Looking for the highest paid surveys to make money online?
When you’re looking into how to make extra money online, doing surveys for money is usually one of the first things that comes up.
And for good reason! It’s one of the easiest ways to start making money online for beginners.
Anyone can get paid to do surveys – all you need is an internet connection.
Wondering how much can you make with paid surveys?
Most people can make at least £20-£50 a month without too much trouble.
And I know some dedicated survey-holics who make around £200 or more each month!
- Make up to £40 with a free trial
- Potential earnings of £500+ per month
- Personally tried and tested
- 150,000+ members
- 4.7 Trustpilot rating
Surveys for money UK
Here are some of the other advantages to completing online surveys for money:
- It can be a great first step into the world of making money online.
- The best UK survey sites pay out faster than a lot of other online money making methods – so it’s a great solution if you need to make cash fast.
- Most surveys don’t require a whole lot of brainpower, so you can complete them while doing something else, like watching TV.
- You can often complete paid online surveys on your phone. This is perfect for people who spend a lot of time on public transport, waiting for appointments, or who want to replace their social media scrolling habit with something more productive!
However, survey sites sometimes get a bad rap because the average pay is low and some surveys waste your time by screening you out half way through.
The secret to getting paid for surveys is this:
Not all survey sites are created equal.
You have to know which sites to prioritise, and which ones to avoid.
Which survey sites are the highest paying, and which ones waste your time.
Best survey sites UK
For these reasons, I decided to put together this list of the best online paid survey sites in the UK.
By the way, if you’re not in the UK, some of these sites will still work for you – but not all. You should check out my list of sites to earn money online worldwide to find options that will work in your country.
Please note that some of the links below are affiliate or referral links. If you sign up for some of the survey sites through a link on this page, I may earn a small referral fee at no cost to you. This helps to support my site!
The list: best survey sites in the UK for 2021!
Note: The more sites you sign up to, the better chance you have at making good money.
Limited on time but still want to get paid for surveys?
I have put the highest paid surveys towards the top of this list, so I recommend starting at the top and working your way down.
Sign up for at least the first 5-6 survey sites, but ideally as many as you have time for!
Prolific
Prolific (previously known as Prolific Academic) is well known as one of the best paying survey sites in the UK – or anywhere!
Prolific’s main advantage is that they are very transparent. You’ll always know upfront how much you will make (in cash, not points), and how long it will take.
Plus, you never get screened out! Prolific will only show you surveys that you’re already qualified for.
All the surveys are for academic researchers, which means they are usually on very interesting topics such as psychology.
This site has the absolute best paid surveys in the UK as far as I’m concerned. It’s my personal favourite UK survey site, and it’s a favourite with my readers, too.
If you only sign up for one survey site, make it this one!
Payment method: PayPal
Payment threshold: £5
Testable Minds
If you’re looking for more survey sites like Prolific, you need to check out Testable Minds. This is an academic research website that pays you to take part in psychological research studies.
It’s fairly well paying, and very transparent. You can see in advance how much the study pays, and how long it should take.
And you’ll only be offered studies that you are qualified for. No disqualifications!
All this makes it a great alternative to Prolific.
You can increase the number of studies you’re offered by filling out your profile and verifying your ID.
You can take part in as many studies as you like, but be aware that earnings are capped at $50 per month.
Payment method: Revolut or PayPal
Payment threshold: $10 for verified members, $20 for non verified
YouGov
YouGov is a famous market research company, and it’s one of the best survey sites UK residents can join. Government agencies and media often use YouGov surveys – it’s quite cool when you see the results of a survey you did in the papers!
Most surveys are fairly short (less than 10 minutes) and there is a short daily survey to get a guaranteed 50 points each day.
I really enjoy YouGov surveys. The only problem is it can take a while to reach the £50 threshold.
Still, this is a legit and well-respected way to get paid to do interesting surveys. I definitely recommend signing up for this one.
Payment method: bank transfer
Payment threshold: £50
Pinecone Research
Each survey pays £3 and takes around 15-20 minutes. This makes Pinecone one of the best paid survey sites!
Also, you can cash out after every survey, so it’s great when you need to make money fast.
However, unlike the other sites on this list, it can be difficult to join because they are often closed to new members.
If you are looking for a UK Pinecone Research sign up link for 2022, I have an exclusive link that is working at the time of writing (April 2022), but I don’t know how long they will be accepting new members for – so get in quick!!
If the sign-up link doesn’t work when you try it, this means they have temporarily stopped recruiting new members. But they open up again every few weeks, so remember to check back.
Also, even if you don’t get in the first time you apply, you can always apply again. They need different kinds of people from month to month.
Payment method: PayPal or Amazon gift cards
Payment threshold: £3 (this means you can cash out after each survey!)
PaidViewpoint
PaidViewpoint offers lots of short surveys that don’t kick you out.
You will start out doing lots of short surveys (around 10 questions) that pay around 10 cents each. But over time, as you build up your profile, you will get access to higher paying surveys.
They use lots of images and videos to keep things interesting, and you don’t have to write super long answers.
You earn over $1 just doing the initial sign-up questions. You can cash out to PayPal once you’ve reached $15.
Payment method: PayPal
Payment threshold: $15 first time, $10 second time, $5 third time onwards
Qmee
Qmee is better known as the site that pays you to search the web (by showing you adverts that you get paid to click on). But recently they’ve become more of a ‘Get Paid To’ site, with paid surveys, cashback offers, gaming, and various other ways to earn money. So it’s definitely earned a place on this list of UK survey sites.
A couple of things I like about Qmee:
They tell you upfront how much you will earn for each survey in cash, not points.
And you can cash out instantly at any time! A great option when you need a little extra cash fast.
When you sign up with my link below, you’ll get a bonus 50p credited to your account after you cash out for the first time.
Payment method: PayPal or gift vouchers
Payment threshold: £0.01
Swagbucks
This is not just a survey site – it has all kinds of opportunities such as paid website sign-ups, product trials and cashback.
You can also get paid to watch videos and play games!
It always has loads of surveys available so you can also use it just for surveys.
But to really maximise your earnings, definitely check out all the other ways to earn!
Payment method: PayPal or gift cards for Amazon, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and lots more.
Payment threshold: £5 – and you currently get a £3 bonus when you register!
Maru Voice
Maru Voice is a newer survey site, but it has a fair amount of interesting surveys.
One thing I like about this site is that they email you when a new survey is available for you, so you don’t have to waste time logging in to check.
You will also be entered into a £1000 prize draw when you sign up.
Payment method: vouchers for Amazon, iTunes and more
Payment threshold: £10
Testing Time
Testing Time has paid surveys, website and app testing opportunities, and paid focus groups. This is a high paying site, and the opportunities are interesting and rewarding!
The downside is that you have to wait to be invited to each survey or opportunity by email – and invites can be few and far between.
However, when surveys or testing jobs do come up, they typically pay very well. So it’s worth signing up, filling out the screening questions, and keeping an eye on your email.
Testing time pays around £4 for a short survey, and £25-£50 for a focus group or market research call (which usually take around 45 minutes to an hour).
Payment method: PayPal or bank transfer
Payment threshold: No threshold – payment is sent after each test
LifePoints
LifePoints is a relatively new one formed from the merger of two of the best known UK paid survey sites, MySurvey and GlobalTestMarket.
It is a huge global company which has a lot of surveys available. It can be used in many different countries.
As well as normal online paid surveys, you can also take part in special studies such as keeping a diary of your spending habits.
Payment method: You can redeem your points as PayPal cash, various gifts and products, or gift cards such as Starbucks, Amazon, iTunes and more
Payment threshold: Varies depending on the reward you request, but starts at around £5
InboxPounds
As the name suggests, this site sends money straight to your inbox!
You can make money for reading emails (all adverts, obviously) and playing games online, as well as surveys.
I definitely recommend making a new email address for this one because you will get a lot of offers!
There’s a £1 bonus just for joining.
Payment method: Cheque, vouchers or prepaid Mastercard
Payment threshold: £20
InstaGC
This is a ‘get paid to’ site like Swagbucks and Inbox Pounds.
You earn points which you can swap for gift cards by doing surveys, watching videos, ‘get paid to click’, cashback on your shopping, and more.
Payment method: Lots of different gift cards options including Amazon, Starbucks, iTunes, Google Play, M&S and more. You can also get cash in the form of a prepaid Mastercard, PayPal or Bitcoin.
Payment threshold: Depends on how you want to redeem, but generally from about £5. You can only get PayPal or Bitcoin once you’ve already redeemed £50 in gift cards.
Opinion Outpost
This is a popular survey site. As well as earning points per survey, each completed survey is an entry into a quarterly prize draw to win £5000.
Opinion Outpost has one of the lowest payment thresholds at just £2.50.
Payment method: PayPal, Amazon gift cards, iTunes gift cards, or you can spend your points in their online shop with various retail partners.
Payment threshold: £2.50
Featurepoints
Featurepoints is an app and site like Qmee where you can make money from surveys, cashback, contests, and by downloading apps. Easy to use on the go!
You get 50 points just for signing up with my link (below), and I’ve found points add up fast on this one.
If you’re looking for apps like Qmee in the UK to earn money on the go, I recommend Featurepoints.
Payment method: PayPal or various different vouchers
Payment threshold: $3
i-Say
i-Say (previously called Ipsos) is known as one of the best paying survey sites. Unfortunately they only pay in vouchers, with no option to claim your earnings as cash – but Amazon vouchers are always handy.
Payment method: gift cards (including Amazon, Argos and John Lewis) and charity donations
Payment threshold: £10
Crowdology
This is another well-paying site with a low payment threshold.
Payment method: PayPal or Amazon vouchers
Payment threshold: £4 for PayPal, £10 for Amazon
Panelbase
This one always seems to have a lot of short surveys available, so you can hit payout quickly. Plus you get £3 just for signing up!
Payment method: Bank transfer or vouchers
Payment threshold: £10
Opinium
This is a London-based market research company that works with a lot of well-known brands. It pays 50p per survey.
Payment method: cheque or bank transfer
Payment threshold: £25
Valued Opinions
Valued Opinions sometimes pays up to £5 per survey! Also, you’ll occasionally get the opportunity to take part in focus groups, which are interesting and pay well.
Payment method: Gift cards for various brands including Amazon, John Lewis, M&S and Boots.
Payment threshold: £10.50
Bonus! Paid survey apps
These are surveys that you can complete on your phone only. Great for people who are always on the go.
If you like the idea of making money on the go, check out my post on top Money Making Apps to Earn Cash From Your Phone!
Top tips to get paid for surveys
Before you get started, make sure you know how to make the most of paid surveys:
It’s all about the volume
If you want to make real money with surveys, it’s all about the volume.
Some of these sites might only send you one or two surveys a month. You need to be on several different survey sites if you want to make anything approaching a regular income.
Sign up for at least my top five, but preferably more, to maximize your chances to earn!
Prioritise
That said, bear in mind that all these sites have different payment terms and minimum thresholds.
If you need cash fast, prioritise sites that let you cash out at a low sum (I’ve marked the payment thresholds above).
Create a new email address
I strongly recommend having a separate free email address just for surveys.
This way you can easily check for new survey notifications without clogging up your normal inbox. Also, some of these sites will email you a LOT!
Bookmark your favourites
I recommend signing up for as many survey companies as you can and then bookmarking them all in a special folder.
This means you can open up a whole load of survey tabs very quickly and keep them open to be alerted of new surveys.
Don’t lie!
It gets difficult to remember what you’ve told a company, and come surveys will lock you out if your answers don’t match up.
Stay on the ball
One advantage of getting paid for surveys is that you can do them while multitasking.
But don’t zone out too much if you complete surveys while watching TV or something. Some surveys will put in trick questions to make sure you’re paying attention.
Look out for scams
All of the survey sites above are legit and FREE to join.
There are certain sites out there that will charge you to get ‘access’ to paid online surveys.
Sites like this are generally scams and there is no need to pay anything, because you can find all the surveys you need on legitimate sites for free.
Surveys should be making you money, not costing you money!
Other ways to make money online in the UK
Not a fan of surveys? Or want to make even MORE money?
I have lots of other recommendations for making money online!
Why not try one of these:
Ways to make some quick extra cash
- How To Get FREE Money In The UK (£130+ worth of sign up offers)
- Cashback (earn £150+ for completing offers online)
- OhMyDosh! (a site like Cashback that pay for offers and free trials)
- Respondent (earn up to $200 for online focus groups if you meet specific criteria)
- ‘Get Paid To’ (GPT) sites – get paid to do offers, watch videos, download apps and more
How to make regular extra income online
- Matched betting (it’s not gambling! I made £1000 in 12 weeks)
- Testing websites (pays approx £7 for 20 minutes)
- Teach English online to foreign students
Make a full time income online!
Also make sure you check out this list of work from home jobs in the UK perfect for stay at home mums.
Share your experience with taking surveys for money
What are your favourite survey sites? Do you have any more favourites to add to my list?
Let me know in the comments!
This post was first published on 26 July 2017 and was last updated on 30 July 2021.
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