Moumita D
All this while Google has been making money off you by showing you ads. Here is a way for you to make some money off Google. Google Opinion Rewards is a simple app from Google that allows you to get paid for answering simple 2 to 6 question surveys.
I did miss a lot of surveys though.
To be clear, you get this money to your Paypal account as hard cash, if you are an Apple smartphone user. If you have an Android based smartphone, then the money you earn is in the form of Google Play store points and not direct cash. So you can use this points to purchase apps, make monthly payments on Play store and buy books, music, movies etc.
Here is a review of the Google Opinion Rewards platform, how to get started, how to earn the rewards and more. This can be a great source of tiny passive income on your FIRE journey.
Google Opinion Rewards
Google Opinion Rewards is a platform to bring Google Surveys to users. The surveys set up either by Google to improve it’s products or by other companies to get user feedback as served on the Google Opinion Rewards platform.
Google Surveys in India and other countries
Google Surveys have been available in India from 2017. The Google Opinion Rewards in particular launched in India around May of 2017 and currently globally boasts over 50 million downloads on the Android Play store.
Currently the rewards program is available in India, Singapore, USA, UK, and over 20 other countries. Check out the Google Opinion Rewards Help portal for questions and if you country is available.
Eligibility for participating in India
Almost anyone can participate in these surveys. The entry barrier is low, here is what is required:
- An android or iOS smartphone (iOS is currently not available in India)
- A Google Play Store account
- Should be above the age of 18
How does the Google opinion reward works?
You have to first download it from the Google Play Store, then launch the app and choose your Google account. After that, you will receive a test survey that will help you understand the app better.
Note that, this survey is for test purposes only and you won’t be getting paid for that.
This survey will pop-up mostly when you will visit a store, restaurant, or any new serviceable place.
What questions are asked in the Google Surveys
There are two major categories of surveys that will be conducted.
Google products based surveys
These are questions based on user behavior around products owned by Google, such as Youtube, Google Maps etc. These questions are devised to get user feedback and improve these products.
Some example of questions will be:
- “Have you seen this _____ video on Youtube?”. “If yes, what is a better video to show next” etc.
- “Did you visit this store____”, “If yes, when did you visit it”, “Did you buy anything Yes/No”. Etc
And yes, these are based on your usage, meaning Google is tracking where you go and what you see. I personally am not too concerned as no intimate or personally details or questions are asked. If you are not too comfortable with this line of questions, best you avoid this altogether.
Google is somewhat stingy when paying for their own surveys. I typically get around Rs.6 to Rs.15 for these questions.
Surveys from other Companies
From time to time, other companies such as Samsung, clothing and shoe brands etc run their own surveys. Google Survey platform allows these companies to define the audience to target. If you are in the criteria set by these companies, then you will get the survey and will be paid to answer them.
These pay a bit higher. No matter what, the surveys never get tedious and more than a few questions.
How does Google’s opinion Reward pay you?
The frequency of surveys that you receive will vary. These are very brief and will take just a few seconds to fill and submit. The amount that will be credited may vary from survey to survey and depends on the number of surveys done.
If you have answered enough surveys then by the end of the week you shall be ready to receive a good load of credits and will be ready to purchase something from the store.
If you are an ios user, then your amount will be credited to PayPal amount and can be used as hard cash. While in android you will only receive it as Play credit.
Android Users: Google Rewards on Play Store
If you have an android device and sign up for Google Opinion Rewards, then your earnings for answering questions will be paid to you in the form of Play store credits.
iOS Users: Cash on Paypal
If you have an Apple iOS based smartphone, visit the app store on your phone and install the Opinion Rewards app. Sign up using the same email address you have on your Paypal account. You can start withdrawing earnings to your Paypal account, after you hit a minimum withdrawal threshold of $2.
The iOS app is currently not available in India.
How to make money in India using Google Opinion rewards?
Well, it is not easy to get loads of surveys everyday but you surely can level up the game. Always remember to stay updated and keep the notification of the app on. Visiting regularly to a well-known store will also increase the chances of getting a survey.
Always answer honestly which will fetch you more surveys. Also, keep updated during Christmas time as that is the most vital time when you get surveys.
By the end of week, you will be ready to use the credits accumulated to make payments of your Play Store purchases.
Google Opinion Rewards
Summary
The pros are it is free, you can earn about 500 bucks per year for less than an hour of work in total, it is supported and run by Google, hence trustworthy. On the cons side there is just one, that is, the number of surveys is limited.
Some frequently asked question on Google Opinion Rewards
Yes, it is free to participate in Google Opinion Rewards surveys. All you need is a smartphone and a play store account.
Yes, this is a legit survey platform that pays. The platform is owned by Google and payments are in the form of Google Play store credits.
No the rewards given by Google are for the surveys you take on the Google Opinion Rewards app alone. You will not be paid for searches.
You will be able to get the Google Play credits by answering the surveys that are sent to you. The more surveys you answer, the more credits you earn.
You get a notification on your smartphone that you got a Google Survey. Simply go to the Google Opinion Rewards app and answer the few questions it shows. The questions are multiple choice and easy to follow.
There is no possible ways to influence the number of surveys you get from Google. Just continue using the Google products such as Google Maps, Youtube, Search etc. You will be able to get about 4-10 surveys a month.
The payment per survey varies on multiple factors such as the answers and number of questions. The lowest I have got in India is about Rs.3 and the highest is about Rs.30.
The amount credited remains valid for about a year after the purchase.
