There has been some speculation surrounding the question, “Is YouGov legit?“
This piqued my interest, especially as someone who loves taking surveys and joining focus groups for extra spending cash.
With such a notable online reputation, I found it hard to believe that a well-known name like YouGov would be involved in a scam.
However, I had to do a little digging to make sure the market research company was safe enough for me to recommend.
Let’s explore the fascinating things I uncovered about YouGov and whether they’re as legit as they say.
What Is YouGov?
After some research, I found that YouGov is an average survey and research company headquartered in London, England.
They focus primarily on analytics and research data, helping companies with various marketing activities.
I was also surprised to learn they employ and work with over nine million people worldwide, with offices in North America, Asia, the Nordics, and more.
The company has a three-step process to ensure the most reliable data is collected from online surveys.
They believe offering a high-quality panel of over eight million research participants gives reliable data.
From there, they compile a ton of valuable insights for market research.
The final step is to offer highly technical tools to manage and aggregate data across numerous sources.
For companies, this can be cost and time effective.
For focus group participants, I found the company has some of the best-designed survey websites I’ve experienced.
Is YouGov Legit?
Deciding on the legitimacy of YouGov was relatively simple, as there are a ton of resources I was able to look into.
Not only did I consider the proclaimed statements on the company’s site but third-party resources as well.
Let’s get into what I found that led me to believe YouGov is legit.
The first stop I made was the company’s site, expectedly filled with praise.
I noticed that YouGov is frequently quoted in mass media from sources like CNN, Forbes, Food + Wine, and Travel + Leisure.
This shows their data is reliable enough for major media outlets to broadcast on all of their platforms.
With a good idea of how YouGov is perceived from a business-to-business standpoint, it made me curious to see how customers like their services.
Considering I’m recommending them to focus group participants like myself, it’s important to think about!
Capterra was a great resource with 17 reviews I was able to read through.
Most participants found YouGov easy to use with plenty of great features and decent reward options.
They also enjoyed their customer service, which is relatively unheard of; in fact, 8.4 out of 10 respondents were likely to recommend their services to others.
With those reviews in mind and seemingly reliable data used by professional organizations, it’s easy to see that YouGov is a legit service for focus groups and surveys.
How Does YouGov Work?
If there’s one thing I love the most about this company, it’s that their surveys are designed for modern participants.
The user-friendly layouts are so simple that children can use them.
Also, I found their signup process was one of the most straightforward, with interactive features I found fascinating to use.
With a good idea of how legit YouGov is, it’s time to go over the steps I followed to sign up for an account.
Step 1: Register
As with any other focus group or survey platform, I first had to register for an account.
I had to visit their homepage and click “Join,” which directed me to a separate landing page.
On this landing page, you can read a couple of additional reviews and some answers to frequently asked questions.
The signup intro survey is straightforward and includes your name, phone number, and email address.
Once you’ve completed all the required fields, you’ll be sent an activation email allowing you to access your account.
Step 2: Log Into Your Account
One of the more interesting features I appreciated with YouGov is how important security is to them.
Instead of giving survey participants a password, you receive a one-time code every time you want to log into your account.
This code is randomized and sent to your email inbox, ensuring you’re the only person who can access your account.
I was pleasantly surprised to see the code delivered within seconds of trying to log into my account.
I especially love how it can be used as an indicator to know whether someone is trying to access my rewards and surveys illegitimately.
Step 3: Look for Surveys
Once you’ve successfully logged into your YouGov account, you’ll be taken to your dashboard.
On your dashboard, there’s a special section that shows whether there are any paid profiler surveys available.
In most instances, whenever I logged in, there was an opportunity waiting for me to sign up for.
I found getting survey topics very similar to other market research platforms.
Once I chose engaging surveys, I had to enter preliminary information to decide if I was right for the study.
The platform notified me after completing the entry survey, so I didn’t have to waste any time getting approved or denied.
Step 4: Check Your Email
I must admit, there were a couple of times when I didn’t have any high-quality online survey panel opportunities available on my dashboard when I was logging in.
In these instances, I double-checked my email to see if YouGov had sent extra offers.
To my surprise, several emails were waiting in my inbox with potential detailed surveys I could join.
I appreciated this feature, as it gave me countless survey opportunities to earn points towards my extra rewards.
Also, I found it was a great reminder to log in and check if I had any occasional outstanding surveys to consider.
Some emails even included information about sweepstakes entries to win more benefits.
Step 5: Collect YouGov Points
As you complete your full-length surveys, interviews, and focus groups, you’ll receive compensation through YouGov points.
As we’ll see below, you’ll need more or fewer points to redeem additional rewards.
Tracking your points is exceptionally simple, as the site displays them at the top of your dashboard when you log in.
How to Earn Money With YouGov?
One of the first things I look for when reviewing marketing research firms is their payout strategy for major or minor survey rewards.
Some firms like to pay by check, while others prefer a point system, like YouGov.
Now, this is where there is some debate online as to whether this site is legit or not, as it’s not the highest-paying survey site I’ve found.
Compared to most other survey platforms I’ve used, YouGov’s reward system is rather lackluster.
You need to collect tons of points to be eligible for any rewards, and some surveys offer very few benefits.
Some people have spent months trying to save enough points for a $100 gift card, as they might have had limited survey access.
However, I found that you can collect points quickly if you stay on top of your screener surveys on your dashboard and in your email.
The more offers you complete, the higher your chances of earning rewards in less time.
There are two main types of rewards you can choose with YouGov, either cash rewards or gift cards.
It can take up to 1,000,000 points to get $100 worth of cash or a $100 gift card.
Currently, the platform only offers Amazon gift cards, which can be helpful if you do a lot of shopping online.
My preference is definitely cash, which can be delivered directly to my PayPal for me to use however I choose.
Three Alternative Sites to Explore
There’s no doubt in my mind that YouGov has a futureproof system with plenty of benefits.
However, I want to recommend a few other sites with more competitive payout structures to consider.
Plaza Research
If you love in-person focus groups, Plaza Research is a fantastic company to consider to earn extra spending cash.
They have locations in over 14 cities across the United States and host evening and day focus groups.
They’re remarkably flexible and make it much easier to fit opportunities into my busy schedule.
Payment from Plaza Research is one of the most positive things I can say about the company.
Most groups can pay anywhere from $50 to $200 for a couple of hours.
Plaza Research isn’t the best option if you like gift card rewards. Instead of pre-paid gift cards, they offer cash incentives primarily.
IPSOS I-Say
Another renowned name in market research is IPSOS, and their I-Say platform is a great option.
It’s packed with a stream of surveys and other research opportunities I use to fill my extra time.
That said, their payments aren’t as high as other platforms, but their survey invitations quickly payout, which I love.
Their thousands of surveys take a few minutes, and I can earn anywhere from $0.40 to $1.50 per task in my spare time.
I also love the mobile app, which allows me to participate in hundreds of types of surveys numerous times, as long as I have internet.
Like YouGov, IPSOS provides points instead of cash, allowing you to redeem your points for rewards.
The flexibility of their rewards is one of my favorite features. I can choose an e-gift card from multiple retailers, including iTunes and Amazon.
Or, I can turn my rewards into PayPal cash or a prepaid Visa card in exchange, depending on what I feel that day.
Stan’s Gigs
After spending years browsing the internet for the best freebies, surveys, and focus groups, I decided to start Stan’s Gigs.
Stan’s Gigs is a diverse resource of the best online offers you can find to get free products, extra cash, or offers that allow you to redeem points for gift cards.
The best part is every survey I recommend has been vetted for its legitimacy, giving you the best possible online offers.
If you’re interested in becoming a part of an amazing community of thrifty online users, sign up for the Stan’s Gigs newsletter today.
YouGov’s Legitimacy: The Verdict
There’s plenty of info online to answer, “Is YouGov legit?” from reputable B2B relationships to relatively positive customer reviews.
After all of my digging, I can proudly say that although it takes a while to get rewards, the company does fulfill its promises.
You can complete an assortment of surveys and focus groups on collecting points to go towards cash or Amazon gift cards.
I am a father to a beautiful baby girl, a husband and a serial gigster 🙂 I live in Toronto, Canada. My claim to fame: I made thousands of dollars from focus groups and surveys over the last 15 years. Studied Marketing in Ryerson Univerity and worked in Marketing and Marketing Research for the last 14 years+ My mission is to educate others how to be successful with side hustles. You can contact my be email or on Facebook.
