General
Rules & FAQ
♦ This
segment of my blog contains basic, most relevant information
about paid online surveys for money. Understanding and following simple rules should
assure long and productive interaction between you as a panelist and any legitimate
paid surveys panel currently operating on the internet and
offering paid surveys to its members.
"All
content included within the surveys, such as cards, text, graphics, photos,
products, audio clips, etc. is the exclusive property of Research Company or
its sponsoring client and is protected by U.S. and international copyright
laws. You may not copy, modify, publish, transmit, participate into another
website, or in any other way exploit any of the content, in whole or in part,
without the specific permission of Research Company or its sponsoring
client."
Users must NOT
create more than ONE account per person, nor may they create more than ONE
account per household.
♦ From the perspective of experienced panelist one, and the most
important, advice I can give you is "be patient". Online surveys are
a numbers game and a time game. To be successful in it, you need to not
worry about any waiting periods associated with taking paid surveys
online. I have seen way too many negative comments about my favorite,
legitimate paid surveys panels, that were just unjustified.
If
you are reading this you are ahead of many panelist that started up with the
wrong expectations and most often wrong or simply outdated information.
♦ If
you will be consistent in taking online surveys that are provided by legitimate
survey sites, your checks will become regular after about 6-8 weeks. Then you
won't even think about it (or at least you shouldn't). You shouldn't hustle a particular survey site about some
particular survey, because at the end, its not necessary (and very unwise).
I occasionally had survey rewards showing up in my account after over 8
weeks. Funny part, I totally forgot about the survey. Last thing you
need is stress and I am here to help you avoid it. It might seem difficult,
but the simple way to put it is "pick and complete surveys offering best
rewards daily and move on to the next day....then repeat". Checks will
catch up shortly and they will keep coming long after you stop taking any surveys.
It's online panelist reality and you must make peace with it to become
successful. If you will follow my advice and recommendations, you will
get paid to take surveys, and you will get paid well!
Here
are some frequently asked questions about paid online surveys:
How
much will I be paid for completing a survey?
Reward
amount varies. It is a general rule that survey invitations must contain
clear payment information along with time needed for completion.
Incentives can offer as little as $1 or as much as $400 (focus groups).
Some surveys offer merchandise, free samples or sweepstake entries as a
reward. In my opinion your time is too valuable to settle just for a chance to
get paid. You should stick to surveys that pay you for your time. I am no
one's advocate but I believe that mutual respect is the only way for
a long and productive relationship between a research company and its
panelists.
When
will my account get credited after I complete the survey?
If
the survey has been completed there should be no problem with your account
being credited. Most often, survey sites will wait to show the credit
after the survey has ended and the data has been received. Some sites will show
your reward as "Pending" until your survey participation is validated
and the data has been verified. Once the results get reviewed and confirmed,
the status of that survey will change to "Earned".
As
long as you were 100% done with the study, the credit to your account shouldn't
take more than 4-6 weeks after the survey you have taken has officially closed.
You can make a note of the date and time of completion along with the
subject matter of the survey if you wish.
Why
does it take so long sometimes to receive the credit?
Aside
from their own market studies Survey Panels very often partner with other
research companies. If the panel you are a member of is conducting the
research, the credit to your account usually doesn't take so long. A study
hosted by a third party (other survey panel) takes much longer to show up
in your account. This is because your panel has to wait for
the hosting panel to submit and confirm your participation
How
do I check my earnings?
To
check your account balance you must visit the survey panel website and log into
the members' area. There you will find your current balance and/or rewards.
How
do I retrieve rewards from the survey panel account?
Legitimate
paid surveys sites have member areas with clear and detailed information on how
to retrieve your earned rewards. Generally, you must earn a certain dollar
amount called "payout threshold" before you can redeem your earnings.
$10 dollars is the most common threshold amount.
I
live outside the U.S. or Canada. "How will I get paid and do I need to
have U.S. dollar account?"
Survey
panels accepting panelists worldwide will pay international participants in a
form that can be cashed in their country. For instance GlobalTestMarket and
American Consumer Opinion will mail you a check in your country's currency. If
the given panel cannot produce a check in your local currency, it will usually
issue an electronic gift certificate that can be used in your country. Most
panels (if not all of them by now) offer payments to their members via PayPal.
What
are the payment forms used by Survey Panels?
Each
Survey Panel that you join has their own method of payment and they usually
include (not limited to) checks, PayPal transfers and gift certificates.
What
is PayPal and how do I use it to receive my earnings?
PayPal
is an online account that allows you to receive and send money electronically.
Accounts are free to set up and offer a safe and fast way to send and receive
money online. Once you set up a PayPal account you can link it to your
bank account (it is possible to transfer money to and from your PayPal
account). PayPal account is very convenient and can be used to pay at most
online retailers. You can find more information about PayPal by visiting their
website at PayPal.com
Most
survey companies offer the option to receive earnings via PayPal, so it is a
good idea to have one. It will enable you to get your incentives much faster.
In fact, some survey panels offer PayPal as the only method to receive cash
payments. Once you receive your earnings you can keep it there for future
online purchases or you can transfer the money to your bank account.
Do
I need to include my online earnings in my tax return?
If
you are a U.S. citizen survey panels will treat you as an independent
contractor and as a result no income taxes are withheld from your payments.
However if you are paid more than $600 in a year by any given survey panel, and
you live in the U.S., the survey panel will send you a 1099 tax form.
You must include these payments as "miscellaneous income" on your tax
return.
If
you live outside the United States you will need to consult an accountant to
get the answer to how this applies to your location. U.S. based survey panels
are only obligated to send you a 1099 MISC tax form if you earned more
than $600 with their panel. Since each survey panel is a separate corporate
entity, your earnings from each panel are treated separate, so if you earn $300
from panel A and $400 from panel B, chances are you will not receive a 1099 tax
form. The $600 rule states that the survey panel is not required to file a 1099
MISC with the IRS. However, it is your sole obligation to report all
taxable income on your tax return.
This
information is based on my basic understanding of tax laws, and since I am
not a professional accountant, it is always a good idea to consult with a tax
professional when making tax preparation decisions.
