Frequently Asked Questions
Crowdology is an online panel where registered community members complete paid surveys for market research. Researchers from businesses, agencies, education, media, and government, contact us to gather information and opinions from our community, who represent the diverse demographics of the population.
We aim to invite you to answer surveys that match your demographic and interests. You can help us by completing your profile accurately and keeping it up to date, to ensure we offer targeted surveys that are bespoke to you.
The more profile information you provide, the more survey opportunities you will receive that are relevant to your interests and lifestyle. We aim to match the number of survey invitations sent by email with your level of interest in completing them. For survey opportunities at any time of day, simply login to your Crowdology account and choose from a list of surveys pre-selected for you, or search for new surveys matching your profile by clicking the ‘find a survey’ button on your dashboard.
Not at all, you have full control over which market research you take part in. We aim to invite community members to participate in research they will find interesting, based on their profile information, and we pay cash incentives for every survey completed. There is no obligation to answer every survey offered, and you are welcome to participate as much or as little as you like.
Market research subject matter can vary, but we try to ensure our surveys are quick and fun to complete. Most studies focus on everyday topics, products and services, and popular issues, which often get coverage in the news, magazines, and other media.
The length of a survey depends on the subject matter and type of survey you are completing. Most of our surveys and opinion polls take between 5 and 15 minutes - perfect for a coffee break, between meetings, or the bus ride home.
Market research is the activity of gathering information about consumers' needs and preferences. The opinions and information gathered are used by organisations to shape their products and services.
Companies want genuine feedback from consumers to help develop and improve their products and services. Paid online surveys are a highly effective market research method to quickly collect feedback from a large audience who are representative of the general population, or a specific consumer group. Rewards are offered, typically in the form of cash or gift vouchers, to thank participants for sharing their opinions.
Paid surveys are a great way to make a little extra cash online as and when you have the time. Filling out paid surveys on your phone before a catch up over coffee with a friend could cover your bill, or you could complete a survey whilst waiting at the school gate and treat the kids to an ice cream on the way home.
You’re not going to earn a fortune from online market research. If you commit a lot of time to filling out paid surveys and take every one that you’re eligible for, you could pay for a nice meal out or perhaps something you wouldn’t normally buy. If you’re completing surveys now and then in your spare time, you’ll make a little extra pocket money to help justify some of life's little treats.
This is completely up to you and comes back to what you consider to be ‘worth it’. The main advantage of taking paid surveys is that you can earn money when you have the time to spare, and don’t have to take them when you’re too busy. Inevitably, the more time you spend filling out surveys, the more rewards you’ll earn.
Sadly, there are some websites out there, claiming to offer paid surveys, which are actually scams. There are, however, also genuine paid survey sites like Crowdology. No genuine site will ask you to pay to register, so avoid any site that requires your card details or charges a membership fee. It’s also worth looking at how the site will pay your rewards and how much you’ll need to earn before you can cash out.
Paid surveys are for anyone with an internet connection who wants to earn a little extra cash, with minimum effort, in their spare time. They are especially well-suited to people who enjoy sharing their views and reviewing products. When joining Crowdology you will be asked for basic demographic information about yourself so we can match you to surveys that are relevant to you. Most of our surveys require opinions of the general population, which means there is something for everyone.
Anywhere, anytime! From the train during your morning commute, to the park bench as you watch your kids play - you can fill out these surveys literally anywhere with an internet connection. Flexibility is a huge advantage of paid online surveys: earn a little extra cash during your lunch hour or bag yourself some pocket money whilst your dinner is in the oven.
Honestly, no. Don’t go counting on paid surveys to pay your bills. The idea is that they provide a little supplementary income which will allow you that extra glass of wine on Friday or fund your weekend brunch. Paid surveys should help you to treat yourself to the finer things occasionally but can’t be relied on to cover the basics.
It’s a common objection to paid surveys that the ‘income’ isn’t worth the time they require, again this all comes down to expectations. While online surveys will never match income earned from paid employment, the advantage is that paid surveys can be a really positive use of your spare time, helping you to make a little extra cash as you go about your day.
It really depends what else you would be doing. If you’re thinking of giving up the day job to fill out surveys full time - don’t. However, if you’re spending time doing things which could allow for multitasking, such as commuting on public transport, or watching TV, or have times when you’re waiting around, queueing at the post office, or waiting to pick up your kids from school, then filling out paid surveys could be a very effective use of your time.
No. It’s a shame that some are, as most are exactly what they say on the tin. Genuine paid survey sites don’t claim to make you rich; they simply offer a little bonus cash for your honest thoughts on the products and services they’re reviewing.
This really depends on what 'it' is and what you're looking for. You shouldn't expect to get rich from taking paid online surveys - they're a quick, flexible way to make a little extra cash in your spare time, simply by sharing your views on things that matter to you.
We want to be realistic, and we know that taking paid online surveys is not going to make you a millionaire (or us - we’re not sitting in the Bahamas writing this!). Our aim is to provide an enjoyable way for our community of registered panellists to make a little extra cash while shaping the products and services of the future.
Rewards vary depending on the length and type of survey you complete. Our multi-day diary studies pay up to £10 and you could earn even more for focus groups. Most of our quick coffee-break surveys pay from 40p to £2. These surveys are more frequent, enabling you to quickly build your reward balance.
Yes, every survey you fully complete will earn a cash reward. Our regular surveys are relevant to everyone; however, sometimes a specific profile is needed, and the survey will ask a few screening questions to check if you fit the criteria. You will not be paid for answering the quick screening questions, for example, “what brand of mobile phone do you own?” If you are screened out, this information will not be used.
Rewards are instant for most online surveys, and you will see them added to your balance upon completion. However, some survey providers pay rewards after completing a quality assurance process. For these surveys, you will be shown a message upon completion advising you when the incentives will be credited to your account. If you successfully completed a survey and the reward has not been added to your balance and the end page didn’t confirm when the reward will be paid, please contact our support team using the Contact Us form below.
Simply follow these steps to check your rewards balance and transaction history:
- Login to your Crowdology account
- Open the “Rewards” page to view your balance
- Click the “View your transaction history” link underneath your balance to see a list of recent transactions
- Select the boxes for types of transactions you wish to view
Rewards are redeemed in cash via PayPal, or exchanged for Amazon Gift Certificates or GCodes, in three easy steps:
- Login to your account
- Open the “Rewards” page to view your balance
- Select “Amazon”, "GCodes" or “PayPal” to redeem your rewards via your preferred method
You will have the option to cash out your rewards to PayPal when you have a minimum of £4 in your account (up to a maximum of £7.92 per transaction), or £10 per Amazon Gift Certificate or GCodes reward.
PayPal transfers appear in your account within 1-4 business days of request. During processing, payments will be listed in your Crowdology account transaction history as ‘pending’, and this status will update to ‘success’ as soon as the payment is complete.
The first time you redeem your rewards, the payment will take longer to process (up to 10 business days). This is due to extra security measures in our systems to protect you from fraud and ensure rewards are paid to the correct person.
The link to claim your Amazon Gift Certificate or GCodes reward will arrive in your inbox within two weeks of request.
We exclusively use PayPal for cash payments because it’s efficient, popular, and well-respected.
If you want to withdraw your cash via PayPal, you will need a personal PayPal account. It’s free and simple to set up – please visit the PayPal website for more information.
Don’t worry if you’ve already cashed out without creating an account, PayPal will contact you with instructions to help you set up an account to receive your payment.
Your Crowdology and PayPal email addresses need to be the same. If your PayPal account uses a different email address, please add your Crowdology email as an additional payment address in your PayPal account settings. PayPal allows multiple email addresses to pay into the same account.
When you redeem your rewards to PayPal, a 2% PayPal transaction fee (a few pennies) will be deducted from the total you receive.
As there are no processing fees for Amazon or GCodes, the vouchers you receive will be same value as the rewards you redeemed.
At Crowdology, we believe in keeping our reward payments simple and transparent. Every survey has a cash incentive stated at the beginning, along with the estimated time it will take to answer. After you complete the survey, the cash incentives are credited to your Crowdology account. You can cash out your rewards to PayPal from as little as £4, or redeem your rewards as Amazon Gift Certificates, or GCodes, for every £10 earned.
There is no cost to join. In fact, it’s the other way round – Crowdology will pay you for completing our surveys and opinion polls.
To join our online community, simply complete the short registration form on our sign up page and you will be sent a welcome email to the email address you provided. The welcome email contains a validation link that you must click to confirm your email address and finalise the creation of your account.
You’ll then be able to login and complete your personal profile.
We just need your district area – this is the first three or four digits of your postcode.
You may still complete surveys and earn rewards even if you haven’t completed your full profile. However, a completed profile means you will be offered more targeted surveys that are relevant to your lifestyle and interests.
No, having more than one Crowdology account would damage survey results. We trust you understand why this is not allowed. We reward our members fairly for taking part in market research, providing they are honest with their responses. Our systems perform regular checks to identify and remove multiple account entries and prevent duplicate participation in surveys.
We also undertake quality assurance checks on completed surveys before paying out rewards. Members who don’t abide by these rules risk forfeiting their rewards and may have their accounts suspended or permanently closed. This is made clear in our Terms of Use, which you accept on registration.
To change the email associated with your Crowdology account, please contact our support team using the Contact Us link below. Remember to include your current email address as well as the new email you would like to use for your account.
Anyone can join Crowdology, providing you are currently resident in the United Kingdom with a valid UK postcode, are age 16 or over, and have access to the internet. Other than that, all we ask is that you enjoy taking part in paid online surveys and that you give considered, honest answers.
We will never pass your contact details to third parties. By registering with us, you are only agreeing to participate in legitimate market research for Crowdology and our parent company Savanta Group Limited. The email address you provide during registration will only be used for our communications in relation to your Crowdology account, sending survey invitations, and processing your reward payments.
You may occasionally be invited to participate in research that asks you to share your contact details directly with the researchers. For example, your name and address to post a product for you to test at home, or your email address to contact you for a follow-up study. Please read the study terms and conditions carefully before deciding whether to share your personal information or contact details with the researchers. You will always be able to opt-out without penalty if you decide not to share this information.
When registering with Crowdology we ask for basic demographic information to be able to offer targeted, suitable surveys. If you choose, you can also provide more detailed profile information, such as whether you drive a car, have children, or own a property.
The more profiling information you complete, the more surveys you are likely to be offered that match your circumstances and interests.
We hope you stay with us, but if you no longer wish to participate then you are free to close your account at any time. Each survey invite includes a link to unsubscribe at the footer of the email. You can also cancel your membership from the Account settings on your Crowdology dashboard, or by contacting our support team using the contact form below, or by email to support@crowdology.com.
Please ensure you have redeemed any rewards above the payment threshold. When you unsubscribe your account, all personal details are deleted, and we will not be able to pay you any outstanding balance. Re-joining Crowdology at a later date will not reinstate previously accumulated rewards, and rewards cannot be carried forward into a new account.
Crowdology follows the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in EU law to protect the data and privacy of all panel members whether they are registered with the Crowdology panel in the UK or USA, so you can rest assured that your information will not be abused in any way. We are a division of Savanta Group Limited. Registered in Scotland. Company No: SC281352. Registered Office: 3 Melville Street, Edinburgh, EH3 7PE – a Market Research Society Company Partner which undertakes all research in accordance with the Market Research Society Code of Conduct and ESOMAR guidelines. Savanta Group Limited is also registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office – registration number Z9612525.