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Respondent.io Review: $250 Surveys? Yes!

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I recently wrote about Prolific, an awesome research company that I often see pop up on Reddit and other online money-making communities.  In short, it’s an amazing way to make $50+ per month answering unique surveys.  Trust me, it isn’t like your typical survey site.  Be sure to check out that review after you’re done with this one.

Anyways, the reason I bring up Prolific is that I often see another company pop up whenever I’m looking for ways to make money online.  It’s a company by the name of Respondent, and it reminded me a lot like Prolific, only that it pays much, much more.

I have briefly mentioned them in get paid to be a test subject and $100 per survey post.  As I will get into this, it’s a company that pays a ton per survey, sometimes as much as $150+.  Yes, that’s not a misprint.  It’s one of the highest-paying options on the web.

Much like Prolific, Respondent offers very unique survey opportunities, much different than your typical Survey Junkie/Swagbucks like sites.  If you want to make $5 to $100+ per survey and have time to spare, then I can promise you that this is one you want to check out.

As in all of my reviews, I’m always 100% honest, I only recommend companies I would use and would never EVER mislead you in any way.

Respondent Reviews

What is Respondent?

Respondent.io is a research marketplace that allows companies/individuals to post projects in order to conduct in-depth research interviews.  Unlike the many survey sites I have mentioned in the past, wherein you screen and then take the survey for a dollar or, Respondent works differently in that you can see exactly what the researcher is looking for before accepting.  The website allows you to browse projects and apply to the ones you feel fits your demographic.  Picture of it more like a platform that connects businesses with “respondents” like you.  They post a study, and they wait for respondents.

The company was founded in 2016 and is based in New York City, New York.  And, to date, they have paid out millions of dollars to its respondents and have worked with many Fortune 500 companies.

Indeed, the company is 100% legit, but is it worth your time?



Signing Up for Respondent

To sign up with Respondent, it’s no much different than any other research company.  You will want to head to Respondent.io and then click on the “Get Started” button to start the application process.

When signing up, just make sure that you click on the “I am a research participant” to ensure that you’re filling out the right application.

In doing this, you can either connect your Facebook/Linkedin or you can sign up using your email.  It’s up to you, but personally, I use my e-mail so that I can keep track of things.  I sign up for a lot of these sites, after all, and I can find myself losing track if I link my social media accounts.  This is a personal preference, however.

Whatever way you sign up, you will need to confirm your phone number as well as enter your personal information, such as your first and last name to proceed.  They will also ask you to fill out a very small demographic profile as well as create an account.

The entire process will take you less than three minutes to complete and is very easy to do.

They ask that you create this demographic so that researchers can potentially find you based on your profile and invite you to future studies.  If you have already joined a survey site, then you already know it’s commonplace.

To qualify as a participant, you must be at least 18+ years old and have a PayPal account.

Respondent.io Dashboard

Once you sign up, you can immediately access your dashboard, which will look something like this:

You can view the suggested projects, any upcoming projects that you agreed to as well as your payment history.  In the left-hand sidebar, you can view your personal information as well as edit your profile if need be.  You can also search for projects if you wish.  At any given moment, there are usually hundreds of projects, so yes, there is a lot to sift through.

The dashboard is fairly self-explanatory and is very easy to use.  Just browse the most recent suggested projects and click on any that may seem of interest.

Also, when you first start out, Respondent will offer you a profile checklist, letting you know what you need to do in order to unlock projects.  I suggest you finish this checklist so that you can maximize your earnings on the site.

Suggested Projects

Respondent makes it very easy to find a project that you qualify for.  Just browse the suggest projects and read the description to see if you qualify for it.  In your search, do keep in mind that some studies are in person, so if you don’t want to meet with someone face to face, then I would recommend filtering your results so that it only shows the remote opportunities.

The project search is very easy to use and is available to browse right when you log in.  In fact, you can even browse the projects before you even sign up.

When browsing the site, you will see a variety of research opportunities, such as the following:

  • one-to-one (remote one-on-one study via webcam, phone, etc)
  • focus group (remote group via webcam, phone or even in person)
  • unmoderated study (no direct interaction, such as a survey or UX test)
  • quantitative survey (answer a series of questions; no moderation)
  • diary study (takes place over a period of time, where you enter a diary journal entry, etc)
  • other (all other study options)

For example, this project noted below will pay you $100 if you’re an HR expert who serves a small business.  It’s a one-on-one study as categorized and would take 45 minutes to complete.

If you matched the profile and were available for the targeted interview dates, then you could click on it to take the qualifying screener.

Take the screener are you normally would with any survey and see if you qualify, and the company uses what’s known as a “qualification percentage.”  The higher this number is, the more likely the researcher will contact you to participate.

If you do qualify, you can click on the “your projects” link and it will look something like this after you take the screener:

Unlike a lot of the survey sites you may be used to, many of the surveys you take here will be in a one-on-one setting, where you will have to set aside 30 to 90 minutes of your time to talk with a researcher.  This is usually done via a video conferencing setup, such as Skype.  And, like I mentioned, some are face-to-face, so if you do qualify for a study like that, you will have to factor in your drive time as you will have to travel to the designated location.

TIP:  Check the website a few times a day as new projects are always being added.  The good ones you qualify for often go fast!  You will probably be approved one for every 10-15 you apply to.  Your demographics affect the approval rate!

The Study Session

If the researcher does show interest, they will contact you to set up an interview, in which you will get an email and text message.  You can then log into your dashboard to set up a time to secure an interview appointment.  This whole process usually takes less than five minutes to qualify and you will know right away if you qualify or not.

Depending on the session, it will either be in person or remotely.  This is dependent on your study, but you will know this ahead of time.

In the case of remote studies, it’s often done via a webcam/microphone through some sort of meeting software such as Google Hangouts or GoToMeeting.

All of this information will be noted in your email and any questions can be directed to your researcher in that initial communication.

How to Increase Your Earnings

  • sign up and fill out your profile in depth so that you can get an email from Respondent
  • don’t waste your time applying to studies that you know you won’t qualify for (the company only allows you to screen for three a day)
  • whenever you see a study you apply to, apply fast as the good ones go fast
  • consider the in-person projects as these offer a better chance than the remote opportunities

How Much Can I Make?

In all of my research, Respondent pays out the most.  I’m talking up to $250+ per survey.

Depending on the length of the survey, your demographic as well as what kind of survey it is, the average fee can range from $10 to more than $250+ easily.

For instance, as I was writing this, the first five that popped up on my dashboard paid $60, $150, $100, $150, $10 and $125, respectively.  And, this was five of the 560 available studies at the time.  There were a ton paying more than $50, the most I have ever seen on a survey platform.

Even if you complete one to two studies a month, I can’t see why you wouldn’t make $100 to $300+ a month.



Getting Paid

After you successfully complete a study, you will want to pay attention to your survey status in the “my surveys” section to see if the researcher released the funds yet.  It will look like this…

After your survey has been marked paid, you will then want to be on the look out from PayPal, notifying you that the funds are available to you.  You will also get an email from Respondent.

Generally, you will get confirmation within 24 hours that you showed up to the study.  Once your attendance is confirmed, it will take anywhere from seven to 10 days to get paid.

There is no minimum to request a payout, and each study will pay out after your attendance is confirmed.

TIP:  Do keep in mind that you will make 5% less than what you were promised as there is a 5% processing fee to facilitate the projects.

What Others Are Saying

As with all of my reviews, I love to see what other people are saying.  It’s not all about me, after all.

In my hunt, I found a lot of good and some bad, all of which I include below.

The Pros

  • some of the highest-paying surveys
  • tons of opportunities daily
  • backed by a legitimate company
  • free to sign up
  • no payout minimum
  • surveys can be done from home

The Cons

  • may be hard to find a study you qualify for
  • requires interacting on a webcam
  • software bugs seen
  • slow customer support
  • may require you to connect Facebook/LinkedIn accounts to participate
  • reports of payment delay

Final Thoughts

9/10Respondent is one of the highest-paying survey sites on the internet, there’s no doubt about it.  As long as you’re diligent and check daily, there’s no reason you can’t find at least one high-paying survey weekly.  You won’t get rich, but I bet you could make $100 to $300 a month in doing it.

In the end, I recommend it 110%.

It pays a ton, it’s 100% legitimate, the surveys are fun and it’s easy to find a survey that you qualify for.  You can easily average $50 to $110+ per hour talking with someone a webcam, and no, that’s not a misprint, I promise!  If webcams aren’t your thing, well, they have surveys as well.

Seeing it’s 100% free to join, at least sign up and see what kind of surveys you can qualify for.  Worst case, if you find it isn’t what you thought it would be, you can always cancel.

Now, I will leave it up to you.

Have you joined?  Have you had any luck?  How much have you made?

As always, that’s what the comment section is designed for.  Be sure to sound off and let us know what’s on your mind.

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Tom Nathaniel

Hi! My name is Tom Nathaniel, and I created LushDollar to help share my honest thoughts on everything money. You won't find gimmicks here. It's the Internet's most honest money site after all. I graduated from Arizona State University, and I have worked in the finance industry since 2006, consulting with multiple Fortune 5000 companies.

2 comments

  • To anyone reading this, I hope I can save you some time before you decide to use respondent.io.

    This site and service are dead. Do not use it. If you are a participant, or researcher, please do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. Otherwise, you are going to waste your time, and potentially get scammed. Look at the other posts in their own sub who have complained: https://www.reddit.com/r/Respondent/comments/r01e25/this_service_is_worthless_and_has_been_abandoned/. It’s ridiculous.

    Customer support is extremely rude too, and they will deactivate your account for absolutely no reason (see BBB + other complaints). No professional business does this. I’ve also left a complaint on the Better Business Bureau, and other subs like r/beermoney to warn others. Upon doing so, I found a lot of similar complaints about their service, and customer support staff. I wish I saw this a long time ago.

    Look at how many unanswered complaints participants and researchers have had (see link): https://www.bbb.org/us/ny/brooklyn/profile/market-research/respondent-inc-0121-87134203/complaints

    It looks like they’ve been defunct/dead since 2020. Use at your own risk.

    Hope this warning helps people, and you are all able to find a more professional and legitimate service.

    • Interesting! I’m going to look more into this as this is frustrating. In the past, this was a very good company to use. Thanks for sharing.