Five Free Survey Sites For Making Money Online -- A Short Overview

Would you like to earn a little extra spending money each month? Do you have a computer with Internet access? Voice your opinion, and get paid for it.

The Internet is home to a number of opinion surveys, Internet panels, and market research companies. Many of them are free to join and participate.

Taking surveys is a great way for moms, college students, seniors, professionals, and even teens to earn extra income. You can work from your home, the office, the library, or anywhere you have Internet access.

Survey sites typically pay between $2 and $5 per completed survey, so you certainly won't get rich in the process. But if you take a few surveys each week--in the evenings when the kids are watching TV, for example--you could earn $20 to $30 per month.

Most survey sites send you a check or PayPal deposit when you reach the cash-out threshold. Some sites pay in "virtual cash," or points that you accumulate and redeem for merchandise or gift cards. Most sites also pay incentives when you refer your friends to the site.

Of course, you should use caution when applying for membership with survey sites. Not all of them are trustworthy. Avoid participating in any survey site that charges a registration fee, and always be on the lookout for scams. They abound in the world of paid surveys.

Here is a short overview of five paid survey websites that are free to join.

Have you earned money on these sites? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

MindField Online is a free survey site owned and operated by McMillion Research, a leading data collection firm in the United States. Beginning with door-to-door surveys in 1970, the firm turned to telephone surveys in 1980. The business introduced MindField Online in 2000, with online data collection and Internet panels.

MindField Online looks for current data trends in several different areas: electronics and entertainment; groceries and brands; health and ailments; and more. To become a panelist, visit the survey website, open an account, and complete the membership questionnaires. MindField Online sends periodic email invitations to candidates who qualify for a particular survey.

The minimum checkout amount for MindField survey accounts is $5, but you can allow your account to grow before cashing out. After you request payment, the firm will process the request within a week and mail a check to your address.

Based in Charleston, West Virginia, McMillion Research is an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau since 2004.

Sources: McMillion Research, Better Business Bureau

MySurvey is part of Lightspeed Research, another leading data collection service with offices around the world. The firm established its first mail panel in 1937 and conducted the first telephone interview in 1970. Since 1996, Lightspeed Research has become a leading provider of online research and data collection.

MySurvey has been collecting consumer opinions since 1946, as National Family Opinion, NFO, and TNS. The MySurvey website was created in 2001 to enable easy online research and data collection.

At any given time, MySurvey may or may not be accepting new candidates. If the site is accepting registrations when you visit, open a free account, complete the personal questionnaires, and wait for your email invitations. Members receive reward points for completed surveys and can redeem the points for cash and prizes.

Lightspeed Research has global headquarters in Warren, New Jersey. Lightspeed Research and MySurvey are owned by WPP, a global leader in marketing communications services.

Source: Lightspeed Research, WPP

SurveySavvy is part of Luth Research, a market research company founded in 1977. The company started with a focus group facility and telephone call center, and both are essential to its work today.

In 1999, Luth Research launched SurveySavvy, an online community of consumers and business professionals from around the world. A patented referral system recruits and compensates community members. SurveySavvy targets certain demographic groups based on criteria established by Luth Research clients. Qualified members receive email invitations to participate in surveys.

As a member of SurveySavvy, you receive incentives for each survey completed by you, your referrals, and your referrals' referrals. The cashout threshold is $1, but you can allow your income to grow before requesting a payout. SurveySavvy pays by check, within four to twelve weeks of your payment request.

Based in San Diego, California, Luth Research is an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau since 1993.

Sources: Luth Research, Better Business Bureau

The Toluna panel community is owned and operated by the Toluna Group, the world's largest online market research and survey technology company. Its proprietary Web 2.0 survey panels embrace the social media concept.

Toluna merged with Greenfield Online in 2009, when the French-based Toluna Group acquired the well-known survey site from Microsoft Corporation. A successful Internet survey business since 1994, Greenfield Online became a Microsoft acquisition in 2008.

Registration at Toluna is quick, easy, and free. Surveys pay virtual currency in the form of points that are redeemable for cash rewards. Members also receive social reward points based on community member recommendations. In addition to reward points, members are eligible for up to $2,500 in monthly drawings.

Paris-based Toluna has United States headquarters in Wilton, Connecticut.

Sources: Toluna Group, Greenfield Online Blog

Valued Opinions is a survey site owned and operated by Research Now, a global data collection company based in London, England. Research Now has over six million panelists in more than 30 countries worldwide.

The Research Now parent company, e-Rewards, has headquarters in Plano, Texas. In addition to Valued Opinions, Research Now also operates e-Rewards Opinion Panels.

Valued Opinions is free to join, and surveys arrive via email invitations. Surveys pay in reward points redeemable for cash. When your account reaches $20, you can request one of two vouchers: a paper voucher or an Amazon voucher. Vouchers arrive within 28 days of your payment request.

Research Now is an accredited business of the Better Business Bureau since 2005.

Sources: Research Now, e-Rewards, Better Business Bureau

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