Surveys

Surveys are one of the most popular and well used methods of making money online, and for good reason. Who doesn't want to be able to voice their opinion, have an influence on company's decisions, and get paid for it, all at the same time?

Pros:

• Extremely easy to do. As long as the survey doesn't have video or sound, you can easily multitask. Of course, you will make more money if you stay focused and work through the surveys quickly.
• Opportunity for decent pay. Some surveys are very short and pay anywhere from 50 cents to a couple of dollars. Some sites will also give you the opportunity to do more long-term studies or try free products and give them a review for more money.
• No shortage of work. There are TONS of sites out there that will pay you to do surveys, so you should never have a shortage of places to look to earn some cash through this method.

Cons:

• Can be unreliable. Some sites tend to have surveys posted that may fail to credit up to 25% of the time, due to a host of technical issues, and there's really no way for you to get credited afterwards. The links below will tell you which ones I've found problems with and which ones I haven't.
• The qualification process can be a huge time waster. Some survey sites pre-screen beforehand, meaning you will only get surveys you are very likely to qualify for, while others will just give you a huge list and you will have to go through the qualification process for each one to see if you qualify. Some surveys can also be far more picky than others for what they want.
• Majority of survey sites only really have surveys for US, UK, Canada, and Australia. Oftentimes you can still sign up for the survey sites and there may occassionally be surveys available, but they are few and far between (at least from my experience).

Tips

• Browse around for the highest pay. Some sites will pay higher than others for surveys from the same company (for example, a Lab42 study on Clixsense pays $1 while the daily survey from Lab42 on Treasure Trooper only pays 50 cents). 
• Make sure the survey site you are using pays in the form you would like. Some sites pay directly to PayPal, some require you wait for a check, while others will only pay in gift cards.

Top Sites:
MySurvey (US and UK only): This is my personal favorite survey site. You can have them send you an email whenever a survey is available (saving you time having to come back and check the site), you will qualify for the majority of surveys you're sent (and the ones you won't qualify for will let you know within the first few questions), they rarely ever have technical issues, the site is very user friendly, and from time to time they will let you do special surveys (like participating in an online panel for a week or tracking your purchases for a month) that pay you the equivalent of at least $10. They do pay in points, but the points can be exchanged for a ton of things, including PayPal credits starting as low as $10. This site does have a referral program, but it is through invite only (no referral links) and pays the equivalent of $1.25 for each person you have sign up and complete an intro survey. On average, I make about $20 a month on this site for putting in very little time (sometimes more when the special survey opportunities become available). Click HERE to go to MySurvey. (Payment Proof)

Clixsense: This is a PTC site, so on top of surveys they have plenty of other opportunities (viewing ads, tasks, signing up for mailing lists, etc.) to make money. Out of the sites I use, this one pays the highest for equivalent surveys (as stated in the Lab42 example above). However, this is a site where some surveys have been known to have issues. Thus far, my favorite, most reliable, and easiest-to-qualify surveys through Clixsense are MyView, Lab42, LiveSample, SSI, and Ampario, though you can look at the Clixsense "Offer" forum to see other users' experiences and recommendations. You can easily make at least $5 a day through just doing surveys on this site and allows you to earn residual income of 10% off of any money your referrals make. The surveys pay cash via PayPal which you can request every Monday and Friday. Click HERE to go to Clixsense. (Payment Proof)

SurveySavvy: Sends email notifications when new surveys are available, has residual income potential (you earn off of the earnings of your first- and second-level referrals), provides a referral link (making it easier to refer more widely than having to individually send out emails), rarely has any technical issues, offers better-paying survey opportunities (like clinical trials) and the majority of surveys pay over $1. However, they don't have surveys very often, you may not qualify a good portion of the time (though you won't waste much time in the survey before it lets you know), and you have to wait weeks for a check to be mailed to you. Click HERE to go to SurveySavvy. (Payment Proof)

Treasure Trooper: This site has 15 surveys you can try every day (plus extras that come up occassionally), pays cash, has a referral program (though it's limited) and has some fun game-style incentives. However, you may not qualify for all (or even most) of the surveys, technical issues and surveys not crediting can waste a lot of time, and they pay lower than other competing sites (like Clixsense). This site can be a fun side project if you have extra time, but is not the most lucrative route for the amount of time you will put in (unless you lie a lot, which you're not supposed to do but many people seem to). Click HERE to go to Treasure Trooper. (Payment Proof)

iPoll: Provides a steady stream of surveys daily. However, you have to earn at least $50 before you can get a PayPal cashout and I have not cashed out yet to verify how long this process takes. Click HERE to go to iPoll.


Of course, these are only a few of the MANY sites out there to do surveys. Some of the survey sites listed above simply host surveys for other survey companies (like MyView, LiveSample, Ampario, Lab42, etc.), so exploring the direct survey companies themselves may be a good idea to maximize your profits. So get out there and earn some dollars while giving your two cents!