I get a lot of questions about survey companies. People want to know if they are worth spending their time on and if they’ll get paid.
There are some that are better than others and I’ve highlighted some of the best legit paid survey sites here.
Updated April 20, 2022: Stop wasting your time with non-legitimate survey scams: this is my number one rated legitimate survey company.
But Vindale Research REALLY stands out in the variety of opportunities they offer and that they pay in real cash, not points you have to redeem.

Vindale Research is a legitimate survey company that is hired by mass market brands to do product research.
In this Vindale Research review, I’ll discuss the pros and cons of Vindale Research and whether or not it’s worth your time.
How to Sign Up with Vindale Research

You can sign up with Vindale Research directly on their site. It’s free to get started and start earning your first payout. Just click on the get started button on their website.
5 Ways to Make Money With Vindale Research
Once you are signed up there are several ways to make money with Vindale research. Choose the ones that work best for you or work through all of them. It’s really up to you.
1. Answer Online Surveys
You can get paid to answer online surveys that get sent directly to your inbox. If you can get ones that are called “studies” go for those. They are usually higher-paying.

2. Find Reward Codes
Join the Vindale community to get polls, alerts, challenges and find reward codes that are worth cash. This can be a fun way to earn some extra dollars in the program.
3. Referral Program
Get $5 for every friend that you refer to Vindale Research. The more friends you refer, the more money you make!
4. Earn Cash For Opening Emails
Opt-in to the exclusive Reward Mail program and open and look at paid email messages. This one doesn’t pay a ton of money but is SUPER easy.
5. Watch Videos
Vindale offers paid videos. You can do video surveys and watch other videos for money.
How Vindale Research Pays You
Vindale pays out cash through PayPal. For most people this is a convenient and easy way to get paid.

You used to be able to get a check mailed to you, but they no longer offer that option.
You also need to earn $50 before you receive a payout.
The Pros of Vindale Research
Vindale Research pays out cash. This is a huge advantage because many survey companies require you to earn points in convoluted systems that you can then turn into cash.
With Vindale Research you can also earn money in several different ways and choose the methods that you like the best.
Finally, Vindale Research has paid close to $7 million dollars out to people just like you.
Special Features of Vindale Research
Cash not points: Vindale Research makes it easy to see how much you’ve earned because their dashboard reports in cash instead of points you need to convert.
Browser extension tells you when there are new surveys: I really like this feature, because it takes a lot of the hassle out of taking surveys.

Variety of ways to earn cash: There are lots of ways to earn cash. I especially like the email feature. All those little bits can really add up.
The Cons of Vindale Research
Doing surveys online for money can net you income. But it can also be tedious and slow-growing. It’s important to go into any survey company with a realistic attitude.
Vindale Research is a great side hustle, but it isn’t likely to turn into a full-time income stream.
What People Are Saying About Vindale Research
Made $200
I have been with them for quite a few months now. Since I am presently under-employed, I have a lot of time on my hands, so I’m able to devote a couple of hours a day to surveys. This one has actually been really great; I have made $200 in the past year or so. They have never been slow paying, and I’ve never had problems with their site. They have always been on the up-and-up. Since I belong to a less than optimal demographic (52 yo American Indian male, single, no dependents), I do have to be persistent. They also offer surveys, which is where I spend most of my time. The product reviews are OK if you want to try them, but I would check out the products on line elsewhere first, vis a vis customer reviews. I highly recommend this site.
yona1960bear@gmail.com
Surveys Are Called Studies
Vindale can be a little confusing I agree. But here is the deal, what they call “surveys” are actual offers and most require spending money or using a credit card. What we call “surveys” they refer to as “studies”. They seem to use Samplicious and Global Test Market quite a bit. The first time I cashed out I got if fairly quickly , it all depends on what time of the month you request. I cannot for the life of me though remember how I found the actual surveys on Vindale but they are there and they pay a dollar each. I can’t do “offers” because I don’t have a credit card, so I try to avoid sites like Minds Pay, Panda Research and sites like them.
The DQ Kid
Cashed Out Through Paypal
I’m sorry some of you are having trouble with Vindale. My experience with them has been quite the opposite. I cashed out $50 through my PayPal acct. about 2 months ago and am within $12 of cashing out again. They reminded me I had money ready to cash out, and their payment went into my PayPal account when they said it would, all with no problems. The only drawback is that they only pay every 2 weeks.
I never do the surveys with the product trials. They require a credit card for most of these, and they don’t accept the prepaid ones. I’m just not comfortable with using my real cards. I do the studies, sometimes they have a full page avail., sometimes,only the standard 3. I get tons of email invites daily. I certainly don’t qualify for all of them, but there are enough that I do qualify for to make it worth doing. Vindale, Toluna and Opinion Outpost are my “go to” sites, the others are nice too, but these are my main 3.
Wishing you all a very pleasant day!
CLDisme
Other Survey Companies
Survey Junkie: With over 5 million members, Survey Junkie allows you to take surveys on almost any connected device.
Pinecone Research: Pinecone is a highly reputable survey company and one of the oldest around. If you can get it in with them, it’s a good idea to do it.
Panda Research: Panda Research pays for surveys and offers an immediate $3 bonus just for signing up.
The Bottom Line on Vindale Research
Vindale Research is a legitimate company. They pay real money for completing surveys and reading emails.
But like any survey company, it’s a better gig for a side hustle than a full-time income.
My recommendation is to sign up with Vindale Research to start making some money now, sign up for all my top recommended survey sites to maximize your total survey income, and consider starting your own blog for longer-term full-time income.