Ah, the sweet promise of making hundreds of dollars per week by doing paid surveys. Just imagine—your rent’s due tomorrow, you whip out your phone, complete a 10-minute survey, and voila! $100 magically appears in your bank account. Curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to give this much-hyped online side hustle a crack. How much can you REALLY make good money instantly with paid surveys?

Survey Site #1: iSay

First stop: iSay, a survey site available across the globe. Signing up was a breeze. I verified my email, handed over my phone number (they promised just one text a week to tell me about new surveys), and I shared some basic details like my ethnicity and region. Within minutes, I was ready to rake in the big bucks.

The first survey? A quick dive into my eating habits and travel preferences. It took about five minutes, and I earned… 110 points. Yay! But wait, what are these points even worth? Are they like air miles?

Next, I tackled a survey about fast food delivery. Estimated time: 15 minutes. Actual time: 17 minutes. Reward? 210 points. (Still no idea what points mean at this stage.)

Finally, I completed a broadband and utilities survey. Fascinating. Estimated time: 15 minutes. Actual time: 11 minutes. Another 210 points in the bag.

Now armed with a grand total of 530 points, I sprinted to the rewards section. Here’s what awaited me:

• 1,500 points = One month of Spotify Premium.
• 5,000 points = $50 David Jones voucher.
• 1,000 points = $10 gift card for Countdown, Farmers, Uber, and more.

In other words, 530 points = not much. Crunching the numbers, I’d need to spend roughly 2.5 hours to earn a $20 reward. That’s an hourly rate of about $8—less than minimum wage. (However, rewards and points will vary between countries.) But at least I know my time is earning me something.

Survey Site #2: OpinionWorld

Next, I tried OpinionWorld, a platform that dangled the promise of up to $7 per survey in cash or vouchers. Cha-ching! Although, I’m not sure how long a $7 survey is supposed to take.

Signing up was easy, and I completed a welcome survey in just four minutes, earning 25 points. (Not exactly Bezos money, but hey, it’s something.)

Then another survey about social topics that was supposed to take me 10 minutes and earn me 50 points, but it actually took me about 18 minutes. I now have a total of 75 points.

OpinionWorld’s rewards were similar to iSay (Uber Eats, Flexi eGift card), but here’s the kicker: you could cash out through PayPal. Translation? Real money, not just supermarket vouchers! On this site, 500 points = $10. After some mental math (and an unplanned nap), I realised the average hourly rate here hovered between $5 and $7.50 per hour. NB: points and rewards will vary between countries.

There are any other paid survey sites out there, but these two appeared to be the most popular from my brief Google search. The hourly rates of these surveys were not ideal, but I wasn’t mad about it. Why? Because I completed these surveys while sitting on the bus—otherwise, I’d just be scrolling TikTok and sharing cat videos.

The Harsh Truth About Paid Surveys

Could you earn a few hundred dollars a week with paid surveys? Technically, yes. But you’d need to dedicate full-time hours to make it happen—and let’s face it, those hours could be better spent almost anywhere else.

Still, if you’re looking for an easy, low-cost side hustle to make a little extra cash (emphasis on “little”), this could work for you. Just don’t quit your day job.

Pros

• Free to Start: No upfront investment required—just your phone, internet, and a pinch of hope.
• Flexible Timing: You can take surveys anywhere—on the bus, in bed, or while pretending to listen to a Zoom meeting.
• Variety of Rewards: From PayPal cash to gift cards, your rewards can fund anything from coffee to… well, more coffee.
• Simple Work: If you can click buttons and tolerate a thousand questions about your grocery habits, you’re qualified!
• No Strings Attached: No boss, no deadlines, and no awkward small talk. If it’s not working out, you can ghost them guilt-free.

Cons

• Low Hourly Pay: The pay is so low, you’d be better off checking your couch cushions for spare change.
• Time-Consuming: Accumulating points feels like trying to fill a swimming pool with a teaspoon.
• Survey Snobbery: Some surveys will disqualify you mid-way because apparently, your love of pineapple pizza isn’t the data they’re after.
• Confusing Points System: 1,000 points for $10? Why not just use dollars like normal people?
• Mind-Numbing Repetition: Answering 25 variations of “How often do you eat snacks?” might make you question your life choices.

My Ratings for Paid Surveys as a Side Hustle

• Startup Cost: 10/10 – Free! Assuming you have a phone or a computer, and internet access.
• Time Commitment: 6/10 – the surveys I took were quite short, but the low hourly rate makes it hard to justify.
• Income Potential: 4/10 – Don’t expect to get rich. Your bank account won’t be popping champagne any time soon.
• Fun Factor: 5/10 – It’s not exactly exhilarating, but there’s a tiny thrill in watching your points stack up.
• Flexibility: 10/10 – You can do this anytime, anywhere—on the couch, on the bus, or even in line at the supermarket.

Overall Rating: 6.5/10

So, are paid surveys worth it? If you’re looking for a low-effort way to earn a few bucks during downtime, go for it. But if you’re hoping to turn this into a thriving side hustle or quit your day job, think again.

The TikTok dream of surveys raining money into your bank account is… well, let’s call it “optimistic.” At best, this gig is great for covering small expenses, like a Spotify subscription or a coffee run.

Ready to give it a shot? Just remember: it’s not a goldmine—it’s more like finding spare change under your couch cushions.