Are Online Surveys Worth It When You Need Money Now?

I got hurt while mountain bike coaching a couple of months ago and have been out of work without a regular paycheck. That can be a stressful feeling, especially when you don't know where your next money is coming from. I had some food saved up, and my dad was barely able to cover the rent and utilities on his own, so at least we weren't in immediate danger of losing the basics. But you still need money for all the random things that come up: cat food, a few groceries, transportation and subscriptions you still use. Instead of constantly stressing over what I couldn't control, I logged back into some survey sites after not using them much for a while.

When you have a paycheck coming in, earning 40 cents or a dollar from a survey can feel pointless. You start thinking that your time would be better spent doing almost anything else. But when every dollar counts, that same small payment can feel worthwhile. To be clear, you probably aren't going to pay your rent, mortgage or car payment with online surveys. But when you have a $15 expense here and a $20 expense there, they can help. Whether they're worth doing depends on how much time you put into them, how patient you are and which platforms you use. Some are decent, while others can become a complete waste of time.

What I've Actually Used Survey Money For

I started doing surveys a few years ago. I've never been completely consistent. I usually return to them when I need or want a few extra dollars and then stop again when my financial situation improves. At first, I sometimes used survey money for vacations. I wasn't paying for an entire trip with surveys, but I could help cover gas, a campsite or part of a hotel room. I've also kept a little extra money on my PayPal card as a small emergency cushion. Since being out of work, I've used survey earnings for smaller necessities such as cat food and groceries, as well as subscriptions I wanted to keep. The money hasn't replaced my paycheck, but it has covered real things that I otherwise would have needed to find another way to pay for.

Surveys have also helped me mentally while I've been hurt. Instead of sitting around feeling helpless about my situation, I can tell myself, "I'm at least doing what I can to bring in something." That feeling has value too.

My Actual Survey Earnings

I have enough history with survey platforms to know that they can pay real money. My Prolific account shows more than 800 study submissions, with over 700 approved. At the time I checked for this article, my lifetime earnings were £349.22 plus $67.30. My PaidViewpoint account showed another $247.45 in lifetime earnings. Those totals accumulated over several years of inconsistent use. I didn't earn all of that in a month, and I don't want anyone to look at those numbers and assume surveys provide a dependable salary. Still, it proves that the small payments do eventually add up. My results also reflect my personality. I don't have the patience to sit and grind through surveys all day. My dad and my girlfriend, Hilda, will sometimes keep going much longer than I will. I've watched both of them earn around $80 over a week or two when they were completing surveys heavily.

That doesn't necessarily mean the hourly pay was good. Without tracking their time, I can't say what they earned per hour. It does show that someone with more patience and available time may earn more than I normally do.

Surveys Aren't Truly Instant Money

Surveys are faster to start than many other ways of making money online, but they still aren't necessarily instant cash. Starting a YouTube channel, building a website, writing a book or learning affiliate marketing can take months before you see any money—if you ever do. With a legitimate survey platform, you may be able to start earning small amounts within a day or two. Actually receiving the money can take longer. Many sites require you to reach a minimum balance before cashing out. Some pay through PayPal or a bank transfer, some offer gift cards, and others let you choose between several options. A site may also hold a payment until the survey company approves your answers. The rules vary by platform. For example, Prolific currently has a combined £6/$6 cash-out threshold. PaidViewpoint currently requires $15 for the first cash-out, then lowers the threshold for later withdrawals if the account remains in good standing. Forthright currently advertises no minimum balance to redeem rewards.

The important point is to read the payment rules before spending hours on a site. If your rent is due tonight, opening a new survey account probably will not solve the problem.

The Survey Platforms I Use

Prolific

Prolific is by far my favorite. The studies usually pay better than traditional survey sites, and I am rarely screened out after starting. Prolific now also pays participants for official in-study screening questions when a study includes them. The downside is that Prolific uses a waitlist to control the number and mix of participants. Some people may be accepted quickly, while others may wait much longer depending on their demographics and what researchers currently need. If you can get accepted, it has been the best survey and research platform in my experience.

PaidViewpoint

PaidViewpoint doesn't normally pay me as much as Prolific, but I like that I usually receive something for my time even when I don't make it through a complete market-research survey. Some of the short trait surveys may only pay around 10 cents, so earnings can build slowly. It isn't exciting money, but I find the experience less frustrating than sites that let you answer questions for several minutes and then give you nothing.

Forthright

Forthright is another platform I use. One feature I like is its loyalty system. Certain survey attempts earn loyalty credits, and three qualifying credits currently produce a $2 bonus. That can make the smaller survey payments feel a little more worthwhile.

Other Sites I've Tried

I've also tried platforms such as Branded Surveys, Five Surveys, SurveyMonkey Rewards and Swagbucks. The three above are the ones I tend to return to, although that doesn't mean they will be the best for everyone. My dad and Hilda have both had some success with Branded Surveys. I personally became frustrated because I felt that I was being disqualified too often, sometimes after already spending time answering questions. Different demographics receive different opportunities, so one person may have a good experience with a platform that barely works for someone else. There are also microtask apps that pay people to check displays or take photographs inside stores, as well as data-annotation platforms and other types of flexible online work. I haven't personally tried enough of those to recommend them. Traditional surveys remain one of the easiest options to test because they don't require a portfolio, an audience or specialized experience.

The Downsides of Online Surveys

There is definitely a reason I don't complete surveys consistently unless I need the extra money. First, they can become repetitive very quickly. After answering your fifth survey about laundry detergent that week, it can be hard to stay interested. You still have to pay attention, even when the questions feel repetitive. Many surveys include attention checks to make sure you are actually reading instead of clicking random answers. Missing them can cause a submission to be rejected or create problems with your account. Surveys can also fill up quickly. On some sites, you may spend part of a 20-minute survey answering questions only to be told that you don't qualify. That doesn't happen with every survey or every platform, but it is common enough to become frustrating. Some sites do a much better job of screening people before the main survey begins.

Accounts can also be restricted, suspended or closed. I have never personally been banned, but I have seen people complain about losing access to survey platforms. That is one reason I prefer cashing out once I am eligible instead of allowing a large balance to accumulate. Privacy is another consideration. You may tell these companies a lot about your household, health, employment, spending habits and opinions. I avoid sharing information that seems unnecessary, and I would never provide a password, security code or financial-account login. Your information has value too.

The Biggest Cost Is Your Time

The biggest downside for me is the time. While completing a survey, I often think that I could be working on a YouTube video, writing a blog post or creating another ebook. Those projects may not pay anything today, but they have the potential to keep earning after I finish the work. Survey income stops as soon as I stop answering questions. That calculation changes when I need a few dollars quickly. Based on my experience, I can usually earn around $5 in a day if I put in the effort and suitable surveys are available. Five dollars isn't much compared with a paycheck, but it can cover a small grocery item, part of a subscription or something my cats need.

The total earned also doesn't tell you the hourly rate. If someone earns $80 but spends 20 hours doing it, that works out to only $4 per hour. The money might still be useful to that person, especially if they completed the surveys while watching television, but it is important to understand the tradeoff. The question isn't only, "How much can I earn?" It is also, "What else could I be doing with those hours?"

Who Online Surveys May Be Good For

Surveys may make the most sense for someone who currently has more available time than money. That could include someone who is:

• Temporarily out of work

• Unemployed

• Injured or unable to perform physical work

• Retired

• Staying home with children

• Waiting for appointments or transportation

• Looking for a completely flexible way to earn small amounts

My dad completes surveys too, and I think answering a few can sometimes be a more productive use of 20 minutes than endlessly doomscrolling. Surveys give you something to focus on, keep your mind active and may earn a little money at the same time. I sometimes leave a couple of survey tabs open while doing other things and complete a study when a decent one appears. Another person may prefer setting aside a specific amount of time each day or week. Surveys work best when they fit around your life instead of taking over all the time you could use for more valuable work.

Who Shouldn't Count on Surveys

I would not rely on surveys if I needed rent, a mortgage payment, a car payment or another large amount of money. The opportunities are too inconsistent, and the hourly pay is usually too low. They are also probably not a good fit if you:

• Expect a predictable hourly wage

• Become extremely frustrated by repetitive questions or screen-outs

• Need a large amount immediately

• Would be giving up dependable paid work to take them

• Are uncomfortable providing demographic information

• Expect them to become passive income

Surveys can supplement income, but they aren't financial security.

How I Try to Use Surveys Without Wasting Too Much Time

I don't try to complete every survey offered to me. My basic approach is:

• Stick mostly to platforms that have already paid me.

• Look at the estimated payment and time before beginning.

• Avoid surveys that obviously pay too little for the time required.

• Use surveys during lower-value time, such as while watching television or waiting somewhere.

• Cash out when I am eligible.

• Stop if screen-outs or technical problems make a platform more frustrating than useful.

• Put most of my serious work time into videos, articles, books and other things that can have longer-term value.

If you try surveys, never pay a fee to join a survey site. Be skeptical of anyone promising hundreds of dollars per day, and read the cash-out rules before investing your time. Using a separate email address for survey accounts can also keep your normal inbox from becoming overwhelmed.

Surveys Versus Building Something for the Future

Surveys and longer-term online income serve two different purposes in my life. Surveys can potentially give me a few dollars today. I don't need an audience, a product or months of preparation. But I have to continue trading my time for every payment, and there is a low ceiling on what I can earn. Videos, websites, affiliate links and books require much more work upfront. They may earn nothing for a long time. However, a video or book can potentially continue earning after I stop actively working on it. Surveys help me handle today. The other projects are what I am trying to build for the future. I don't think I have to choose only one. When money is tight, I can use surveys to fill small gaps while continuing to create things that may eventually provide more dependable income.

Are Online Surveys Worth It?

For me, surveys have been worth doing during certain periods—especially while I've been injured, without a paycheck and unable to do much physical work. They haven't rescued me financially. Some surveys are repetitive, frustrating and poorly paid. I also regularly question whether my time would be better spent working on one of my larger projects. But survey money has paid for real things: cat food, groceries, subscriptions, campsites, hotel rooms and other small expenses. Just as importantly, completing a few surveys has helped me feel less helpless while waiting for a situation outside my control to improve. If you need hundreds or thousands of dollars immediately, surveys probably won't solve your problem. If you have some available time and need an extra $5, $10 or $20, a legitimate survey platform may make a difficult week a little easier.

Becoming a bit more free doesn't always begin with a major business or a huge investment. Sometimes it begins by finding several small ways to make yourself a little less vulnerable when one source of income disappears.

Editor's note: Platform features and payment rules can change. Confirm the current terms before signing up or spending significant time on any survey platform.