Making Money Online

Survey Sites

Spending so much time online, I decided about a year ago now to look up perhaps more productive things to do. I'd always been the type who filled out surveys from companies to be entered into prize draws (because you never know do you!) so when I found that I could get a guaranteed reward and all I had to do was give my opinion, I signed up for as many sites as I could find. Since then I've realised, inevitably, some are better and more reliable than others and now have 5 which I use regularly. All are based around the same concept; you sign up and fill out a profile and then appropriate surveys based on this information are emailed direct to you or can be found when logging onto the website. You can choose which you want to complete and the amount paid depends on the time the survey takes (they range from 5-40 minutes generally). Points accumulate in your account and can then be redeemed for a variety of vouchers, both online and paper which can be spent either on treating yourself, like I do, or buying necessities such as groceries. Here's a breakdown of my favourite sites:

IPoll is the most varied site regarding surveys, but this does mean there isn't a standard time/pay ratio so it better to complete surveys selectively. As a guideline, some options I have available at the moment are £1.47 for 25 mins,  £0.67 for 20 mins and £0.59 for 5 mins; some are therefore obviously better value than others. In the past year I have earned £22.82 using iPoll on and off and available rewards include an Amazon gift certificate, an iTunes gift code or the best option, a prepaid MasterCard virtual account which I haven't found offered by any other surveys sites and can be used at any online merchant accepting MasterCard. Rewards can be redeemed from £13.48 (a strange number because its a US Dollar conversion.) 

I would say this site is best for its rewards.

I-Say (Formerly called Ipsos) because it has just been rebranded, currently has the easiest to use website. Example survey offers include 50 points for 10 mins, 175 points for 30 mins and 250 points for 35 mins. The rewards are much more consistent than iPoll and I would say it is much more likely to be offered longer surveys here than on other sites. A £10 reward is equivalent to 1380 points, however the options are slightly more limited; the only electronic voucher offered is Amazon and paper vouchers are John Lewis, a Leisure voucher (which can be used at attractions/restaurants) or a Compliments voucher (which can be used at a variety of high street stores.) Different from other sites you can also get invited to larger scale surveys through i-say such as becoming part of a Facebook focus group or completing phone diaries by installing an app. Activities such as this reap much larger rewards ; I have received £40 in vouchers for one of these before.

I-Say seems the most professional site to use.

Opinion World, I receive the most survey offers from and have redeemed £30 worth of vouchers in the past year. The minimum amount of points usually earned from a survey is 50 points, the equivalent of 50p, and can be received from even answering a couple of questions sometimes. Longer surveys can offer up to 300 points (£3). They have a wide range of both physical and e-vouchers which can be redeemed at £10 as well as offering Paypal cash redemption which I think is a definite pro for this site. 

I feel this site allows you to gain rewards the fastest.

I find My Survey a bit hit and miss sometimes; when it's good, it's great and offers regular surveys often with good value rewards, however, I've personally been experiencing quite a few technical issues which is always infuriating. With this site, it's often best to check the website as they are less efficient with emailing direct, but current surveys I have available are 170 points for 20 mins, 80 points for 20 mins and 50 points for 10 mins; again, the site isn't always consistent with rewards offered. Points can be redeemed for a huge variety of vouchers,as well as Paypal, but My Survey also uniquely offers being able to redeem points for items such as tools, jewellery and sporting equipment. 1200 points is about the equivalent of £10, however this varies depending on retailer and there are also sometimes special offers therefore a lower redemption rate. This site does have a considerably lower redemption threshold offering vouchers from £3. 

This site is the most flexible.

Valued Opinions, I would say, is overall my favourite site because it is simple and easy to be rewarded. The rates are very consistent, normally 50p for 10 mins or less, 75p for 15-20 mins and £2/£3 for 30 mins and above, which isn't always competitive with other sites but I do find this the most trustworthy and reliable to use which, for me, counts for a lot. Vouchers are also super straight forward to claim and they offer Amazon and high street retailer vouchers, notably Sainsbury's which is good if you're looking to put any earnings towards your food shopping. The threshold is a standardized £10.50 for a £10 voucher and I have made £54.50 throughout the year. 

Valued Opinions is simple, honest and best suited for what I want.

All of the above sites also offer you the chance to redeem points for charity donations.

Overall, I think surveys sites are great if you're someone who spends a lot of time on the internet already as they can be answered easily whilst, for example, having other tabs open to browse or listening to music. They are a great and very flexible way for when you fancy earning a bit of spending money as even though each individual survey's pay is relatively low, they soon add up.  

Lara xo