Making money online is becoming more and more prevalent these days.
In fact, the internet does not disappoint when it comes to providing plenty of side hustles you can take advantage of.
For example, you will find market research companies, like Respondent.io, looking for multiple participants to answer surveys for a reward.
Sounds too easy? If you think so, then you’re one of the many who ask, “Is Respondent legit or not?”
To help you out, I looked at several Respondent.io reviews and tried to dabble in some of its features firsthand.
If you’ve been here long enough, you’d know that I also enjoy earning extra money from participating in research studies.
Years of experience have taught me what to look for and stay away from.
What Is Respondent.io?
Respondent.io is a market research company that pays qualified respondents to participate in its numerous research study opportunities.
It takes a crowdsourcing approach and enlists groups of people with specific qualifications.
Companies contact third-party market research sites like Respondent.io to see whether the general public or their target market will like a product or service before its release.
This way, they can prevent irreversible losses before they even happen.
So, where does the money you get come from?
Since companies learn from your valuable feedback, you get paid to participate in research studies using Respondent.io.
The site offers both in-person and online one-on-one consumer research studies and focus groups.
It also offers relatively high-paying surveys based on the client’s needs and the qualifications the respondents filled in.
With well-paying companies from the health, finance, tech, beauty, and food sector, the site claims that respondents can make up to $140 per hour.
This payment range is one of the website’s most encouraging features, and some respondents claim to have made as much as $1,000 from a single poll.
Respondent.IO Reviews: Is It Legit?
Any wise potential respondent always asks and looks into the legitimacy of such a promising and high-paying survey site.
After all, the internet is heavily congested with scams and offers that look too good to be true (which they probably are).
However, Respondent.io is a tried and tested legit site that offers paid studies and remote research.
So, no, it is not a scam, and you can rest assured that your time will be well spent taking part in its surveys.
It has established positive reviews on its website since its founding in 2016.
Several big name companies like IBM, GoDaddy, Dropbox, and Microsoft have been among its customers through the years.
That said, even if Respondent.io is legit, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be your best choice.
In my research and personal experience, other survey sites can top Respondent.io’s features. So, let’s examine Respondent.io a bit more, shall we?
How Does Respondent.io Work?
Respondent.io makes taking advantage of its services easy for researchers and respondents off the bat.
Its website provides readers a professional background of its works, paired with a fresh-looking user interface.
The Sign-Up Process
Signing up won’t take much of your time and brainpower.
It is as simple as going to their site, creating an account by clicking the “Get Started” button and choosing researcher or participant.
The entire process only took me minutes to do. I only had to enter my name, email address, date of birth, and my Respondent account password.
You’d also have to input your phone number and wait for a verification code. The process is even quicker if you link your account with an existing LinkedIn profile.
You can also link your Facebook account, but LinkedIn looks more professional, so I recommend it’s what you use.
After setting up your preliminary account, you will then be asked to enter some standard information that survey companies look for.
You’d be asked about your educational background, gender, and ethnicity. You can also opt to enter your household income.
Also, you will be asked about your employment status, applicable industries, level of seniority within the industry, company name, job title, work description, company size, and skill description.
After the sign-up process, you will be led to iron out more details by doing email verification, profile photo upload, and personal video introduction.
Even without these, you will already see some offers in your dashboard.
How Can You Earn Money With Respondents.io?
The beauty of survey sites like Respondent is that almost anyone above 18 years of age can join. This is great if you’re a college student looking to earn some extra cash or beer money.
The catch is that you will have to meet specific qualifications depending on the nature of the research study.
Although most studies are for US occupants, you can still find international opportunities from time to time, but they are pretty scarce. This can be a deal breaker if you live outside the US.
That said, Respondent.io offers a wide range of research studies you can dive into. Below are some of the paid data gathering procedures it uses.
Through Surveys and Interviews
You can get most of your earnings from Respondent.io by taking surveys and joining interviews. Most of these offer payments from $20 to $1000, depending on the length and intricacy.
An average survey can take 15 to 60 minutes, while the average pay rate stands at $25.
Although it pays premium fees for surveys, this gig is not intended to replace your day job and should only be a source of extra money.
After all, the site will consider many factors before you get accepted to participate in its research projects.
You will have to undergo a strict selection process that sorts potential participants based on their geographic region, professional field, or hobbies.
Not to mention, slots and projects are also extremely limited.
How To Join Respondent.io’s Surveys and Interviews
Typically, you will need to submit an application form called “screeners” before you can join a project as a respondent.
The company that introduced the request will examine your credentials based on your profile and the submitted screener survey.
You will have three screeners available upon creating your account. However, note that you won’t be paid for completing screeners and can only submit three screeners every 24 hours.
In-Person vs. Online Projects
There are two different project types available. The first type is in-person studies, which involve direct interaction and require you to meet the examiner or researcher on-site.
The second is online projects, typically conducted using teleconferencing apps like Skype or Zoom.
In-person respondent studies usually give you higher pay rates, but this option is only viable if you live close to the research location.
That’s because you will have to shoulder your transportation and lodging fees. You will only receive any payment after the project is completed.
You can check your dashboard’s My Studies section for your payments and project status.
Through the Referral Program
Alternatively, you can try Respondent’s referral program to earn money while waiting for your application’s approval.
You can use the referral program in two ways: send a general invite link to join Respondent.io or a special invite link for a specific project.
Both options give you $20 per referral, but your referred user must earn at least $75 in incentive payments before you can claim your referral bonus.
This makes the entire process not as easy as it seems, so I suggest that you look at other sites while waiting for your screener survey’s approval.
How Can You Get Paid?
Unfortunately, researchers can only send out the participants’ payments via PayPal, unlike other survey sites.
Typically, you will get paid eight to 10 days after your survey or interview’s conclusion.
There may also be a 5% deduction or a $1 compliance fee (whichever is higher) from your cash incentive amount declared by the researchers.
For example, when you receive $100 as a project incentive, they will deduct $5 as part of the 5% compliance fee upon cashing it into your PayPal account.
Researchers claim that this compliance fee covers the service fee for project facilitation and payment processing.
Alternative Sites to Explore
While many may view joining Respondent worth it, it might not be the best survey site for you. Fortunately, there are many survey sites to choose from.
Here are three Respondent.io alternatives that are worth looking into:
Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie is another reputable market research company that will pay you good money just by taking surveys.
It offers some of the easiest ways to earn cash-convertible reward points, but it also has a higher minimum redemption amount than other sites.
To give you an idea, one point is equal to one cent, and you will need more than $10 or 1,000 points to cash out.
It will give you a free sign-up bonus of up to 75 cents, but the hourly rate typically stands at around $1 if you are lucky enough to qualify for the surveys.
You can cash out your earnings through your PayPal account or via gift cards.
PingPong
If you are unsatisfied with Respondent’s current international research offerings, you can check out Pingpong. Essentially, it is like most survey sites available to respondents worldwide.
Pingpong’s payout rates are worth mentioning since it often has research and testing sessions that pay $20 to $100 per hour.
As a bonus, it also pays via online banking channels like PayPal or TransferWise within seven days after the interview is successfully completed. This is useful if you don’t want Respondent’s one payment option.
With TransferWise, researchers can send payments from the US to up to 70 countries.
Stan’s Gigs
You don’t have to look any further than Stan’s Gigs if you want to earn money from legitimate and high-paying online surveys, get free product samples, and join focus group studies.
All you have to do is sign up for my newsletter to be the first one to get the best and latest payment offers, freebies, and gift cards out there.
Respondent.io’s Legitimacy: The Verdict
If you’ve looked at multiple Respondent.io reviews like this one, it’s a sign that you’re a wise consumer.
Earning money online is now easier than ever, but that also makes it easier for scammers to do what they do best.
Fortunately, sites like Respondent IO still offer legit paid surveys.
However, its highly paid research participation is limited by slots, so I suggest you look at other survey sites.
Sign up for my newsletter now to ensure you don’t miss any offers that fit your profile. I will even teach you some tips and tricks to qualify for more studies.
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.
