Here are the Best Ways to Get Paid to Review Products for Free at Home!
All of us want a side hustle where we get paid for doing something apart from our main job. By doing a side hustle you not just utilize your spare time constructively and earn some more but also help brands produce better products and experiences. This type of making income from home had been around for a few decades but it was available to only select individuals until recently. But now becoming a paid reviewer is easier than before.
When it comes to earning a little extra on the side, did you know that many companies send free products for people to try and review and also give them money for this? Yes, it is true. Product testing is one of the successful ways that companies can get real users' feedback on their products and services before they push them to the market.
The process of testing and reviewing a product is as follows:
- The company ships you a free physical sample of their product for your use in exchange for frank and candid feedback on the product.
- At the end of the testing period, the company might let you keep the rest of the product.
- Some companies may also pay you some cash, gift cards, or merchandise.
But before you dive into this method of earning some money through reviews, how do you find those sites that will pay you for testing their products? How do you know that these are legit sites where you are investing your time? Fortunately, there are quite a few reputable and genuine companies in the market that are looking for users to test their products and give honest feedback which we will explore in this article.
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Working Ways to Get Paid to Review Products
Let Us Dig Into Some of the Legit Product Reviewing Sites that Pays:
You must register with a large number of sites that offer product testing and pay for it. Each of these sites will ask you to fill out forms with your demographic information so that they can match you with their relevant products for review.
1. I-Say by Ipsos Panel
This could be deemed as the mother of all product testing panels. So it is a must that you join this panel if you are looking to get rewards in product testing jobs. You can get really high-paying product testing opportunities with this panel and earn a lot like 100 USD or more. You can get paid for testing and reviewing products in the form of cash, prepaid debit cards, or gift cards.
2. Homescan
The Homescan program is run by Nielsen who is well known for polling US TV watchers to know their TV viewing habits. When you sign up with Homescan to test their products, you will either receive a scanner or access to their website. You can scan the barcode of products you buy on their site to earn points. You can get additional points by participating in their surveys. There is no cash payment in the Homescan program but you can exchange your points earnt for merchandise and gift cards.
3. Lifepoints
The Lifepoints website pays users for completing surveys These surveys could be related to products you bought from their site or on general topics. You will earn Lifepoint for every survey that you complete and most surveys are just 15 minutes long. Some of the surveys need demographic information and might disqualify you if there have not been enough responses from your demographic, but you will still earn a few lifepoints. Usually the longer the survey, the more points you receive. You can redeem your life points for rewards and your options include gift cards, cash deposits to your PayPal account, and charitable donations.
4. InBoxDollars
You can get paid for a variety of tasks on the InBoxDollars platform. They pay you for taking surveys, watching videos, shopping online, playing games, and reading emails. You will receive direct emails from InBoxDollars whenever there is an opportunity to get paid for completing surveys. Here you get cash and not points and customers have earned more than 56 million USD on InBoxDollars since its inception in 2000.
5. Pinecone research
The focus of Pinecone research is to perform product tests of those items that have not yet been introduced to the general public. The company will send you questionnaires about the products to complete and upon completion, you get points in exchange. You can later redeem these points for cash, branded merchandise, or gift cards. The company is clear about its payment which is a flat rate of 3 USD per survey. Though panel positions on Pinecone research are not always open. If the household information you provided does not match with any of the product testing requirements at that time then they will send you an email notification specifying the same. The company will keep the information you provided for a few weeks in case there is an opening. If there are no openings within a few weeks, you might need to reapply.
6. American Consumer Opinion
ACOP is another reputable site that pays for product testing and reviewing. You need to provide your personal opinions on things like the economy, the advertisement campaigns, ideas for new products, etc. to earn through this channel. You can register easily on ACOP with your FB or Google account. Once you become their pane member, you can expect to participate in a number of surveys per year. Their surveys are short (takes around 15 minutes) with easy to answer questions. Every survey pays you in points which can be cashed out through Paypal. You also have the choice to donate your reward points for charity purposes. You can also use your points to enter many sweepstakes which will give you a chance to earn cash or other rewards. You will be asked to take a screener survey every month so that ACOP can send you the relevant surveys.
Also Read: How to make Money with your Smartphone
7. Start a Review Blog
If dealing with another website's need to get paid for reviews is not your thing, then you can consider creating your own blog for writing reviews. This strategy of getting paid for reviews can be difficult initially but it pays out much better once you are well into this business. Certain websites like Wirecutter get millions of readers every month due to the high quality of their reviews. When you start a review blog, you could make money through advertisements or get affiliated with services like Amazon where you get a commission when someone buys a product based on your review.
8. JJ (Johnson and Johnson) Friends and Neighbors
We all know that Johnson and Johnson is one of the biggest brands in the world which owns various famous companies like Aveeno, Clean & Clear, Neutrogena, Roc, and many other brands that might be there at your home. Johnson and Johnson is also the owner of the JJ Friends and Neighbors program where you can test products for free and also get to keep them before the product is launched in the market. You can try makeup or fragrance and other self-care products from J and J and also participate in their survey programs. Their reviews programs comprise online surveys, focus groups, discussion forums and groups, and many other panels. Anyone can join the program and it will notify you through email if you are eligible to participate in the product test. As for the payment, prepaid VISA gift cards are the most common rewards.
9. UserTesting
UserTesting helps companies test their apps and websites by connecting them to regular people. You will get a link to the site or app from the company along with a set of tasks that the company wants you to accomplish. For example, an online retailer might ask you to go through the procedure of buying a skirt. You would need a microphone to start an assignment and as you go through the task, UserTestign would keep recording your screen, your activities, and whatever you say. You should speak out your thoughts clearly and loudly to help those people who go through your recordings. They need to understand your thought process to be able to update the website accordingly. For every twenty minutes of recording, you get paid 10 USD.
10. Survey Junkie
One of the most popular sites, Survey Junkie allows you to earn cash through product testing as well as become an influencer. This website has a huge fan following since Survey Junkie members earn a good amount of money for having an influence on an array of different products, topics, and services. You can get cash or gift cards by surveying stuff on Survey Junkie. To register with Survey junkie you just need to give them your email and answer some very basic questions about yourself. You could also sign up through your Google or FB account. The data you provide helps Survey Junkie match you with the best possible surveys. This site is unique in the sense it rewards you even when you are disqualified for a survey. You get money instantly via PayPal or eGift cards (including Amazon, Groupon, iTunes, and Sephira) with this website without any delays.
11. Branded Surveys
Share your opinions and get paid with the Branded Surveys Program. Branded surveys are similar to other survey sites and you can get started by simply registering with them for a free account. Though the income you get from Branded surveys might not suffice as a full-time income for you, you still get some extra cash without investing too much effort and time. The questionnaire of branded surveys will ask you stuff about your life so that you are matched up with surveys that resonate with your life experiences. Once you have completed your profile, you can access all surveys that match your profile through the dashboard. The dashboard will show you information like how much each survey is worth and the approximate time to complete the survey. Branded surveys have a point system for rewarding users and once you earn 500 points (equivalent to 5 USD), you can redeem them for cash or gift cards. Do fill out your profile completely giving as much information as you can so that you can be matched with more surveys.
12. McCormick & Company, Inc.
If tasting food is something that appeals to you then McCormick & Company's product testing panel would be a good fit for you. You need to apply to become a panel member with McCormick and once you are in their database, you would get periodic emails regarding recruitment for studies. The studies fill up really quickly so you must participate as soon as you get an email. The product tests run for 30 minutes to two hours and you get paid between 10 USD and 15 USD in the form of Amazon gift cards. Some tests might even pay for 30 USD per hour. There is also an in-facility product testing where users test products at the Hunt Valley, MD, near Baltimore. These tests are again 30 minutes to two hours but pay 30 to 100 USD.
13. Review Stream
This one is different from other review sites because here you get paid for what others think about your reviews. This means you must be absolutely candid and provide lots of detail in your reviews. The site offers reviews for almost anything such as movies, products, books, etc. If your review is accepted by the Review Stream team, you receive a small payment. Once they post your review on their site, other users can vote if they found your review useful or not. For every vote that says your review was helpful, you earn 10 cents. You also have a chance of earning 10 cents if you provide answers to questions by other consumers. The payment happens through PayPal.
14. Univox community
This is another well-trusted panel where you can test household products worldwide. You can share your opinion on current events, experiences, shopping habits, future needs (especially with the COVID19 pandemic), etc. With all the uncertainty around us in current times, companies are eager to know what they should do so that it meets people's needs in a better fashion. Univox has a big budget and has a presence in more than 40 countries. The process of earning with Univox is simple; first, you register for free (this gives you an instant bonus of 200 points which is worth 2 USD), get an email from Univox for survey invites, and earn rewards for each survey you take. They have multiple options for redeeming rewards like Paypal, Amazon gift cards, or virtual Mastercard.
15. Product Report Card
To earn a big amount, the Product Report Card is the right platform. You can influence top markets and get your voice heard by brands by taking surveys with the Product Report Card. There are multiple ways to earn money on this platform like online surveys, phone interviews, online bulletin boards, clinical trials, online focus groups, webcam studies, and live chat. You will get emails from the Product Report Card to join any of the available paid opportunities. Slots fill in quickly so it is vital that you check your emails regularly. The rewards on this site range from cash to Amazon gift cards and free products for each survey that you take.
16. Tryazon
Tryazon pays you for testing products. The company will send you a single product to test if you select Tryazon. You also have a party option here and if you apply for that and Tryazon accepts your application, it sends you a box full of products, party favors, and similar items. With the party option, you can use the products when you host a party so that everyone gets to test the products. Once you are done testing the product, you can send your feedback to the company and post the party event on your blog or social media.
17. Write reviews for clients
You could find clients by searching on the web for sites that focus on product and services reviews. You can then directly pitch for your review writing skills. For this, you need to have your portfolio and the drive to pitch for multiple clients before you land your first gig. Ensure that your first submission is high-quality because that might give you steady work in the future.
Why Do Brands Want Consumers to Be Part of Their Paid Product Testing Studies?
The main reason for paid product testing is that brands are eager to know what consumers feel about their newest products which are being developed to be sent to stores.
- Before the product hits the market brands want to know what you (a representative of consumers) think about the product or service.
- When real consumers test and give honest feedback on their products, brands get to save a lot of time and money in case the product is not up to the expectation and needs changes.
The Process of Product Testing and How You Can Become a Product Tester
As long as you know how to spot a legit site for product review and know the difference between a fake and a legit site, you can easily start reviewing products and earning. Any legitimate product reviewing site will never ask for money from you but just your time and excellent reviewing skills. One thing to keep in mind here is that every company will have its own criteria for selecting a candidate to review their product, for example, if you have grown children you are not eligible to review baby products. Also, your selection as a product reviewer is based on your demographics and you will qualify for only specific product testing opportunities.
You will review any product either on their website or via email so you must make a note of all the website links that you need to bookmark or addresses that you need to send your review to.
To begin testing products and be on the panel of a company’s product testers, you would need to do the following:
- First, you must sign up with a market research firm that has an offer for product testing at home.
- Once you have registered with the firm, the market research firm would send you a few screener emails which you need to fill out. The aim of these screener emails is to find if you are qualified to be a product tester for their current product testing jobs.
- When you have completed the screening survey form, you would get to know at the end whether you have qualified as a product tester or not. For instance let us say you want to review a product that is a cosmetic but you do not use cosmetics much, so the brand would not deem you fit to review their product.
- Once you have obtained the approval of the brand to test the product, the brand would seek your address to send the product for evaluation (it could be a week or two depending on the product.)
- After the evaluation period, the brand would ask you to send you feedback on the product via email.
- Once you send your feedback you are done, and you get paid.
Things to Consider While Reviewing Products
You must follow all the instructions provided during the review process else you risk not getting paid for your review.
- To be a paid reviewer there are primarily two basic skills needed: first is that you should possess good English writing skills and second is you must have excellent skills to take notes.
- Your product testing must comply with the directions provided by the company and you must write a solid review.
- Companies do not like reviews on their products to be in simple two or three words such as “good product”, or “did not like it much”. Companies want to see quality reviews that carefully explain what you liked and did not like about the product and list down your entire experience during testing their product.
Concluding: Get Paid to Review Products for Free
Now that you know quite a few ways of getting paid for your reviewing skills, it is time to get started with it. Do remember here that companies are paying you for your time as well as honesty and their aim is to bring out a product to the general public which performs well. Therefore, your genuine input makes a big difference to a lot of people apart from other benefits like cash and free products.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.