This review will examine Swagbucks in order to provide the information that will help you answer questions about its legitimacy.
SurveySavvy is a website where you get paid to speak your mind. This makes it a Paid Survey site; a website which pays you when you answer market research questions and share your opinion.
The question is whether SurveySavvy is legit or just another scam. That is, will SurveySavvy really pay you for simply giving your opinion, or will it waste your time (have you take surveys and not pay you)?
Another question is “how good of a Paid Survey site is SurveySavvy?”. That is, does SurveySavvy provide all that you’ll expect of the ideal Paid Survey site (such as low cash-out threshold, fast payment, etc)?
General Intro
What is SurveySavvy
SurveySavvy makes it clear in its name what it is all about – a Paid Survey site. It is a website where people can take surveys for money.
This is possible because companies are always looking for consumer opinions. They need consumer insight to bring about products and services that’ll thrive in the market. These companies are ready to pay you when you provide the much-needed customer insight.
What SurveySavvy does is simply to connect you with these companies. Survey Savvy has been doing this since 1999. It is owned by Luth Research LLC, an online market research service with over 1.5 million registered members worldwide. Visit SurveySavvy here: www.surveysavvy.com.
Is SurveySavvy legit?
Yes, SurveySavvy is legit. Thus, you can be confident that it will not steal your money or waste your time. The latter means that if you complete surveys in the website, it will not deny you payment. You’ll also come to the conclusion that SurveySavvy is legit after considering the following:
Operator Profile – SurveySavvy is operated by Luth Research LLC, which is an affiliate of Luth Research Inc, a preeminent market research firm with over two decades of experience conducting market research surveys. A paid survey site powered by a company of this profile can be nothing but legit.
Test of Time – SurveySavvy has been operating since 1999. Thus, it has over two decades of experience in the industry. Know that, time is a good litmus test. With time, scam sites are revealed for what they are.
However, in 20+ years of operating, SurveySavvy has proved faithful. It has always issued payment to its members. Thus, you’ll find SurveySavvy payment proofs all over the web. Scam sites do not pay, so a paid survey site that has been paying for over two decades can be nothing but legit.
Is SurveySavvy safe?
Yes, SurveySavvy is safe. Thus, you can be confident that the sensitive information you share with SurveySavvy will not fall into the wrong hands. It’s not news that using a paid survey site entails submitting a ton of personal information (and even credit card information). Such data you’ll not want leaking out to unauthorized third parties.
SurveySavvy says it meets or exceeds industry standards regarding electronic data security. Thankfully, this is not mere talk. SurveySavvy uses SSL encryption where applicable to safeguard users’ data; and this is a bank-grade technology that is nigh-unbreakable.
Who can join Survey Savvy?
Who will not like the idea this easy money that SurveySavvy promises (simply answering easy surveys and getting paid for it)? Everyone everywhere will want to grab this opportunity. Many Paid Survey Sites target only particular countries.
Interestingly, SurveySavvy accept members from all points on the globe. Wherever you are; if you’ve got internet access, you can register and join the ranks of SurveySavvy.
However, you’ll need to meet the age requirement. If resident in the US, you’ll need to be at least 13 years of age; but if resident in any other country, you must be at least 16 years of age.
General Intro – Hits and Misses
| Comes with a very simple website – www.surveysavvy.com Operated by a preeminent market research firm (Luth Research Inc)It’s vastly experienced – established since 1999, its been around for over 2 decadesKeeps users’ data safe using SSL encryptionAccepts members from all points on the globeAge requirement is 16+ years (13+ years for US members) |
Using SurveySavvy to Earn
Getting Started
Ready to start earning taking surveys in SurveySavvy? It starts by registering and creating an account. There are absolutely no fees to join or participate in the SurveySavvy online community. Remember, it was said earlier that SurveySavvy will not steal your money.
It’s just not possible because there’s nothing to steal. Since you are not paying to join SurveySavvy or to complete its surveys, you can walk out at anytime without having to lose anything.
That said; when registering, you’ll notice that the Survey Savvy registration form is a bit longer than those of many GPT sites. However, you should be done in 2 minutes, as you only have to enter: name, email address, password, country, home address, date of birth, sex, and a security question.
After registering, a profile survey opens up where you’ll answer about your race, education, occupation, etc. The information provided in the profile survey is used to send surveys your way according to criteria established by the advertising companies.
That is, companies want surveys answered by specific audience; if your profile matches the basic criteria for a specific survey, SurveySavvy will invite you via email to participate.
However, know that being invited to participate in a survey means your profile matches the basic criteria set by the survey provider. You’ll still have to pass an in-depth screening by the survey provider before you’ll be allowed to take a survey to completion.
When clicking to do a survey, the first questions you’ll answer are qualifying questions. If the survey provider determines that your profile does not match its target audience, you’ll be disqualified from the survey. This means you’ll not take the survey to completion.
Hence, you’ll not be credited the survey pay-out amount. However, for every survey you take to completion, the full amount mentioned in the survey invitation will be credited to your account.
Is there a join bonus?
No. SurveySavvy is one of those Paid Survey sites that do not give a join bonus. We like the psychological boost that join bonuses give; having something in your account before completing any paid survey can spur you on to complete surveys and top-up the earning.
In SurveySavvy, you’ll have to push yourself on. In some Paid Survey Sites, after a bonus for registering, there’s another bonus for filling your profile survey. However, SurveySavvy is not open-handed in this regard.
How to Earn
Being a Paid Survey site, the primary way to earn in SurveySavvy is taking surveys.
SurveySavvy also has introduced the SavvyConnect Program for earning extra income, while earnings can also come from its Sweepstakes and Referral program.
- Surveys – SurveySavvy is all about surveys. Many reward websites start off as Paid Survey sites, but on the way, they’ll add other things to become a Get Paid To site. However, SurveySavvy has stuck to its surveys to become something of a specialist Paid Survey site. Using your profile, SurveySavvy send you survey email invites. Each invitation will carry how much the survey will pay (if taken to completion) and the time it’ll take. The surveys are designed to gather opinions on a wide range of products and services; these will range from automobiles to computers, from laundry detergent to current affairs, and more.
One thing worth noting about SurveySavvy is that its surveys pay relatively well. In many Paid Survey sites, surveys that pay less than a dollar are the norm; but in SurveySavvy, surveys that pay above $1 are the norm. You’ll find many surveys that pay around $5, and much higher.
It should be said that there is no guarantee as to how many survey invitations you’ll receive or how many you’ll qualify to take to completion. Your personal profile determines the number of invites you get. Also, the survey provider determine qualification for each survey.
No survey taker likes survey disqualification as it means missing out on the promised pay-out of the survey after spending some time on it. SurveySavvy knows this, and it gives some form of compensation for survey disqualifications. For every survey you are disqualified from, you’ll receive a ticket to the SurveySavvy monthly sweepstake where 50 lucky members will each receive $10 cash prize.
- SavvyConnect – In 2009, SurveySavvy launched the SavvyConnect web extension, and proceeded to build an earning program (SavvyConnect VIP Program) around it. SavvyConnect is a browser extension that you can download and install in your device. It’ll run in the background without you knowing, collecting data as you go about your regular Internet use. What data? Everything! The data is used to find trends in online search shopping, entertainment, and more. Such data is a gold mine for most companies.
The good part is that, with SavvyConnect installed, as you surf the web as you normally do, you earn cash rewards. SurveySavvy pays $5 per month (per device type) for installing SavvyConnect; and you can have it on 3 device types (Computer, Phone, and Tablet).
Thus, the SavvyConnect is a unique opportunity to receive guaranteed monthly incentive up to $15 per month. However, this earning opportunity is open to only US members. We understand that some members may not be comfortable with having their browsing history shared with third parties.
SurveySavvy understands this too, and promises that your privacy will not be violated. E.g. the information is shared anonymously; it will not have your name or any other personal information that could put you in harm. Also, the software recognizes the “Private Browsing” or “Incognito Mode” of the major Internet browsers, and it will stop transmitting when these modes are activated
- Sweepstakes and Contests – Another way to earn in SurveySavvy is its monthly sweepstake. This is a monthly prize draws where 50 members are selected randomly, with each person netting a $10 cash prize. You’ll get tickets to the draw whenever you suffer a survey disqualification. SurveySavvy also runs contests occasionally, where lucky members go home with sweet cash prizes.
- Referral Program – Another way to earn in SurveySavvy is its referral program. You can go about referring persons in two ways. You can go to the referral section and enter the name and email address of your friend, and SurveySavvy will send them email invites. Alternatively, you can copy your unique referral link from the referral section and post this on your blog and social media pages. The referral program of SurveySavvy is one of the best you’ll find, as it is 2-tiered. This means you can earn when your direct referrals complete surveys, and you can also earn when your indirect referrals (referrals that your direct referrals make) complete surveys. However, it’ll take 4 – 12 weeks after your referrals or their referrals complete the surveys for you to be credited the referral commission.
Can you use SurveySavvy on mobile?
Yes, you can. SurveySavvy works fine on desktop as well as on mobile devices (smartphones and tablets). In fact, SurveySavvy seriously pushes use of mobile. That is why the SavvyConnect VIP program has phone and tablets as device types that you can install the software to earn.
With SurveySavvy being mobile compatible, you can take surveys whenever and wherever. You need not sit before your computer to earn.
Rather, you can put your taking survey time in between work, while moving from one place to the other, etc. Anytime you can bring out your mobile device and use it, you can turn to earning time.
Using SurveySavvy to Earn – Hits and Misses
| There are absolutely no fees to join or participate in the SurveySavvy communityRegistration is straightforward and fast Send emails to invite you to participate in surveysGenerally, the pay-outs of the surveys are relatively highGives a compensation for survey disqualification (an entry into the monthly sweepstake)Has the SavvyConnect program that allows members earn from doing nothing but surfing the webHas a fine 2-tier referral program where you can earn from your direct referrals and indirect referrals It’s mobile-friendly allowing members earn on the go (using smartphones and tablets) | It’s mainly a paid survey site (and not a GPT site), so you won’t find many different ways to earnThere is no join bonus or any incentive for filling the profile survey |
Getting Paid
How SurveySavvy Pays
SurveySavvy is not hard to figure out. This is because it does not come with a points system, where you are credited with points when you complete surveys, and later have to convert the points to cash using some conversion rate.
SurveySavvy pays with cash straight up. This means it offers you a dollar amount for every survey; and upon completion, it credits you the dollar amount. There’s no confusion here. As you complete surveys, you’ll see your dollar balance grow, until such a time that you are ready to cash-out.
Cash-out Threshold
Thankfully, you’ll not have to wait for long before you can cash-out. This is because the minimum cash-out amount is very low – just $1.00. Once you’ve earned more than $1.00, you can log in, go to the account section, and request payment. Suffice it to say that this is one of the lowest minimum cash-out thresholds you’ll find.
There are Paid Survey sites that’ll require you to earn up to $50 before you can withdraw. That said; if you want quick access to your earnings, the low $1.00 cash-out threshold of SurveySavvy makes it a fine Paid Survey site.
Payment Options
Another question is “how can you receive your payment?” Unfortunately, SurveySavvy does not give a lot of room in this regard. It supports only Checks. That is, once you request payment, it’ll mail a Check (in USD) via US post to your address on file.
Visit a better survey site with better payment options here
It is disappointing that SurveySavvy sticks to this old way of payment when online payment methods are the order of the day. Many Paid Survey sites have payment catalogue that includes web wallets (like PayPal, Skrill, and more), Direct Deposits, and even crypto options. Many more Survey Sites and GPT sites make payment easy by offering gift cards of favourite stores/ retailers.
Cash-out Speed
After requesting payment from a Paid Survey site, how long will you want to be kept waiting before receiving the payment? Everyone wants superfast payments, even instant payment if possible.
However, with SurveySavvy supporting only payment by Checks, there’s no chance of instant payments. SurveySavvy says that you should allow 4 – 12 weeks from your payment request date for processing and delivery of your check. 12 weeks is about 3 months!
To say payments are not fast in SurveySavvy is an understatement; payments are slow. In an era where Paid Survey sites and GPT sites are promising same day payments (and even instant payment), it’s disappointing that you may have to wait for months to receive payment from SurveySavvy.
Getting Paid – Hits and Misses
| Does not use any confusing points system, but credits members cash for completing surveys Minimum cash-out amount is low – only $1.00 | Pays only via Check mailed to the address on file It’ll take 4 – 12 weeks from date of requesting to receive your check |
Customer Support Service
Self Help
If you have questions, SurveySavvy has an FAQ page that you’ll want to check out. The FAQ answers about 37 questions, which touch virtually every aspect of using the Paid Survey site. You’ll find questions about:
- membership and accounts (Can I join SurveySavvy if I do not live in the United States, how does SurveySavvy membership work, etc)
- surveys (what are surveys about, why can’t I open the survey, why didn’t I qualify for the survey, etc)
- getting paid (how will I get paid if I don’t reside in the United States, is there any minimum or maximum amount for a payment request, etc), and more.
While the FAQ of SurveySavvy provides succinct answers to questions from different topics, we’ll like a more structured FAQ page that is sectionalized. That is, an FQ page where the support articles are arranged by topics, such that answers to questions from a particular topic are grouped together.
Contact Help
If the FAQ page does not answer your questions, or you have an issue that is beyond the FAQ pages, SurveySavvy has a support team that you can directly contact for assistance. The preferred contact channel is online ticket. Hit the “contact us” button in any page of the website to open the online contact form. Select a topic, enter your message, and hit “Send”. SurveySavvy will get back to you in 72 hours.
This is not the fastest response time. Thankfully, SurveySavvy also provides telephone support. If you need instant feedback, dial the number 1-888-588-4258 to use the telephone service. You won’t find many Survey Sites with telephone support. However, the telephone service is not available 24/ 7. The service time is 8am – 4pm Pacific Time (Monday through Friday).
Customer Support Service – Hits and Misses
| There’s an FAQ page that treats virtually all the topics relating to using the survey siteThere’s a support service that members can directly contact for assistancePreferred contact channel is online ticket, but instant feedback telephone service is also provided | Response time to support tickets is slow (within 72 hours) |
What Users are Saying
Positive Reviews
In the independent customers’ reviews platforms, you’ll find that SurveySavvy have just above average ratings. For example, in Trustpilot, SurveySavvy is rated 2.9out of 5, and in Sietjabber it is rated 2.48 out of 5. Thus, you’ll find that it has an equal mix of positive reviews and complaints.
Talking of the positives, everyone agrees that SurveySavvy is a legit and reputable Paid Survey site where persons can really make money online. Some hail SurveySavvy for being able provide another earning activity in the form of the SavvyConnect program; while others hail SurveySavvy for its low $1 minimum cash-out threshold. For example:
- Chris Dobrowosiki in Trustpilot says SurveySavvy has great looking surveys, and that he has always received his check and cashed them out at the bank or money order place.
- Benjamin Klatzer in Trustpilot says SurveySavvy is working great for him. That there’s the SavvyConnect program to get $15 a month when there are no surveys; and that his checks always arrive
- Fawn R in Sitejabber says he likes SurveySavvy because he’s been able to use it to make lots of money so far – about two hundred bucks
- Jennifer L in Sitejabber thinks SurveySavvy is Ok, as she makes between $1 and $5 for surveys that she qualifies for
- Todd H in Sitejabber says you should consider SurveySavvy for taking surveys because they offer: quick surveys which sometimes pay five or more bucks per survey, and let you request a check once you accumulate one buck.
Complaints
The about average rating of SurveySavvy in the review platforms tells you that you’ll find as many complaints as there are positive reviews.
In fact, in many reviews hailing SurveySavvy, you’ll find complaints inserted. For example:
- Benjamin Klatzer in Trustpilot who says SurveySavvy works great for him because his checks always arrive adds that the checks usually take a while to arrive
- Fawn R in Sitejabber who likes SurveySavvy because of having used it to make a lot of money so far adds that every now and then there is the problem of surveys quitting you.
- Jennifer Lin Sitejabber who thinks SurveySavvy is OK because of earning relatively well for surveys qualified for, adds that she doesn’t qualify for 70 – 80% of the surveys which is really annoying
You’ll also find outright complaints, where the reviewers have nothing positive to add. For example:
- Jorgen Skan in Trustpilot thinks that the biggest issue facing SurveySavvy is that it uses an out-dated system of mail-in checks. The review adds that there’s also the issue of delayed payment saying the average guy who likes to do surveys and wants to be paid on time should not look at SurveySavvy.
- Elaine Gardiner in Trustpilot feels disappointed because “it takes way longer than it should to receive a cheque…” The review adds that one will get kicked out of one survey, sent to another, only to be kicked out again.
- Duane Da’Vein in Trustpilot complains of “Slow Pay”. While noting that you will get paid eventually, the review continued that from when you request a pay-out to when they send you a check can take close to 6 months.
- Heidi in Trustpilot reported leaving SurveySavvy because of not qualifying enough for surveys and waiting extended weeks just to get a very minuscule amount. The review started that there’s been a 3-months wait to receive a payment (March to June); and that after qualifying for only 2 surveys in the beginning, it’s not been possible to qualify for any more surveys.
- Jane S in Sitejabber thinks it’s time for SurveySavvy to leap into the century. The review adds that SurveySavvy lives in the stone age by sticking to giving out checks
These complaints lay bare the problems of SurveySavvy. You shouldn’t expect to qualify for most surveys. True, survey disqualification is a problem in every Paid Survey site and GPT site, but the rate of disqualification seems to be high in SurveySavvy.
Thankfully, SurveySavvy compensates for disqualifications by giving you a ticket to its sweepstake. However, how good a compensation that is is another discussion. This is because entering the sweepstake does not guarantee winning the prize; and except you win something from the sweepstake, the sweepstake entry means nothing.
The other problems of SurveySavvy has to do with pay-outs. First, users do not like the “stone-age” approach of giving out checks. Users want to see more payment options, especially PayPal. Secondly, users do not like that it takes months to get paid. That said; when using Survey Savvy, when you request payment, be ready to be more patient than the proverbial “patient dog”.
Conclusion
SurveySavvy is a legit and reputable Paid Survey Site. There’s no doubt about this as it has been around since 1999, it is operated by a 100% legal and reputable market research company, and it has faithfully paid members.
As a paid survey site, you simply give your opinion to market research surveys featured in the site, and you’ll be rewarded with cash. Interestingly, surveys are relatively high-paying in SurveySavvy. There’s also a program to earn cash rewards simply by installing an app (SavvyConnect) on your computer, smartphone, and tablet, and going about your normal Internet use.
There’s also a fine 2-tier referral program that allows you earn from your direct referrals and your indirect referrals. Thus, you can really use SurveySavvy to make money online by doing nothing extraordinary. Another reason to love Survey Savvy is that it has one of the lowest minimum cash-out amount around. You can request payment if you have a balance of $1 or greater.
However, in this SurveySavvy review, there were great spells of non-excitement. For example, it sees that the rate of disqualification from surveys is high. There’s compensation for survey disqualifications, but this is sweepstake entry which will not mean anything if you do not win in the sweepstake. Also, there’s the problem of payment made only via Checks, and that these take really long to be received.
We think that in terms of providing earning opportunities from surveys, SurveySavvy is solid. While its pay-out method and pay-out speed take some shine off; on the whole, SurveySavvy makes a solid Paid Survey Site. Do we recommend SurveySavvy? Yes, we do.
Before using SurveySavvy, you should make peace with its “misses” as highlighted in this review. For example, if you’ll want to receive payment fast, or will want to get paid via other methods other than Checks, then SurveySavvy is not for you.