How to Actually Earn Extra Cash with Online Surveys

Taking online surveys in your spare time can be an easy way to earn a bit of extra spending money. While you may have heard that survey taking is only worthwhile for collecting points and gift cards, quality survey sites really do offer legitimate opportunities to get paid actual cash for your opinions.

However, with many survey scams and sites offering only paltry earnings, you have to be selective in where you participate. Follow these tips to maximize your survey taking income:

Choose Reputable Paid Survey Firms

Stick to large market research companies like Survey Junkie, Pinecone Research and Opinion Outpost that pay out real money via check, Paypal or gift cards. Avoid shady websites offering unreasonable rewards that seem too good to be true. Vet sites through consumer review platforms like TrustPilot first.

Only Complete Surveys You Qualify For

Don’t waste time by taking surveys that you ultimately get disqualified from halfway through. Pay close attention to the demographic targeting criteria mentioned upfront, like age, location and income level, to ensure it matches your profile. Installing browser extensions like SurveyPolice can automatically filter out ineligible surveys.

Cash Out Earnings Quickly

Once your account balance hits the minimum payout threshold, request your earnings right away instead of letting them accumulate over long periods. Survey sites often have much higher maximum lifetime payout limits compared to points that can be redeemed at once.

Multi-Task Surveys with Other Online Work

It’s unrealistic to expect online survey taking alone to amount to anything resembling a full-time income. Treat it as more of a hobby for pocket change here and there. Simultaneously participate in other money making ventures like taking paid online tutoring classes or freelancing.

Stay Consistent with Frequency

While each survey may only pay from $0.50 to $5, those small amounts compound with regular daily participation across multiple sites. Set aside at least an hour to take as many surveys as possible on weekdays. Earnings can add up substantially over the course of months.

Online paid surveys represent one convenient way to offset some living expenses in your free time, as long as you stick to reputable websites. By cashing out rewards judiciously and combining survey participation with other remote work opportunities, it can move the financial needle.