Paid Surveys

In recent years, it has become increasing difficult for survey organizations to achieve high response rates among target populations. People may refuse to participate in surveys for any number of reasons. Some feel too busy to be bothered, while others may feel trepidation about giving personal information to strangers. To address this problem, survey organizations have begun offering incentives for participation, and evidence suggests that incentives are an extremely effective means of attaining proper response rates.

Among the many types of incentives one can offer to prospective survey respondents is cash. Although five or ten dollars can buy a lot of cooperation, one should consider carefully before plunging into the world of paid surveys.

The Paid Survey Industry

A simple Google search under the topic "paid surveys" can demonstrate the effect this method has had on the survey business. Hundreds of hits, promising potential respondents a steady income from the comfort of home, flood the screen. These paid survey sites are one of the latest incarnations of the larger "work at home" industry that promises unlimited income potential with little effort.

Although perfectly legal, paid surveys have begun to take on a veneer of fraud, as scammers vie to take advantage of desperate and unsuspecting consumers. The problem is that most of these work-at-home "opportunities" fail to bear fruit. Many paid survey companies charge fees for their services, and very often little or nothing is given in return. In recent years, the Better Business Bureau has been flooded with complaints about paid survey companies. One common practice is to charge a fee up front with promises of big money that never materializes. Respondents that do manage to get paid are generally disappointed with the return on the time invested.

American legislators are taking the problem of paid survey scams very seriously. The federal government and numerous states are currently in the process of enacting legislation to counter this kind of fraud.

Does this mean that paid surveys are entirely bad? Not necessarily. They can, in fact, be a very powerful incentive for people to respond to surveys. However, one should proceed with caution because legitimate organizations that pay people to take surveys can easily be lumped in with the scammers. Most people are savvy enough to recognize a potential swindle, and offers of big returns for small investments will raise red flags. They may become jaded against any attempts by a survey organization to pay them because they believe, with some justification, that paid surveys are the modern day equivalent of snake oil. Consequently, potential respondents may delete or ignore invitations to participate in paid surveys.

Other Potential Problems

Aside from the shady paid survey industry, other reasons exist that can lead one to question paid incentives. Although studies have shown that paying people has no serious negative effects on responses, it has been suggested that paid surveys can affect a respondent's attitude about the survey itself. For example, in one study, respondents who received a small gift for participation tended to view their participation as helpful to the surveyors, while respondents who were paid cash tended to view their participation in terms of the incentive. Moreover, payment for participation may lead to expectation of payment for future surveys. Whether these issues are enough to warrant alternative incentives is questionable, but when coupled with the already dim reputation so many paid survey companies are earning, alternate incentives may be a better choice.

Less Problematic Incentives

Survey companies use many kinds of incentives to ensure high response rates, most of which do not deal with cash payments for participation. Some survey organizations award "points" that can be saved and redeemed later for merchandise. Others enter participants in a periodic sweepstakes drawing for money or prizes. Still others offer modest gifts, such as t-shirts, coupons, coffee mugs, or other small items. All of these incentives are relatively inexpensive, but they can effectively entice respondents without the potential problems associated with paid surveys.