Surveys are a great way to earn a few extra pounds that requires a small amount of effort and a small amount of your time. Most survey websites have a minimum payout threshold so it can take a while to meet the requirements.
You won’t get rich and be able to retire doing just surveys alone, but if you have the time then surveys are a handy little side hustle. It is important to pay attention to the surveys you enter as they often have attention checks as randomly clicking answers won’t give them any meaningful data.
I’ve made a list of some of the best survey websites to get started with if you are a UK resident. I’ll be updating this regularly so remember to check back often.
Prolific Academy
Website: https://prolific.co
Payment threshold: £5
Payout to: Paypal
Payment time: Initially cashouts are made every Tuesday and Friday afternoon. Once you have made your 4th cashout, you’ll get instant cashouts.
Prolific is my favourite survey website. I have completed hundreds of surveys which have ranged from simple questions and answers to learning simple sentences from a language to playing games. I’ve had a lot of fun with some of these surveys, they’re not all boring questions and answers.
You do have to wait for your submissions to be approved which can be the same day or you may have to wait several weeks. You also have to be quick on getting on a survey as spaces fill up very fast. The payment rate is usually pretty good. I’ve made just over £150 from 187 surveys.
Swagbucks
Website: https://www.swagbucks.com/p/register?rb=105885051 (this is a referral link)
Payment threshold: varies
Payout to: Paypal, and various other options
Payout time: varies but expect to wait a few days if choosing the Paypal option
You each swagbuck points from completing surveys and also completing offers you’ll find on their website. You can redeem your points for various things though I usually opt for a Paypal voucher. It can take a few days for this to come in.
There are usually quite a few surveys to choose from on this. I am careful which personal data options I check as a lot of the surveys seem to require all sorts of tracking cookies and agreeing to all sorts that I’m not comfortable with.
I get screened out of quite a few surveys after having to answer initial questions which is annoying though it does still earn you one swagbuck point. At the moment, you can get £5 in Paypal for 700 swagbuck points.
Populus Live
Website: https://www.populuslive.com
Payment threshold: £50
Payout to: BACS or Cheque
Payout time: payment is made once a month at the beginning of each month
Surveys invitations are made by email so you’ll have to wait around until you get one and as participants are chosen at random, it will vary how often you get an invite. You also want to be quite quick about submitting it as they can get full up quite quickly. The surveys can be quite lengthy at times, and you’ll earn anything from one point upward. One point = £1. Surveys are the standard question and answer format and the topics within a survey can vary quite a lot.
I have been using Populus since June. Since then, I have completed around three or four surveys a month and it has taken me until now (November) to finally reach the 50 points threshold. This means I can expect a £50 payout in December and I have opted for BACS. As I understand it, any additional points over and above 50 won’t be paid out but will accumulate until the next payout.
This is not a quick rich survey site but one to use to get a couple of bonuses throughout the year.
Pinecone Research
Website: pineconeresearch.co.uk
Payment threshold: varies depending on reward selected, cash payouts from £3
Payout to: you can redeem points for cash or other rewards
Payout time: varies depending on the reward. Cash is usually paid within a couple of days
I’m adding Pinecone Research here as I’ve been lucky enough to sign up for them. They aren’t currently taking on signups or referrals but if you come across an opportunity to sign up then it is worth doing so.
Pinecone will email you with a survey and it’s only every now and then so you won’t make megabucks here. The surveys take around 20 minutes, depending on the survey. The surveys that I have completed have all rewarded me with 300 points which I have traded in for a bank transfer of £3 so it’s a nice little bonus when a survey email comes in. Payment is normally completed within a couple of working days.
The surveys I’ve done all follow a similar format. I’m not at liberty to discuss them but they are easy to complete and are interesting enough.
In conclusion
Surveys are really only useful for adding a few pounds to your bank balance here and there. They take time and you have to be patient to get enough money to be able to cash out. You are also competing for survey spots among a lot of other people so you also have to be quick. It is worth it when you do get your extra cash though – extra cash is always welcome!
