn as a Swagbucks member:

High-paying surveys – Their survey pay rates rival the top panels
Earn cash for web searches
Redeem offers from places you’d buy from anyway to earn Swagbucks (essentially free money)
Play games and watch videos for earnings

So with Swagbucks, you get lots of diversity in how you spend your time compared to just surveys alone on other sites.

The Swagbucks you earn can be redeemed for PayPal cash and gift cards to places like Amazon. And right now they have a $5 sign up bonus when you join through the link below:

Click here to get your $5 welcome bonus for signing up with Swagbucks today!

Qmee

If you’re looking for instant payout, Qmee is one of the best options. Here’s why:

Low cashout minimum: Just $0.01!
Payments processed to PayPal instantly
Cash bonus for referring friends

Those are incredibly user-friendly payment options that most survey panels do not offer.

Additionally, Qmee has a nice dashboard interface that shows your projected earnings for each survey upfront, so you can easily cherry-pick the highest paying ones.

Surveys on Qmee often take less than 10 minutes for decent pay of $0.40 – $1. And remember, you can get that money to your PayPal right away unlike most sites.

Vindale Research

Vindale Research appeals to me because they have so many options besides just surveys to make money:

Get paid up to $5-$75 per survey
Earn $0.50 – $2.50 per email read
Watch videos for $0.05 – $0.75 each
Refer a friend and get a $1 bonus

Another perk with Vindale Research is that once you earn your first payout, you can snap a picture of the payment receipt and instantly get a $5 bonus!

Payment is sent conveniently via check or PayPal when you hit the $50 minimum threshold.

As one of the oldest and most reputable survey/earning sites since 2006, you can feel confident your efforts will pay off with Vindale Research.

And you even get $1 just for signing up here!

InboxDollars

InboxDollars has paid its members over $63 Million since 2000, making it one of the longest running and most trusted survey sites.

It has an extensive variety of earning opportunities beyond just surveys, like getting paid to play games, watch videos, search online, and more. Lots of options so you never get bored!

Some key perks:

$5 signup bonus just for registering
Get a $2 cash bonus for every friend you refer
Low $30 cashout minimum
Pays via check or gift cards

The unique combination of lucrative earning activities, low cashout threshold, and generous referral program makes InboxDollars really stand out.

Branded Surveys

Branded Surveys focuses specifically on market research surveys on behalf of major consumer brands. This results in lots of high-paying survey opportunities sent right to your member dashboard.

Some key details:

Over 15 Million members and growing
Pays up to $5 per survey
Reputable member of the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
Cashout via PayPal, Amazon or Visa gift card at just $10

The cool thing about Branded Surveys is the wide variety of categories covered beyond just typical surveys. You also can product test, participate in focus groups, take VR surveys, keep shopping diaries, and more unique activities. Lots of ways to earn!

Easy sign up process – just enter your email to get started.

YouGov

YouGov is a market research firm that stands out from the survey site crowd in a few ways.

First, the indication of legitimacy: YouGov’s survey results are featured regularly in major news publications. So you can contribute to consumer data and public opinion polls that influence the world. Pretty cool!

But more importantly for money-making purposes:

✅ You never get disqualified from their surveys – Your time won’t be wasted

✅ No minimum pay period to request your earnings

Most surveys pay $1-$2 and take less than 10 minutes. That means over $12/hour for your input. Not bad!

They pay via check, PayPal or gift card. I have enjoyed my experience on YouGov and give them high marks for being transparently legitimate and valuing ALL opinions (given their no-disqualification policy).

If that sounds good to you, sign up for free at YouGov today!

PrizeRebel

Here is what instantly stuck out to me about PrizeRebel:

On their homepage, you can see how much total money members have earned through the site so far that day. Pretty awesome transparency!
They provide a $10 Amazon gift card just for your first purchase made through their cashback shopping portal
You can score a 20% cash bonus when cashing out rewards

Besides high-paying surveys, PrizeRebel also offers online deals with additional cashback, games, and daily login bonuses for more earning opportunities. Lots to like here!

They accept members from US, UK, Canada, Australia and France. Payments are processed securely through Stripe.

I’m a big fan of PrizeRebel overall. Check them out through this signup link to get started today!

Lifepoints

While Lifepoints may be newer than some survey sites, they have quickly become very reputable and offer nice earning potential:

Researchers get over $76 million rewards per year
Chance to test new products and services
Refer friends and earn bonus
Sweepstakes giveaways

I also want to emphasize how international-friendly Lifepoints is compared to most panels focusing just on the US. Lifepoints has large member bases in countries like: United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Ireland, Germany, France.

So no matter what part of the world you call home, your opinions are valued here. Solid payouts, lots of member perks, worldwide eligibility…what’s not to love?

Get registered with Lifepoints free through this link here.

Toluna Influencers

Toluna Influencers is possibly THE most comprehensive and robust survey community in the world. They proudly serve over 17 million international members by valuing all perspectives with curiosity and care.

Here is why Toluna Influencers stands out:

Huge variety of polls and surveys across endless topics
Product testing opportunities that send you free samples
Instant win games and cash contests for more fun
Invite friends & earn 500 bonus points ($5) per sign-up

Importantly, Toluna accepts survey-takers worldwide across continents like North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and South America. Their global diversity allows you to profit from voices and views from all walks of life.

Additionally, $1 = 1000 points = roughly 10-minute survey. So you can start racking up money fast by completing quick polls on Toluna covering every subject imaginable.

If you value legitimate market research opportunities, a community reaching every corner of the world, testing products for free, and want to help shape future business innovations…then Toluna is for you!

Become an influencer yourself by signing up with Toluna here 100% free.

Pinecone Research

If getting FREE products before they hit store shelves sounds like a sweet deal to you, be sure to check out Pinecone Research.

They offer opportunities to test products (everything from food to appliances) specifically to members aged 18-24 in exchange for your open and honest feedback. Obviously, newly released items come at no cost to you!

You just have to match that age demographic and live in the United States to qualify.

But if so, it’s an awesome way to both get hot new gadgets, snacks, personal care items, etc for free AND make some money doing it by completing their surveys. Seems like a win-win to me!

Pinecone emphasizes how they focus groups and testers are THE most influential consumer panel that major international brands rely on. So your opinions can really make an impact while reaping the material benefits too.

If you meet their U.S. age criteria, register for free with Pinecone Research at the link above!

MyPoints

Last but not least, we need to discuss survey juggernaut MyPoints.

Here’s why you need to get registered with MyPoints if you haven’t already:

Founded way back in 1996 – decades of established history and trust
Paid out over $100 million to members already
Owned by leading loyalty rewards company Prodege, who powers many top brands
Hundreds of daily activities like high-paying surveys, games, coupon prints & more
Refer friends for easy 500 point ($.50) bonuses

I also love how MyPoints integrated tiered VIP Benefits based on your annual activity level:

Exclusive rewards & faster redemptions
Birthday bonuses
Higher earnings on surveys & games
VIP-only contests with huge prizes
Dedicated customer support

So the more engaged you stay on the site, the more perks and promotions will open up down the line. Nice incentive to keep making MyPoints part of your routine!

Redemptions start at just $10 via PayPal or gift cards to tons of your favorite retailers.

Truly no reason not to join the several million members earning on MyPoints daily here!

Conclusion: Start Making Money Today with Legit Surveys for Money

I hope this gives you clarity on how to start making legitimate money with online surveys! It may sound too good to be true, but once you give it an honest try, I think you’ll be nicely surprised by the results.

The key truly lies in sticking to reputable sites, being selective in attempts, and providing thoughtful and honest answers. Do all that and those spare pockets of time get converted into cash.

Get signed up, create comprehensive user profiles, cherry-pick profitable surveys, provide accurate responses…then watch your side income start accumulating!

I hope this gives you the blueprint you need for taking surveys for money online. Let me know any other questions in the comments and I wish you the best of luck!

Frequently Asked Questions

How much can I realistically earn per month taking surveys for money?

By devoting 5-10 spare hours per week and following the right strategies, earnings of $600-1,050+ per month are quite achievable. Focus efforts on the highest paying surveys first and let that money compound. Treat it as a part-time job with hourly pay exceeding many other side hustles out there.

When do new surveys become available?

Most survey panels refresh with new options each morning and evening local time. So check your dashboards upon waking up and before bed to catch the latest surveys. Weekends also tend to see lots of new listings.

What disqualifies me from surveys?

Common reasons for survey disqualifications include rushing through without reading carefully, providing inconsistent personal details, not matching demographic criteria like age or location, or having quota caps filled already by other users. Avoid these pitfalls.

How long do surveys really take?

The average survey takes 10-25 minutes. Some can be as short as 5 minutes for lower pay, while extensive profiling surveys last up to an hour but offer higher compensation. Judge each survey description and estimated duration before committing your time.

Can I take surveys on my smartphone?

Absolutely! Many survey panels have user-friendly mobile apps or mobile-optimized websites. It’s easy to complete surveys on-the-go while commuting, waiting in line, during commercial breaks of TV shows, etc. Surveys provide productive little pockets of earnings anytime, anywhere.

When can I cash out my earnings?

Most survey sites let you request a payout once you hit a minimum threshold, usually around $10. Some exceptions are Qmee which has a 1 cent minimum and Instant PayPal transfer. Read the fine print for each site’s specific cashout policy.

How do survey sites pay me?

Popular payment methods include PayPal, direct bank deposit, mailed checks, and gift card codes. Depends on each survey community. Once you reach the threshold, request your preferred payout method.

Is my data secure and private?

Top survey sites take privacy very seriously and will never sell or misuse your personal information. They anonymize data and remove personally identifiable details before aggregating results. Just avoid sharing extremely sensitive information and you have nothing to worry about.

Can students or retirees earn decent money with surveys?

Absolutely! Online surveys are open to everyone regardless of employment status or education level. In fact, surveys love getting perspectives from diverse demographics including students and retired folks that brands want to understand better. Just provide accurate profile info and take well-paying surveys that fit your characteristics.

Are online surveys truly worth it?

Online surveys enable anyone with internet access to conveniently earn extra income working very flexible spare hours. Just focus efforts on legitimate sites, not scammy ones. Completing 2-3 surveys daily in your downtime can result in nice cash flow building up steadily. And getting paid for your opinions is rewarding!

Let me know if any other questions come up!