Paid Surveys: A Job Or A Scam?
by Tricia Hardy
Nowadays it is common to see advertisements about starting a home business on the internet. One of the ways which is preferred by people who wish to work from home is taking surveys in front of their computer at home. Is it really possible to earn a full time income by filling in survey on the net? Not likely, but you can earn a decent supplemental income if you do it right.
A way of taking paid surveys as a source of income is to look for lists of surveys from different companies, posted online. Some of these sites require you to pay a membership fee before accessing the list of survey companies. These sites claim that they are providing exclusive surveys for their members, some participants report that it is just a scam.
Some sites give away a free list of companies that need surveys to be done. Before you can get access to that list, they will likely request you to register by providing basic information about yourself. Therefore, find a site that you are comfortable with before taking the paid surveys.
Surveys from these sites originated from companies needing market research about their products and services. Any given survey make be related to a product, service, or a business idea. You won't qualify for all of the surveys offered by a company because they are interested in certain target populations. Selection of participants may be based on age, gender, geographic location, lifestyle, or a number of other criteria.
After you start taking paid surveys, you may ask, "How much can I earn?" It may be possible for you to earn $100 on some days, but it is highly unlikely to earn that every day. Many of the surveys pay you only a few dollars, at least in the beginning, before they find out if you're a serious survey taker. So don't expect $100 a day. At least not at first.
Even in the beginning though, paid surveys can still bring in a little extra money. Usually, you can retrieve your payment once you have reached the minimum amount for cash out (usually around $25 or so). You may be paid by different ways, usually you will be paid by check or bank deposit.
While you are on your way searching for work at home jobs that are legal, it is not uncommon to find many websites that are simple scams and will waste your money. Be cautious when the site claims that you can earn a lot within a short period of time. Walk away from schemes that require a significant investment (over $100) for accessing information.
It may help you to learn that you really can earn a few dollars by taking paid surveys online, but it is highly unlikely to provide a living for you. Expect to earn a few hundred a month as a supplement, and beware of internet scams when choosing which survey site to join.