Free Online Surveys That Pay - Fact Or Fiction?

Are there really free online surveys that pay, or are they a legend like leprechauns and Bigfoot? Many online survey companies promise to pay real money for what most people would do for free in their spare time. Filling out opinion surveys is not new, but the idea of taking surveys for money surprises a lot of people. They are even more surprised when they find out how much money they can potentially make.

It's true that there are actually free online surveys that pay. We, as consumers, look for opportunities to share our knowledge of products and services with the corporations that sell them to us and those corporations are even more interested in what we consumers have to say. It helps them build better products, market those products better, and improve their overall profitability.

The classic example of fish flavored cough syrup in plastic bags is a good one. It's just something that no one is going to buy. Making a product without thorough market research on real consumers can end up costing a business millions of dollars, so giving gifts or paying a fee to get a valid opinion can save companies a lot of money and time.

Free online surveys that pay that are available in a variety of places online. Be very careful however, because along with those free opportunities are less reputable survey companies. There are companies that will offer a list of free surveys, but to get the list is not free. They charge you money for the "convenience" of having already done the free online survey research for you.

The companies that try to sell you lists are basically middlemen who have done the research you can do yourself and packaged it for resale. The companies that are interested in getting consumer opinions try to make that information available to consumers for free. Still, if you feel that a fee is warranted because it will save you time, go ahead and buy a list.

There are a number of Internet sites where you can find discussion forums that will to you the stories of stay-at-home moms to fill out surveys in their spare time or blue-collar workers that gave up their full-time jobs just to take surveys. Discussion forums are a good place to research the validity of online survey programs, and to get the opinions of other people who have tried different programs.

Getting involved in free online surveys that pay can be a family affair. Most companies have surveys for children, because they are interested in children's opinions on many products. Children are actually the most frequent consumers of things like snack foods, TV dinners and video games. As long as a responsible adult is in the home while a child is on the computer, there is no reason your children can get involved in taking free online surveys that pay.

The main thing to remember when filling out online surveys is that you can share your opinion, but be very careful with your information. You will obviously have to give some information like name and e-mail address, but never give out your credit card number unless the site is secure and they survey company needs it for a valid reason.