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With so many paid survey sites out there, it can be difficult to know which ones are legit and which ones aren’t worth your time. We’ve decided to review some of the top paid survey sites so you don’t have to waste your time figuring out which ones work and which ones don’t.
While you might first think of companies like InboxDollars or Swagbucks when you think about paid survey sites, Pinecone Research has quickly become one of the top paid survey sites in the world.
Even being so new, Pinecone Research has a reputation of being high-quality and reliable.
Whether you’re a business looking to gain valuable insights into consumer behaviors or if you’re a consumer ready to give your opinions about products and services, Pinecone Research has just what you’re looking for.
Table of Contents
An Overview of Pinecone Research
It’s often said that Pinecone Research is a very exclusive consumer research company due to the fact that the surveys can be somewhat limited on the site. It focuses primarily on product testing as well as in-depth surveys to understand foundational consumer behaviors.
Another reason it’s deemed exclusive is because joining is by invitation only. You need to be invited by a current member or obtain a special referral link just to sign up for the site. After registering, you then have to qualify to take surveys and participate in product testing.
While that may sound unfair, Pinecone Research limits the products and testing areas available on the site, so using an invitation-only model means less competition for the paid surveys and limited product tests.
Some survey sites that don’t regulate the number of users offer extremely low payouts for surveys, or they may offer a limited number of surveys with a lot of competition, meaning you may miss out on earning money for taking surveys and testing products.
Once you’re invited to Pinecone Research and you pass the questionnaire, you’ll receive tailored surveys and product tests right to your inbox, giving you the opportunity to earn money by giving your opinion on the products and services you use.
Pinecone Research Data
When Pinecone Research conducts a consumer study, the focus is on valuable, in-depth consumer input. That means you’ll be able to provide detailed feedback and opinions on products and services that you use, allowing you to have a big impact on the companies that use Pinecone Research.
The companies that partner with Pinecone Research often use consumer input to make major business decisions.
The data collected by Pinecone Research is used to make decisions about features, styles, specific offerings, and even pricing of products and services. You’ll have the chance to influence some of the biggest companies in the world when you start taking surveys on Pinecone Research.
Getting Paid
There are two primary ways to get paid through Pinecone Research – surveys and product testing. The best part about testings products is that you’re never required to buy them. In fact, there are never any purchase requirements to be part of Pinecone Research.
If you’re invited to sign up, there’s no fee to be part of the site and you’re never required to purchase any products for testing.
There are multiple ways to redeem your earnings on the site. You can have your earnings deposited into your bank account, sent to you via PayPal, or mailed to you as a prepaid debit card.
Not everyone likes to give their banking information, or even their PayPal information, so it’s nice to have three options available.
As we mentioned before, you’ll receive invitations to exclusive Pinecone Research surveys through your email once you’ve registered and you’re approved.
The surveys are some of the highest-paying surveys we’ve seen, with an average of $3 per survey. The best part is that most surveys take just 15-20 minutes to complete, meaning you could make a good amount of money on the side if you’re consistently taking these surveys.
Another bonus that makes Pinecone Research really stand out is that there is no minimum balance you need to accumulate before you cash out. Most survey sites have a minimum amount of money that you need to earn before you can withdraw that money, usually $50-$100.
With Pinecone Research, as soon as you start earning money by taking surveys, you can start withdrawing your money.
If you’re used to getting low payouts for your surveys, hitting the minimum amount to withdraw can take quite a long time.
With Pinecone Research, you’re getting paid a premium for takings surveys. You can deposit your earnings into your bank or for free PayPal money and receive your funds the next day. Their payment processing times are some of the fastest out of all of the paid survey sites out there.
Some surveys pay $5 or more, and products tests average at $6 per test, which gives you the chance to earn quite a lot from taking surveys and testing products. And with less competition, you won’t have to worry about someone completing the survey before you.
Pinecone Research cares more about targeted, quality responses than a high quantity of responses, meaning they’ll pay more for your input. If you want to get paid for taking surveys and testing products, Pinecone Research is the perfect place to do so.
Rewards Points
When Pinecone Research first started they only dealt in cash rewards. You took a survey, your funds became available, and you could withdraw them the very next day.
As Pinecone Research evolved, they decided to move to a point system rather than an all-cash system.
While some may be upset that the point system was implemented, it provides rewards for those that either don’t want to be paid in cash or that don’t want to enter their sensitive banking or PayPal information into the Pinecone Research system.
With so many stories about hacks and data breaches, it’s understandable why.
With the new point system, you can still redeem your points for cash that can be deposited, sent via PayPal, or sent to you in a prepaid debit card. 100 points earn you $1, and Pinecone research is very generous with the points.
For those of you that don’t want to redeem your reward points for cash, they also have a robust rewards catalogue that you can choose from. You can choose from a wide range of digital gift cards to some of the world’s top stores, including Starbucks, Amazon, and Walmart.
Keeping Your Information Safe
We know how important it is to keep your information safe online. There are too many stories of hacks and data breaches that have ended up with people losing money or having their personal information stolen.
Keeping private information safe is a top priority for reputable companies, and it’s a top priority for Pinecone Research.
Whether you’re a business or a consumer, Pinecone Research ensures that your information is safe and secure. Even if you’re not entering your banking information or your PayPal information, your other personal information is going to be just as safe.
In addition to using a robust cyber security system, you as a consumer or business owner are protected by the Better Business Bureau.
The BBB has accredited Pinecone Research, meaning it’s completely safe and legitimate.
Your personal information isn’t going to be sold or shared with third parties, and all personal information is scrubbed from reports before the data is transmitted to the businesses that partner with Pinecone Research.
This survey site goes out of its way to make sure your information is safe and secure, which isn’t something you see with everyone.
In a world where so much of what we do happens online, it’s a great sign to see that Pinecone Research takes information security so seriously.
Requirements and Registering
Like we mentioned, Pinecone Research is an exclusive group that you have to be invited to in order to join. You can be invited by current members, or you just might be lucky enough to come across an advertisement with a referral link.
These advertisements can be found on any number of websites, and the sites that you can find them on don’t show the ads because they partner with Pinecone Research, meaning it’s completely up to chance if you find one.
The second step in the registration process is to fill out an in-depth questionnaire to see if you qualify to take surveys and test products.
While some survey sites might be looking for one consistent type of consumer, Pinecone Research is constantly looking for different consumer demographics, so being untruthful when answering your questions won’t help you get accepted and won’t help the research group.
If you pass the questionnaire, you’ll be accepted into the site and you’ll start receiving emails with invitations to take paid surveys. Currently, Pinecone Research is only available to those in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
You also need to be at least 18 years old to participate in paid surveys and product testing.
While the age and geographic requirements can be somewhat restricting, there have been rumors that Pinecone Research will begin opening up access in other countries. As the popularity of the site grows, it makes sense for them to partner with even more international companies.
Pros and Cons of Pinecone Research
Every site has both positive and negative aspects, and we thought it would only be fair to point out both to ensure our review is as thorough as possible.
Pros
- Higher than average payout for surveys: With survey payouts averaging around $3, and product testing around $6 per test, Pinecone Research pays much higher than average for your input.
- Less competition for surveys: Since there are fewer users on Pinecone Research, you’ll have a better chance of being invited to surveys consistently, meaning you can make more money.
- Test products before they’re released: One of the best parts about Pinecone Research is that you can test products before they’re released to the general public. Pinecone Research partners with some of the top companies around the world, which means you might have the opportunity to test out products that everyone has been waiting for.
- Fast payment processing: Pinecone Research has some of the fastest payment processing times available, with funds hitting your account in as little as a few days after you complete your survey.
- Sweepstakes opportunities: On top of lucrative survey and product testing opportunities, Pinecone Research also holds two sweepstakes of $500 per week, and a quarterly sweepstakes of $4,500 giving you even more chances to earn money.
- Your information is safe: We can’t stress this enough – Pinecone Research keeps your personal and sensitive information secure.
- Influence top companies: When you take surveys and test products on Pinecone Research, you’re influencing the decisions of some of the top companies around the world.
Cons
- Harder to register since it’s invitation only: Unless you know someone that’s already a member, joining can be difficult.
- No app: Having an app that you can use right on your phone makes taking surveys incredibly easy. However, Pinecone Research automatically saves your answers, so you can step away from your computer and come back to it later without losing your answers.
- You can be removed from the site: While it doesn’t happen often, you can be removed from Pinecone Research if the demographics needs change drastically. The questionnaire is designed to find consumers that will be part of the site for a long time, but as consumer trends change, you may be removed from the site.
Since Pinecone Research is so new, it’s safe to say that some of these cons may change in the future. We may see an app released so you can take surveys on the go, or we might see easier ways to join the site. No matter what changes we see, the site is one of the best out there.
Our Assessment
When it comes to paid survey sites, there aren’t many that can stand up to Pinecone Research. Although it’s new to the survey research landscape, Pinecone Research has quickly made a name for itself.
Part of the draw comes from the exclusivity of the site. With so many survey sites accepting everyone and paying out smaller rewards as a result, there are plenty of people waiting for the chance to join this site.
It’s hard to find survey sites that pay as much as Pinecone Research, which is why this site is near the top of our list when it comes to paid survey research firms. Paired with extremely fast payout times, you’re going to have a great experience when you sign up.
Just as important as the payouts and the experience is your personal and private information.
There have been cases where sites have data breaches or even willingly give up their users’ information to third parties, which is a major violation of trust. Pinecone Research keeps your personal information secure, and never releases it to third parties.
From great payouts, sweepstakes, interesting surveys, and information security, Pinecone Research is one of the top paid survey sites available today. If you have the chance to join Pinecone Research, take it.
