What Is Survey Junkie and Is It Legit?
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You won't get rich taking online surveys. However, if your time is limited and you just want to earn some extra spending money while watching Netflix or waiting in line at the grocery store, then Survey Junkie can help you accomplish that.
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If you’ve read other Survey Junkie reviews, you’ve likely heard that it’s a great way to make “easy money” online. And while that may be partly true, that doesn’t mean it’s a good fit for everyone.
For example, if your goal is to make a lot of money, save for a major goal like buying a house, or if you’re looking for a way to make ends meet, then taking online surveys might not be your best option.
However, if your time is limited and you want to earn some extra spending money while riding the subway to work, watching Netflix, or waiting in line at the grocery store, then Survey Junkie may help you accomplish that.
What Is Survey Junkie?
Survey Junkie is a free online community that pays its users for completing online surveys. According to the site, its mission is to “connect your voice to big brands — helping shape our world.”
In other words, well-known companies pay Survey Junkie to research their target audience and test new product ideas. That way they don’t waste money creating products and services that may fail. You get to help shape product ideas, and in return for your help, Survey Junkie passes along some of its earnings to you.
Survey Junkie offers a simple way to take paid online surveys. Most surveys take 1-20 minutes and are worth 10-90 points. Once you reach a minimum of 1,000 points, you can redeem your earnings for PayPal cash or electronic gift cards.
Show Hide moreIs Survey Junkie Legit?
First, let’s discuss what makes a survey site legitimate: a positive history, real ways to earn money, and no shady tactics.
Survey Junkie was founded in 2011 in Glendale, CA. The company is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and currently has a B rating.[1] According to the BBB website, the reason for its rating is that it has over 280 complaints from customers, all of which appear to be resolved.
It also has a 4.5-star rating on Trustpilot. With a combined total of more than 12,800 reviews, Survey Junkie has an overall positive track record.
Its website honestly states, “You will NOT get rich by taking surveys,” and thousands of users report earning real money with its surveys.
How much does Survey Junkie pay?
Surveys typically pay between $0.50 and $3 each. If you qualify for and complete three surveys each week, then you could earn an easy $1.50 to $12 per month for a few minutes of your time. If you qualify for the occasional product testing or focus group, then you could make an additional $5 to $150 for each one you participate in.
There’s no way to accurately determine the number of surveys you’ll qualify for or how much money you can make. It depends on your demographic information, the companies Survey Junkie is working with, and the products and services it’s testing.
Based on this information, Survey Junkie is a legitimate way to make extra money in your spare time, especially if you don’t have much time to dedicate to a side hustle and you like sharing your opinions.
Is Survey Junkie safe?
Just because a site like Survey Junkie is legitimate doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe. However, Survey Junkie is both.
Survey Junkie aggregates user responses before sharing them with third parties. According to its privacy policy, “Aggregated data does not include personally identifiable information.” That means your name, email, and other personal information won’t be passed on to third parties.
If you’re concerned about sharing your bank information to transfer your earnings to your account, then you can opt for secure payment through PayPal or an e-gift card instead.
How Does Survey Junkie Work?
Now that you know Survey Junkie is legit and how you can earn money, let’s talk about the specifics: how to sign up, earn Survey Junkie rewards, and redeem them for cash and gift cards.
Create your free Survey Junkie login
Signing up with Survey Junkie is free and only takes a few minutes. You can use your Facebook or Google account to create your Survey Junkie login or manually enter your email. Within a few minutes, you should receive an email to confirm your new account. Then you can log in to Survey Junkie and start earning rewards.
Earn Survey Junkie rewards points
Survey Junkie offers several ways to earn rewards. You can complete your profile questionnaires, take paid surveys, phone surveys, test products, or join online and in-person focus groups.
The estimated potential earnings cited below are based on a combination of factors including our personal experience, what Survey Junkie claims you will earn, and the experiences of other Survey Junkie users. Actual earnings may vary.
Take surveys
How Much You Can Earn: 1 – 150 points (1,000 points = $10 USD)
The main way to earn rewards with Survey Junkie is by completing online surveys. When you log in to your Survey Junkie account, your available surveys will be listed on your dashboard. Each listing includes the number of points the questionnaire is worth and how long it should take to complete.
Selecting a survey from this dashboard redirects you to a third-party site. Each client that hires Survey Junkie has a slightly different site: how it looks, how it asks questions, etc.
The first screen typically asks qualifying questions to confirm that you match the survey demographics. If you do, you’ll see a message with an invitation to participate.
If you don’t qualify, Survey Junkie typically awards you a few points for answering the screening questions. Similarly, if you do qualify but the survey already has enough participants, you’ll still get a few points for trying.
When new surveys become available, Survey Junkie will send an email to let you know. It includes the time it should take and the number of points you can earn so you don’t have to visit the site to decide if it’s worth it.
Related: 18 Best Places to Take Paid Online Surveys
Complete phone surveys
How Much You Can Earn: $5 – $100
Phone surveys work similarly to the online questionnaires, except they’re done over the phone with a researcher. First, you’ll be invited to complete a short survey online. Then a researcher will call and ask you about your experience with the product or service.
These aren’t available often — typically once a month or less.
Test products
How Much You Can Earn: $5 – $50
Product-testing opportunities are available once a month or less depending on whether or not you qualify for current studies. If you’re chosen to test a product, you’ll first complete a brief online survey.
Once you finish, you’ll receive a free product in the mail to use and keep. After a set amount of time, Survey Junkie will ask you to complete a more in-depth survey about the product and your experience using it.
Join focus groups
How Much You Can Earn: $25 – $150
Focus groups are conducted both in person and online. Similar to other opportunities available on Survey Junkie, you’ll first need to complete a short survey. If you qualify, you’ll receive an invitation to the panel.
For online focus groups, you may need a webcam in order to participate. You’ll agree to a set time, then have a call to discuss the product or service with other users. Both in-person and online focus groups take place once a month or less, and they’re the highest-earning opportunity available with Survey Junkie.
Add the Survey Junkie Pulse browser extension
You can earn additional points by installing the Survey Junkie Pulse browser extension and leaving it installed for at least 30 days. SJ Pulse analyzes your search history and connects you with additional surveys based on your interests.
Once you install the SJ Pulse extension, browse as you normally would. You’ll receive a notification as soon as a new survey opportunity becomes available.
The Survey Junkie site and SJ Pulse operate independently. Therefore, you won’t see the same surveys on both platforms.
The extension doesn’t collect personal information such as bank details or passwords, and you don’t need to be logged into your Survey Junkie account to use it.
Related: 16 Best Cash-Back Apps and Browser Extensions You Need to Have
Redeem your rewards
Your points appear on the left-hand side of your account. You can click “lifetime points” to view your earning history and see how many points you have left to earn before you can redeem them for Survey Junkie rewards.
Every 1,000 points you earn with Survey Junkie is worth $10. Once you reach at least 1,000 points, you can cash out through PayPal, exchange your points for e-gift cards, or transfer your earnings straight to your bank account. E-gift cards and bank transfers are available to U.S. participants only.
If you choose an e-gift card, you can only redeem your rewards in $5 increments. To redeem your rewards via PayPal or a bank transfer, you’ll need to cash in your entire earnings. You can’t receive partial payouts.
Your gift cards will never expire, so you can use them whenever you want.
The Survey Junkie app
If you prefer to take surveys and earn your rewards on the go, you’ll want to download the Survey Junkie app. Like the website, the app is intuitive and easy to use.
The navigation menu is the same. You can take surveys, view your points, watch tutorials, read FAQs, and update your profile questionnaires all from the Survey Junkie app.
Benefits of Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie’s intuitive interface, helpful FAQs, and email notifications make it is an easy way to earn some extra money.
Simple and easy to use
Some survey sites offer a variety of different ways to earn points, like watching videos or playing games. Survey Junkie is straightforward: complete surveys, earn rewards. The conversion is simple as well; every 1,000 points is worth $10.
Unlike many survey sites, Survey Junkie also has a clean, intuitive interface that’s easy to use. Even if you’ve never signed up for an online survey site before, it won’t take long to learn your way around the platform. Additionally, you don’t need any special skills or software to complete online surveys, making it an accessible way for most people to earn extra money.
Email notifications
When you qualify for new survey opportunities, Survey Junkie will notify you via email. This makes it so you don’t have to worry about constantly checking your account or missing a chance to earn rewards.
If you complete the screening questions and don’t qualify, or if the survey is already full, then you’ll still earn a few points — you’ll never walk away empty-handed.
Flexible rewards options
You have three options for cashing in your Survey Junkie rewards:
- PayPal
- Bank transfer
- Electronic gift cards
Other sites may require payment by a check in the mail or e-gift card. But with Survey Junkie, you get to choose the option that’s most convenient for you.
Relatively low payout threshold
You need $5 in points in order to cash out your earnings with Survey Junkie. That’s on the lower end compared to other common survey sites. While some only require $3 or $5 to redeem rewards, others have a minimum payout of $20 or even $50.
For many new members, it shouldn’t take longer than two or three months to reach the payout threshold. Others may take less than a month.
Good customer service
If you have a question, Survey Junkie makes it easy to ask for help. Just click “help” on the top navigation bar and you’ll be taken to its frequently asked questions page.
Questions are broken up into categories such as membership, surveys, points, and redemption. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, click the “customer support” link below the FAQs to fill out a short form. Someone from the Survey Junkie team will reach out to you within 48 hours.
Drawbacks of Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie isn’t right for everyone. Here are the things that might hold you back.
Redundant questions
As with most survey sites, you’ll probably answer the same types of questions over and over. Some of this can be avoided by accurately completing your profile information. However, you may end up answering the same questions multiple times only to find you don’t qualify for certain surveys.
May not qualify for surveys
According to Survey Junkie, members typically qualify for 1 out of 4 surveys. That means you’ll probably spend a fair amount of time answering qualifying questions and being turned away anyway.
You’ll still earn a few points, usually between 1 and 4, even if you don’t get to participate in the survey. That’s the equivalent of $0.01 to $0.04.
If you don’t fit the consumer profile it’s looking for, then you may qualify for even fewer surveys. You could go for days or even weeks without receiving a new survey opportunity.
User complaints
The most common complaints users have about Survey Junkie involve difficulties cashing out their earnings. For some, it’s because Survey Junkie couldn’t verify their identity. Some users say they tried to cash out their earnings but never received a gift card. Others complain that their account was marked as fraudulent and they were banned from the site.
The best way to prevent being flagged for fraud is to provide consistent answers in all your responses. If your profile says you make $50,000 to $60,000 per year, but you respond to a survey that you make $70,000 to $80,000 per year, Survey Junkie may catch the discrepancy and think you’re trying to game the system.
Remember, Survey Junkie is a legitimate company. If you have trouble redeeming your earnings, reach out to customer support and ask for help. You should hear back within 48 hours.
Limited earning potential
As is the case with any survey site, you won’t get rich using Survey Junkie. It’s very upfront about this fact on its site. There are lots of ways to make money online that pay more than surveys.
However, if you’re looking for a way to earn some cash for extra spending money, surveys can still be a good option.
Related: Branded Surveys Review: A Closer Look at Safety, Payouts, Promos, and More
Survey Junkie Review in Summary: Is it Worth Your Time?
One of the most common complaints about survey sites is that the payouts aren’t worth the time spent completing surveys. But it really depends on the number of surveys you qualify for, your goals, and what you think your time is worth.
If you need to make money fast or want to earn a few hundred dollars per month, you won’t accomplish either by taking online surveys. However, if you just want an easy way to make a few extra dollars while watching TV or on your lunch break at work, then you might find Survey Junkie to be well worth the minimal effort required.
While it won’t allow you to quit your day job, Survey Junkie is a safe and legitimate way to make a little extra money each month. It’s free to sign up, so you don’t lose any money if it doesn’t work out. If you find that Survey Junkie isn’t a good fit, then you can easily unsubscribe from the emails or contact customer support to permanently delete your account.
Survey Junkie offers a simple way to take paid online surveys. Most surveys take 1-20 minutes and are worth 10-90 points. Once you reach a minimum of 1,000 points, you can redeem your earnings for PayPal cash or electronic gift cards.
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