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SurveySavvy is a popular website that lets you take surveys for money. But is it any good? This SurveySavvy review will cover the website’s features and drawbacks and help you learn more about taking surveys.
Survey sites are an easy way to earn passive income, but it can be hard to find legitimate options. Some platforms are sophisticated scams or simply provide so little in rewards that they’re not worth your time. With so many websites out there, it would take hours to look through every option.
Fortunately, we’ve taken surveys for money on a variety of different platforms to identify the best opportunities. So let’s dive right into this SurveySavvy review.
Table of Contents
SurveySavvy Review: What Is SurveySavvy?
Like many other survey sites, SurveySavvy offers monetary rewards in exchange for taking surveys. It’s been around since 1999, longer than most of its competitors. The platform provides surveys on a variety of topics.
In addition to the survey program, SurveySavvy also has an application called SavvyConnect. It was released in 2009 to monitor internet usage for market research purchases. SurveySavvy is consistently adding new tools and features to improve the site’s functionality.
How Does SurveySavvy Work?
Signing Up
It’s easy to create an account with SurveySavvy, and signing up is entirely free. The website asks for some basic information including your name, email and physical address. gender, and date of birth. It uses this data to match you with surveys, so it’s important to make sure everything is accurate.
SurveySavvy is open to users in the United States and elsewhere, although there are more surveys available for American members. You can start focusing on surveys once you finish adding profile information. Anyone over 13 can create an account, a much lower age minimum than many other sites.
Taking Surveys
SurveySavvy sends a notification email whenever you could qualify for a new survey. Invitation frequency can vary, so don’t be discouraged if it takes time to start qualifying for surveys. Remember that you won’t receive many invitations until you complete your profile.
While SurveySavvy looks for surveys that match your basic criteria, you may not qualify for the entire survey. Each survey starts with a short questionnaire to determine whether you’re eligible for the rest. You won’t receive any rewards if you’re screened out of a survey.
Most surveys cover popular products and services, or sometimes current events.
Every email invitation shows the estimated time for that survey, and you can also view this information under the “Available Surveys” section on the SurveySavvy website. Most surveys take between about five and 30 minutes, although some may be longer or shorter.
Keep in mind that the website needs only a certain number of responses. You may not be able to take a survey if it has already reached its quota. Try to respond to invitations you’re interested in as soon as possible.
Earning Rewards
In addition to the completion time, you can see the available rewards before starting a survey. This helps you avoid spending too much time on surveys that don’t offer enough cash.
Unlike some other sites, SurveySavvy doesn’t give you the option to decide between rewards. Instead, every reward is paid out in the form of a check in American currency. This could also make SurveySavvy less accessible to users outside the United States.
Since the website tells you how much time and money are involved in each quiz, you can generally avoid inefficient surveys. You can redeem your cash as long as you’ve accumulated a balance of at least $1.
SurveySavvy Review: Is SurveySavvy Legit?
SurveySavvy is a reputable and reliable survey site, and it offers a number of convenient perks. If you’re looking for a quick and simple way to make money, SurveySavvy could be the perfect opportunity. This section will cover a few of the most important benefits that we uncovered when writing this SurveySavvy review.
Transparency
Many survey websites use point systems to quantify rewards, but this only makes things more complicated. Points don’t always transfer evenly to dollars, so you may not be earning as much cash as you think. It can also be difficult to judge how much you’re making per hour while taking surveys.
SurveySavvy removes this confusion by offering cash directly. If you get $5 for a 20-minute survey, you know you’re making $15 per hour. This makes the platform much easier to use and helps you feel like you’re making progress.
Low Minimum Payout
Similarly, some sites require a high minimum balance before you can redeem rewards. These rules are designed to incentivize users to take more surveys, and they only benefit the website. A few platforms won’t let you withdraw anything until you reach at least $25 in rewards.
On the other hand, you can redeem SurveySavvy rewards as soon as you earn your first dollar. You can start taking surveys in just a few minutes, so you could redeem your first reward the day you sign up.
SavvyConnect
SurveySavvy’s survey function works similarly to other sites, but SavvyConnect sets the platform apart. As with YouGov’s Pulse app, you can install the application on a computer or mobile device in order to send data to SurveySavvy.
SavvyConnect monitors your internet usage with cutting-edge privacy technology to protect your data and anonymity. It’s completely free to install, and you’ll earn $5 per month for each device you use.
SurveySavvy also claims that users who install SavvyConnect will receive more invitations. While you may or may not notice a difference, it’s still a possible benefit worth considering.
Rather than spending time taking surveys, SavvyConnect allows you to make money for using the internet normally. It’s even easier than taking surveys, and you can stop using the application at any time.
Referral Benefits
Referral programs are another way to earn money on survey sites, and SurveySavvy offers one of the best. In addition to the standard bonus you earn when your referral signs up, you also receive a percentage of the money they make from taking surveys themselves. SurveySavvy even gives you points for surveys taken by your indirect referrals, or people referred by someone you referred.
You can currently earn $2 every time a direct referral takes a survey. This falls to $1 for indirect referrals, but it’s still a significant benefit. If you have a large referral network, you could easily make tens of dollars per week without doing anything at all.
Larger Payments
Everyone has a unique experience with survey websites, but SurveySavvy tends to offer great rewards. Many survey sites offer just a few cents for each survey you take. SurveySavvy surveys generally come with at least $1, and you can see how much you’ll make before getting started.
While you probably won’t earn a full-time income by taking surveys, SurveySavvy is one of the most lucrative survey sites. If you create an account, remember to look for surveys with a high payout per minute. These surveys tend to close more quickly, so it’s best to respond as soon as you see the invitation.
Support Options
It’s easy to get stuck when taking surveys online, and SurveySavvy provides the help you need. Its informative FAQ section includes information about common issues. You should check this page first whenever you run into a problem.
If you can’t resolve the issue yourself, you can also contact SurveySavvy’s support team via phone or email. Phone support is available on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific. Email support queries filed through the website should be resolved within 72 hours.
One-off Rewards Opportunities
SurveySavvy’s rewards are already valuable compared to other websites, but it also runs regular contests and promotions that offer even more benefits. Winners can receive as much as $500 in cash.
Previous contests have involved things like videos and jingles, so you could make money from your creative talents. Don’t forget to check the SurveySavvy website periodically to stay updated with the latest offers.
Reputability
As mentioned above, reliability is one of the top concerns for survey sites. Many platforms have a relatively limited history and therefore aren’t as reputable. It’s often hard to tell between a legitimate site and an elaborate scam.
SurveySavvy has existed since 1999, making it one of the oldest survey websites. You can trust the site to take care of your data and pay out accurate rewards. Keep in mind that your answers are only used to form statistics — they won’t be associated with you individually.
SurveySavvy Review: Is SurveySavvy a Scam?
SurveySavvy is a great survey site, but there are some concerns you should be aware of. While they may not affect every user, they could affect your experience on the website. These are a few of the most common issues we came across when working on our SurveySavvy review.
No Mobile App
While SavvyConnect is offered as a mobile app, SurveySavvy itself is available only as a website. This makes taking surveys on the go significantly less convenient. Depending on your schedule, you may consider using a website that comes with a mobile app.
That said, you can take surveys on your phone if you’re willing to navigate the website. While the site itself has a decent mobile design, it’s still much more difficult to use than a more intuitive and convenient mobile application.
Limited International Support
SurveySavvy is technically available internationally, but users outside the United States may have trouble finding enough surveys. Most SurveySavvy clients are performing market research on a predominately American audience.
Furthermore, the website pays out all rewards in American checks. These could be hard to use if you live outside of the United States. In short, you should look for another survey site if you’re not American.
Inflexible Rewards
You can cash a SurveySavvy check as long as you have an American bank account, but this isn’t exactly a convenient option. Most other survey sites enable you to cash out rewards via PayPal. This allows for quicker payment processing and is just as flexible as cash.
Checks, on the other hand, can take a long time to process and ship. SurveySavvy estimates a turnaround time of four to 12 weeks after you request your cash. Some survey sites put the money in your account within minutes.
Similarly, you can’t redeem your SurveySavvy rewards for gift cards, products, or anything else. Some sites with more varied rewards offer better deals on specific items. Don’t create a SurveySavvy account if you don’t want to receive checks.
Low Cap on Rewards
SurveySavvy doesn’t actually limit your rewards, but it’s tough to earn much money taking surveys. Even with the website’s additional features, most users will make much less than $50 per month.
You might think of that as a free $50, but the truth is you could earn even more money in other ways. There’s nothing wrong with taking surveys, but you should consider another option if you have more free time. All things considered, surveys are a relatively inefficient way to make money no matter what website you use.
Screener Surveys
SurveySavvy isn’t the only site that uses screeners, but these are still one of the most frustrating aspects of taking surveys. You could be disqualified for a survey even after taking a few minutes to answer questions.
Some sites ask for more detailed information upfront to remove the need for screener surveys. That process ensures that you’ll only be invited to surveys you’re qualified for. This helps you use your time more effectively and completely avoid screener surveys.
SurveySavvy Review: The Bottom Line
SurveySavvy is a flexible and powerful survey site that comes with better payouts than many other platforms. On the other hand, it also has some significant drawbacks including a lack of mobile optimization, relatively limited survey options for users outside the United States, and only one way to redeem rewards.
If you’re interested in answering questions for money, SurveySavvy is a fine place to start. Create an account today to start taking surveys.
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.
I’ve been on SurveySavvy for over a year. It’s easy, because you don’t have to do anything but use your PC, Phone, and/or Tablet to browse. You can earn more by taking surveys, but you don’t have to. In fact, I never even try anymore, because they evidently don’t value questionnaires from old people (I’m 80).
I answer the qualifying questions and they have always said I am not in a group they are interested in. I’ve never qualified, so I have stopped applying. That’s OK with me, saves me time and I still get money for doing nothing more than I normally do. It does take time for the checks to arrive, but they do arrive. Like a Christmas gift 🙂 Who can’t use a few dollars extra once in a while.
The other thing that might put you off is letting a company know what you are doing on the web. Frankly, I don’t care. I don’t follow boards that blow things up or get photos of young kids, so if someone knows what I search for it’s fine with me. Several years ago, I followed their invitation and asked for a file containing what they had in my file. When I got the package there were nearly 70 pages of data for a couple of months. I scanned the data, and there was no identifying information at all. My name, Zip, SS#, bank account info or anything else that was information that would identify me individually was screened out. You may be more secretive than I am, and that’s fine. You don’t have to join if you don’t want to.
It’s not a scam, and if you happen to be in a group the surveys are looking for you could get some extra money for little or no work. I like it 🙂