How would you like to be paid for surfing the web?
Sounds like a dream, right?
Well, surprisingly, there are quite a few companies that will pay you to do this type of work online!
These work-at-home opportunities range from entry-level (gift card payments and sweepstakes entries) to intermediate and part-time jobs. Some jobs require only basic web skills, and others require more in-depth experience, analytical skills, and tech savvy.
Most of us spend a lot of time on the computer: reading, checking email, and sharing photos on social media; you can also earn money while doing it.
Here are 15 legit ways to get paid to surf the web during your spare time!
1.Swagbucks
swagbucks is a popular site where you can earn points called SB for doing basic tasks like playing games, taking surveys and shopping online. Your SB can be redeemed for Amazon and Starbucks gift cards or cash through your PayPal account.
Apart from earning money by doing simple tasks, you can also earn SB by using Swagbucks as your default search engine. Every time you search using the Swagbucks search bar, you earn more SB. Users report that they can earn between $50 and $100 per month, but some users earn even more. New users will also receive a $5 signup bonus when they join and earn 2500 SBs within their first 60 days.
2. Microsoft Rewards
With Microsoft rewards, users can earn points for browsing the web, shopping online, and taking quizzes. To earn points for browsing the web, sign in to your account on any device and use the Bing search engine. Depending on your activity and browsing level, you can earn up to 600 points per month, which can be redeemed for gift cards or donated to charity.
According to their website, 5,000 points are needed to redeem a $5 gift card. While you won’t earn much with Microsoft Rewards, you can certainly earn a little money for something you’d probably be doing anyway.
3. Nielson Desktop and Mobile Dashboard
Nielson He has been carrying out market studies for years to analyze the preferences of viewers. Today, with Nielson Computer & Mobile Panel, you can share your views by downloading your app to your phone, computer or tablet. Watching videos, playing games, and posting on social media counts as demographic research, so you can earn points for just about anything you do online.
Points can be redeemed for sweepstakes entries in the $10,000 monthly drawing, Instant Play Tokens, and gift cards from retailers like Walmart, Amazon, Google Play, PayPal, and more. Again, you won’t get rich using your app or software, but on average, users will earn $60 a year.
4.InboxDollars
InboxDollars is a digital platform that pays you to read emails, play games, take surveys, shop online, and surf the web. Instead of using Google, Yahoo or Bing as your search engine, use InboxDollars as your search engine and you’ll earn money for your qualified searches. With InboxDollars, you’ll need to earn $15 before you can cash out, but new users get a $5 bonus just for signing up! Dollar amounts earned on InboxDone can be redeemed for gift cards from American Express, PayPal, eBay, Home Depot and more.
5. Qmee
Qmee is a market research company that rewards users for taking surveys, shopping online, playing games, and browsing the web. All you have to do is sign up for an account and download the app on your desktop browser. They also have mobile apps for Android and Apple devices. Payments are available via PayPal, Venmo, and gift cards, and there is no minimum point requirement.
6. Addicted to surveys
With Survey addict, you can earn points for taking surveys, participating in focus groups and sharing your digital browsing behaviour, aka surfing the web! When you choose to share your browsing behavior through Survey Junkie Pulse, it will install an extension on your computer or mobile application that tracks your web browsing and shopping activity. Your account must reach 500 points ($5) before you can cash out through PayPal or purchase gift cards from major retailers. Be sure to check out our full Survey Junkie review.
7. TELUS International
TELUS International hires people from all over the world to assess the accuracy and relevance of search engine results. This position offers independent contractors the opportunity to conduct internet research and provide evaluations for companies like Google and Bing on how well they meet customer needs and their performance results.
To be a search engine tester, also called an online data analyst, you must be 18 years of age or older and have a computer with high-speed Internet and antivirus software. Evaluators must complete a qualifying exam before beginning.
8.appen
Appen is another company that hires web search testers. Contributors complete projects to assess search engine and ad performance. Appen also offers opportunities to become a social media tester. Contributors must have a computer that is less than three years old, high-speed Internet, and a strong understanding of technology, social media, and search engines. There is an initial selection process and a qualifying exam. Appen contributors can expect an average workload of four hours a day, plus there are bilingual work opportunities.
9. Teamwork.ai
teamwork.ai is a crowdsourcing platform where freelancers can earn money by completing tasks like search engine evaluation, transcription, data collection, and translation work. To apply as a search engine tester, you must be able to work 10-25 hours per week and have a PC with a Windows operating system. Independent contractors will earn a base hourly wage plus bonuses for meeting productivity goals.
10. User tests
In UserTesting, users evaluate websites and give feedback via a recording. Each quiz lasts 10-20 minutes, and users who take the quizzes earn $10 per video or task. One big advantage of UserTesting is that you can set your own schedule and complete it in your own time frame. The number of opportunities varies based on factors like your demographics, skills, and quality rating. Payments are made via PayPal within a week of completion of testing.
11. User interviews
User interviews recruits people from the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Germany, France, and the UK for focus group studies, paid surveys, and website testing jobs. With website test gigs, you’ll navigate a specific website or app and answer questions about the platform’s usability. Some tests require you to record your answers or screen quests via a webcam. Online user tests and surveys pay anywhere from $20 to $300 for 10 minutes to a few hours of your time. Be sure to read our full review here.
12. Ask Wonder
If you are good at researching the Internet, wonder question it could be a great opportunity for you. Active researchers can earn up to $2,000 per month by answering questions with credible research answers and providing references. The questions are located on a central dashboard, and researchers can choose which ones to answer. Researchers must have a bachelor’s degree and demonstrate that they can research a topic thoroughly and provide succinct, well-written answers.
Ask Wonder is not currently accepting new applicants; however, you can bookmark your site for future openings.
13. Clickworker
Clickworkers perform short tasks such as creating texts and documents, reviewing and making corrections, conducting surveys and categorizing data. The work is research-based and you set your own hours. These tasks can be done from a laptop or mobile phone, and your earning potential can grow based on the size and difficulty of the task. the average worker make about $9 an hour. There is an initial selection process, which includes an assessment of language and writing skills.
14. Elegant hands
elegant hands hires US-based independent contractors to perform unique tasks such as online research, data entry, and appointment scheduling. You must have good communication skills and have reliable internet and a computer. You’ll earn $3-$7 per task, and payments are distributed every other Tuesday. The great thing about Fancy Hands is that you can log in to work as many hours as you want.
15. Start your own internet research business
If you want to earn a full-time income surfing the web, consider starting your own internet research business. There are many small business owners, including writers, publishers, lawyers, marketers, SEO specialists, and more, who need trained web researchers. For this option, you can choose to search for freelance research papers on sites like upwork and Fiverr. Or, you can create a customer dream list and present your service offerings to them.
Another way to make money surfing the web is by starting a virtual assistant business, where web research is just one of the services you offer. Again, you can introduce clients, or you can search for jobs on the sites mentioned above or sites like my BTLR either great assistant.
Final words on how to make money surfing the web
Working online, researching the Internet, and surfing the Internet can be a great way to earn extra money from home, especially if you need flexible hours. While most of these sites won’t make you rich, they are good for adding extra money to your wallet. To get the most out of these work from home jobs, be sure to sign up on multiple platforms, as opportunities tend to be sporadic.
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Have you made money surfing the web? Drop us a note below; We would love to hear from you!
Originally published June 19, 2017. Content updated February 2023.
