Which survey sites are legitimate? This is a question I hear a lot, and used to wonder myself! We get more questions from readers about paid survey sites / which survey sites are legitimate, than about any other topic, so I wanted to take a few minutes to answer a reader question we recently received.
Reader question from Malena: I keep reading about online surveys, but I’m really scared of them. I don’t want to get taken for a ride – I’m afraid of having my identity stolen. How do I know which ones are reputable? Do I have to provide my social security number? We’re really financially strapped right now, since my husband took a 50% pay cut almost two years ago, I just had a 3% pay cut and it soon goes to 4%, my daughter started college this year (with no scholarships, and we’re too wealthy for grants, apparently!). I’m looking for part time work to supplement, but no luck yet. I’m open to any ideas.
Thank you for sharing every day. Debt is driving us crazy, but we’re in a cycle now, because of the income issues. I appreciate all of your help that you offer for free every day!!
The questions and concerns Malena expresses are something all of us are concerned about. I have been personally taking online surveys from paid survey sites since 2000, so I want to share my knowledge with all of you. I have developed a list of paid survey sites that I personally use and/or have been paid by. I only include reputable companies that I have personally dealt with. There are a few sites that may require your Social Security Number. Why? If you make $600 or more in a year from a particular survey site, you will have to pay taxes on your earnings. I am not a tax professional, so please consult an accountant or tax professional for more details. For the sites on our paid survey list, if the companies have requested my social security number, yes, I have provided it. And I have had no problems with any of the companies on our list. MOST of the companies do not ask for this information unless you earn $600 a year from them, and then if they ask you for it, by law, you must give it to them so they can send you appropriate tax forms.
How much money will you make doing paid surveys online? This varies greatly depending on how much time you are willing to put into it. However, if you sign up for all the companies on our paid survey list, (it’s free to sign up and use all the companies on our list) I estimate that just starting out, you can earn $50 – $100 extra each month, and more than that if you are willing to devote more than a few hours a week to taking surveys. The more companies you sign up for, the more money you will make. Also, the longer you take paid surveys, the more paid survey opportunities you can get.
Many people are skeptical about paid survey sites and think all sites are scams. I can personally tell you this is not true. I have made lots of money since 2000 from doing paid surveys online. Check out our proof of payment checks for the survey companies in our list. Taking paid surveys is not a way to get rich quickly. But the paid survey sites have helped us have a nice “padding” of extra income each month, and help me to be able to stay home and raise our children, which is priceless.
So with the new year here, let 2010 be the year YOU start earning some extra money from the legitimate paid surveys out there! At the end of the year, you will have a nice little sum to help you buy presents or pay off bills! Check out our BIG LIST OF PAID SURVEY SITES