We Tried Survey Junkie: Here’s How Much We Actually Made

If you’ve spent any time hunting for easy ways to make a little extra cash online, you’ve probably come across Survey Junkie. It’s one of those names that always pops up on “best side hustle” lists and Reddit money-making threads. But does it actually deliver, or is it just another time-waster with empty promises? We decided to dive in, test it out, and track exactly what we earned.
Reference Table:
- What Is Survey Junkie?
- How Does the App Work?
- What We Made
- Where to Follow Survey Junkie
- Is Survey Junkie Legit?
- Would We Do It Again?
What Is Survey Junkie?
The platform is operated by DISQO, a consumer insights company based in Los Angeles. They’ve been around since 2015 and are known for creating tech that helps brands understand real consumer behavior. Survey Junkie is DISQO’s flagship product and one of the most recognized names in the online survey space.

How Does the App Work?
Getting started with Survey Junkie is straightforward and free. After signing up, you’ll answer some basic profile questions about your income, job, car ownership, and pets so the platform can match you with surveys that suit your demographics. Once you confirm your email, surveys will appear on your dashboard. These surveys vary in length and pay, typically offering between 5 and 500 points depending on the time required and topic.
Here’s what you can expect:
- Quick 1-minute bonus surveys that offer easy points boosts.
- Referral bonuses when friends sign up using your link.
- Extra points through Surf to Earn, where you install their browser extension or desktop app and earn passive rewards simply by browsing.
- Points earned even if you get screened out after answering some questions.
Overall, the best approach is to focus on higher-paying surveys and take advantage of the bonus opportunities to maximize your earnings without spending more time than needed.
What We Made
After a few casual sessions using the app, we were able to rack up points pretty quickly. We earned 100 points right away for installing their desktop app and browser extension, plus another 50+ points from quick bonus surveys that only took about a minute each. The biggest payout came from a 15-minute survey we qualified for, which paid 500 points, the equivalent of $5. Even when we didn’t qualify for some surveys, Survey Junkie still gave us 2-3 points as a thank-you for our time, which added up faster than we expected. We also earned extra passive points through their Surf to Earn program by installing their browser extension and letting it track our web activity in the background.
We hit the 500-point ($5) cash out threshold in a short amount of time and opted for a PayPal payout. The process did require a one-time ID verification, we uploaded our ID and updated our account details to make sure everything matched. Once verified, our payout was processed and hit our PayPal account in under 24 hours.
Where to Follow Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie isn’t super active on social media these days. While they do have official pages on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (X), updates are pretty sporadic and usually limited to company announcements or occasional blog shares.
What you’ll find:
- Occasional posts about survey tips
- Updates about platform features or new earning options
- Promo reminders (but no regular bonus codes or giveaways)

It’s not essential, but if you’re a regular Survey Junkie user, it might be worth keeping an eye on their socials for new feature announcements or ways to maximize earnings.
Is Survey Junkie Legit?
Survey Junkie is definitely legit. It has a solid reputation backed by a 3.9-star rating on Trustpilot from over 45,000 reviews. Most users appreciate how easy it is to sign up, the wide variety of surveys available, and the quick PayPal payouts. While the platform is free and straightforward to use, some users find the frequent disqualifications frustrating, and the pay for certain surveys can be low compared to the time required.
Another thing to keep in mind is that before your first cash out, you’ll need to complete an ID verification process, which adds an extra step but helps keep things secure. Overall, based on our own experience and public feedback, Survey Junkie is a reliable and trustworthy way to make some extra cash on the side, as long as you set realistic expectations.

Would We Do It Again?
Survey Junkie isn’t a get-rich-quick app, but for those spare moments when you’re scrolling your phone or watching TV, it’s an easy way to earn a little extra. We’d recommend sticking to the higher-paying surveys (50 points and up) and taking advantage of bonus surveys and Surf to Earn for passive income.
Bottom line: If you like easy side hustles that don’t require a ton of commitment, Survey Junkie is worth a shot.