What’s with this fuss to earn extra cash and quick? Well, it’s simple – we need it and we’d rather not work (much) than work (a lot) to get it. When you think about it, there’s never been more ways to earn money online and never fewer people interested to actually earn it, that is – hardworking and patient enough to see their money pile up. Oh, well – even though the situation is what it is, most of you will be happy to learn the Internet’s become an oasis of easy money, and here’s how: paid surveys (among a number of other internet-based gigs you can pick up).

So, this survey thing… what is it about?

There’s no doubt you are already familiar with what surveys are in general, especially if you are old enough to hold a pen. We’ve all been surveyed – accidentally or intentionally – on a number of occasions with curious reporters coming up to us in the streets, asking for our opinions on this, this and that. Nobody paid us, though (or they rarely did) but it still counted for something – we voiced our opinions about issues that mattered to us. Recently, there haven’t been that many surveyors jumping at you in the streets because the internet has given us all a free platform to voice our opinions on pretty much everything without anyone, actually, asking us to do so. The old-fashioned type of surveying has almost vanished and the new, modernized version embraced – the online surveys.

Are the benefits as awesome as they say?

Well, we can’t be sure what you’ve heard, but know this: participating in paid surveys online will earn you a hefty sum if you are patient enough to sit through a number of different surveys per day/week/month. The moment you join any of the survey-taking sites, you start earning money and gathering points that you can later on redeem for cash using Payoneer, PayPal or other online payment systems. Most companies give vouchers to use with popular brands like iTunes, Amazon and other. Depending on the company you are taking the survey for, you can get paid $0.50 to $50 per survey. Again, depending on the type of agreement you have with the firm you are offering your services to, you may get paid to review various contents, watch videos, shop online, try products or just browse the web. Naturally, this comes with additional money attached to it, so that’s pretty cool.

How exactly do I contribute taking these surveys?

Although most of us have nothing but our democratic right to speak of things we know little (or a lot) about, there are people who actually benefit from what we’ve got to say: for the most part, these people are business looking to start or upgrade their brands and they need their target audience to voice up and speak their mind on what they expect to see or what needs fixing in their already established operating methods. Additionally, the surveys can be conducted to hear opinions on various currently (or generally) trending topics like healthcare, education, your lifestyle, fitness, etc. in order to help various industries gather information relevant to their fields. Basically, you’ll be contributing on a larger scale while talking about things you normally would, only this time around – you’d be paid to talk about them.

What are the requirements to get into the business of taking surveys?

The requirements are pretty standard for most companies, with slight variations depending on the individual companies’ rulebook. This is the gist of it:

  • Have an online presence and be over 18 years old (some countries will require individuals of 21 while some won’t ask your age at all)
  • Create an account where needed
  • Build your reputation online by keeping your profile updated and neat
  • Be honest in your answers and take the time to answer all the questions carefully
  • Complete surveys in one go, but don’t rush
  • Don’t be a cheat and do parallel surveying

Any tips before I go on with this?

Like with every online gig, you need to be wary of cheats and falls promises. Here are some pointers to be mindful of:

  1. Before you sign up to a survey site make sure you check their paying rates and methods and see if they fit your expectations (they’re usually in small print).
  2. Check if there is a threshold for redeeming your cash/points: some sites will have you claim the money quickly while some others may have you slave away for months prior to your first paycheck!
  3. Never leave your money to sit in your survey account; it often happens these companies go bust and there’s no way for you to get your money back
  4. Always check voucher expiry date

The end

To answer your question: No, sadly, taking online surveys on regular basis won’t buy you a Bentley, but it can help you earn a pretty sweet chunk of cash, along with treating you to a number of other benefits.