Are Surveys That Award Points Worth The Effort?

Many survey companies have begun changing their payment methods to awarding points for each survey that you complete. Some of these companies are now only offering entries into a contest. Survey panelists are seeing a change in their income because of these new policies, and the question remains: Is it still worth the effort? The answer is yes and no.

How To Determine If A Points Program Works For You.

If the survey company that you are registered with is now offering points for their surveys instead of cash, you need to review their new policies. This will help you determine if the program is still worth your time. Some companies are awarding points that can be redeemed for gift cards. This is always a great way to make money online, you are simply receiving your payment in another manner.

However, some points programs award points that can only be used at specific online stores or towards discounts at specific online stores. This is where personal preference comes into the picture.

If you normally shop at these online stores, the surveys are worth your time. If it is a store that you have never heard of, or do not like, you will be wasting your time. There is absolutely no reason to work towards accumulating points for merchandise you do not want to buy. Of course, there is always eBay, and you can sell the products you purchased. This will include, however, having to package and ship the item as well as paying listing and seller fees. Another thing that you should verify is the cost of the items on these sites. Some survey sites are setting up their own retail store for you to redeem the points. The price of these items are far more than the average retail, and you still may be stuck with shipping costs. Again, if this is the case, move on to a different survey site.

What Are Contest Entries?

Several online survey sites have begun to offer entries into a grand prize for completing a survey. This, they say, weeds out people that are completing multiple surveys under different names to earn cash. While the prizes are very high for most contests, the odds of winning are just as high.

While there always has to be a winner, this does not guarantee you any money or merchandise for your effort. When you are completing surveys for extra money, or as a work-at-home position, time is money and any time wasted, is less money being earned.

What About Cash Paying Surveys?

Cash paying surveys still exist. They will, undoubtedly, begin to return in full force to the Internet again as people begin to respond to the changes that have recently been made. The reason that telephone surveys have never been accurate is because people did not receive compensation for their time and would respond in any manner possible so that the call would be over. The same will happen in this industry if compensation is compromised.

If you desire, you can only sign up with companies that offer cash compensation. There are countless hundreds of survey companies that are actively seeking panelists everyday. You can pick and choose which companies to join, and which to avoid.

One Last Thing To Remember

When you are completing an online survey, you are providing a service to the company that has issued the survey as well as the corporation that has requested the survey. As with any business, when you provide a service, you should be paid for your time. There is not a single profession, company or corporation that gives their product or services out for free, and you should not either.

If you do not mind accumulating points for gift cards or merchandise, then enjoy your surveys and earn your rewards. If you feel lucky, complete a survey for a contest entry, because you never know when luck will happen. If you only want to earn money for your time, stick with cash paying surveys. It all comes down to personal preference and how you value your time.