However, if you want to make money at it, there is some paid online survey information you will need. It can be boiled down to five (5) info packets. Read them, understand them, follow them and you will make money with paid online surveys.

Follow them for your profit and prosperity; ignore them at your peril!


Paid Online Survey Information Packet # 1.: Some surveys are better than others.

All surveys are not created equal. Only about 20-25% of all online surveys could be classified as legitimate paid online surveys that pay well and on time. The rest are just time-wasters and hassle. The challenge will be to find the legitimate ones and avoid the rest, the illegitimate ones!


Paid Online Survey Information Packet #2.: Some survey makers offer legitimate paid online surveys.

Others do not. To find the good surveys (good from the point of view of the survey taker looking to make money), you need to find the good survey makers, the ones that offer legitimate paid online surveys. These will send you good surveys, respect your privacy and will NOT sell or share your demographic data with anyone.


Paid Online Survey Information Packet # 3.: The key to making money is in the list.

To make any money you will need to sign up with many survey makers. You will need a good list of good survey makers. There are many potential sources, basically the paid survey sites and the "free list" survey sites.

You need to understand that there are two ways that suppliers of these lists get paid. They can get paid by membership fees from their members that use their lists, or they can get paid recruiting fees from the survey makers on their lists.

The only source of money for those that offer free lists is the recruiting fees and participations they collect.

The 20% of survey makers that offer legitimate paid online surveys, rarely if ever pay recruiting fees. When they do what they pay is not substantial amounts. They have low turnover amongst their survey participants and do not need to recruit.

The 80% of survey makers that are low-pay/no pay operators are constantly losing participants, as one might imagine would be the case. They have to recruit to replace the dropouts (escapees?) and they pay recruiting fees.

Generally speaking, the lower the amounts paid to survey participants the higher the turnover and the higher recruiting fees these low-pay/no pay survey makers must pay to remain in operation.

The list purveyors are not stupid. Turnover is not their problem, recruiting is. It is better to recruit for someone who pays $10 a head than for someone who only pays $5. And $2 plus a percentage of future paid survey fees is a good deal. So a $10 survey becomes $8 to the participant while $2 goes to the recruiter.

It's better to pay your own guide, and get your list from someone who has a stake in its quality and a downside if it proves to be no good.


Paid Online Survey Information Packet # 4.: Some paid survey sites double dip to your detriment.

Not all paid survey sites resist the temptation to "double dip" and get paid recruiting fees as well as membership fees!

Paid Online Survey Information Packet # 5.: By their refund rates ye shall know them!

You can tell which paid survey sites are doing a good job for their clients, give them a good list so they make money, by looking at their refund rates.

First, ONLY deal with paid survey sites that offer a STRONG 60-90 day money-back guarantee backed up by a bank or financial company like PayPal or ClickBank.

If the paid survey site does not have such a guarantee, won't stand fully behind the service they offer, just say "NO" and keep looking. There are plenty that qualify.

Second, pick one with a low (3-6%) refund rate. Avoid any with refund rates that are either unknown (means "High") or are as high as 9-10%. A low refund rate means happy clients who are making money and were satisfied with the value received. High refund rates mean unhappy clients demanding their money back!

By choosing a paid survey site with a low refund rate, you position yourself to get a good list and be amongst their happy, satisfied clients. And, you don't risk a dime! You have a strong money-back guarantee! Unlimited upside and no downside; best of both worlds.