There are numerous online market research companies, focus groups, and survey sites now available as an alternative way to earn cash. You may be wondering if it’s possible to actually earn money with surveys like those available on the Survey Junkie site.
After hearing about this survey site and having tried many others, I thought I’d test it out for a few months to see how it compared to other survey sites. My Survey Junkie review covers how it works, how to qualify to complete survey requests, how much the survey site pays, and the good and bad aspects of the program.
What is Survey Junkie?
Survey Junkie, whose operations began in 2013, is a survey firm that is part of Blue Media Ventures. It works with various companies to get consumer input on various products and services. Then, these brands can make improvements or create something new and relevant for their customers.
Survey Junkie now has over 10 million members who earn points. These members also have money deposited in their PayPal account or receive gift cards for taking surveys and sharing their opinion. You can be a member of Survey Junkie if you live in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, or New Zealand. In addition, you must be 13 years of age or older.
When I did research on Survey Junkie before I joined, I checked out TrustPilot, which offers reviews from other survey site users. There were nearly 10,500 reviews of Survey Junkie with an average of four out of five stars. Of those who left a review, 67 percent thought the site was excellent and 20 percent thought it was great. TrustPilot’s trust score for them was 8.6 out of 10. The company also has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
How does Survey Junkie work?
It was easy to create an account. I clicked on the “Join Now” button on their website. Here, I could opt to join by giving them my email address or by connecting my Facebook profile.
Once I did that, I created my profile and filled in some settings information. The site makes it optional to give them information like your home address, phone number, PayPal email address, and e-gift card email address. The only required information is your name and zip code.
From there, I logged into my account to see what surveys were available. I also received email alerts when there were new surveys available with a link in the email that would take me right to my account dashboard.
Each survey listed notes an approximate amount of time it would take to complete, and the number of points earned. For example, a survey that takes approximately six minutes earns me 30 points. Or, a survey that takes me under a half hour can earn me between 50 and 160 points.
How do you qualify for surveys?
When I created my profile, there were several short, intuitive surveys available. These help Survey Junkie connect you with surveys that are relevant to your interests. The short profile surveys included a general profile, technology profile, shopping profile, health profile, household profile, interests profile, and travel profile. It took me a few minutes to take each one and further customize the surveys I could qualify for.
I realized that taking these demographic surveys saved me time in the future because I was pre-qualified for surveys. Therefore, the company’s learning algorithm connected me to surveys I could take so I could earn more points. Also, these short demographic profile surveys earned me 10 points each.
How much does Survey Junkie pay?
The primary way to make money is by taking surveys, but the company does also offer participation in local and virtual focus groups. You can also make money with Survey Junkie by becoming an affiliate. This involves earning a commission by driving traffic to their website. This would be possible if you also worked in the digital marketing world as a freelancer.
In terms of pay rates, every point is the equivalent of one cent. Therefore, a survey that gets you 25 points earns you 25 cents. Or, if it is 100 points, you get $1. I haven’t participated directly in a focus group since I have not qualified for any. I heard from others in forums that focus groups pay considerably more for your time. However, no one has stated an exact amount they earned for each focus group.
How does Survey Junkie pay?
You can redeem the points for cash by requesting payment via your PayPal account. Or, you can choose from a wide range of e-gift cards. These include Amazon, Walmart, Starbucks, and Target.
Although I didn’t personally experience how quick it was to get a payout, the reviews on TrustPilot noted that redemption took about an hour. After that, payment to PayPal or via e-gift card occurred within minutes thereafter.
The good and bad of Survey Junkie
The good part about Survey Junkie is that it delivers on what it promises. You can make some money to put towards your credit card bills, savings or a vacation. It’s free to join and easy to use. The dashboard is also easy to navigate, so I can always see how many points I have and what those points equate to in terms of dollars.
Also, the payment options are useful, including retailers where many people like myself typically shop. Although I have used other sites that give me different ways to earn money, I enjoy the simplicity of what Survey Junkie offers over the complexity of other survey sites.
Another good thing about this survey company is the amount of assistance they provide. Although the site is very easy to use, I did check out their help desk, which offered a content-rich FAQs section as well as numerous ways to reach out to customer support. To test it out, I contacted them with a question and received a fast response.
Disadvantages of Survey Junkie
On the flip side, there are some disadvantages to using Survey Junkie. You must have at least $10 in your account before you can redeem the money you earned towards PayPal or gift cards. That is the equivalent of 1,000 points, which I am about to reach after a few months of taking a few surveys a week. There is no sign-up bonus for joining the free site.
I also noticed that surveys filled up quickly and then disappeared off my list. That means it’s important to check the website often. However, because I have other work, this wasn’t something I could always do. Those who have more time to devote to the survey site may be able to take more surveys. The company gave me a couple of points for trying to join a survey, only to find it filled up. While it was only two points, it was better than nothing.
Each survey doesn’t give you any description about what it is before clicking on it and joining. There were some that were interesting, but many bordered on boring.
Survey Junkie doesn’t have an app
On the tech side, Survey Junkie did not have an app, which was disappointing. Instead, I had to access everything from my laptop or desktop computer. In the evening and on-the-go, I’d rather use my smartphone or tablet to take these surveys.
The best strategy for Survey Junkie is to take surveys with the highest points potential. Typically, I’ve been able to take these in a shorter amount of time than they estimate. This has helped me grow my points balance faster.
Overall thoughts
While you can get some extra cash taking online surveys through Survey Junkie, it’s not something that you can do full time to cover all your monthly expenses. However, it offers a transparent explanation of how to take surveys to earn points. It is a legitimate company that offers decent redemption options.
I liked taking their surveys while I was watching TV, traveling, or waiting for an appointment. I wasn’t doing anything so I might as well earn a little cash. Plus, I felt like it was a way to get my voice heard when it came to different products and services. Overall, it’s ideal for someone who has free time and is happy to earn gift cards or a little extra cash.
