OpinionSquare Review 2024: Is This Survey Site Legit or a Scam?
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OpinionSquare is one of a growing number of websites that pay you for taking surveys. The site has more than 2 million members… so what makes it so popular? In this OpinionSquare review, we’ll check it out.
Survey sites are an easy way to make a few bucks, but it can be hard to tell which panels are legitimate. While most platforms are safe, others are either a scam or don’t offer enough to be worth your time.
When we made our definitive ranking of surveys-for-money sites, we rated OpinionSquare as a “B+.”
This OpinionSquare review will cover everything new users should know about the platform. We’ll explain how to sign up and take surveys for points. And we’ll explain why we didn’t award the site with an “A” grade.
Table of Contents
OpinionSquare Review: How Does It Work?
As with many other survey websites, OpinionSquare’s clients pay the platform to collect audience data. Some of this money goes to members in the form of points. You can redeem these points for a wide range of rewards, depending on your interests.
OpinionSquare has been around since 2003, and it’s one of the most well-known survey sites. While it’s open to users from around the world, certain rewards are only available for Americans and Canadians. You must be at least 18 years old to create an account.
Setting up an OpinionSquare account is free.
Signing Up
Creating an account with OpinionSquare is as simple as entering some personal information, and you can finish the process in just a few minutes. You’ll start by providing your name and email address along with a password and security question.
OpinionSquare also asks you to complete a short member profile while signing up. This includes your address, date of birth, gender, and the people in your household.
Unlike some other survey sites, OpinionSquare also prompts you to download its tracking software. This monitors your online habitsโthey get more market data, and you get the chance to qualify for more surveys. Information from the software is used to connect you with surveys you may be interested in.
OpinionSquare requires you to download this software in order to start earning your rewards. However, we found that we could start the download process and then cancel it and still get in to take some surveys.
Without the software installed on your computer, you may not qualify for many surveys. Whether or not to use it is entirely up to you.
Personally, I’d rather use another survey site, such as the highly rated Survey Junkie, that doesn’t “spy” on me.
Taking Surveys
After you sign up, OpinionSquare will email you whenever new surveys are available. This allows you to complete surveys without having to constantly check the website.
Each member will qualify for different surveys depending on their demographics and interests. You’ll qualify for only some surveys, so you may have trouble finding as many surveys as you want to take. OpinionSquare’s downloadable software may help the platform find more surveys that match your information.
Most OpinionSquare members receive three or four survey invitations each month. Survey frequency can vary widely at different times of the year, so don’t worry if you don’t receive any invitations for a few weeks.
Once you receive an invitation, you’ll complete a short questionnaire to determine whether you qualify for the entire survey. You’ll receive a token (more on those later) anytime you fail to qualify.
Earning Rewards
OpinionSquare offers points for each survey you take, and you’ll even earn rewards when you fail to qualify. Some surveys provide more points than others, so make sure to check each offer before getting started.
In addition to points, OpinionSquare also gives you an entry in a drawing for $100,000 each time you complete a survey. While most users won’t win, this is still a great opportunity. Think of it as a free lottery ticket.
You can redeem points for a variety of rewards including cash, prizes, and sweepstakes entries. Unlike some of its competitors, OpinionSquare pays cash through checks rather than using PayPal. This leads to longer wait times compared to many other survey sites.
The same amount of points can be worth a different value depending on the reward you choose. For example, 1,500 points is enough for a $5 Amazon gift card, but a $10 gift card with the brand of your choice is just 2,500. This can be a bit confusing.
OpinionSquare Review: Other Ways to Make Money
One of OpinionSquare’s key features is the ability to earn rewards in multiple ways. While some platforms offer only surveys, this isn’t your only option on OpinionSquare. Access to multiple sources of income allows you to earn even more money.
You might not think of playing games as a way to earn money, but OpinionSquare offers significant rewards. You can use the tokens you earn when screened out of surveys to access that quarter’s online game. Tokens expire at the end of the quarter in which they were earned, so don’t forget to redeem them while they’re still available.
OpinionSquare allows you to earn points by playing games so you can turn missed survey opportunities into rewards. Make sure to regularly check your tokens in order to take advantage of this opportunity.
OpinionSquare Review: Is OpinionSquare Safe?
OpinionSquare is a trusted survey option with a range of important benefits. It’s a great starting point if you’re interested in taking surveys or moving to another site. These are a few of the top advantages that we found when writing this OpinionSquare review.
Support
Taking surveys for money can be confusing, and OpinionSquare’s FAQ page will help you get started. It offers helpful answers to a number of questions you may have before or after signing up. Check the FAQ first if you run into any unexpected issues.
If the FAQ doesn’t solve your problem, you can also contact OpinionSquare customer support. One-on-one support is a great option that isn’t available on every survey site.
Flexibility
If you’re signing up for OpinionSquare, you’re probably interested in taking surveys. That said, you might also be looking for other ways to earn passive income. OpinionSquare gives you a number of options that are equally effective for earning rewards.
If you’re tired of taking surveys, you can always start using tokens for games. Other websites can get much more monotonous with nothing beyond surveys to keep you busy.
Low Minimum Rewards
Taking surveys is all about earning rewards, and OpinionSquare allows you to reach your first reward quickly. There are currently rewards available for as little as $5. This is much lower than certain other sites that use high minimums to increase survey responses.
Low minimum rewards don’t give you more money, but they do help you feel like you’re making progress. It’s nice to earn something tangible after taking a few surveys. Taking surveys for days or weeks before earning a reward can be extremely discouraging.
Rewards Options
In addition to offering multiple ways to earn points, OpinionSquare gives you just as many options for redemption. Cash is the most flexible choice, but you may not get a good value for your points. The website typically offers more cost-effective rewards when you redeem your points as a product or gift card.
OpinionSquare’s available rewards are constantly changing, so check the website periodically and see if there’s anything you’re interested in. If not, you can always redeem your points as a gift card to get a better deal on another purchase.
Bonus Rewards
Points are OpinionSquare’s most obvious reward, but they’re not the only way to earn benefits. If you fail to qualify for a survey, for example, you’ll earn a token for the website’s quarterly game. This is a relatively minor bonus, but it prevents you from feeling like you wasted your time.
Similarly, OpinionSquare provides a sweepstakes entry for $100,000 every time you complete a survey. Your odds will improve for each survey you take, so don’t forget to respond to email invitations. That said, you’ll get a small reward even if they’ve already received enough responses.
International Support
Many survey sites are available only in the U.S. and Canada, but OpinionSquare is supported around the world. While some users won’t have access to all rewards, you should be able to create an account and earn at least some rewards.
Survey Availability
Survey availability is highly unpredictable and can vary from one member to another. On the other hand, OpinionSquare members tend to receive invitations at least somewhat frequently. You shouldn’t have trouble finding the surveys you’re looking for.
You can take more surveys by downloading the application, giving you an even wider range of options. The last thing you want is to run out of surveys on a survey site.
OpinionSquare Review: Is OpinionSquare a Scam?
While OpinionSquare is an entirely reputable company, that doesn’t mean it comes without flaws. There are a few things that may make it difficult to earn the rewards you want. These are a few of the most common complaints we had while working on this OpinionSquare review.
No Mobile App
You won’t miss a mobile app if you were planning to use OpinionSquare on your computer, but it’s often more convenient to take surveys on the go. Most survey platforms offer a mobile app, but you’ll have to use the OpinionSquare website whenever you’re using your phone. This can make it much more difficult to take a large number of surveys each month.
Unfortunately, the OpinionSquare site isn’t particularly well-optimized for mobile devices. Unless you want to navigate a desktop site on your phone, you should stick to taking surveys on your computer. This is one of the most notable downsides of OpinionSquare compared to the competition.
No Referral Rewards
Taking surveys is the most common way of earning points on survey sites. On the other hand, many platforms offer valuable referral benefits. A few even allow you to earn unlimited rewards. Users on these sites can sometimes earn more money from referrals than by taking surveys themselves.
OpinionSquare doesn’t offer a referral program, so you’ll have to earn rewards through surveys, games, or the downloaded application. This won’t have an impact on your earnings if you were only planning to recommend it to a few friends. That said, it could substantially decrease your rewards if you have a larger audience.
Confusing Points System and Low Payouts
Most of us assume that a given number of points matches up to a certain amount of money. If you earn 250 points, for example, you probably assume they’re worth $2.50. OpinionSquare doesn’t match its points to money at all, so it’s hard to tell how much you’ve earned.
A $25 gift card, for example, currently costs 5,700 points on the OpinionSquare rewards page. If you get an average of 200 points from each survey, you’d need to take 29 to earn a card. Even if each one takes just five minutes, you’ll still be making far less than minimum wage.
Keep in mind that you can often use points for the same item in different ways. If OpinionSquare offers a product, you might also be able to find it on another website. Rather than redeeming the product itself, you could redeem a gift card and use the balance on that item. Compare available rewards to determine the best way to use your points.
It’s easy to feel like you’re making progress with points, so remember to check your balance and compare it to redeemable rewards. You shouldn’t look at OpinionSquare as a source of income. Instead, think of it as a way to earn a few extra dollars in your free time. There are more effective ways to invest your time if you’re interested in more sustainable earnings.
No PayPal Support
You can redeem your OpinionSquare points for checks, but you can’t use them for PayPal credit. This is a disappointing issue, especially considering how many survey sites offer PayPal rewards. Checks take much longer to process than a PayPal transfer.
This problem won’t affect the amount of money you earn, and cash usually isn’t the best option anyway. You’ll get more for your points by redeeming them for a gift card or individual item. Remember to check all available rewards before settling on cashโyou probably aren’t getting a great deal.
Most survey sites offer lower cash payouts, so the lack of PayPal support isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You should consider redeeming your points for a gift card and using the money for something you would have purchased anyway.
The Application
OpinionSquare’s application is polarizing. It finds more surveys, but it also requires you to share your data. Plus, OpinionSquare discloses that it shares your data with third-party companies.
It’s understandable that you may not feel comfortable with downloading the app. Unfortunately, this could lead you to have trouble finding the surveys you want to take.
Token Expiration
Most survey sites allow you to store rewards indefinitely, but OpinionSquare tokens expire at the end of each quarter. They’re tied to that quarter’s game, so you won’t be able to use them for the next one. This means that you’ll lose your tokens entirely if you forget to play the game.
If there’s a chance that you’ll forget, you should consider signing up for a site with more permanent rewards. Having rewards you earned expire is one of the most frustrating things about using OpinionSquare.
OpinionSquare Review: The Bottom Line
OpinionSquare is a popular survey site with a number of benefits. You should consider creating an account if you’re looking for an easy way to make extra money. You’ll earn rewards for each survey you take, eventually leading to a small payout or even a much larger prize if you win the $100,000 draw.
On the other hand, OpinionSquare is flawed in a number of significant ways. Its lack of a mobile app and PayPal support are serious inconveniences in 2019, and it also doesn’t offer referral rewards.
Plus, we were uneasy with the idea of having tracking software downloaded onto our computer.
However, if these issue don’t bother you, you can always create a free OpinionSquare account and try it out for yourself.
You’ll begin to earn points as soon as you sign up. Don’t forget to check your email regularly for notifications about new surveys. This is an easy way to add to your income without getting into a larger commitment.
Author:
Alex McOmie is a freelance writer for Money Done Right. He joined the Money Done Right editorial team in summer 2019. Learn more about Alex.