Okay, right now I’ll be reviewing a new survey site - Survey Downline. There are lots (and I mean lots) of survey sites out there. A lot of them are pretty easy to ignore. But among those sites, Survey Downline stood out. It’s a pretty interesting site that has a unique way of rewarding its members.
Curious? And are you curious of Survey Downline is legit? Read my Survey Downline review to find out!
About Survey Downline
Survey Downline is owned and operated by Precision Sample, LLC, which is a market research company. Survey Downline is just one of the different survey sites run by the company. It’s pretty typical for a market research company to have multiple survey sites below it. I’m not sure why that is (I’m a college professor, not a businessman), but I figure it’s to spread out the company’s intel-gathering platforms.
How to Earn on Survey Downline
The primary way to earn on Survey Downline is by - surprise! - completing surveys.
The info you provide in these surveys is pretty valuable to companies. These companies use the intel gathered from the surveys to make better-informed decisions. For example, a local politician about to embark on a campaign will want to know which issues and messages resonate with his or her voting base. So the company managing the campaign will want to hire Survey Downline to conduct surveys among its members. Since Survey Downline gets paid for this, its members will also get paid in the process.
Speaking of getting paid, that’s the interesting and unique thing about Survey Downline. Most survey sites pay in points, which the member can then convert to cash. Survey Downline, on the other hand, pays a percentage of how much the company earns per survey. They claim to share up to 45% of their earnings per survey to the person taking it.
The site likes to think of its members more like partners. That’s why it gets a percentage instead of a fixed amount. It looks good on paper, but is it really? I’ll be answering that question later.
Referral Program
This is the secondary way to earn on Survey Downline. There seems to be some misleading info on the site when it comes to their referral program. They claim to offer a two-tier referral program, but in the example on the site, the first tier is actually you, and the second tier is your referral.
That’s pretty sketchy right there. The site shouldn’t list your own earnings as part of the referral program because, well, it’s just not. So their referral program is actually just one-tier. Contrast that with other survey sites that offer true two-tier, or even three-tier, earnings. Survey Downline should have just been more upfront about their referral program.
But anyways, you will earn 10$ of your referral’s earnings. Not a bad rate, all things considered. Sometimes, referrals will comprise bulk of your earnings on this site, so get ready to invite lots of people.
Earning Potential on Survey Downline
Now onto the million-dollar-question: how much can you earn on Survey Downline? Well, the question is actually a thirty-five cent-question. Because that’s how much you’ll be making, on average, per survey.
The average percentage per survey is 35 (not 45% as earlier mentioned - I’ll explain why in a bit). Most surveys are worth $1. That’s how much Survey Downline is paid per survey. So when you complete that survey, you’ll get $0.35.
Note that Survey Downline gets paid $1 per survey. They’re paid considerably more than a dollar, of course. But that amount is divided among all the survey-takers.
There’s more confusing info on the site. So they first mention that you can make up to 45% per survey, later than amount becomes 35%. The reason why they mentioned 45% is because 10% of that is actually from your referrals. Technically, they’re not lying. But I’m not a fan of that sort of doublespeak.
As for the number of surveys you can take, Survey Downline didn’t offer a whole lot. I’m not sure if that’s because the site didn’t get any clients, or because I didn’t qualify for any surveys.
See, you won’t always qualify for surveys on this or other survey sites. That’s because surveys usually target specific demographics or profiles. If you don’t fit their target market, it’s understandable that they wouldn’t make the survey available to you.
Payout Options on Survey Downline
Once you reach a minimum of $20, you can request a payout. You can get your earnings as cash (which is sent via PayPal) or as a variety of gift cards and vouchers. Oh, and take note that payouts are sent twice a month - on the 1st and 16th. It’s kind of like payday.
I’m not a fan of their payout methods. For starters, the minimum payout is too high. When there are few surveys to take, it’ll be a long, slow grind to make $20. And then when you do, you might have to wait for either the start or middle of the month to get your earnings. So their payment system gives you very little flexibility.
How to Join
Registering on Survey Downline is pretty easy - the signup form is built right into the home page. Simply follow the link below:
Homepage: http://www.surveydownline.com
Registration is free, and is open to residents of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Bit of a bummer that they don’t include residents from more countries, though.
You will have to provide your ethnicity, gender, home address, and country when you register. I can’t understand the hesitation the share personal info such as those, but it is required. You need to provide these bits of info so the site can determine your demographic.
You can also delete and cancel your membership at any time. I know that seems like a small thing, but some sites are pretty clingy and won’t let you cancel. The result is your email inbox gets flooded with unwanted emails. But props to Survey Downline for letting you delete your profile any time.
The Verdict: Legit or Scam?
Survey Downline is legit! They have a novel way of paying members. To be honest, it sounds better on paper (er, internet) than in practice. Your earnings will be pretty average here. But hey, average ain’t so bad, right?
Survey Downline Screenshots
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Your Turn
Now it’s your turn to share! Have you tried out Survey Downline? How were your earnings on this site?
Let’s hear your stories!