7 Highest Paying Survey Sites That Pay via PayPal

The highest paying survey sites pay about $0.50 to $5 for a standard survey, which works out to a few dollars an hour once you count the surveys you do not qualify for. Survey Junkie, Swagbucks, InboxDollars and Freecash sit at the top of that range, and the bigger difference between them is how quickly you can cash out.

This page compares what each site pays per survey, what that means per hour, and how to qualify for more surveys so less of your time is wasted. If you only want a short ranked list to pick from, use our best paid survey sites page instead.

Top 7 Highest Paying Survey Sites

All seven sites below are free to join and offer a PayPal payout. They are compared on three things: what a typical survey pays, how long it takes, and how much you need before you can withdraw. The pay figures come from each company’s own site.

1. Survey Junkie

$5 Minimum Cashout

Survey Junkie is a pure survey panel, so your time goes into paid surveys instead of an offer wall. Most surveys pay $0.50 to $3, and 100 points always equals $1. Every survey card shows the points and the estimated minutes before you start, so you can skip the ones with a poor rate. You can cash out at 500 points, which is $5, by PayPal, bank transfer or gift card. You need to be 18 or older and live in the US, Canada, Australia or the UK.

Pay and time shown up frontPayPal or bank transfer4.5 on Trustpilot

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My experience: This is the survey site I use most often. The dashboard is clean and easy to get around, which I cannot say for most survey panels.

2. Swagbucks

$10 Bonus With $25 Purchase

Swagbucks pays in SB, and 100 SB is worth $1. Swagbucks says most of its surveys pay around 100 to 300 SB, or $1 to $3, and the full range runs from 25 to 500 SB. The new member bonus is 1,000 SB, worth $10, and it requires spending at least $25 on a qualifying purchase through the shopping portal within 30 days. Surveys are only one of the ways to earn here, next to cash back, games and offers.

100 SB equals $1Gift cards or PayPalSeveral ways to earn

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My experience: Surveys are not my main earner on Swagbucks. Cash back on purchases I had already planned brings in about $20 to $40 a month, which beats what the surveys pay me.

3. InboxDollars

$5 Sign-Up Bonus

InboxDollars lists every survey in dollars and cents, so there is no point math to do. The company says most of its surveys pay $0.50 to $5, and a few pay $10 or more when you match a specific profile. Signing up adds a $5 bonus to your balance. The catch is the $30 minimum to cash out, the highest on this page, so expect weeks rather than days before your first payment.

Paid in dollars, not points$5 sign up bonusPayPal, gift cards or check

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My experience: Other survey dashboards overwhelm me with clutter. This one sorts the offers into clear categories and keeps my balance at the top of the screen.

4. Toluna

Paid in Points

Toluna is a long-running panel that pays in its own points instead of dollars. Its help pages say a completed survey earns between 15 and 50,000 points, depending on length. You still receive a small number of points when you do not qualify for a survey. Points trade for PayPal cash or gift cards in the rewards center, and Toluna says delivery can take up to 3 weeks. Points expire 12 months after you earn them.

Points even when screened outPayPal and gift cardsLonger surveys pay more

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Tip: Look up the current point cost of a PayPal reward in the rewards center before you start, and redeem as soon as you reach it. Points you leave sitting for 12 months are gone.

5. Freecash

$10 Sign-Up Bonus

Freecash mixes surveys with paid app and game offers. Its own guides put the average survey at about $1.50, with most paying $0.50 to $3. New members get a $10 sign up bonus. PayPal withdrawals start at $5 and usually process the same day, though your first one can require a higher balance depending on where you live. Freecash says most users earn from a few dollars up to around $50 in a typical month.

$10 sign up bonusSame-day PayPal payoutsPayPal, Venmo or gift cards

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My experience: My first $5 cashout reached PayPal in under an hour. The game offers with level goals earned faster for me than the surveys did.

6. MyPoints

$10 Gift Card Bonus

MyPoints is a rewards site built around shopping, with surveys as a side earner. Survey pay varies, and MyPoints says some pay as much as $50, though you should not expect those often. It also gives you a small bonus when you do not qualify for a survey. New members who spend $20 or more through its shopping portal in their first 30 days get 1,750 points, enough for a $10 gift card. Rewards come as gift cards, including Visa and PayPal options.

Bonus when screened outGift card and PayPal rewardsPoints for shopping too

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Tip: Only go for the welcome bonus with a $20 purchase you were going to make anyway. After that, use the surveys to top up your points between orders.

7. Branded Surveys

$5 Minimum Cashout

Branded Surveys gives new members 100 points, worth $1, as a welcome bonus. You can redeem at 500 points, which is $5. Most surveys run 5 to 20 minutes. The company says members can expect to earn $5 to $100 a month, so treat it as pocket money. Payouts go to PayPal, a bank account or one of 300+ gift cards.

100 point welcome bonusPayPal or bank transfer300+ gift card options

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My experience: I can confirm that Branded Surveys really does send the payments. Sign up is simple, and a brief profile survey gets you started.

For a closer look at the top two, read the full Survey Junkie review and the Swagbucks review. We have also reviewed two smaller rewards sites that are not in this comparison: see the GrabPoints review and the Lootup review.

What Survey Sites Really Pay Per Hour

No survey site pays by the hour. You are paid per completed survey, so your hourly rate is the survey’s pay divided by the time it takes, minus the time lost on surveys that screen you out.

Here is the math using the ranges the sites publish:

• A $0.50 survey that takes 10 minutes pays $3 an hour.
• A $1.50 survey that takes 15 minutes pays $6 an hour.
• A $3 survey that takes 20 minutes pays $9 an hour.

Screenouts pull that number down. If you lose 10 minutes to surveys you do not qualify for during every 30 minutes of paid surveys, a $6 an hour pace drops to $4.50. That lines up with the $4 to $6 an hour we have seen on Survey Junkie.

Monthly totals are modest for the same reason. Branded Surveys tells members to expect $5 to $100 a month, and Freecash says most users earn from a few dollars up to around $50. Surveys work best as one piece of a wider mix of apps that pay you real money.

To pick the best paying survey in your list, divide the pay by the minutes. Survey Junkie and InboxDollars show both numbers before you start, which makes this easy. Anything under about 10 cents a minute is rarely worth it.

How to Qualify for More Surveys

Getting screened out is the biggest drag on survey earnings. Companies want specific people for each study, and the site decides whether you fit from your profile and your first few answers. These habits raise your hit rate:

• Fill out every profile section. Sites match surveys to your profile, so a thin one means more surveys that end before they pay. Branded Surveys and Survey Junkie both pay points for completing it.
• Answer the same way every time. Panels compare your screening answers to your profile. If your age, income or household details change from one survey to the next, you get flagged and sent fewer surveys.
• Do not rush. Surveys include attention checks and track how fast you finish. Speeding through can get a completed survey rejected.
• Update your profile when your life changes. A new job, a move, a baby or a car purchase all open up different studies.
• Check in a few times a day. Surveys close once they have enough responses, so new ones are easier to get into than ones that have sat in your list.
• Use more than one site. Two or three panels give you enough surveys to stay picky about pay per minute.
• Lean on sites that pay for screenouts. Survey Junkie, Toluna and MyPoints all give a small amount when you do not qualify, so the attempt is not a total loss.

If you would rather start with money in the account, compare the sign up bonus apps first. Freecash and InboxDollars both appear there.

Frequently Asked Questions

You probably have questions about these survey websites, why they pay for your opinion, and if they are genuine. The answers are below.

Highest Paying Survey Sites

Paid surveys do pay, but the ceiling is low. The best paying standard surveys land between $0.50 and $5, and a realistic pace is a few dollars an hour.

If you want the highest paying surveys with the least waiting, start with Survey Junkie for its $5 cashout and add Swagbucks if you also shop online. Both pay out through PayPal.

Tip: Surveys are slow money. For more options beyond these seven, see our list of the best paid survey sites, or look at the best money making apps if you want something that pays faster than surveys.