Are paid surveys a scam? You have probably seen the following ads in various places on the internet. “Get paid to take surveys! Earn up to $250/hr for giving your opinion! Make thousands of dollars a month taking paid surveys in your spare time!” These and other ads beckon viewers to take paid surveys that hold any number of promises in regards to how much you are able to make off of them. Paid surveys are a form of market research, performed by market research firms in order to gather information about a particular product. Often this research is done at the request of major companies in order to gauge the public's reaction towards a product. Paid surveys are just one of several ways of collecting this information.

Participating in a paid survey can be a good way of making a small fortune, but there are those out there who are more than willing to take advantage of someone who is looking for a quick way to make a small amount of money. Paid surveys in of themselves are not a scam, but as mentioned, there are a lot of non-reputable websites that lure people into giving up their personal information or signing up on mailing lists on the pretense of joining a “legit” paid survey program.

The most important thing you should do beforehand is to research the company that is offering the paid survey -- in this instance, Google is your friend. There is bound to be information about the company you're looking up, whether it is praiseworthy or cautionary. It is also a good idea to check with the Better Business Bureau in order to see if the company has had any complaints or other issues. Out of the hundreds of legitimate paid survey companies, the most well-known are American Consumer Opinion and Opinion Outpost.

Watch for surveys that promise a high rate of return. Even though you may hear stories of people who have made thousands per month on surveys alone, chances are those stories are just hype. The bare truth is that you probably won't get rich just from surveys alone. Since most companies only average about 1 survey per week, you may have to work with a lot of companies to get any actual income going. The upside is that there are companies that pay out weekly or even daily. Some companies even allow you to try out and keep new products, if you have been a loyal survey taker at those companies.

Be careful of companies that ask for “registration fees” or “membership fees” upon joining. If you have to make a steep investment before making any money from surveys, don't. There are plenty of free paid survey companies offering the same level of service and that can save you from spending over $50 on membership fees. Check to see if there are any forums or directories with a list of free and membership only paid survey sites. These sites usually offer free information on these companies, as well as extra advice.