There are several ways to find out whether a survey site is legit or not. The most obvious one, of course, is whether they actually pay you or not. But before you even register, there are a few things you can check.
I’ve been using survey sites for several years now, and I’d like to think I’ve developed a keen sense for separating the legit ones from the scams. One of the things I usually look for is the amount of information they provide potential members.
Providing sufficient info may seem like an obvious thing to do, but you’ll be surprised by how many sites neglect to provide easily-accessible information. Scam sites operate by being deceptive, or providing misleading information. I’m not saying all sites with sparse info are scams, but it definitely makes me think twice.
Legit ones don’t have anything to hide. One example of a legit survey site is EarningStation. When you check out their site, it’s easy to find info on important topics such as ways to earn and payout methods.
So the site gave me a pretty good first impression. But does that good impression apply to the rest of my experience? I’ve been using EarningStation for quite a bit, and can now write a detailed review on the site. Read on!
Overview
EarningStation is a survey site. Most of you will already be familiar with survey sites. But for those who aren’t, a survey site usually gives points to complete surveys, play games, take offers, and other online tasks. Once you reach a minimum amount of points, you can either request a cash payout or redeem the points as gift cards for various shops and establishments.
Survey sites are also known as GPT (or “get paid to…”) websites. The name pretty much explains it.
EarningStation is a relative newcomer in the rewards scene. I usually prefer working with long-standing sites, but EarningStation looked pretty professional, so I made an exception with them.
How to Earn on EarningStation
EarningStation is pretty similar to the other survey / GPT sites. You complete surveys, do tasks, then get paid in points. The actual list of tasks sometimes changes. In fact, when I recently checked the site, they didn’t have any survey tasks available.
This shouldn’t alarm you because available tasks depend on the clients that have signed up with the company. Like I mentioned, the list of tasks changes.
Currently, here are the tasks that are up on the site:
Read “Ernie’s Mail”
Earning Station wants to pay you to open and read emails! You will receive mail in your inbox, which usually contains ads and info on all sorts of cool offers. You’ll have to open with 72 hours of receiving. Once you open it, you will have to click the “Confirm Ernie’s Mail” button.
Do that, and a monetary reward ranging from $0.01 to $0.50 will be credited to your account.
Make sure you don’t unsubscribe from Earning Station emails, because doing so will also unsubscribe you from the Ernie’s Mail program.
Watch Videos
This is one of my favorite ways to earn on Earning Station. I usually love watching videos anyways, so it’s cool to also earn in the process. Earning Station has thousands of videos to choose from, usually pop culture- and current events-related.
Earning Station pays $0.02 whenever you watch the daily video, which is usually their highest-profile video. After that, you will earn $0.02 for every ten videos you watch on Earning Station.
Play GSN Games for Cash Back Rewards
This method doesn’t exactly earn you money, but it’s still pretty cool. Earning Station has partnered with The Game Show Network, which has lots of fun online games.
Earning Station members can get back 20% of every dollar spent on The Game Show Network. Let’s say you spent $10 on Game Show Network. Since you’re a member of Earning Station, you will get $2 credited to your Earning Station account! I usually spend loads of money on Game Show Network so it’s really nice to have a cash back program to help support my gaming habit!
Do note that it takes up to 30 for the funds to be credited to your account.
Shop with Groupon for Cash Back Rewards
Earning Station has another cash back reward, this time for Groupon, one of the most popular e-commerce platforms on the internet.
As an Earning Station member, not only will you get good deals in Groupon, but you also be entitled to a 5.5% cash back bonus for each item you purchase!
It’ll take up to 45 days for the bonus to appear on your Earning Station account.
EarningStreak: A Way to Earn Even More!
The site definitely wants to gain a foothold in the industry. To do this it needs to build a large user base. To encourage more people to use the site, EarningStation has the EarningStreak program. Earning streak incentivizes members to use the site even more. In exchange, it boosts the earning potential of members who meet a certain amount of activity.
When you maintain $0.25 cents in earnings for at least ten days, you get a monetary reward, plus a free spin on their EarningStation spin wheel! The spin wheel contains all sorts of rewards and goodies for members.
For your first ten-day streak, you will get a $1 reward (plus a spin on the wheel). That amount increases by $0.25 for each consecutive ten-day streak, up to a maximum of $3.50. Once you hit that amount, the streak is reset and you can go through the process again.
EarningStation is pretty strict about streaks. If you make less than $0.25 even for just one day, you’ll go back to square one.
Be on the Lookout for Promo Codes!
Earning Station will sometimes hide bonus codes (a string of letters or words) in various places online, including its social media pages, blog, and emails. Once you spot the code, simply put in the Bonus Code text field on the site, and get an instant cash reward!
Now, this is really fun. It’s like having a scavenger hunt. Bonus codes expire after a period of time, so you’ll always have to be on your toes.
To keep track of all these codes, be sure to check the EarningStation Bonus Codes thread on Earn That Buck. The community regularly adds codes to the thread as soon as they find them.
The Verdict: Legit or Scam?
I think it’s obvious that I really like this site. Earning Station is totally legit! They’re a small company, but I expect big things from them later on. I really hope that with a larger user base they’ll be able to provide more ways to earn and more rewards!
Your Turn
This review is based on my own experience earning cash on EarningStation. Now it’s your turn to share. Have you used the site? What tasks did you do, and how much did you earn?
Let’s hear your stories!
