Make Money Side Hustles

Branded Surveys Review [2024]: Easy Pay for My Opinion

I tested out Branded Surveys to see if you can really earn meaningful money for sharing your opinion. Here's how much I made and what the experience was like.

Updated June 17, 2024
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Branded Surveys

OUR VIEW

After diving into Branded Surveys, I found it's an easy, low-effort way to earn a little extra spending money on the side. The surveys were straightforward, and I could complete them while watching TV or waiting in line.

While I don’t see it making me rich anytime soon, Branded Surveys is a reputable platform that pays you real cash via PayPal or gift cards for your opinions.

In a few hours of casual survey-taking, I earned 1,575 points, which is equal to $15.75. The time and effort required were similar to other paid survey sites I've tried. If you enjoy taking online surveys and are willing to put in consistent effort, it's a solid choice.

Pros

Wide variety of gift cards and cash payout options
Low $10 minimum to cash out your earnings
Large selection of simple opinion surveys
Clean and intuitive interface
Earn bonus points through loyalty program and leaderboards

Cons

It can take a few days for points to appear in your account
Like most survey sites, some users report being frequently disqualified from surveys
Only available in the U.S., UK, and Canada
Limited earning potential for casual users
How we evaluate products

My experience with Branded Surveys

Signing up for Branded Surveys was simple — I provided my email address, created a password, and answered some basic demographic questions to fill out my profile. This helps match you to relevant surveys. Just for signing up and confirming my email, I earned 100 points right off the bat.

Right away, I could see dozens of survey opportunities on my dashboard. Each one showed the estimated time to complete, from 5 to 20 minutes, and the number of points it paid.

The dashboard is easy to navigate and clearly displays your point balance, current badge level, and available surveys.

I also like that each survey shows the survey topic, the estimated time to complete it, and how many points you'll earn upfront, so there's full transparency.

branded surveys example of survey topic and length

I started with a 5-minute survey about my TV-watching habits that paid 50 points. The questions were easy multiple-choice, asking what streaming services I use, how many hours of TV I watch, etc. 

After that, I did a few more 10 to 15-minute surveys about consumer products, advertising, and shopping behaviors. Those paid 100-150 points each.

branded surveys completed survey notice

You can click on your points at any time to see how many have been approved. I noticed some took a few days to show up in my account, and I’ve seen reviews from other users complaining about this. However, this is the norm with any survey site, and some take much longer than Branded Surveys.

branded surveys list of points

Like every survey site I’ve tried, I'd get kicked out of a survey occasionally (it happened more frequently when I first started) for not qualifying, which was a bit annoying. But I still got a few points as a thank you for trying.

Deal
Using the app on my phone had the added benefit of receiving survey notifications directly, so I didn’t have to check my email or miss out on higher-paying surveys that filled up before I could get to them.

After a few hours spread over a few days, I earned 1,575 points. My only real complaint is that a few times, the app froze up on me mid-survey. But closing and re-opening it seemed to resolve the issue.

I quickly cashed out my earnings via PayPal when I hit the 1000-point minimum. My request was approved one day later, and my earnings showed up in my account the day after.

Overall, it was an easy, low-pressure way to make some extra fun money. I like that Branded Surveys offers so many different gift card options, too, since I frequently shop on Amazon.

Tip
The key is being patient and persistent. The earnings may seem small, but they add up with consistent effort over time.

How much can you earn with Branded Surveys?

From my experience and other reviews, most people report earning between $0.50 to $3 per survey, with each taking 10-20 minutes on average. Assuming an average of $1.50 per 15-minute survey, you could make around $6 per hour.

You'd need to complete 67 surveys to make $100 at that rate. Here's about what you could expect to earn based on your time commitment:

  • 1 survey per day (15 min): $45/month
  • 4 surveys per day (1 hour): $180/month
  • 10 surveys per day (2.5 hours): $450/month

So, for very part-time survey-taking, an extra $50-$200 per month seems realistic. To earn more, you'd need to invest significant time daily.

Branded Surveys claims some top users make $500-$1000 monthly. But as the calculations show, that requires hours of surveys every day, almost like a part-time job.

There's no cost to sign up for Branded Surveys. But to maximize earnings, complete your profile surveys so you get matched to more opportunities.

You can also earn bonus points by getting to Silver and Gold membership tiers and ranking on the leaderboards (more on that in a moment).

Tip
I’d recommend combining Branded Surveys with a few other paid survey sites like Kashkick, InboxDollars, and Survey Junkie to maximize rewards. InboxDollars and Kashkick offer other ways to earn besides surveys, which can help keep things interesting.

How to maximize your Branded Surveys earnings

As with any side hustle, you can earn more with Branded Surveys if you set aside some focused time and take advantage of any incentives that are offered. Here’s what you need to know:

  • Become a Branded Elite member. You can advance through Bronze, Silver, and Gold badge levels as you take surveys throughout the month. You have to meet the minimum survey requirements each month to keep your badge through the next month.
    • Complete 2 surveys per calendar month for Bronze
    • Complete 10 surveys per calendar month for Silver
    • Complete 25 surveys per calendar month for Gold
  • Complete at least 12 surveys per week. As a Branded Elite badge member, you can earn a weekly bonus when you complete 12, 20, or 30 surveys per week (Monday-Sunday)
    • Complete 12 surveys per week, you can earn a 5% bonus as a Bronze member, a 10% bonus as a Silver member, and a 15% bonus as a Gold member.
    • Complete 20 surveys per week, you can earn a 12% bonus as a Silver member and a 17% bonus as a Gold member.
    • Complete 30 surveys per week, you can earn a 14% bonus as a Silver member and a 19% bonus as a Gold member.
  • Invite your friends. You’ll receive an extra 50 points at any badge level once a friend you referred reaches Silver status.
  • Get on the Branded Leaderboard. Users who complete the most surveys and make it onto the Branded leaderboard in the daily top 50, weekly top 50, or monthly top 20 will earn an additional 50 to 300 points. Plus, completing more surveys means you’ll also be more likely to win random prize drawings, which can be worth up to 1,000 points.

On your dashboard, you’ll be able to see how many more points you need to cash out, as well as identify your tier and see new survey opportunities:

Branded Surveys Review

To sum it up:

  1. Reach Silver & Gold membership by completing at least 10-25 surveys per month to earn bonus points on top of regular payouts
  2. Rank in the daily top 50 users to earn 50 points, weekly top 50 to earn 100 points, and monthly top 20 to earn 300 points
  3. Aim for 12+ surveys per week to earn between 12-19% bonus points as a Branded Elite member
  4. Refer friends to earn 50 points every time one reaches Silver status
  5. Take higher-paying surveys with better time-to-point ratios
  6. Complete profile surveys for bonus points and better matching
  7. Check for new opportunities frequently, as high-paying surveys fill up fast

How to get paid

You can keep taking surveys until you have enough points to cash out. You’ll need 1,000 points to claim your rewards, which is worth $10. From there, you can choose how you want to get paid. Branded Surveys has a ton of payment method options, including:

  • Bank transfer, a withdrawal option for quick direct deposits
  • PayPal
  • Visa prepaid card
  • Dozens of gift card options (including Amazon)
  • Charity donations

Keep in mind that it can take one to two business days for your payout request to be approved. But once approved, that money will be in your bank account 24-48 hours later.

Who can use Branded Surveys?

Anyone 16 or older in the U.S., Canada, or the UK can join Branded Surveys and start earning. You don't need special skills, just a willingness to share your honest opinions. Having a computer or phone with reliable internet access is also required.

FAQs

Is Branded Surveys legit?

Yes. After trying the site, I can say that Branded Surveys (part of Branded Research, Inc.) is a legitimate paid survey site. The signup process was easy, and I completed surveys, earned points, and cashed out my earnings without any issues.

I haven’t encountered any technical problems or red flags that made me question the site's legitimacy. Branded Surveys has also paid out over $19 million to its members to date and currently has a 4.1/5 rating on Trustpilot with largely positive reviews from other users who have successfully earned and redeemed points.

How much is 1,000 points on Branded Surveys?

One thousand points is worth $10 on Branded Surveys. That means every point you earn is worth 1 cent. 

The number of points you can earn on each survey will vary depending on its length and the time you are estimated to spend on it.

How many points do you need to cash out on Branded Surveys?

You’ll need to earn 1,000 points to cash out on Branded Surveys. You can redeem your points for a direct deposit, PayPal cash, or Visa prepaid card. You can also choose from a broad selection of gift cards or charity donations.

Other survey sites to consider

Other survey sites to consider If you'd like to expand your paid survey opportunities beyond just Branded Surveys, popular alternatives worth considering include:

  • Swagbucks: Earn rewards for taking surveys, playing games, shopping online, and more. You can cash out via PayPal or gift cards starting at just $1.
  • Survey Junkie: A top pick for higher-paying surveys, with a low $5 minimum payout and payments available via PayPal, direct deposit, or e-gift cards.
  • InboxDollars: Earn money for surveys, reading emails, playing games, and more. Get a $5 bonus for signing up.

Combining a few different sites is a smart way to maximize your survey earnings. But even on its own, Branded Surveys is a good choice for an easy side hustle.

Bottom line

Overall, I found Branded Surveys a straightforward way to make a little extra money by sharing my opinion. While you won't be drowning in cash after taking a few surveys, the low payout minimum and variety of reward options make it worth considering if you enjoy taking online surveys.

The key is staying consistent and aiming to hit the weekly bonus opportunities when possible. Cashouts are reliable, if a bit slow, so some patience is required. But if you have some free time to kill and want to monetize it productively, Branded Surveys is a solid option.

Wide variety of gift cards and cash payout options
Low $10 minimum to cash out your earnings
Large selection of simple opinion surveys
Clean and intuitive interface
Earn bonus points through loyalty program and leaderboards

Author Details

Gabriela Walsh

Gabriela Walsh uses her keen eye for detail and draws upon her academic background in literary research to ensure any content she edits is both reliable and up-to-date. With an M.A. in Modern English Literature from University College London, Gabriela combines her understanding of language and literature with her commitment to delivering content that empowers others to build healthy money management skills.

Author Details

Lindsay Frankel

Lindsay Frankel is a Denver-based freelance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel, budgeting/saving, and shopping. She has been featured in several finance publications, including LendingTree. When she's not writing, you can find her enjoying the great outdoors, playing music, or cuddling with her rescue pup.