Best Paid Online Surveys For Students

If you’re looking for ways to make some extra cash during your time at university, completing paid surveys online could be a quick, easy side hustle for you. 

There are many great side hustles for students that you can fit around your studies, but none quite as straightforward as filling out online surveys. 

It’s important to carry out some research before diving in though, as some websites are less reliable than others. 

That’s why we’ve done the hard work for you and compiled a list of some of the best paid online survey websites to get you earning easy cash in no time… 

What are paid online surveys?

Online surveys are essentially questionnaires consisting of a number of questions based on a specific topic that you can complete in exchange for a small cash reward or other incentive. 

You’ll be rewarded for giving your honest opinion, with businesses and organisations using surveys to gain feedback and insight that can help to improve their operations and uncover development opportunities. 

From Apple to Starbucks, companies rely on market research to inform their decisions!

Are online surveys safe?

While there are plenty of legitimate paid online surveys carried out by companies for market research, it’s important to be cautious as there are some scam websites out there that can either fail to pay out or use surveys to steal your details and data. 

Some red flags to look out for before completing online paid surveys include:

• Do not pay anything to join a survey site - if you’re asked to pay money to begin completing surveys, these are most likely scam sites

• Never provide confidential information such as your national insurance number, bank details or driver’s licence details

• Look out for information regarding the payments or reward structure - if the website neglects to explain how the payment for surveys works, it’s likely that they have no intention of paying out

With this in mind, there are still tons of paid online surveys out there that are perfectly safe and will help you to earn a little extra cash. 

Best paid online survey websites

1. Ipsos i-Say

i-Say is one of the biggest online survey websites and is also one of the best paying. 

You won’t be short of surveys to complete and can expect both cash and gift card rewards! 

Benefits of i-Say include:

• Rewards include cash, gift cards or even charity donations

• You can typically expect to be able to cash out after completing 10 surveys

• Earn between 5p and £1.80 per survey

2. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is owned by DISQO, a trusted company in the market research industry.

Benefits of Survey Junkie include:

• It's free to sign up 

• You’ll receive a 25p bonus for signing up

• You can earn points even if you don’t qualify for a survey

• Low payout threshold

3. Branded Surveys

Branded Surveys is another tried-and-tested survey site, with new surveys always on offer. 

It’s one of the easier online survey sites with regards to building up points quickly, and the payment threshold is very reasonable. 

Benefits of Branded Surveys include:

• You can take part in a daily poll which can result in extra bonuses and points if you remember to complete them each day

• You’ll receive 35p on average per survey completed

• You can meet the payout threshold in a couple of days 

4. Curious Cat 

Curious Cat is an app rather than a website but functions in the same way, allowing you to earn cash and other rewards for completing surveys. 

Benefits of Curious Cat include:

• The app pays out instantly to PayPal and only requires that you earn 100 points before being able to cash out 

• You’ll receive points if you click on a survey but don’t qualify for it 

• You’ll earn on average 65p for a 10-minute survey, equating to around £4 per hour

5. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is another favourite amongst online survey enthusiasts, offering rewards in the form of cash, gift cards and coupons. 

Benefits of Swagbucks include:

• Earn points not only for answering surveys, but also for carrying out every day tasks such as shopping online, playing video games, searching online 

• Offers plenty of surveys each day

• You can cash out once you've earned as little as £1

6. OnePoll

OnePoll is renowned for offering fun, quick surveys, meaning this is one of the best online survey sites for when you're short on time but still want to earn a little cash.

Benefits of OnePoll include:

• Surveys take minimal time to complete, meaning you can easily whizz through them

• OnePoll runs polls for the press, so you can expect to be asked questions on everything from your favourite celebs to your opinions on pub quizzes

• There is a relatively high withdrawal threshold (£30) and payment per survey can be quite low, however thanks to how quickly the surveys take to complete, it's still worth it

7. Opinium

Great for those interested in politics and social issues, Opinium is a popular survey platform if you want to be questioned on interesting topics.

Benefits of Opinium include:

• Surveys are typically short

• Opinium very rarely disqualifies people from taking the survey

• Typical pay per survey is 50p

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