Paid survey websites

We look at some of the most popular survey platforms available in New Zealand, including what rewards you can earn, their pros and cons, and how to sign up.

The breakdown

  • These market research companies will pay you to give your opinion on a range of topics via surveys.
  • Rewards range from cash and PayPal credit to gift cards.
  • Many users sign up with multiple survey websites to maximise their earning potential.
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    Author: Kevin McHugh, Head of Publishing at Banked.

    Taking surveys through one of the many online survey platforms can be a simple way to earn some extra money in exchange for a little of your time.

    The amount you can earn is not huge, but there are plenty of people who are able to earn hundreds of dollars each month in exchange for giving their opinions on a range of topics.

    Here we assess a range of popular and reputable survey sites among the survey-taking community and provide the info you need to decide if signing up is the right choice for you.

    To learn more, see our guide to earning money by taking surveys.

    Pureprofile

    Pureprofile logo

    Pureprofile is one of the big players in the market research sector, claiming to have more than 2.1 million users registered within them and to have paid out more than 5.2 million rewards.

    The survey platform has a strong rewards offering, from gift cards, movie tickets, or just simply cash (the latter making them different from many others in the market).

    You can also choose to cash out your rewards at any time, as long as you have accumulated at least $20. Pureprofile once had a limit on how much you could withdraw within a 60 day period, but thankfully that has since been removed.

    We also like the mobile-friendly website that makes it easy to take surveys while on the go. A mobile app would have made things just that bit easier, but the website does a good job all the same.

    Is Pureprofile legit?

    Pureprofile is an award-winning global data and market research company that was founded in 2000 in Australia. It has since founded operations in several other continents, including North America, Europe, and Asia.

    The company currently counts AA Insurance, Flight Centre, and KPMG among its customers.

    The site has a good reputation among users online and many are happy with their earnings made from the platforms, finding them to be above the market average.

    Pros and cons

    Pros

    • Many find earning potential to be higher than with some other survey platforms.
    • User-friendly website that makes taking surveys on the go easy.
    • Lots of help articles and a dedicated customer support team to help with issues.
    • Cash rewards are available (not just gift cards).

    Cons

    • No mobile app

    How do I sign up?

    You can create a Pureprofile account by visiting its website and providing a few basic details like your email address, location, and setting a password. Once you have submitted these details you will be sent an email to confirm your email address. Click the link provided in the email and you’ll be good to go.

    Once you have registered with Pureprofile you will start receiving email invitations to surveys and you can choose which ones you want to take.

    OpinionWorld

    OpinionWorld logo

    OpinionWorld is a little broader in scope than some of the other options covered in this guide. As well as surveys, users have the opportunity to test new products and share their thoughts on advertisements.

    Rewards are a little more flexible with OpinionWorld too in that as well as Flexi eGift cards, you can all just choose to get paid out in cash. However, for the cash option you will need to have a PayPal account (which is free to set up).

    As with all survey platforms, the amount you can earn from taking surveys with OpinionWorld varies from survey to survey with amounts aligning roughly with how long it takes to complete. You are made aware of how much each survey offers before you go ahead so you can choose to only participate in those that you think make it worth your time.

    Is OpinionWorld legit?

    OpinionWorld is part of Dyanata, a consumer insights company with over 40 years of experience in the field.

    However, user reviews of OpinionWorld are generally mixed. At the time of writing, it has a 4.4 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot, but it also has a 2 out of 5 rating from users on Sitejabber with some complaining that their account had been suspended for violation of OpinionWorld’s terms of service.

    Pros and cons

    Pros

    • Unlike some survey platforms you can earn cash rewards (in the form of PayPal credit) as well as gift cards.
    • While it doesn’t offer a mobile app, we found the website easy to navigate — even through a smartphone.

    Cons

    • Some users have complained that their accounts have been suspended for no reason.
    • We would have liked to see a mobile app.

    How do I sign up?

    OpinionWorld has a straightforward sign-up process. First you visit its website and click on the ‘Join’ button and fill in a short form that requests necessary account set-up details such as your name, address, email address, and so on.

    Once you have agreed you simply verify your email address by clicking the link sent to you via email. Once you’ve done this you will be prompted to complete your profile by answering some more questions. This is a little time consuming but the details you provide here will be used to present you with surveys that are more relevant to you.

    Then you just have to wait until a survey is sent to you to complete (if you decide the value offered is worth it to you.

    Ipsos iSay

    Ipsos iSay logo

    Provided by the world-renowned market research company, iSay gives you the opportunity to earn points by completing surveys. The amount of points you can earn depends on the survey and can vary with factors like survey length.

    Points can be used for a variety of rewards like gift cards for Countdown, the Apple App Store, Farmers, Spotify, Farmers, and more.

    We also like that you have the option to use points for charitable donations to either the Auckland City Mission or the Ipsos Foundation which offers educational programmes for disadvantaged children and young people.

    iSay also occasionally offers promotions through which users can earn bonus points by playing games.

    Is Ipsos legit?

    Ipsos is one of the longest-running and respected research companies out there. Based in the UK, the company has a good reputation for paying out as expected and on time to its users.

    Pros and cons

    Pros

    • The sign-up process is simple and you’re ready to start taking surveys after a few basic qualifying questions.
    • You can earn an extra 400 bonus points for referring friends to iSay.
    • The survey platform itself is easy to use which means surveys are simple and quick to complete.
    • We like that mobile apps for both Android and Apple devices are available so you can complete surveys on the go.

    Cons

    • Depending on your profile, there may not be many surveys available for you to participate in.
    • Gift card rewards are not as flexible as cash payments.
    • Points payouts per survey could be better.

    How do I sign up?

    We found the iSay registration process to be simple. You just create an account on the iSay website and verify your email address by clicking the link sent to you.

    Once your email address is verified, you will need to provide a few more details that will help match you with appropriate surveys. This includes your location and some information about your interests. Once this is done, you’re ready to start taking surveys.

    Valued Opinions

    Valued Opinions logo

    Running for almost as long as Ipsos, Valued Opinions is another global player in the consumer world with over 3 million members.

    Valued Opinions works like this: you sign up through its website and provide a few details to set up your account. Once you’re up and running, you will receive invitations to participate in surveys via email. These surveys will be from companies and organisations who want to learn more about consumers so they can better tailor their products to their needs.

    These surveys will have a money value reward based on how long it will take to complete the survey, but this is a bit misleading as you can’t actually withdraw this as cash. Instead, you can redeem this value as gift cards and vouchers to stores and services including JB Hi-Fi, Uber Eats, Mighty Ape, Mitre 10, Domino’s Pizza, Farmers, and so on.

    Valued Opinions says you can earn as much as $7 for completing a survey, but in reality it’s unlikely you will find surveys that pay that much and around $2 is a more realistic number on average.

    Is Valued Opinions legit?

    Valued Opinions has been around a long time (since 2004) and has established a reputation for paying out. The company is also a member of major market research governing bodies, including the Market Research Society.

    The service’s users are also generally happy to share their satisfaction with Valued Opinions and the rewards they have earned from it.

    Pros and cons

    Pros

    • Earnings can be redeemed for a range of gift cards, including the Flexi eGift Card which itself can be used at a wide selection of stores.
    • Earnings are presented in dollars, making understanding what you’re earning easier to understand what you’re earning.
    • The platform is easy to use, making taking surveys easy and relatively quick.

    Cons

    • Doesn’t have a mobile app, although you can take surveys through its website on your phone.
    • Money earned must be redeemed for gift cards and can’t be withdrawn as cash.

    How do I sign up?

    The process of registering with Valued Opinions is pretty quick. Start the process on their website by providing a few details such as your name, email address, date of birth and gender. Once you have agreed to its terms of service and submitted the form you will receive an email to verify your email address.

    Once you’re registered you can expect to receive regular email invitations to participate in surveys. Just select the ones you’re interested in (or have the time to complete) and you will start earning rewards.

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    Kevin McHugh

    Kevin is the founder and Head of Publishing at Banked. With years of experience working in personal finance, insurance, and related areas, Kevin created Banked to help Kiwis make better financial decisions.