SmartPanel Review

It used to be that we’d write a letter and wait a few weeks before we tried to call the other person to see if they’d received it yet. These days, you simply text or drop an email, and tracking tools tell you if it’s been delivered. There is no longer a need to speak directly to anyone, as long as the software and platforms we use continues to work.

If you do call someone, the chances are good that you’re using your mobile device to make that call. Without even noticing when or how, mobile phones have taken over, where once only a land line phone existed. Unless we lose our mobile signal or choose to ignore a call, we are – for better or for worse – always contactable.

The last two decades have seen a phenomenal rise in technology, from smart healthcare devices to intelligent voice recognition software, and technology has surpassed our most basic expectations. And as more brands enter the competitive market at lower prices, affordable, hi-tech gadgets and devices become more and more available to those of us that don’t have inheritances waiting for us when we reach a certain age.

One of the greatest aspects of owning a smart device is its ability to connect us to our online world for shopping, chatting to friends or family, meeting deadlines, blogging, or even entertainment searches for movie trailers or new songs released. Except in some work-related instances, it’s never really been possible to earn a living or even make much money from your phone.

Utilities and apps designed for mobile devices – whether Android or iOS – have evolved, too. It’s now possible to run your business from your mobile phone, or get paid for work completed. Smart apps make it even easier by automating aspects of your task, such as instant messages and notifications, in-cloud updating and backups, calendar reminders, and even invoicing for work done.

In the process, we have come to rely on the access to technology, friends, and work that our mobile device gives us. We have learned to answer messages quickly, keep our profiles updated wherever we browse, and deliver our assigned tasks on time.

Earning money from your mobile device has also never been easier than it is these days. One of the biggest growing industries is mobile surveys, which is the next evolution in technology for the Get-Paid-To (GPT) industry.

In this SmartPanel review, we take a look at what members are saying, the benefits of using SmartPanel to make money online, the cons of installing this app, and whether SmartPanel is a scam or not.

What is SmartPanel?

The SmartPanel app is owned and operated by Verto Analytics Inc out of New York, USA, and Helsinki, Finland. Begun in 2014, the SmartPanel app was rebranded and renamed in December 2019 to the Smart App Community.

The Smart App Community is an invitation-only GPT app that allows you to make extra money by using your mobile device as you normally would. The Smart App Community panel app tracks your buying habits, locations visited, shopping or browsing trends, and the like.

In January 2020, Verto Analytics successfully completed a third round of venture funding that saw a total investment of $16 million in seed funding, to be used to expand the rollout of its behavioral research analytics platform in the United States.

What is the Smart App software?

Designed as a data collection tool, the Smart App Community panel app runs in the background on your Android or iOS mobile device and collects market research information about your online and mobile device usage and behavior. This is known as a digital footprint, and tells the market research team what your digital activities, habits, and communication trends are so that they can better advertise to your age group, racial profile, location, and more.

Just as MobileXpression requires a VPN (virtual private network) to ping gathered data back to their servers, so too does the Smart App Community panel app. This VPN will need to remain active and working alongside the Smart App Community panel software for a minimum of 1 month on at least one device per device category before you can redeem your rewards for the first time.

Device categories include:

• Desktop or laptop computers
• Compatible Android devices (handsets or tablets)
• Compatible iOS devices (iPhone or iPad)

How does Smart App reward me for participating?

Should you qualify to join the Smart App Community panel, rewards include an additional $5 monthly bonus for every 30 days that you remain an active member. There are also extra loyalty bonuses every 90 days (3 months).

How do you earn extra cash on Smart App?

There is a signup bonus of $5 – IF you qualifyt to join the panel. On occasion, you may be invited to take part in surveys, which will be sent to you via email or the app’s notifications. Monthly sweepstakes automatically enter you into the draw to win additional rewards – as long as you remain an active member of the Smart App Community panel.

Other than the surveys and the sweepstake entries, this is a passive income source. Simply keep the two apps running smoothly on your device for 30-day intervals at a time, and 90 days to qualify for the quarterly bonus of $15.

There are no referral programs in place at this time.

NOTE:

If you are unable to use the device you originally signed up with (for instance, your old HP laptop), you could still remain a member of the Smart App Community panel. You will however no longer be eligible for the monthly $5 reward. You may still be invited to take part in surveys and be entered into the monthly sweepstakes draws.

Who can join the Smart App Community panel?

At this time, membership as a panelist is by invitation only. You can always do a short qualifying survey to see if you are eligible by clicking here.

One of the biggest downers for us was the invitation-only membership to the Smart App Community panel. Based on the vague reasons given for this on both the FAQ page and in the replies to complaints listed on the BBB page, it seems that only specific devices are needed for market research.

As with any GPT site that offers surveys as a way to make extra cash, there are pre-qualifying questions and basic demographic information you will need to part with. Some of this may seem invasive, and we recommend you take it on a case-by-case basis to decide if it’s for you or not.

Member reviews from using the Smart App Community app

As usual, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) provides a fair and accurate reflection of member’s feedback and complaints. Although the categories under which they have been filed differ, the general content of the complaints remains the same.

Figure 1: Complaint categories listed on the Better Business Bureau profile for Verto Analytics

© SurveyGuide.net, 2020

Adapted from https://www.bbb.org/us/ny/new-york/profile/market-research/verto-analytics-inc-0121-150985/complaints

There are no complaints listed on TrustPilot at this time. However, as the Smart App Community panel is relatively new (it’s only about 6 years old), this may change in future. Be sure to check in here regularly to see if there have been any updates.

Pros and cons of using the Smart App Community software

Putting your private information out there is always tricky. Depending on what level of market research you’re participating at and who that company might be, some of the questions survey sites could ask you may leave you feeling uncomfortable at times. Make sure you read the disclaimers and warnings on these surveys so you are well-prepared.

Pros

• This is a passive income, at best
• Only one device needed per email account
• $5 per month x 3 months + $15 loyalty bonus = $30 cashed out every 3 months (don’t forget your $5 signup bonus if you qualify to join the panel)

Cons

• Rewards not paid out or delayed in paying out
• Accounts suspended
• Multiple devices cause multiple issues
• Devices not registering properly
• A lack of support from customer support
• VPN’s that never work and have to continually be reinstalled on almost a daily basis

Is the Smart App Community panel app legit and safe to use, or just another scam?

Complaints all indicate that there is something not right with the latest updates to the app. That may or may not be linked to the rebranding and renaming of the app, which all coincides with the massive funding boost received early in 2020.

Whilst we could spend all day speculating about the why and what of the issues members are experiencing right now, it seems that the app was not always this questionable – and neither was the site itself.

There are a number of good reviews out there, not just complaints. However, as the bulk of those comments are featured on the company’s own website, it’s a little hard to take those glowing referrals to heart.

Hesitant to call this a scam, and weary of any VPN software, we suggest that you rather take a look at other GPT apps and websites to make money online, but expect much of a muchness as there are so many variables to factor in when trying to decide if a GPT site is for you or not.

The biggest determinators will be your access to the internet, what device you are using, how much time you have spare to spend on the app or survey sites, and how much money you can make from it all.

As passive incomes go – and if you can stand the constant VPN in the background – $30 per quarter is not bad for doing nothing, and don’t forget the sweepstakes and surveys that will net you extra cash. You can always just uninstall it and walk away if it starts giving you issues, too.