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Whoa, take surveys for money and earn cash online with PayPal?
Really? Can you actually earn money for free online by taking paid surveys?
This idea may be new to some of you, but for those of you who have already heard about online survey sites, you might be asking:
- What are the top survey sites that actually pay?
- What are the highest paying online surveys?
- What are the best survey sites to make money?
I bet you’re here today because you’re searching for ways to make some extra cash by taking free paid surveys!
Not to mention, I bet you could use a bit of extra money today.
Hmm… Like Homer, it’s no wonder why you often catch yourself saying: I need money now and fast! Whether it’s to cover for rent, food, donuts, or gas, we could all use some side income, right? 🙂
Why take paid surveys for money?
So, why should you take paid surveys online? What’s in it for you?
All of the top market research companies want to understand their consumers so they can create the perfect products and services for you.
For them to do that, they need to understand YOU and what YOU want. That’s why they are willing to pay you cash and gift cards in exchange for your opinion.
Best Online Survey Sites That Pay Cash
Before we start, I want to share my honest opinion and experience as a survey taker for many years.
There are are thousands of survey sites that claim you get money for taking their online surveys but end up paying you nothing. There are also survey sites that don’t have many opportunities for you to earn extra cash.
That’s why at the end of this post, I list my very best tips to help you avoid scams and false promises made by those online survey sites.
For now, throughout this post, I will only list out the 10 best survey sites with very good to excellent Trust Pilot scores, so you can rest assured that they are legitimate and worth joining for some extra cash.
⭐ SPOLIER ALERT: Swagbucks is a survey site I often use and recommend. What I really like about them is they still reward you with points even if you don’t qualify for some surveys.
These points can be redeemed for PayPal money or a free gift card of your choice once you hit a minimum of $5 which isn’t hard to achieve.
Swagbucks is one of the highest paying survey websites and you could earn up to $35 per survey when you sign up for FREE here. Just remember to verify your e-mail to get the $5 welcome bonus!
👉 If you want to cut the chase, go straight to the list and join the highest paying online survey sites and earn up to $50 per survey.
By the way, if you’re Canadian, you may want to check out my other post on the 10 best paid survey sites in Canada here.
Best Survey Sites To Make Money
I also want to mention that these are not the “get-rich-quick” schemes that we hear of all the time.
I’ll be honest to tell you that taking online surveys won’t make you wealthy or become the next Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos, but completing surveys for money in your spare time is definitely a quick and easy way to make extra money online on the side.
Having that said, getting paid to do surveys doesn’t cost you anything and it’s a fun side hustle that could definitely help make your spending more affordable.
That includes buying some groceries, filling up the gas for your car, buying birthday and holiday gifts for your besties, splurging on your favorite latte from Starbucks without having to cut back, and much much more! 🙂
It’s one of the easiest and quickest ways to earn money online with no experience required.
Earn up to $50 per survey
You may not make $100 per survey but you could sure earn up to $50 per survey with these legitimate companies! Yes, fortunately, you can make anywhere from $50 to $500 per month depending on how active you are.
Rest assured that the paid survey sites on this post are all legitimate that pay real cash and are top survey sites. Again, they are absolutely FREE to join and use!
With that said, below is a list of the best paid survey sites that you should join today.
💡PRO TIP: It’s clever to sign up for as many survey sites as possible so that you come across more earning opportunities. More earning opportunities equals more money and rewards.
To make life easy and organized, I highly recommend creating a new Google e-mail account that’s only for e-mail notifications from the survey sites you signed up for. That way you avoid clutter in your personal e-mail. That’s exactly what I’ve done and it’s helped tremendously!
Highest Paying Online Surveys:
I personally like earning free gift cards instead of PayPal money. But aside from earning free gift cards to your favorite shops, here is a list of the best online surveys that pay you actual cash when you need money…
1. Swagbucks surveys
Swagbucks is hands-down, another one of my most favorite online survey sites (I joined Swagbucks in 2009)! It’s also one of the most popular and well-known legit survey sites today.
I remember this being the very first survey site that I joined to make money, while I was in University, and I fell in love with them!
Why??
Because Swagbucks gave me the highest payout for my efforts. I was able to get free Starbucks coffee and drinks just by using Swagbucks! With the $50-$100 gift cards, I didn’t have to pay for some of those expensive $5 lattes as a broke student! Isn’t that ah-mazing??
Check out the free $50 PayPal that I can cash out in my Swagbucks account right now:
Aside from earning PayPal money, you also have the choice to redeem your points for free gift cards to your favorite stores that you frequently buy from!
⭐ To date, my husband and I have each earned $5,000 from Swagbucks. That’s a total of $10,000 combined! You can create a FREE Swagbucks account here and get a $5 bonus just for signing up!
IMPORTANT: Remember to verify the e-mail from Swagbucks in your inbox to get your $5 sign-up bonus!
How does Swagbucks work?
It’s super simple!
You earn “Swagbucks” points (SBs) and it’s your choice to redeem them in either FREE gift cards or cash — whatever you like! ❤️
Aside from taking surveys, you can also earn cash by:
- Surfing the web and playing online games
- Watching entertaining videos
- Shopping online
Today, Swagbucks has already paid its members over $398,249,483 to date!
You can sign up for Swagbucks free and learn more about how to use Swagbucks through this review and tutorial here.
2. Survey Junkie
Just over a year ago, I learned about Survey Junkie and let me tell you this…
They are one of my favorite best paid survey sites today!
I was able to earn over $58 in a month with them doing a few online surveys! There was one survey I completed about fitness that did not require a lot of effort for a higher payout of $28. I was very shocked because I didn’t expect survey companies to provide this kind of high payouts to survey takers!
While I was researching and reading about Survey Junkie on Trustpilot, the reviews really surprised me! Actual real users mentioned that this survey site helped them pay for their monthly utility bills. That’s at least $100! With that said, they deserve their 4.5/5 rating on Trustpilot Reviews!
One of my favorite features about Survey Junkie is their user-friendly interface (not old school like some other survey sites). This enhances user experience and allows you to navigate around easily.
How does Survey Junkie work?
Simple! 🙂
You get rewarded with points each time you complete a survey.
Since most surveys reward you between 50 to 200 points, you’ll be able to cash out and redeem your rewards in no time. The minimum payout threshold is $10, which is equivalent to 1,000 points.
The two payout options are 1) you get paid cash through PayPal or 2) you exchange your points for gift cards at your favorite shops.
👉 It literally takes less than 1 minute to sign up for Survey Junkie here. You can start earning some extra money online right now!
3. InboxDollars
Another one of my favorite survey sites for earning extra money is InboxDollars.
You can sign up for InboxDollars here.
InboxDollars is great because you can earn cash for doing a variety of things that you already do online, like watching videos, taking surveys, reading emails, shopping online, and playing games.
Compared to other survey sites like Swagbucks and Survey Junkie, I find that InboxDollars tends to have surveys that are a little more fun to answer. For example, they may ask your opinion on a new TV show or product, or whether you prefer Pepsi or Coke.
Or, they may even show you a picture of two products and ask which one you would prefer.
In addition to surveys, InboxDollars will also pay you to watch videos, read emails, play games, and shop online. You can also earn cash back when you sign up for InboxDollars through certain retailers like Walmart, Target, and Groupon. To date, I’ve made over $600 with InboxDollars, and I know that many others have made much more. So if you’re looking for a survey site that actually pays, InboxDollars is definitely one to consider.
I also love that you can request a payout through PayPal when you reach the $30 cash-out threshold. And, there are no fees to cash out! Additionally, you can get a $5 sign-up bonus here just for joining!
4. MyPoints surveys
MyPoints is actually owned by Swagbucks so they are definitely trust-worthy and legitimate! I enjoy using them to answer surveys on a monthly basis for a free Amazon gift card.
The questionnaires are very simple and straight forward. When I take online surveys with MyPoints, there’s no thinking involved. That’s why I like to do them whenever I’m bored and want to fiddle around with my smartphone. It’s a light activity that you can do when you’re waiting for your bus or on your way to work on the subway. 🙂
How does MyPoints work?
Given that their name is “MyPoints” it’s a no-brainer that they pay you with points (their form of currency).
Once you accumulate enough points, you can cash out at their minimum payout of $10 for FREE gift cards, cash, and other rewards (it’s all up to you).
In addition to making money with paid surveys at home, MyPoints will also reward you for the things you do online, such as:
- Watch video clips or movie trailers for quick cash
- Shopping for the things you were going to buy anyway
- Reading emails
- Engaging in other fun online activities
👉 You can sign up for MyPoints here and earn up to $50 per survey. You’ll get a FREE $5 bonus after taking 5 quick surveys within the next 5 minutes. You’ll also earn an extra $1 bonus just creating your profile.
Signing up doesn’t cost anything and you can start earning extra money online today!
Are you interested in learning how I make an extra $1,000 just by using my smartphone?
Check out the best money making apps here! Similar to online surveys, it’s a free way to make money during your spare time! 💵
5. Drop
With the Drop app, you can earn rewards for the things you’re already doing, like shopping at your favorite stores and taking surveys.
You can sign up for Drop here and get a free $5 bonus here.
Drop is different from other sites because it’s more like a loyalty program. You link your credit or debit card to the app and then earn points every time you make a purchase at one of their partner stores. You can also earn points and redeem free gift cards for taking surveys and answering questions.
I like Drop because it’s a great way to earn rewards for the things you’re already doing. Plus, they have a large selection of partner stores like Lululemon, Nike, Starbucks, and many more, so you’re likely to find a store you already shop at.
I also have a personal Drop review and tutorial on how to use it here.
6. American Consumer Opinion
I recommend using American Consumer Opinion (ACOP) to earn some extra cash. I use this survey site because they pay you cash just for completing really simple questionnaires!
They’ve paid me to answer surveys that asked questions like… Where do you buy pop soda? Which stores do you purchase your soda from?
From my personal experience, each survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete. Not bad when you’re lying around your couch or bed with a bit of free time.
May as well earn a little extra spending money while you can! I like the fact that it’s FREE!
There are currently over 7,000,000 active members at ACOP today!
👉 You can sign up for American Consumer Opinion here and start earning extra cash today. It only requires your e-mail for free membership, so it definitely doesn’t hurt to give them a try!
7. PrizeRebel
PrizeRebel is a free site that rewards you in points for taking surveys, watching videos, playing games, and more.
You can sign up for PrizeRebel here.
Points can be redeemed for PayPal cash or for gift cards to a variety of retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Starbucks. I like PrizeRebel because it’s a very straightforward way to earn extra money and the rewards are very good.
You can also enter PrizeRebel’s monthly sweepstakes for a chance to win even more prizes.
8. Ipsos i-Say
Ipsos i-Say is another great option for taking surveys and earning extra money.
You can sign up for Ipsos i-Say here.
I like Ipsos i-Say because the payout is very good (typically around $1 per survey) and they have a large selection of surveys to choose from. One thing to keep in mind with Ipsos i-Say is that their surveys tend to be on the longer side, so plan accordingly when you do them.
9. Branded Surveys
If you are looking to try more survey sites during your leisure time, Branded Surveys is worth checking out.
You can sign up for Branded Surveys here.
What’s different from Branded Surveys is that you can Trade your points in for prizes or sweepstakes entries instead of just cash.
I personally like Branded Surveys because they have a low payout threshold of just $10 and they offer a variety of ways to cash out.
10. LifePoints
LifePoints has paid out over $32 million to its members since it was founded in 1946.
You can sign up for LifePoints here.
LifePoints is one of the oldest survey companies out there, and they have a good reputation for paying their members. I like LifePoints because they send you surveys through email quite frequently and the pay is decent.
You can also choose to be entered into LifePoints’ monthly sweepstakes for a chance to win prizes. With so many options and free gift cards to choose from like Amazon, Starbucks, iTunes, etc., it’s easy to earn extra cash with LifePoints.
11. Toluna
If you’re looking for an easy way to earn a little bit of extra money from home, Toluna is a great option.
You can sign up for Toluna here.
Toluna is different from other survey sites because it’s more like a community. You can participate in forums, polls, and surveys on a variety of topics to earn points. With these points, you can then redeem prizes or sweepstakes entries.
My friends and I enjoy using Toluna because it’s a great way to interact with other people and learn about new products and services while also earning a little bit of extra money.
12. Pinecone Research
I signed up for Pinecone Research and I found out that they are one of the highest paying survey sites out there. For each completed survey, you’ll earn $3!
That’s easy and free online PayPal money in your pockets right there — that’s equivalent to many free Starbucks or McDonald’s coffee that you could buy every day just for giving your opinion.
You could even use your PayPal money to get a $50 Amazon gift card for free! Everyone LOVES Amazon, so why not?
Aside from taking paid surveys, you also get opportunities to test new products before they hit the stores. What a cool way of trying new products for FREE! Plus, you can influence the companies’ decision of whether or not they should release those products.
Which online survey sites are legit?
⛔️ Now, here are some red flags and warning signs you should watch out for!
You may be eager to earn money doing surveys with other companies that aren’t mentioned in this post, but be careful!
Here are three warning signs you need to watch out for before signing up for other paid survey sites. You want to make sure that those are online surveys that pay cash (or at least compensate you in some way).
1. Survey websites that make big promises
Is the survey site making big promises?
Are they telling you that you can quit your job to earn a full-time income by taking paid surveys online?
Yes, you can earn extra money doing surveys but don’t expect to make millions (or even thousands per month) because you won’t.
Taking surveys for money is just enough to earn you some side income for additional spending or paying off a small amount of your debt. Again, it makes an easy and quick side hustle.
Here is an alternative fun side hustle that could turn into a six-figure income…
Make money online blogging!
If you’re really looking for a side hustle that could potentially replace your income, I highly recommend learning how to start a blog that makes money. This is exactly what I did just a couple years ago as a beginner and it’s how I went from earning an extra $500 per month to over $20,000 per month!
Aside from taking paid surveys and earning some extra income, check out how I make money blogging here.
You can also sign up for my FREE 7-day blogging e-mail course below and I will show you how to make money online by starting a blog from scratch. I started with absolutely NO experience and you could too!
Spoiler alert: You DON’T need to be a tech wiz or a good writer to start a money-making blog…
2. Survey sites that aren’t free and charge a fee
Is the survey company asking you to pay a fee to join?
You should get paid for taking surveys, not the other way around!
Even if they ask for a small fee in exchange for unlimited earning opportunities, stay away from it because it’s likely a scam!
No matter how small the fee, you should never have to fork out a penny to join online survey sites. Based on the survey sites that I know, they are all FREE to join! All the surveys on this post are the best free survey sites available to you.
3. Survey websites that appear in your inbox without signing up
Beware of some companies sending you e-mails about survey opportunities.
If you don’t remember signing up for the survey site, don’t click on it. Simply ignore the e-mail and unsubscribe from it!
Related posts on how to make money online aside from taking paid surveys
If you’re looking for other ways to make money online, be sure to bookmark and check out readers’ favorite articles below.
- Unemployed? How To Make Money Without a Real Job
- How To Make An Extra $500 per Month Online From Home
- How To Make Money Online Without Paying Anything
Over to you — do you make money off surveys? Are you a member of these best survey sites? Do you recommend any other online surveys that pay cash?
Don’t forget to bookmark this and share it! 🙂
One of the greatest post Covid 19 opportunity to make money is this.
There I have been able to turn around some unfortunate situations to better times. All thanks to them
Hi Ling,
Can you recommend any survey sites that work for people outside the US and Canada? The above suggestions don’t seem to work.
You have made a good compilation with useful incentives thought. I enjoyed reading everything.
Hi Mono
I’m not familiar with any survey sites outside of the US and Canada. 🙁
By the way, I hope your blog is coming along! I’d love to see you make progress with it! Plus, earning money with a blog has far more potential than taking surveys online! You can always check out how to make money blogging here – they work for literally almost any country:
https://www.finsavvypanda.com/how-to-make-money-blogging/
This is the best site to do surveys and fast PayPal payments I have ever seen.
I’m already with Survey Junkie and made my first $12. If what you say is true I’m going to try all these other survey websites to make myself money. Wish me luck
Thank you for this article and teaching us. I will be trying all these survey sites.
Hey!
Make $50 for a 10 minute survey!
Have you ever heard of taking paid surveys on the internet before? We have one right now that pays $50, and takes less than 10 minutes! If you want to take it.
Maybe you’ve even tried to take some before, and didn’t make any money.
The truth is, unless you know the correct paid survey companies to work with, you will NEVER make good money.
Luckily for you, I’ve found all of the best paid survey companies for you, and created a list of all of the best ones!
Big companies around the world need people just like you, to voice their opinions about their product and, they’re willing to pay you for your time!
Sign up today and start taking paid surveys!
What’s the site your referring to?
Please help me
Hello, dear!
My name is Ildar Zaripov. I am married to a very sweet, kind and charming woman. We have two beautiful children. Son Valery and beautiful daughter Yana. It so happened that we are unable to pay the mortgage debt and we are in danger of eviction. In the name of God, please help.
Respectfully,
Ildar Zaripov
I need to learn how to earn money second by second
Earn money from $100 to $500 from affiliated marketing
You can make money taking surveys but you can also earn $100 a day by blogging and affiliate marketing. This is how I earn daily online.
I want to start now and make money with the survey sites you listed.
sweet can i have and info and link thanks
How about the rest of the world? Can Europeans sign up for any of those surveys? Could you inform us if there are any worldwide websites of this kind?
Nice post, by the way!
Hi Pela! I believe Swagbucks works in Europe! 🙂