Cash Paid Surveys – Exactly What Are They?

Cash paid surveys are exactly what they seem like -- a survey that offers you cash to take part in, and give your opinion on something. These surveys are all over the internet, and many of them do offer some sort of cash payout for taking part in them.

But these paid surveys bring up some important questions: how much money can you expect to get? What are the responsibilities you need to uphold? How is it different from other forms of work-at-home jobs? And so on.

We've compiled this list of FAQs about cash paid surveys with all your burning questions answered.

What Are Cash Paid Surveys?

Cash paid surveys are just like they sound – surveys that pay you cash for participating. These surveys can be administered through the internet, through newspapers or magazines, or even on the streets. Each of these has their own unique offers, restrictions and payment amounts.

A cash paid survey typically asks you to complete a questionnaire of sorts, and that questionnaire asks you questions about your opinions on various products or services. It could be about your thoughts about a specific brand of dog food, for example, or it could ask you questions about workplace satisfaction as it pertains to women in the workplace.

These could be surveys that offer you cash for completing them, but mostly, they're not meant to be about anything more than gaining your thoughts about a particular topic.

For every survey you complete and get paid for, the company taking the survey will usually have to pay you out via check or money order. The average payouts come out to between $30 and $75 per completed survey. Most of these surveys are administered through the internet, with others given on magazines' pages or on a piece of paper given at a supermarket.

You can find cash paid surveys everywhere: in magazines, on newsprint and even handed out outside grocery stores.

Are These Paid Surveys Legit?

Like any other form of work-at-home job, you're running a risk when you take part in these surveys. There's no way to tell for certain if the information provided is going to be used in some way. And even if it does get used, there's no guarantee that any company is going to pay out on the survey.

Don't forget that you can also sign up for free sample offers of credit cards, vacations and other forms of financial products just by posting your opinion or giving it away to a company that's searching for customers. There's no way for you to really determine if your responses are going to be used by anyone.

That being said, there are plenty of reputable companies that do offer cash paid surveys, and the information you provide can play an important role in their financial planning. These surveys tend to ask for more than just an opinion; they want demographic information from you as well. This helps the company get a better sense of who their customers are, and it could lead them to market better products or services to people like you.

How Much Can You Make With Cash Paid Surveys?

The amount of money that you can earn with cash paid surveys is quite minimal compared to other work-at-home jobs. Yes, you can make $30 or so for a few surveys by answering a few questions, but you could also offer up your opinion on things like free data plans, credit cards and other financial products that could help make you real money.

On the other hand, cash paid surveys are generally easier to get into and sign up for than work-at home jobs are through Ebay or Craigslist. Plus, sometimes they have more lucrative payouts. For example, some companies will pay out hundreds of dollars if you answer just one survey correctly. There's usually just one chance to pass these test quizzes and get the money from them as well.

And sometimes, the company that's offering you to take part in the survey will want you to do it for free. They will simply give you their contact information and ask that you give them your opinion about a product or service. Then, after a few weeks, they'll invite you back for another set of questions and payments.

Really, these are surveys that are run as an extra income stream in your spare time. You don't have to be working full time at a job and answering these surveys to make some extra money. Pick up an internet connection, sign up with a few different companies and keep doing what you're doing; these surveys are there if you want them to be. You can make money answering any kind of survey; it's just going to be a lot less than many people expect.

How Does This Differ From Other Work-At Home Jobs?

Which job is better than the other really depends on what you're looking for. Since these surveys are usually administered through the internet, you can do them from home and from your own computer and internet connection.

There's also a very low barrier to entry for these companies. A lot of them simply want you to have an opinion about things that are important to them, whether that be pet food brands or products in general (dog food included). They can quite literally hand out surveys to everyone in their demographic and see what kind of response they get.

Because there's a low barrier to entry, you'll also find that the competition for the surveys is much higher than it would be for work-at-home jobs. You could have a job that pays out $35 an hour, but if there are 100 people signed up for it at the time, you might not make much at all. There's just not enough to go around when it comes down to it.

What Do You Need to Be Successful With Cash Paid Surveys?

There are few things that you need to know in order to be successful with cash paid surveys. First of all, you'll need to have a laptop or desktop computer available whenever you want to take part in the survey. While some companies will give you their information via a piece of paper, others are asking that you have a computer and access to the internet at all times.

You'll also definitely need cash on hand if you're going to be completing surveys using any other type of payment method besides check or money order.

Conclusion

Paid surveys are a great way to make extra money and possibly land yourself a job. However, you should be wary of the different companies and their contracts. Some of them are looking for people to do surveys from home so that they can sell your information to other companies. They're essentially trying to do what an advertising agency does but with your thoughts about a product rather than an advertisement themselves.

There's plenty of ways for you to learn about products, services, plans and even credit cards through cash paid surveys; but it's important that you know where to look and who is trustworthy. The internet is full of opportunities when it comes down to it; but you have to know which ones will benefit you in the long run.