Paying Survey & Focus Group FAQ

Annika's Work From Home - FAQ

These are my own words and experiences. So please know others will have a different view dealing with paying Surveys, paying Focus Groups, and Product Testing.

How do paid Surveys work?

A. You sign up on the company's web site. Provide some personal information, such as age, gender, location, etc. When the company has a Survey available that you qualify for, they'll e-mail you an invitation, usually with a direct link to the paying Survey. 
Can I get rich taking online Surveys?

A. No, and any website that says yes, is lying to you! You can have fun, Product Testing, sampling, and more though. You will certainly make enough to pay your Internet connection, and several of your household bills, but you won't become a millionaire, and that's why I created Annika's. To help make ends meet, and have some breathing room. I personally know a few people who have made $7,000 a year from just Surveys. That doesn't sound like a lot but when it's the extra income you do in your spare time, it's pretty good!

What are Paid Focus Groups?

A. Paid Focus Groups are several respondents gathered together to generate ideas through the discussion of, and reaction to, specific stimuli. Under the steerage of a moderator, Focus Groups are often used in exploratory work or when the subject matter involves social activities, habits, and status. Some are paid some are not. Some you trial products, some you just answer questions in a group.

What are the wording used for Focus Groups and Surveys?

A. Online discussion groups, Online communities, Market Research, Online Juror, EJuror, Survey Panels, Survey Companies, Survey research, Panel research, online research, and more.

What do you list yourself as if you do Surveys and other things like that?

A. Freelancer, contractor, self employed, internet related, professional services, personal services, or something as such I would think or simply as not employeed. It really depends like if you work in IT you could be a web designer, coder, graphics designer, etc. Try to be as honest as possible. You don't want to end up in a mess over the wrong job title or lies.

How do I get paid from these Surveys or Focus Groups?

A. Each paid Survey company will have its own payment system. Some will send you a check for each paying Survey you take. Some pay you through PayPal. Others use a points system where you earn points for each paid Survey, and the points can be cashed in for cash payments, gift cards, or other merchandise. Some paid Surveys will enter you into drawings, or sweepstakes. 

Tips for getting picked for paying Surveys and paying Focus Groups?

A. Yes, these paying Surveys, Focus Groups, and Product Testing tips can be found in our newsletters. It's updated as time goes by.

How many paying Surveys do you get a day?

A. A ton! But that includes Beta Testing, Focus Groups, Product Testing, Mobile Surveys, and regular Surveys. Please keep in mind I belong to nearly everything for testing purposes.

How much can you make in a month?
How long do you spend doing paying Surveys?


A. It depends on how much I do. I belong to so very many Survey companies that it varies all the time. Plus because I run an online business and never do one thing at a time I can not give a time limit on how much time I spend doing Surveys. Paying Surveys never take more than a few minutes. Once you get into a pattern doing them you automatically get into the groove of the questions. Age, race, location, etc. It helps if you are a fast reader too. I'd have to say the most time I ever spent on a Survey is 10-15 minutes. They are never as long as they claim to be, partly because I read fast, and I know the questions as I have been doing Surveys since about 1996. The amount varies on how many you join, how many Surveys you do, also how much you meet their criteria.

What pays the most? Paid Surveys, Paid to Read Emails, Freelance jobs or Paid Focus Groups?

A. Virtual jobs. Paying Surveys to lead up to paying Focus Groups which are usually why everyone claims Surveys pay so much. Paying Focus Groups are rare but they do happen. I love Freelancer but you have to have the skills to do that. Like work on web pages, graphics, programming, audio, etc. Most of the virtual jobs you have to have cable or another phone line. Focus Groups are fun and can pay up to $800 for 1 hour of your time. However, as I said, they are rare... more so because so many know that's where the jackpot is. It sounds like a lot of money but if you only get one Focus Group a year, that's not.

Why are some paid Survey panel links “https” instead of “HTTP”?
A. Well, that’s because “HTTPS” means secure. So your data is being transmitted upon a secure server. “https” is a good thing. Annika's doesn't use httpS because 1. Generally it cost a fee. 2. You aren't placing any personal information in our website for storage. When you sign up for the newsletter, that isn't stored via our website. The actual newsletter database is secured elsewhere.

What are your favorite paying companies, or which paying Survey programs do you highly recommend?

A. Well if you want to get off to a fast start be sure to register with the whole of page 1 & 2 before you take a break - they offer some of the best Survey opportunities anywhere, and you don't want to miss them.

Pinecone Research - IT JP USA DE UK CA

Paid View Point

Survey Savvy

Legerweb - CA & USA

Swagbucks CA AU USA UK IE

If you enjoy Amazon vouchers:

Swagbucks - CA AU USA UK IE

My points (USA only) Mypoints


Other types of prizes:

E-rewards E-rewards

My points (USA only) Mypoints


Do you find any problems with the paying Survey or paying Focus Groups companies that ask for certain info when you register? Does this ever bother you?

A. I don't mind providing companies with info. The only thing I dislike is providing them with my phone number.  I don't mind them asking what products I use or what car I drive etc. As most of the questions they ask, are not for the company you are doing the Surveys for. Companies hire companies like Toluna etc, to do these census and Surveys. I have noticed time and time again on the news them mentioning a company and how they did a Survey of people 25-40 who voted for Bush etc their thoughts. Well, the wild thing was 7 times out of 10, the Survey they are talking about, I took! So it makes me feel good whether it's paid or not, that it has the chance of possibly making the news as well as helping others out.

How is one to know what paying Survey or paying Focus Group company is best to fill in profiles and not to fill-in?

A. I suggest, getting a Hotmail or Gmail address and don't fill out your profiles and test for yourself. This is how I found out about how to fill out what profiles and not. See before I moved to England caretaker AKA CT was there. So I had set up an account for him (I did the Surveys though with his answers) age, sex, etc. I had noticed a pattern. At first, I had thought it was a male/female age difference. So I created another account with Gozing (no longer active.) Thus having three, one with profiles filled in getting no Surveys what so ever so I ended up deleting that one and kept the new one. Indeed it was the profiles that were preventing me from getting invited to Surveys! Shocking eh? So I guess the best tip is, with companies you are unsure of, don't fill the profiles in, and see what happens.  Further testing of other companies is Spidermetrix, fill in your profiles for the points it makes no difference towards the invites. I am not suggesting you create multiple accounts as this is considered cheating. I'm just sharing proof of what I discovered back in 2001. It's a good idea to have a circle of friends so you can compare notes of invites.

When doing paying Surveys, what's the most you ever won?

A. $500 check, and 2 times a $50 check, and a $50 Amazon gift voucher. I mostly win Amazon vouchers; I had over $390 in vouchers at one point. So save them they add up. You never know when you may get more. Plus the more sites you belong to and do the Surveys the more chances you have to win. I lose count all the time. I get checks in the post weekly from companies I have forgotten I did Surveys for.

Is doing paying Surveys worth the payment?

A. Yes. Some sites don't pay in cash though they pay in rewards which you can either cash in for cash or prizes. So even then it's worth it. Because you end up building those points and forgetting about them. Then one day you are reminded, log in your account and see you can order something you have been needing for ages or even do your Christmas shopping for others with the prizes you won. Plus think about the time you spend doing the Survey, and the payment. Like with Toluna. That cash really adds up. And $5 for less than 8 minutes is more than a person in the store makes in an hour newly hired. So you tell me, is it worth it? I think so lol

How do I get more paying Survey and paying Focus Group invites?

A. Logging into your Survey or Focus Group account is important. If you don't they think you aren't active and why should they send you anything?

Have you ever heard of a Survey company like Pinecone Research asking you to do a Moneygram or Western Union?

A. No. Pinecone Research even has a statement on their website about this very issue. Only scams will ask you things dealing with Western Union or Moneygram.

How long before you joined until you started getting products to test?

A. About 3 weeks with My Survey NFO you should start to get paying Product Tests. MySurvey has been purchased, sold and or traded to Lifepoints now.

How can I maximize my paying Surveys and paying Focus Group's earnings?

A. Easy, if you have a website or belong to a Paid To Read email site, advertise your own links. Any emails you send jokes and such, include a link to join in your signature. Spread the word, with-out spamming. There are tips for this and more located here.

I noticed some paying Surveys and paying Focus Groups only pay with PayPal, Can you tell me a bit about PayPal?

A. PayPal is free to join, free to get funds and fees to withdraw funds, as a personal account. To get PayPal to join here. It's safe and secure providing you pick a good password as well as secret questions even family members don't know the answers to.

How come you don't have all the paying Surveys and paying Focus Groups companies listed?

A. Because there are loads of scam Survey sites. They appear to be fine and work right which is how I found out they are scams. I have joined them and waited for Surveys to discover how they operate. If you should find more, please, by all means, inform me. So I can warn others too. But please provide me with details of how you feel they may be a scam site, so I can explain it to others and or check myself. Also, I test companies before I post them. I belong to a lot that isn't posted.

Did you gather that database all by yourself?

A. Yes from 2000 to the mid of 2006 at which point I got assistance by Gail. Then Gail left mid-2007 and from that point on, it was just me (Amy) again.

Do you belong to ALL the Survey, Focus Groups, and Product Testing sites that you list?

A. Yes, or did belong to. As it's hard to maintain them all, and I (or my volunteer members) test before posting. After all many are in another language and country. Annika's is a worldwide paid Survey site.

Are Surveys a waste of time?

A. No. I love seeing the nightly news where the results of several surveys have been aired. Like the Surveys you do for YouGov are often on NBC! Plus, doing Survey might take up some of your time but at least it PAY you. And added to that many lead to other things like Cspace, Focus Groups, Product Tests or other paying programs!

Can I invite you to join paying Survey or Focus Group companies as my referral?

A. Why? I'm already a member of all these sites and more. Simply because they may not be posted doesn't mean I'm not a member yet. I do test MANY links before posting.

Does registering with so many different sites cause you to receive a lot of spam?

A. No. If any company sends spam I post that information and or add them to the Survey Blacklist. I try very hard to only list good companies. I even have a list of companies I refuse to post.

Do you find the Surveys that are only for drawings or points are worth it?

A. Yes. Because people that think that they aren't and can't be bothered to fill them out raise my chances for winning. And yes I have won several times, from several different company's. Also, points add up to things, like with Harris poll. I have over 80,000 now. I do not support any site which gives you "auction" points. They are earning hundreds of dollars off your time doing their Surveys while you get nothing in return.

Should I pay for a list of paid Survey sites?

A. Definitely not! Annika's has all the free paying Surveys world wide you need and more.

When I'm e-mailed a paying Survey invitation, do I have to participate?

A. No. If you do not feel like participating in a particular study, the choice is simply yours. I have even stopped taking a paying Survey midway because I either got bored or found it not worth it. However, I found several panels have up and removed me for ignoring too many of their invites. An example is Global Test Market. They told me I ignored 16 of their email invites. Of course, I did, I was in the hospital! They, of course, gave me back my account with my points intact.

How long does it take to get paid Survey invites?

A. It depends on how many paying Surveys companies you register with. Also depends if you are using a free email account like Hotmail. Yes, many Survey companies don't wish to have Hotmail users. Anywhere from two weeks to two months. Some websites you can earn right away. This is why I suggest joining them all, that way you won't be waiting around for income.

Do I need any special equipment, programs, or software to take Surveys, Focus Groups or do Product Testing?

A. Yes, sometimes. Software would be Virus Software or Firewall, a VPN, Flash, Java, some sort of Office program (Google docs) for reading word and PDF files, Skype, Zoom, Adobe and maybe a program to do screenshots such as GIMP. Skype and Zoom are for interviews you may have. You may need a printer, webcam, smartphone/cellphone, mic and of course internet. If you need any of these, be sure to check out the start free page.

Is there anything I should be concerned about?

A. Yes. There are scams going around whereby a fake company sends you a check (cheque in the UK) and asks you to deposit it. They ask you to send the rest to someone else at a Western Union or similar type companies. This is a fraudulent scam and should be reported ASAP. Virtual jobs have nothing to do with this sort of thing nor do Surveys. They can appear very legit and even a well-known company you may have worked in the past. You should inform that company about the issue as well. You are never mailed a check before you start any job via online or off. You are also never texted or mailed from a company you didn't sign up for. If someone texts you and you do not know them, don't reply. Doing so can alert them the number is active and the scam texts will not stop. To report such things, there are many companies listed here: http://www.annikaswfh.com/aboutblacklist If you hear of a friend or family member dealing with the same thing, please send them that page to help aid in reporting.

Is there anything else you feel is important for others to know?

A. Yes. You should also check out the Survey Tips page located here and of course the "Getting Started Section" located here

Can my children join these Survey panels and Focus Groups?

A. Yes, many require extra measures to join to make sure they have legal permission.

Can you explain the character letters under country?

A. Yes. WW means world wide, and the others should match the country you live in.

Do you have any other suggestion not addressed?

A. Yes. Be sure to use the search. It's refreshed every Monday. If you don't see something added it may be in a couple weeks. As we research each company we add. Unlike most sites that just throw up links for people to join, we like to make sure they are legit.

Is there anything you feel I should be aware of?

A. Yes https://voiceofamylynn.blogspot.com/2023/01/gdpr-implications-for-market-research.html

You have several listings of Payments, I don't understand them, can you please explain?

A. Sure!

Payment listing information:

Cash = This could be any number of things, PayPal, actual cash, Amazon Gift Cards, Visa Gift Cards or Check. For example, you earn in cash on their site, $15.90 but could end up being offered one of the above forms of payments. Anything that converts into something spendable.

Amazon Gift Cards/ Amazon Gift Certificates = Could be emailed, or through the regular mail.

Points Converted = This means you earn points, 100 points = $1 for example. Each Survey panel is different. Points could be converted into Amazon, PayPal, Gift cards, or items.

Check / Cheque = Just as it states, paper writing of payment.

Sweepstakes = Drawing, which may lead to check, PayPal, Cash, Amazon. All depends.

Other = Could be products, coupons, Crypto, Bitcoin, Venmo, freebies, Visa Gift Cards, Tango, samples, wire transfer, direct deposit, ACH transfers (Automated Clearing House), ETC.

We list them like this to make it easier for you to understand. Sometimes it's hard to tell because companies change their payments without notice, and often without listing it on their website. All Panels will tell you in the FAQ section what the payment options and rules are.

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