Posted on date 2022-01-24
Ipsos I-Say Survey Panel Review
You may have heard that you can earn cash rewards for completing online surveys, via various pollster companies including Ipsos. But is Ipsos a scam or are they legit?
Who are Ipsos?
If the name sounds a little familiar, that’s probably because Ipsos (Ipsos MORI in the UK) is one of the oldest and best-known of the international polling organizations. The company was founded in France in 1975 and has been publicly traded on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999.
Ipsos is a household name, operating in 88 countries with over 16,000 employees. The company is well trusted for its market research and public opinion analysis.
What is the I-Say Survey Panel?
Recently Ipsos launched I-Say, an online survey-taking community designed to provide a snapshot of public opinion and behavior. It works by gathering a demographically representative sample of a particular population and pre-selecting those that fit the survey client’s desired profile.
These individuals are sent an email invitation to apply to take a short online survey. If they are accepted and complete the survey, participants are rewarded with points which can be traded for cash value or other benefits.
Each completed survey earns the panel member 45, 90 or 150 points, depending on its duration. An estimated completion time is given, so participants know roughly how long it should take to finish a survey.
What sort of Rewards are Available?
You can trade in reward points once you reach the initial threshold of 500. 100 points = $1. Points can be spent on:
- Gift Cards for brands including Amazon, Google Play, Starbucks, Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, Burger King and more.
- Virtual Visa Prepaid Cards in $10, $20, $50 and $100 amounts.
- Charitable Donations to non-profits including UNICEF, Nature Conservancy, Doctors without Borders, the American Heart Foundation, and others.
- PayPal funds in $5, $15, $20, $25 and $50 denominations.
- Merchandise from a host of brands including Spotify, AMC Theatres, Dyson, IHOP, Barnes & Noble, Burger King and others.
It’s important to note that you can’t trade in your points until you hit 500 and you must continue to apply for at least one survey every 45 days for your account to remain open.
How Many Surveys Can I Complete?
This will entirely depend on whether you fit the criteria of Ipsos’ clients, so it is hard to be precise, but you should expect to receive between 1 and 8 invitations per month.
Because there are specific eligibility criteria for each survey, it isn’t possible to guarantee you’ll be accepted on every survey you try. However, if you are not accepted for a particular survey, you are compensated for your time with 5 points, a feature that rival companies don’t offer. Also, Ipsos’ pre-selection algorithms get it right more often than many of their rivals, whose constant disqualifications can cause frustration.
It pays to be quick on the draw too, since popular surveys can quickly reach their participation limits.
What other Benefits are Available?
Poll Predictor
Once you complete a survey, you can take part in a game called Poll Predictor. You’ll be asked a question such as “what percentage of American women would allow a stranger into their home to use the bathroom?”
You’ll then guess a percentage. If you get close to the correct answer (in this example, 13%) you are entered into a sweepstake. There are draws every two weeks with prizes including smart TVs, Apple watches and $500 Virtual Visa Prepaid Cards.
VIP Draw
After completing your first 50 surveys you’re allocated one entry to this annual draw, with additional entries every 25 surveys up to a maximum of seven entries per person. Prizes are awarded in the form of checks for $2500, $1500 or $1000.
The Click Draw
Every four months, 10 panel members are randomly allocated 5000 reward points to use as they see fit. You get one entry for every survey you enter.
Doing Some Good
Some surveys will be worth completing simply for the reward of having contributed to socially important research, since a lot of Ipsos’ work informs public policy.
For example, Ipsos has recently undertaken polls on gender equality, and the impact of race, ethnicity, and national origins on
opportunity.
What Else Do I Need to Know?
Don’t view Ipsos’ I-Say Survey Panel as a significant income stream. Reward levels cannot be guaranteed, nor can your eligibility for any one survey. However, if you enjoy completing surveys and take the task seriously, you can find it a useful source of bonus income.
It is important to be honest in your responses when you complete a poll. Ipsos uses AI to analyze patterns of survey completion, to weed out panel members who submit dishonest results to quickly complete them. This is important, since Ipsos’ clients must be able to trust the aggregated results they receive.
If you do have your account suspended, however, Ipsos has a responsive customer service department you can contact if you feel you have been unfairly penalized.
Also, remember that Panel members must apply to complete at least one survey every 45 days to keep their accounts open.
Am I Eligible?
To join the Ipsos Survey Panel, you first complete their “Getting to Know You” survey, which will allow Ipsos to start sending you any surveys you may be eligible for.
What are the Pros and Cons of Joining the Ipsos I-Say Survey Panel?
Here’s a summary of what we found:
PROS
- Regular surveys, simple to complete with immediate reward points.
- Points are awarded even for surveys you are rejected from.
- End of survey polls offer extra chances to win prizes.
- Rewards are generous with many ways to cash points in.
CONS
- Initial sign up takes a little time to complete.
- You must sign in at least once every 45 days.
- 500 points must be earned before you can trade points for rewards.
- There is no guarantee of eligibility for any individual survey.
We think the pros outweigh the cons, so long as you accept the necessary limitations of becoming a Panel member.
Here are some other user reviews that provide more insight into Ipsos:
If you want to give Ipsos a try and sign up you can do so here.
