I love survey and reward sites. This might sound crazy coming from me, but I find them to be a great way to earn a little extra income.
I like survey sites for a specific purpose: when I’m bored or have nothing to do, it’s great to be able to spend a few minutes doing something that doesn’t take much effort and still make money for doing it. Seriously, when I’m watching TV with my wife, it’s usually a show on Bravo that I don’t really pay much attention to. Instead, I can go online and spend 30 minutes and earn $5-10. It’s not much, but it’s something.
When it comes to rewards sites, I love earning money for doing things I would already do. I leverage rewards sites as one of my key tactics to saving $500 per month. If you’re already going to do an activity – say buy a shirt online – why not get a bonus for doing it?
The problem is, there are a lot of options when it comes to survey and rewards sites. If you’re going to do it regularly, you need to sign up for ALL of them – because you never know when one site might have an offer while the others don’t.
If you’re not going to do it regularly, you simply want the best sites. As such, we put together this list of all the survey and reward sites available, and put our top three favorites for you to check out if you’re interested. Of course, if we’re missing any, please share them in the comments.
Our Top 3 Favorite Survey Sites
1. Survey Junkie – Survey Junkie is probably the top survey site right now. They are looking for all ages to participate in online surveys and focus groups. Check it out if you want to earn cash and rewards for filling out surveys. Read our full Survey Junkie review here.
Sign up for Survey Junkie here.
2. Pinecone – Pinecone is one of the best survey sites out there. Right now, they are looking for 18-24 year olds to participate in online surveys and focus groups. However, all participants are incentivized to do it through both cash and giftcard rewards. We like Pinecone the best because we’ve seen them consistently offer surveys and projects for people to apply to.
Check out Pinecone 18-24 surveys here.
3. Branded Surveys – This is an app that allows you to earn points for signing up, verifying your email, and for tasks and surveys you complete. This site also has a good amount of surveys consistently, so you can continue to earn! You can redeem your points for over 100 gift card options.
Sign Up For Branded Surveys here.
You can read our full list of paid survey sites here.
Our Top 3 Favorite Reward Sites
1. Swagbucks – Swagbucks is a site that rewards you for doing various online tasks like taking surveys, watching videos, and using their search engine. When using their search engine, you get reward points after several searches, usually in the amount of 10-15 SB points. You can start cashing out rewards at the 500 SB points mark. Swagbucks also gives you a $5 bonus just for signing up.
2. Ebates – Ebates is one of the oldest and most well-known cash back sites online. Ebates has relationships with more than 1,700 merchants and has relationships with some of the more popular retailers. If you’re doing any online shopping, go through Ebates first. Just for signing up, you can earn a bonus. Sign up for Ebates here.
3. Top Cash Back – TopCashback was founded in 2005 and, while growing in popularity, it’s still less known than Ebates. TopCashback promises to be the highest paying cashback site on the market. They aim to be generous to the end user even if it tightens their margins. I like to compare the payouts between Ebates and Top Cash Back every time I shop. Sign up for Top Cash Back here.
The Big List of Survey and Reward Sites
Opinion Outpost – Opinion Outpost gives you cash and bonuses for filling out surveys and answering other questions. It doesn’t always have as many options as some of the other platforms, but it’s still a good choice.
Inbox Dollars – Inbox Dollars is similar to Swagbucks in that they offer cash bonuses for searching the web or shopping online. They’re very easy to use and get started with. Just by signing up with THIS LINK you can earn a $5 bonus!
Mobile Expression – Mobile Expression is a app for iPad that you install and it monitors your usage. You can earn rewards for installing it and leaving it on your device for at least 90 days. Every month after 90 days earns you more rewards. Download the Mobile Expression app here.
Neilson Digital Voice – If you don’t want to do anything out of the norm, check out Neilson Digital. You simply download the app and do what you normally do. The app runs in the background on your phone and you are entered to win rewards. Simple, easy way to get money for nothing! Download Neilson Digital here.
What are your thoughts on online survey and rewards sites? Do you have any favorites that you recommend?
Robert Farrington is America’s Millennial Money Expert® and America’s Student Loan Debt Expert™, and the founder of The College Investor, a personal finance site dedicated to helping millennials escape student loan debt to start investing and building wealth for the future. You can learn more about him on the About Page, or on his personal site RobertFarrington.com.
He regularly writes about investing, student loan debt, and general personal finance topics geared towards anyone wanting to earn more, get out of debt, and start building wealth for the future.
He has been quoted in major publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, Fox, ABC, NBC, and more. He is also a regular contributor to Forbes.
