IOCS is a not-for-profit research organization that conducts studies and experiments on shopping-related behavior – things like how we, as consumers, evaluate products, how we make the buying decisions, etc. Although the focus is mostly on shopping related behavior, some of their experiments and studies include broader areas of marketing, psychology, and economics.

You shouldn’t expect to make a killing by taking paid online surveys. Instead, you should view them as a way to make a little bit of extra money in your spare time — while you’re in line or when you’re stuck in a waiting room, for example. In cases like these, surveys can be a decent way to monetize your time. And while the payouts aren’t huge, even a few dollars per month can add up in a savings account and help you start to build a more solid financial foundation.

In my opinion, Inbox Dollars is a scam. After registering and wasting hours upon hours to make a few cents I started receiving a swarm of emails, 83 in one day to be exact, from the companies I was questioned about in the surveys. Not to mention an abundance of calls from unknown numbers. What an invasion of privacy! This is not worth the hassle. Be smart and don’t fall for this one!

I have been using Inbox Dollars for months now. I am at $32.60 as of right now. My amount has been the same for weeks. I click on the paid emails, and I am not being credited. I wrote to them and all I got back was that I did not have enough funds to cash out. I very clearly told them that my amount is frozen and that I am not being credited for the paid emails I click on. So I try to contact them once more to explain my problem again, I got no response. So I wasted months of my time for absolutely nothing. This site stinks! It is very time consuming. Alot of the surveys you do not qualify for. You sometimes are filling out surveys for several minutes until they decide to tell you that you do not qualify for the survey. I am upset that I wasted so much time for absolutely nothing in return. This site is a complete waste!

When brands want to find out what consumers think about their product and services, they turn to market research companies. Market research companies are the ones actually administering the surveys on behalf of the corporations looking for data/feedback. Think of online surveys as a type of focus group, except in this case, everything is done online.
I’ve been a member of InboxDollars for at least a year which is what it took to me to just get to $30. I didn’t mind clicking the emails but once I hit $25 or so, I stopped getting “paid emails”. So I forced myself to do surveys. Once I reached $28 it was 3-4 days before I even saw another survey offered (besides the 4 that are always there “peanut labs” etc). I finally hit $30 and cashed out but if course there was another hoop to jump through, they tell you that your account must “remain active” until a certain date (March 2nd) for me. Who knows what counts as active to them, so I continue trying to qualify for surveys hoping that counts, otherwise in officially done with them like so many. I was just shocked at how difficult they make it.
I have had Inboxdollars for about 8 years. I started doing it for some extra money to go on vacation, I didn’t make enough to go on vacation, that was unrealistic on my part, but I did make enough money to buy a laptop and I have been cashing out with about $100 each year since. I currently have $127 to cash out. The site is legit, you just have to stick to it if you really want it to work.
I have been using Inbox Dollars for months now. I am at $32.60 as of right now. My amount has been the same for weeks. I click on the paid emails, and I am not being credited. I wrote to them and all I got back was that I did not have enough funds to cash out. I very clearly told them that my amount is frozen and that I am not being credited for the paid emails I click on. So I try to contact them once more to explain my problem again, I got no response. So I wasted months of my time for absolutely nothing. This site stinks! It is very time consuming. Alot of the surveys you do not qualify for. You sometimes are filling out surveys for several minutes until they decide to tell you that you do not qualify for the survey. I am upset that I wasted so much time for absolutely nothing in return. This site is a complete waste!
This is also a common survey site used by Kenyans who work online. The survey site pays Ksh. 325 for every successful survey completed. The good thing with it is that you can claim you money once you hit Ksh. 1000 hence you do not have to wait too long to make a withdrawal. Triaba pays using Paypal. You can download their app from Google Play or App Store which helps you get more survey jobs.
I like InBox Dollars! I have earned approximately $200 in 4 months! Once you understand the variety of ways to get $ – it usually takes about 2 weeks to get up to the $40 milestone and then you request payment and I get my paper checks in a couple of days…and if you get friends or family to sign up – you get $1 for each of them- up to 5… but if they start doing surveys and keep doing them – you get 30% of their earnings credited to you!!

They gave the better business bureau a new email that I was never given even though I was being asked to send in the original confirmation emails of the offers I completed and I also sent in screenshots but all they mentioned were the fact that they were not going to accept screenshots. they continue to not acknowledge the fact that I have indeed sent them all of the original emails they simply ignored them and it has been over for months. I’m not going to get paid because they are a joke.

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Interesting read, thanks for sharing. I suppose that online surveys may generate a few extra dollars on the side for some people, but it does require you to qualify for certain surveys online. In many cases you may not qualify, and will result in having to search for more surveys. This can be time consuming and in most cases not as profitable as may be expected.

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It’s a very well-known scam. You cash the check, then they ask you to either wire some of that money back to them as some sort of fee or buy something for them and send the item to them. So, you deposit the check, then wire some cash to them thinking that the check you just deposited will cover that. A few days later, after you already send them the money, the check will bounce and the money you send to them will come out of your own account.
I use Survey Junkie. It is the number one best survey app I have come across so far. I have cashed out already twice: the first time, it was for $10 and I made it within hours. Then I made almost $20, so basically $30 so far and I haven’t even had the app downloaded for longer than 2 weeks. It’s super easy to redeem. You can do PayPal, gift cards, or cash deposited into any account as long as you have a routing and account #. So, yes, it’s real cash. It says 5 business days before you receive it, but I received mine within 2 days. So, on your free time, just do surveys. You have to have patience. That’s the key. If you do, then that’s the app or site for you. Good luck.
Like many other reviews, I used the site properly but as I reached the minimum $30 payout threshold, they terminated my account with generic multiple choice possible reasons of using VPN / acting like a automated BOT / having multiple accounts - none of which was true, perhaps I accessed the account once or twice with VPN still enabled, but that didn't prevent them from earning their partner referral fees they partially share with me while I wasn't using VPN. They can block access to site while using VPN so they ensure proper tracking as you complete each offer. I earned offers while not on VPN, so accidental VPN access that doesn't impact any specific offer they earned through me becomes their dishonest way of stealing the bonus money from you. Support says they escalated to 2nd level support that will respond with an email in a few days, of course they don't. 

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Hi, I live in South Africa and have made quite a few US dollars from various sites over the past few months. For me, Toluna is definitely the best, and they offer nearly daily surveys. You don’t always qualify, but when you do the survey reward is quite substantial. I have never had problems from them and at regular intervals receive money in my PayPal account. However, I cannot say the same of Panel Station. Even though I have sent various requests asking why I have not been paid they do not even have the courtesy, so far, to answer any of my mail – whether they were submitted on the site or sent via e-mail to their “South African” address. I must say that I am very disappointed with them, as they are recommended by quite a few other sites, as well as your own.
The only reason Springboard didn’t rank higher on our list is because some users have reported a fairly limited supply of available surveys, making it difficult to reach the $50 minimum cashout threshold. However, the availability of surveys depends on your demographics — so my recommendation is to join, making sure your profile is 100% complete, and then see if enough opportunities come your way to make it worth your while.
The name “inbox dollars” is somewhat revealing – they pay you simply to read your emails. All you need do is check your inbox and read the special offers sent to you, then click the button that confirms that you’ve read the mail, and you’ll be paid. You can get between 1 – 10 cents for every email you read. Active members usually get about 3 paid emails per day. Very often, you’ll be sent offers, and by signing up for these offers, you’ll earn more cash, which can be between $2.00 – $20.00.

Me and my roommate had both accounts and used the same PC. they told us we can only use one account. it doesn’t make any sense because it’s not like we are using each other bank accounts, etc. inbox dollars also manipulates with how much money you can earn per surveys. if you make a couple of bucks one day, i guarantee you, you will not qualify for any surveys the next day! it’s all bogus. SCAM!
I am so grateful and loved to see your article as I was hunting for one like yours. It is well written and appreciated. Thank you. I drive a taxi for a living, but sodium deficiency in my blood forced me to stop driving. I get nasty dizziness attacks while driving. Passengers go nuts when I stop the car and go take two glasses of salt water to stop the dizziness. So, I stopped driving and am trying out online internet jobs for a living. Do pass on any good legitimate websites you may know out there for online form filing, content writing, or data entry to earn a square meal. Please help. Thanks.
Under no circumstances should any information from this blog be used as replacement for professional financial advice. DollarSprout.com is owned by VTX Capital, LLC and neither are licensed by or affiliated with any third-party marks on this website and third parties do not endorse, authorize, or sponsor our content except where clearly disclosed. DollarSprout.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
After my initial $5 bonus, I found that many of the surveys did not pay out a ton of money, which was a bit of a bummer. Nonetheless, clicking around and answering questions can still net you a couple of bucks an hour, which is better than nothing. You’re going to be on the internet anyway, so you may as well get paid for it. Learn more in our InboxDollars Review.

Some users have also complained how after playing hours and hours of games on sites like Winster, their accounts were not credited, and upon contacting InboxDollars' customer support, were told that “it is not the company’s responsibility to determine playing time but the responsibility of their partners.” Some users have decried how after being inactive at InboxDollars for a few weeks or a month, their accounts were suspended and they were no longer able to receive paid emails.
Some features of InboxDollars are quite unique and not found on other paid-survey websites. Apart from the usual payment or survey taking, the website also enables members to read emails, sign up for corporate offers, watch videos, play games and generally surf the web in order to earn income. (For the record, InboxDollars isn't the only site that will pay you for playing games and surfing the web. Swagbucks is generally regarded as the best in the business when it comes to that kind of free money. Click here to read my honest review of Swagbucks)
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MyPoints isn’t as shady as them and isn’t as difficult. I’ve been clicking emails for 5-7 years (they offer surveys too but I only click emails) and cannot even remember how many gift cards I’ve gotten from them (a lot in that many years). Not once did they stop sending emails once I got to a certain amount of points. I can quit at any time after cashing out too, unlike InboxDollars who forces you to stay active until your payment is sent.

NO PAYMENT GUARANTEE. PandaResearch does NOT guarantee that a member will receive credit for a completed survey and offer. PandaResearch will make reasonable efforts to track and report your signing up for offers but does not guarantee the precision of the process. We reserves the right to refuse the credit to members for offers for variety of reasons, including, but not limited to , Lack of appropriate information, Improper signup, Improper browser settings, Errors in third party reporting, and / or any other reason.
I have had IB for months and it was very difficult to earn anything except pennies on scratch offs.. strike 1....hardly qualified for surveys and when I did they were long and a waste of time for 25 cents....strike2...finally got to the $30 mark to cash out, which is exactly what I did however I had no idea that they would charge you a process fee of $3 and you have to wait 3 weeks to get your money.... strike 3 for me. Now I have to wait and see if I get it.Total waste of time people. I use Swagbucks which is pretty good and Ibotta which I love and recommend, I literally have made $30 in a day with Ibotta depending on my shopping needs. IB is not good period

The survey sites online fall into three broad categories: (i) those that are outright scam sites that will only waste your time and not pay you after taking the surveys (ii) those that will pay only paltry amounts that do not justify the time spent on the surveys (iii) those with which you can earn decent additional income and get paid instantly through Paypal.
As InboxDollars connects advertisers and consumers in a mutually beneficial fashion, there are limitless cash-earning options via signing up for various offers and newsletters. For example, you can earn $0.25 and beyond by opting in for free samples, $3 reward if you sign up for Target Redcard and a whopping $20 just by signing up for the Fabletics membership.

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Under no circumstances should any information from this blog be used as replacement for professional financial advice. DollarSprout.com is owned by VTX Capital, LLC and neither are licensed by or affiliated with any third-party marks on this website and third parties do not endorse, authorize, or sponsor our content except where clearly disclosed. DollarSprout.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
They tell me today that this are “popups” and they have no ads in the tv rotation (I’ve watched it since it came out and these were always there). They keep pushing out this java plugin explanation, this should not hold any salt the tv channel worked fine until the latest firefox update. If it is a “security setting” they are doing nothing to push me in the right direction of fixing it.
Unfortunately, a lot of people think that because they didn’t qualify for a survey, the company conducting it is somehow scamming them. Remember, companies want to gather data and feedback from their target customers. Remember the Starbucks example above? Well, if you are not a coffee drinker, it makes sense that Starbucks doesn’t want to spend money on giving you a survey on something that doesn’t apply to you! 

Above all, thanks for that great article. I really enjoyed reading it all for the last 5 minutes with a mug of coffee! Despite this article being next to perfect, if I can, I’d like to add one of the best survey sites, in my mind, to this list. It would be, “ClixSense”. They’re a really old, and huge, presence in the research industry and have partnered with many of those listed in this very post. So, signing up on ClixSense lets you take paid survey invitations from multiple survey sites and research firms, like Opinion Outpost, Nielson Media Research, YouGov, I-Poll, MySurvey, Toluna and more. Almost half of all of those survey sites are listed here.
I belong to almost all of the sites you listed and out of all the surveys I take I don’t qualify for 95% of them. I will spend 15 minutes with generic questions with them collecting information about me then when done they say I’m not eligible for the survey or they have reached the required amount of people for that research. I can understand the reaching the required amount of people but I would think I would qualify for at least 1 or 2. It’s really discouraging when you take all that time to do the survey and not even get any points for doing so!
I have to agree with Rebecca. Took a couple months to get up to the $30 payment amount after being disqualified from multiple surveys. Some surveys said I were disqualified when I was 95% complete. The day before the payment is to be issued my account was cancelled. I tried speaking to their online support but all they tell you is that it was cancelled for bot like activity or for violating their terms of service. Funny how my activity wasn’t a problem until I requested a payment. Stay clear of them.
If this is remotely true, it is absolutely the exception to the rule. Yes, they take all of your info, then you spend endless amounts of time filling out the prequal for a survey only to get disqualified. If you do happen to be qualified, well the 15-30+minutes you spend to “make” that 25-50 CENTS is NOT worth the time. Again the user claiming to make anywhere decent amounts of money from this is the exception rather than the rule. Don’t waste your time.
First, thank you for providing this extensive list. I wanted to offer a quick follow up. After reading your post I decided to give Survey Junkie a try and I’ve already closed the account. Yes, I can tell it’s well organized and it is definitely a user-friendly platform. The problems I experienced were first that not one of the surveys they emailed me about were available. I did, however, complete several surveys from the site itself and I found them to be lengthy – in itself, not a problem, but 3 out of 5 told me I didn’t qualify after I’d already invested 10 – 12 minutes filling out the forms. They got more than enough information from me to be useful which is an old and highly unethical trick in market research – which happens to be my background. All in all, it was a LOT of wasted time.
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