As far as I’m concerned, the internet is a new frontier for money-making. When more and more people and businesses starting adapting to the internet, it opened up a wealth of opportunity for us to earn.
There are ways to make money online that don’t involve a whole lot of work or skill. These sites are called survey sites, and as their name implies, they involve you filling out surveys in exchange for points. You can then redeem these points for cash and gift rewards.
It’s a pretty sweet set-up, and survey site doesn’t even describe everything you do on the site. These sites usually involve other tasks such as watching videos, taking offers, and downloading apps. This is why they’re also called GPT (“Get paid to…”) sites.
Survey sites are my main way of earning online, which is why I’m always looking for new sites to try out. A friend of mine mentioned that I should try MyPoints. She had a pretty good experience on the site, and thought I should give it a try, too.
Since I trust my friend’s opinion, I signed up for MyPoints a few months ago. Was my experience as good as hers? I’ll answer those questions (and then some) in this thorough review.
An introduction to MyPoints
MyPoints has been around since 1996. Yup, it’s been around for that long. As far as internet time goes, 1996 is like the age of the dinosaurs. That isn’t to say MyPoints hasn’t evolved. On the contrary, they’ve managed to stay current by adapting to new trends in the rewards space.
I felt confident signing up because the site has been around for so long. It reassured me that this wasn’t some shady fly by night website out to scam me.
Memberships are open to residents of the United States and Canada. You won’t have to pay any registration fee (something you should look for in most legit survey sites). I knew people from other countries who signed up anyways. They managed to get in, but they weren’t qualified to try all tasks and surveys. If you’re from outside the US and Canada, it won’t hurt to try.
How to Earn
Completing tasks (which I’ll discuss in greater detail in a bit) earns you points. You can start doing tasks as soon as you register - there’s no waiting period.
These points can be redeemed as gift cards, airline miles, or cash.
MyPoints Tasks
The site has a pretty wide range of stuff for you to do to earn points. One of the things I look for in a good survey site is a large variety of tasks. It can sometimes get boring filling out an endless succession of surveys, so it’s good that MyPoints has different ways for you to break the monotony.
These tasks include:
Reading emails - After registering you will start receiving BonusMail in your inbox. Opening these emails earns you points.
Using the site’s search engine - MyPoints has a Yahoo-based search function. Use it for the chance to get random points.
Playing games - The site has a few games that you can play for points.
Watching videos - MyPoints has video “playlists” that give points after you’ve watched them.
Printing coupons - This is one of my favorite features on the site. I can print out coupons and actually use them for various stores.
Availing of deals - You can earn points by shopping on Groupon and LivingSocial.
Shopping online - The site has over 1,900 partner retailers. Shopping from any of these stores will earn you points. It’s a sweet deal because there’s a big chance you already shop in one of these 1,900 stores even without rewards!
Filling out surveys - This task is why survey sites are called just that. Companies hire MyPoints to help conduct market research. That’s why you fill out surveys. It’s actually a pretty cool feeling knowing that my input has a direct influence in the decisions these big businesses make.
Earning Potential and Payout Options
700 points are equivalent to $5. It is also the minimum amount you must have to request a payout. You can request cash, either via PayPal deposit or a direct deposit to your Visa prepaid card. If cash isn’t your thing, you can even trade your points for gift cards for over 70 shops and establishments, or travel miles via your United MileagePlus account.
One of the unique features of the site is that it actually has a shop within it! And just like everything else MyPoints does, you can also earn by shopping here. Simply upload your receipt to the site to collect your points.
Overall, the earning potential varies greatly based on the amount of tasks available, and the time you have to complete them. But if you put the time in, your earnings will quickly add up!
MyPoints Surveys
Survey will be your bread and butter on this site. During your sign up, you’ll have to provide certain details like your location. This is to ensure that the relevant surveys are sent to you. This is why there are times when no surveys are available to you. There simply isn’t one that suits your profile.
The points per survey varies based on length and complexity, but the maximum pay per survey is $6. And the best part of this is that you can use your points as soon as you complete the survey! Other sites make you wait weeks to use your points, so this is really good.
What I Like About MyPoints
- Survey payments are immediate (Take note that other payments make take up to 90 days, though)
- Lots of ways to earn. You’ll never get bored on this site.
- You can earn points just by using the Score, MyPoints’ proprietary shopping browser extension.
- The site is clean, easy to navigate, and contains all the info you’ll need.
- It’s only open for residents of the US and Canada. C’mon guys, it’s 2018.
- There are times when I found out I wasn’t eligible to take a survey after filling out some questions. At least they gave me half a point for every ten questions I had already completed.
- I’ve also received the same survey a couple of times.
- A high minimum payout.
- Value conversion is not consistent for gift cards. Some cards will be worth more points than another gift card with the same value. I don’t like it, but I can sort of understand this, since some gift cards will be more desirable than others.
- MyPoints was acquired by Swagbucks, and some users have been mentioning that the overall has declined since the acquisition. Personally, I can’t tell the difference, and my only real negative experience on MyPoints was not being allowed to complete a survey after I’ve started.
MyPoints is legit! You’ll have to spend a lot of time doing tasks to earn money, which is why I suggest you do this in your free time.
Not being able to complete a survey sucks, but it’s a relatively minor complaint in an overall positive experience.
MyPoints Screenshots
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Your Turn
This review is based on my own experiences using MyPoints. Now it’s your turn to share! Have you tried MyPoints? What was your overall experience like, and how much have you earned?
Let’s hear your stories!
