The best paid online surveys in the UK right now are Swagbucks, Prolific and PrizeRebel, with Ipsos iSay, Y Live, Mingle and Pawns worth adding for more invites. All are free to join and pay in cash, PayPal or gift cards. Every site below was checked on its own website or app listing on 29 October 2026.
Be realistic about the money. Even the better payers work out at around £6 to £12 an hour when surveys are available, which is below the £12.71 National Living Wage for over-21s, and invites dry up quickly. Surveys work best as something you do on the sofa with a podcast on, across several sites, not as a second job.
Surveys are one of many ways to earn on the side. For sign-up bonuses and welcome deals, see our guide to free money offers in the UK.
The best paid online survey sites compared
| Site | How you’re paid | What it pays | Minimum cash-out | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swagbucks | Gift cards (including PayPal, Amazon and Tesco) or charity | Points: 1,000 SB = £10 | Rewards from £1 | New sign-ups and variety |
| Prolific | Cash to PayPal | Researchers must pay at least £6 an hour (£9 recommended) | £6 | Fairest pay, academic studies |
| PrizeRebel | PayPal, Bitcoin, Visa cards or gift cards | Points per survey | Check your account | Choice of payout |
| Ipsos iSay | Rewards of your choice from your points | Points per survey | Check your account | A big-name research panel |
| Y Live | Bank transfer (18+) or cheque | Typically £1 for every 5 minutes | £50 | Best pay per minute |
| Mingle | Vouchers, bank transfer or charity | Points per survey or product test | Check your account | Surveys plus home product tests |
| Pawns | PayPal or gift cards (paid in US dollars) | Surveys, games and sharing your internet connection | $5 | Earning in the background |
Figures are from each site’s own pages or app listing, checked 29 October 2026. GfK MediaView, which was on this list before, has closed.
What paid online surveys involve
Businesses and researchers pay survey sites for opinions from real people, and the sites pass some of that on to you as points or cash. Some surveys ask about shopping habits, some test adverts or new products, and academic studies can be anything from a short quiz to a memory test.
Two things decide how much you make: how long each survey takes, and whether you fit the group the researcher wants. You’ll often be “screened out” after a few questions because you’re not the right age, job or location, or because the survey has already filled its quota. It’s normal, and it’s the main reason to sign up to several sites.
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The best paid online survey sites in 2026
1. Swagbucks: best for new sign-ups
Best for new sign-ups
Earn Free Gift Cards and Cash with Online Paid Surveys | Swagbucks
Earn gift cards and cash with paid surveys
Affiliate link.
With Swagbucks you earn points (Swagbucks, or SB) for each survey you complete. Its App Store listing says 1,000 SB is worth £10, so 100 SB is £1, and rewards start from £1. You swap points for gift cards from brands including PayPal, Amazon and Tesco, or donate them to charity.
Surveys aren’t the only way to earn. You can also get points for trying apps and games, and cashback on shopping in store and online, including your supermarket receipts. The current welcome offer is a £10 bonus (1,000 SB), but only if you spend at least £25 at a featured store within 30 days of joining and turn the bonus on in the app first.
Top tip: don’t just fill out surveys. Mixing up how you earn keeps things interesting and means you’re not waiting on survey invites.
2. Prolific: best for regular, fairer pay
Prolific is one of the best paying options in the UK because it sets a pay floor: researchers must pay at least £6 an hour, and Prolific recommends £9. Many of the studies come from universities and explore how people think and behave.
Because it pays well, it’s popular, and new participants join a waitlist and are invited when there are studies for them. You’ll need to verify your identity, which Prolific says takes about 15 minutes. You can cash out to PayPal once you’ve earned £6.
Top tip: once you’re in, studies go fast. Keep your profile up to date so you match more studies, and check in often.
3. PrizeRebel: best for choice of payout
PrizeRebel has been running since 2007 and says it has over 6.5 million members. You earn points for surveys from market research companies and swap them for PayPal cash, Bitcoin, Visa cards or hundreds of brand gift cards.
Top tip: take new surveys as soon as they appear, as places fill up quickly.
4. Ipsos iSay: best for a big-name panel
Ipsos iSay is run by Ipsos, one of the world’s biggest market research firms. You collect points for each survey and redeem them for the reward of your choice. It’s far from the top payer, but it’s a long-established name to add to your mix.
Top tip: iSay sends surveys based on your profile, so keep it up to date and you’ll be matched to more of them.
5. Y Live: best pay per minute
Y Live is run by UK research firm Yonder and says it typically pays £1 for every 5 minutes of survey time, which works out at about £12 an hour. Members have been paid more than £20 million since 2010.
The catches: surveys don’t come as often as on other sites, and you’re only paid in £50 chunks, by bank transfer (if you’re 18 or over) or cheque. Points only land once a survey closes, which can take up to three months. If you get screened out, you’re entered into a monthly £250 prize draw. It’s open to UK residents aged 16 or over.
Top tip: Y Live runs quality checks and won’t credit points if you rush or give answers that don’t add up, so take your time.
6. Mingle: best for variety
Mingle (run by research firm Bilendi) gives you points for online surveys and for testing products at home. You can swap points for gift vouchers or a bank transfer, or donate them. As you’ll know from my other guides, I can’t say no to a freebie, so the product tests are a nice extra.
Top tip: invites come by email, so check your inbox regularly or set up a separate email address just for surveys.
7. Pawns: best for earning in the background
Best for earning in the background
Pawns App
Earn by completing surveys and sharing your internet
Offer: Sign-up bonus via Up the Gains link
- Free to download
- cost
- Free
- fee
Affiliate link.
Pawns pays you for surveys and for playing mobile games, and it also lets you earn by sharing your internet connection: you leave the app running and it uses some of your spare bandwidth. You can cash out from $5 to PayPal or as gift cards. Earnings are in US dollars, so what you get in pounds depends on the exchange rate.
Before you turn on internet sharing, understand what it means: other businesses’ traffic runs through your connection. Check your broadband and mobile data terms, and only do it if you’re comfortable with that. The surveys and games work without it.
Read nextFinimize Review 2026 – Pros & Cons (Personally Tested)How much do survey sites pay?
Less than most adverts suggest. Based on what the sites themselves say:
- Y Live pays about £1 per 5 minutes, or roughly £12 an hour, but only when it has a survey for you.
- Prolific requires at least £6 an hour and recommends £9.
- Points sites like Swagbucks, PrizeRebel and Ipsos iSay pay per survey, and time spent getting screened out isn’t paid.
Compare that with the National Living Wage of £12.71 an hour for over-21s (rising to £13.21 from April 2027). Surveys pay less than a normal job, but you choose when you do them, there’s no commute, and you can do them while watching TV. If you want to earn more per hour, our list of side hustles ranked by pay is a better place to start.
Are survey sites worth it?
They’re worth it if you treat them as pocket money for time you’d otherwise spend scrolling. A few pounds a week adds up across a year, and gift cards for the supermarket can take the edge off the food bill. They’re not worth it if you’re hoping to replace a wage.
To get the most out of them:
- Join three or four sites so there’s usually something to do.
- Use a separate email address and check it often, as popular surveys close quickly.
- Fill in your profile fully and keep it up to date, so you’re matched to more surveys and screened out less.
- Answer honestly and don’t rush. Sites check for speeding and inconsistent answers and can remove points.
- Cash out once you hit the minimum rather than leaving a balance sitting in an account.
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Get your free money planHow to spot a survey scam
Most well-known survey sites are safe, but survey scams are common. Warning signs:
- You’re asked to pay to join, or to buy a “list” of survey sites. Genuine sites are free.
- Promises of hundreds of pounds a week from surveys alone.
- Requests for your card PIN, online banking login or passwords. No genuine survey site needs these.
- Links in unsolicited emails, texts or pop-ups. Go to the site directly instead.
Some legitimate sites do need personal details: Prolific verifies your identity, and sites that pay by bank transfer need your account number and sort code. Only give these on the site’s own app or website. To check a site, read recent reviews on Trustpilot and the app stores, and look for a registered company behind it in the small print (Y Live, for example, is run by Yonder Consulting Limited).
Do I have to pay tax on survey earnings?
Usually not, if it’s small. HMRC’s trading allowance lets you earn up to £1,000 a year from small side income tax free, and you don’t need to tell HMRC if your total is under that. Above £1,000 you’ll usually need to tell HMRC, often by registering for Self Assessment. Our guide to side hustle tax and the £1,000 rule explains how it works.
In the Budget on 28 October 2026 the government announced that the allowance will rise to £3,000 from 6 April 2027, and you won’t need to register for Self Assessment for trading income under £3,000. Remember the allowance covers all your side income together, not each site separately.
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Surveys are a gentle start. If you want more, I’ve done the research (and got the t-shirt) on how to make money online, earning while you sleep and the most popular side hustle ideas. Students can find more ideas in how to make money as a student.
FAQs
Are paid online survey sites legit?
The well-known ones are, including every site on this page. Check reviews on Trustpilot and the app stores, look for a registered company in the small print, and never pay to join.
Which survey site pays the most in the UK?
Per minute, Y Live typically pays £1 for every 5 minutes (about £12 an hour), but you need £50 before you’re paid. Prolific requires researchers to pay at least £6 an hour and recommends £9, and you can cash out from £6.
How much can you realistically earn from surveys?
Expect pocket money rather than a wage. Even the better paying sites work out at around £6 to £12 an hour when surveys are available, and you won’t always have one to do.
Should I pay a fee for survey lists?
No. Genuine survey sites are free to join, and you can find all the main ones yourself for free. Paying for a list is a common scam.
How do online survey sites pay you?
Most use points that you swap for PayPal cash, gift cards or a bank transfer once you reach a minimum. Always check the terms to see how and when you’re paid.
Do I have to declare earnings from survey sites?
Not if all your side income is £1,000 or less a year (the trading allowance). That rises to £3,000 from 6 April 2027 under plans announced in the October 2026 Budget.
Why do I keep getting screened out of surveys?
Researchers want specific groups, so you’ll be turned away if you don’t match or the quota is full. Keeping your profile up to date and joining several sites helps.
Can you do paid surveys under 18?
Some sites allow it. Y Live, for example, accepts UK residents aged 16 or over (bank transfer payments are for over-18s only). Check each site’s terms before signing up.
