Manila Freelancer

Why wouldn’t anyone not want to sign up for online surveys?

They’re convenient, easy to complete, involves the most basic task, do not require a special education, have very few restrictions when it comes to eligibility and best of all, there’s promise of compensation if you complete each form. But can you truly make money completing online surveys?

Here are things you ought to consider:

There IS money to be made but don’t expect a get-rich-quick scheme.
You’ve probably heard or read about people who claim that they make hundreds or thousands of dollars each month just by participating in online surveys. Although encouraging, these may be more of an exemption than the rule. Not everyone who signs up for these programs get to live in mansions and drive expensive cars as a result.

Most online survey companies that pay in cash will pay from about $2 for a short, simple survey to about $20 or $25 for longer ones. If you participate in focus groups online, you’ll earn from about $50 to $250. That’s real money, which could be a great means to pay bills, buy stuff and even set aside for savings but hardly enough for you to quit your job.

You can make money completing online surveys but you should never treat them as an alternative to your main source of income. The money may not be sufficient to cover for bigger expenses such as mortgage, car payments and the like.

The form of payment varies.
Not every survey you complete pays in cash. More frequently, you’ll probably be compensated with gifts, certificates and prizes. It’s also common for survey companies to offer to include your name in a raffle draw. Prizes for raffles usually consist of gifts and/or cash, which could reach thousands of dollars. If you win, that’s an excellent source of money in exchange for simply filling out surveys.

Online surveys do not mean regular income.
The number of survey invitations you receive each month will depend on the availability of surveys that are a match to your interests. You cannot, for example, realistically expect to be invited to complete a survey about video game products if your interests are cars, gardening and home improvement.

You can, however, make money completing online surveys if you receive multiple invitations that pay in cash. That way, you are guaranteed a decent albeit irregular income.

So what’s the verdict?
If you make $20 to $100 or so a month completing online surveys, that’s money in your pocket that you can use to cover for certain expenses. If you have the inclination, joining paid-to survey sites can be a good source of extra funds in exchange for a little time and effort.