Today I am getting right into the meat of the matter and will discuss the five best survey sites to make money for 2018. As full disclosure, this isn’t really about the highest paying online survey sites – or at least those that promise the highest earnings but have issues about how you get that kind of payment in the process. I am not sure what your personal take is on it, but when I join paid survey or GPT sites, I always check first if it’s a way for me to make some extra cash without any hassle. Otherwise, I would typically consider it a waste of time, effort, and maybe even sanity.
Now, what are the highest paying survey sites for me? Does this mean I will avoid addressing those survey sites that pay in gift cards or e-vouchers in lieu of cold, hard cash? Not necessarily. Some of the sites I will mention here do offer gift cards that are from reputable and popular retailers. It would be a crime to turn my nose up at them (especially since they’re useful when the holidays come around). However, a good mix of both cashouts and other forms of rewards is always welcome in my book.
My criteria for selecting the “best” highest paying survey sites 2018 are pretty simple. Before all else, they have to be CONSISTENTLY good. By that, I mean they were awesome from the start, and continue to be so without worrisome complaints from users about different issues through the years. You see, I have lost count of the paid survey sites that I used to rave about to friends and relatives because they initially appeared to be on their toes with providing quality surveys while compensating me with cash and rewards. It happens too often, though, that these sites quickly go from being awesome to being so-so, or even downright awful. Those are the sites I quickly give up on so I won’t waste any more of my time being frustrated and pissed off.
If you want to steer clear of such “changed-for-the-worse” survey sites, I can arrange to make a full-blown post about them in the future. But in the meantime, here is my list of the five best-paying survey sites as of 2018 (in no particular order), and my personal reasons and other criteria why I consider them to be so. Hope it helps you!
Swagbucks
Before anything else, the question people seem to want to ask is: is Swagbucks safe? By this, I mean is it a legit paid survey site and not a scam? I would like to vouch that yes, it is legit and it is safe. It’s been around since 2005 and has a pretty satisfying rating over at the Better Business Bureau. Most of the survey review blogs and forums I’ve been following over time also mention that Swagbucks remains one of their most trusted and favorite survey sites for several years now. If that isn’t the epitome of consistency, then I don’t know what is.
Why I think it’s great. Swagbucks is awesome primarily because they make it so simple and easy to earn with them. Not only is there a variety of tasks to earn points from (aside from completing surveys, you can also get paid to watch videos, do some online shopping, use Swag Codes, and play games), but many users actually claim to have fun doing these tasks. Before you know it, you’ve earned more than enough points to cash out via PayPal (another plus for me!) or redeem them for rewards at iTunes, Target, Walmart, or Amazon .
PrizeRebel
One of the most attractive things about PrizeRebel is its generous array of rewards. We’re talking about more than 500 retailers and businesses like Starbucks, Target, Amazon, and many more gift cards to be earned and redeemed here. Aside from that, you can also choose to cash out via PayPal with just a minimum “trigger” amount of $5.
PrizeRebel has been around since 2007 and boasts of having millions of users earn from its GPT platform over time. It has also paid out millions of dollars worth of cashouts and rewards since it was put up. Users get to earn from a good menu of tasks here, as well. Aside from answering surveys, you can also play games, watch videos, use bonus codes from different social media sites and forums, and complete offers. It’s pretty easy to rack up points and redeem prizes fast in here.
Why I think it’s great. PrizeRebel has a referral system in place! Aside from its already bountiful rewards system, the site provides up to 30% of successful referrals’ earnings if they remain active members. Not bad, eh? I also like that PrizeRebel rewards users for their loyalty using a five-tier level for members, from Bronze to Diamond. The higher up you go, the bigger your bonuses become! Now, why would you want to leave something as enticing as that?
GrabPoints
Formerly known as Grab Rewards, GrabPoints is fast becoming many people’s favorite GPT site for plenty of legit reasons. First off, it’s available practically worldwide, so that more people can benefit from its rewards system. Secondly, they pay fast. Payments are processed within 72 business hours, and many members have presented payment proof of how quick and easy it was to cash out (I should know, I’m one of them!). GrabPoints was conceptualized back in 2014 but has remained consistent with upping the user experience with doable tasks to earn points to redeem. So yup, so far, so good for them.
Why I think it’s great. Once more, I present to you two of the sweetest words I know when it comes to GPT and paid survey sites – REFERRAL PROGRAM! GrabPoints makes it a point to truly reward active referrals by way of paying you, the person who referred them, with 50 points for every hundred points they earn.
I also like how GrabPoints gives you a variety of ways to earn, and not just by taking on surveys which can admittedly take its toll on you sometimes. So aside from that, you can earn from referrals, download apps, watch videos, or complete offers. Just basically do what suits your mood at the moment.
Prolific Academic
As kind of a breath of fresh air from survey-taking (I’ve been doing it since I was a bored college kid up until now that I’m, erm, relatively “older”), I will mention Prolific Academic in this 2018 best-of list. Prolific is sort of a cross between a survey panel and an academic research project. Instead of giving feedback on certain products, services, or current events, you will basically be sharing your thoughts on studies and papers of the academic kind. Prolific Academic has an impressive roster of clients that include Yale, The University of Oxford, Stanford, and other scholarly and academic giants. However, it isn’t as intimidating as you might initially think.
It’s only been around since 2014 but has since gotten lots of rave reviews from users who not only find it legit but also consider the studies doable (and not as lengthy as one might fear). One other positive feedback I’ve gathered is that the site pays fast and it’s quite easy to reach the minimum threshold amount of £5 since that’s more or less the amount you can expect to get per study.
Why I think it’s great. It’s available for use in LOTS of places all over the world (around 35 of them)! The last I heard, though, was that there is a temporary country restriction so not all countries can access and take part in academic research via Prolific (as to how “temporary” the hold is, I can’t really tell right now). You can also make some passive income via their referral system. If your referred user cashes out for the first time, you can make 10% off them!
Pinecone Research
Right off the bat, I will declare that Pinecone Research is perhaps one of my favorite highest paying survey sites (not just for the year but for several years now). The feedback about it is mixed because while you can get compensated well for answering surveys (you can get $3-$5 for completing one), it is a very exclusive site. Run by the Nielsen group, participants can only join by invitation. Think of Pinecone as an exclusive club where the benefits can only be felt by chosen members.
Why I think it’s great. I think it’s great because it hit the Holy Grail of survey sites that others have not touched with a ten-foot pole, which is YOU WILL NOT GET SCREENED OUT OF A SURVEY. Disqualification has become part and parcel of survey-taking, and it is personally the single, most vexing thing to happen to you if you’re right in the middle or tail-end of it. So yeah, “completing surveys” is a true thing here, and you can rest assured that you won’t get the kind of frustrating experience you’ve surely gotten from other paid survey sites before.
Now, what are the highest paying survey sites for me? Does this mean I will avoid addressing those survey sites that pay in gift cards or e-vouchers in lieu of cold, hard cash? Not necessarily. Some of the sites I will mention here do offer gift cards that are from reputable and popular retailers. It would be a crime to turn my nose up at them (especially since they’re useful when the holidays come around). However, a good mix of both cashouts and other forms of rewards is always welcome in my book.
My criteria for selecting the “best” highest paying survey sites 2018 are pretty simple. Before all else, they have to be CONSISTENTLY good. By that, I mean they were awesome from the start, and continue to be so without worrisome complaints from users about different issues through the years. You see, I have lost count of the paid survey sites that I used to rave about to friends and relatives because they initially appeared to be on their toes with providing quality surveys while compensating me with cash and rewards. It happens too often, though, that these sites quickly go from being awesome to being so-so, or even downright awful. Those are the sites I quickly give up on so I won’t waste any more of my time being frustrated and pissed off.
If you want to steer clear of such “changed-for-the-worse” survey sites, I can arrange to make a full-blown post about them in the future. But in the meantime, here is my list of the five best-paying survey sites as of 2018 (in no particular order), and my personal reasons and other criteria why I consider them to be so. Hope it helps you!
Swagbucks
Before anything else, the question people seem to want to ask is: is Swagbucks safe? By this, I mean is it a legit paid survey site and not a scam? I would like to vouch that yes, it is legit and it is safe. It’s been around since 2005 and has a pretty satisfying rating over at the Better Business Bureau. Most of the survey review blogs and forums I’ve been following over time also mention that Swagbucks remains one of their most trusted and favorite survey sites for several years now. If that isn’t the epitome of consistency, then I don’t know what is.
Why I think it’s great. Swagbucks is awesome primarily because they make it so simple and easy to earn with them. Not only is there a variety of tasks to earn points from (aside from completing surveys, you can also get paid to watch videos, do some online shopping, use Swag Codes, and play games), but many users actually claim to have fun doing these tasks. Before you know it, you’ve earned more than enough points to cash out via PayPal (another plus for me!) or redeem them for rewards at iTunes, Target, Walmart, or Amazon .
PrizeRebel
One of the most attractive things about PrizeRebel is its generous array of rewards. We’re talking about more than 500 retailers and businesses like Starbucks, Target, Amazon, and many more gift cards to be earned and redeemed here. Aside from that, you can also choose to cash out via PayPal with just a minimum “trigger” amount of $5.
PrizeRebel has been around since 2007 and boasts of having millions of users earn from its GPT platform over time. It has also paid out millions of dollars worth of cashouts and rewards since it was put up. Users get to earn from a good menu of tasks here, as well. Aside from answering surveys, you can also play games, watch videos, use bonus codes from different social media sites and forums, and complete offers. It’s pretty easy to rack up points and redeem prizes fast in here.
Why I think it’s great. PrizeRebel has a referral system in place! Aside from its already bountiful rewards system, the site provides up to 30% of successful referrals’ earnings if they remain active members. Not bad, eh? I also like that PrizeRebel rewards users for their loyalty using a five-tier level for members, from Bronze to Diamond. The higher up you go, the bigger your bonuses become! Now, why would you want to leave something as enticing as that?
GrabPoints
Formerly known as Grab Rewards, GrabPoints is fast becoming many people’s favorite GPT site for plenty of legit reasons. First off, it’s available practically worldwide, so that more people can benefit from its rewards system. Secondly, they pay fast. Payments are processed within 72 business hours, and many members have presented payment proof of how quick and easy it was to cash out (I should know, I’m one of them!). GrabPoints was conceptualized back in 2014 but has remained consistent with upping the user experience with doable tasks to earn points to redeem. So yup, so far, so good for them.
Why I think it’s great. Once more, I present to you two of the sweetest words I know when it comes to GPT and paid survey sites – REFERRAL PROGRAM! GrabPoints makes it a point to truly reward active referrals by way of paying you, the person who referred them, with 50 points for every hundred points they earn.
I also like how GrabPoints gives you a variety of ways to earn, and not just by taking on surveys which can admittedly take its toll on you sometimes. So aside from that, you can earn from referrals, download apps, watch videos, or complete offers. Just basically do what suits your mood at the moment.
Prolific Academic
As kind of a breath of fresh air from survey-taking (I’ve been doing it since I was a bored college kid up until now that I’m, erm, relatively “older”), I will mention Prolific Academic in this 2018 best-of list. Prolific is sort of a cross between a survey panel and an academic research project. Instead of giving feedback on certain products, services, or current events, you will basically be sharing your thoughts on studies and papers of the academic kind. Prolific Academic has an impressive roster of clients that include Yale, The University of Oxford, Stanford, and other scholarly and academic giants. However, it isn’t as intimidating as you might initially think.
It’s only been around since 2014 but has since gotten lots of rave reviews from users who not only find it legit but also consider the studies doable (and not as lengthy as one might fear). One other positive feedback I’ve gathered is that the site pays fast and it’s quite easy to reach the minimum threshold amount of £5 since that’s more or less the amount you can expect to get per study.
Why I think it’s great. It’s available for use in LOTS of places all over the world (around 35 of them)! The last I heard, though, was that there is a temporary country restriction so not all countries can access and take part in academic research via Prolific (as to how “temporary” the hold is, I can’t really tell right now). You can also make some passive income via their referral system. If your referred user cashes out for the first time, you can make 10% off them!
Pinecone Research
Right off the bat, I will declare that Pinecone Research is perhaps one of my favorite highest paying survey sites (not just for the year but for several years now). The feedback about it is mixed because while you can get compensated well for answering surveys (you can get $3-$5 for completing one), it is a very exclusive site. Run by the Nielsen group, participants can only join by invitation. Think of Pinecone as an exclusive club where the benefits can only be felt by chosen members.
Why I think it’s great. I think it’s great because it hit the Holy Grail of survey sites that others have not touched with a ten-foot pole, which is YOU WILL NOT GET SCREENED OUT OF A SURVEY. Disqualification has become part and parcel of survey-taking, and it is personally the single, most vexing thing to happen to you if you’re right in the middle or tail-end of it. So yeah, “completing surveys” is a true thing here, and you can rest assured that you won’t get the kind of frustrating experience you’ve surely gotten from other paid survey sites before.
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