Survey Junkie Review [2024]: Earning Cash for My Opinions

Key takeaways

• Is Survey Junkie legit? Yes, Survey Junkie is a legitimate paid survey platform founded in 2013. With a large membership base and positive reviews, it has an established reputation for actually paying out earnings.
• How much can you earn? Most casual Survey Junkie users report earning $10-$50 per month by taking advantage of free time. Highly active users potentially up to $100-$200 monthly. While testing the site, I earned $12.50 by taking surveys that paid between $1-$3 each for about 15-20 minutes of my time.
• How do you get paid? Once you accrue 500 points ($5 value), you can cash out via PayPal or bank transfer or redeem them for gift cards to retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart.
• What's the payment schedule? Survey Junkie processes payments instantly through PayPal. E-gift card redemptions should arrive within 1-2 days.

How does Survey Junkie work?

Survey Junkie acts as a middleman, partnering with companies and brands seeking consumer opinions and feedback. These companies pay Survey Junkie to find members willing to share their perspectives through online surveys and questionnaires.

Survey Junkie then passes along a portion of those payments to you as a cash reward for completing the surveys. Available surveys cover various topics like product tests, customer satisfaction surveys, focus groups, and more.

My experience with Survey Junkie

Signing up for Survey Junkie was quick and simply required creating a login with my email and some basic details. Right after, the site prompted me to fill out more profile questions to match me with relevant paid surveys.

Like many other survey platforms, the initial matching process took some time as Survey Junkie learned more about me. Early on, I was frequently screened out of higher-paying surveys after answering a few questions, which was frustrating. 

Survey Junkie always offered me another survey to try if I didn't qualify, which I appreciated. As I gave more data by taking those pre-screeners, I started receiving more survey opportunities.

Most followed a pretty standard format — they'd ask some initial qualifying questions to confirm that I fit the demographics they were looking for, such as my age, location, household income, etc. I'd move on to the survey if I passed that screening.

Some were straightforward opinion polls about products or brands, with multiple-choice questions asking how I'd rate certain features or what impression their marketing gave me.

Others were more open-ended, having me describe my buying habits and decision-making process for specific items with short-answer questions.

A few even showed me product mockups or ad concepts and asked me to give feedback. The questions weren't exactly riveting, but they were easy enough to answer while watching TV or waiting in line.

There were also often opportunities to answer quick questions for a few points, which helped me get matched to better surveys.

Over a few hours, I earned $12.50 by taking surveys that each paid between $1-$3 for about 15-20 minutes of my time. While it isn't life-changing money, it was satisfying to earn a little something by sharing my consumer opinions and feedback.

​​How much can you earn?

Your Survey Junkie earnings depend entirely on how many surveys you qualify for and have the time to complete. For example, let's say you average $1.50 per 15-minute survey. If you dedicated one hour per day (four surveys), you could potentially earn around $90 per month.

Here are some general income estimates based on reviews:

• Casual users: $10 - $50 per month
• Active users: Up to $100 - $200 per month

My earnings of $12.50 after several hours aligned with that range for relatively casual participation.

How to get paid

Once you get 500 points, equivalent to $5, you can choose a gift card or access your cash through PayPal or bank transfer.

There’s also no maximum limit for redemption, and your points never expire. So you can stock up on points to save for a higher-dollar-value gift card.

My experience cashing out with Survey Junkie

Cashing out was simple. Once I hit the $5 minimum required to redeem my points, I went to the rewards section and browsed the gift card options, but I decided to use PayPal.

Survey Junkie's website stated it could take up to 24 hours to process, and the money showed up in my PayPal account the next day. The whole cash-out experience matched the straightforward nature of the Survey Junkie platform itself.

How to maximize your earnings

Check the Survey Junkie dashboard to see how long each survey takes and how many points you’ll get. To calculate an hourly rate for each survey:

• Divide the number of points by 100
• Divide your answer by the estimated number of minutes it will take to complete
• Multiply your answer by 60

So if you see a survey worth 400 points that will take 20 minutes, it would look like this:

• 400/100 = 4
• 4/20 = 0.2
• 0.2 x 60 = $12/hr

Some other tips to maximize your earnings include:

• Take time to fill out your profile. Make sure that your profile is complete since this will help you earn points and qualify for more surveys. This step will also give you a more personalized experience using the site.
• Maximize your time. Focus on the surveys that pay the most compared to their time commitment.
• Take it on the go. Take advantage of Survey Junkie's mobile app to do surveys on-the-go.
• Check back frequently. Look for new survey opportunities whenever you can, as high-paying ones go quickly.
• Avoid disqualification. Be honest and consistent in your responses to avoid being disqualified.

Survey Junkie alternatives

Freecash

Like Survey Junkie, Freecash offers surveys. You can also test apps and games, however. Freecash also has more redemption options than Survey Junkie, including cryptocurrency. Freecash doesn't have Survey Junkie's long, established track record or BBB accreditation, but it does have positive Google Play and Trustpilot reviews. 

Visit Freecash

Branded Surveys

Branded Surveys is very similar to Survey Junkie. It focuses exclusively on surveys, and you can redeem your earnings with PayPal or gift cards. One feature that I like about Branded Surveys is its loyalty program. You can earn bonuses of up to 19% based on the number of surveys you complete. Those residual earnings could really add up if you refer friends who use the site consistently. 

Visit Branded Surveys | Read our Branded Surveys review

FAQs about Survey Junkie

Bottom line

Survey Junkie isn’t going to make you rich, but it delivers on its promise to provide an easy way to earn a little extra cash for sharing your opinions. With a long track record, a high volume of available surveys, and convenient payout options, it's one of the more reputable paid survey platforms available.

While there's always the chance of technical issues and getting screened out of surveys, the overall usability and straightforward earning structure make Survey Junkie worth trying for some extra spending money each month.

Learn More

Wide variety of short opinion surveys available

Earn cash payments via PayPal or gift cards from popular brands

Low $5 minimum cash-out requirement