Surveys On The Go review

Have you read our review on the SlideJoy survey app yet?

They say that money can’t buy happiness. I even remember listening to a song about money not buying love (from way back when in the ‘60s) by The Beatles, one of the greatest rock bands of all time.

Depending on what your idea of happiness is, money could (technically) go a long way to buying everything you might need to be happy. Or it could buy you all the right gifts to attract a mate – if they were that shallow.

No matter how you look at it, the thing that makes the world go round is not love or happiness. It’s money.

And money means being able to take care of the bills – one of the hardest things adults have to do. Sure, both mom and dad have 9-to-5 jobs, but there is some truth in the old saying that “It takes a village to raise a child.”

Sometimes, some people have no support structures in place to help with the “little” extras, but often there is nobody. In these cases, we all look for ways to make a “little” extra money. Surveys and other Get-Paid-To (GPT) opportunities can be a great way to earn some cash, but is it sustainable in the long run?

Belonging to a group of surveys and GPT sites at the same time makes financial sense in the long run, but it can keep you busy if you join too many at once. And how do you know which paid survey sites are legitimate and worth your while?

Click here to skip ahead to our best-practice tips on how to stay safe on survey sites, or keep scrolling to get there in time.

This Surveys On The Go review is the latest in our series of GPT sites and smartphone survey apps that we’ve reviewed. Is Surveys On The Go legit or another scam? Keep reading to find out more.

What are Surveys On The Go?

Available in the Google Play Store for Android and the Apple App Store for iOS, Surveys On The Go (SOTG) is a market research app that lets you earn cash and rewards for sharing your opinion on surveys and products tested. Their About Us page boasts a screenshot of 2.5 million downloads across platforms – not bad for an app that’s only been around since 2011.

Who are Surveys On The Go?

Located in California, USA, Surveys On The Go is the brainchild of MFour Mobile Research Inc, a company that began in 2011. Already an insights technology leader in mobile tracking, GPS technology, fingerprint validation, and research search services, the development of the MFour Surveys On The Go app panel for participants perfectly complemented the MFour DIY mobile app for clients. An article in BusinessWire in 2017 notes that the DIY app for clients was “the industry’s only all-mobile, do-it-yourself (DIY) survey platform” at that time.

The article went on to say that more than 2,000 members signed up to the SOTG app daily, claiming that it was the highest-rated and most-downloaded survey app in the USA. MFour’s website claims that the SOTG app is the USA’s largest first-party consumer panel, with a market penetration of 10 million location-based, in-the-purchasing-moment, and relevant consumer journeys per day.

SOTG is only available to residents of the USA aged 18+. Most of MFour’s DIY app clients are California-based.

How does Surveys On The Go work?

Brands and researchers use the MFour DIY app panel to create and distribute their surveys to a targeted market for research and insights feedback. Members who have signed up with the SOTG app get real-time, location-based notifications of surveys in the area that they may qualify for. The more complete your SOTG member profile, the more notifications you’ll get, obviously.

The intention behind this is that while you’re in Starbucks (for example), a matching survey for Starbucks appears in your available surveys. This deliberate targeting is aimed at influencing your purchasing decision at that moment, while you’re still standing in Starbucks. Data is collected through a variety of ways, including GPS location establishment, fingerprint validation, multimedia capture (videos and selfies or product photos), and geo validation.

The problem here is that once you leave that specific location you were targeted for, you no longer qualify for that survey (such as the Starbucks example above). If notifications are delayed due to network congestion, or if you simply don’t read your messages “on the go” all the time, you lose out. If you want to hang around Starbucks all day waiting for a notification, that’s fine, too.

How often do you get surveys on Surveys On The Go?

The averages mentioned across other reviews, comments and member reviews talk about one or two surveys a week sent to members. If you enable push, location-based tracking for the app, your chances increase because relevant surveys for the brands you normally shop at will pop up more often in your notifications. Notifications are enabled by default for the app.

The question remains: if you live in Nebraska (for argument’s sake) and the bulk of the surveys are for MFour’s California-based clients, the chances are slim of being notified of available surveys.

How much does Surveys On The Go pay per survey?

One of the great things about SOTG is that they pay you in cash for your opinion. That cash can be converted to your preferred method of payout, listed below. A minimum payout threshold of $10 is required to cash out.

To earn money towards that $10 minimum payout threshold, you need to sign up using your mobile device, after installing the app for your specific device. Get started by completing the two initial demographic surveys for $0.50 each, which will start your balance off at $1, and completing other surveys you’re invited to will grow your balance by anything between $0.25 and $1.

Most reviews and complaints highlight the amount you can earn per survey as staying on $0.25 and never quite progressing beyond that. The result is that it takes you 4 surveys to earn $1, and another 32 surveys to reach the minimum cashout threshold.

How do you get paid with Surveys On The Go?

When you take surveys, each survey typically takes 3-5 business days in quality review. Once you request a payout at the minimum payout threshold, an email with additional instructions to follow will be sent to you so you can cash out quickly.

SOTG pays out via PayPal, a Virtual Visa account, Amazon gift cards, or Starbucks gift cards. User reviews have made it clear that when SOTG pays, it pays quickly and without any hassles.

The issue of course being when SOTG actually pays. A number of the reviews I read and the comments and complaints I checked all talk about: 

• a lack of surveys the closer you get to that $10
• how surveys are disqualified at over 80% completion
• how few surveys there are in some states
• how payout is stalled for up to six months because there are simply no more surveys for members to complete – no matter how much coffee they drink at Starbucks!

Click here to skip ahead to our best-practice tips on how to stay safe on market research survey sites, or keep scrolling to get there in time.

Can you really make money with Surveys On The Go?

While SOTG does pay in dollars, if you’re expecting to make huge bucks on this app (or any other app), you may be disappointed in how long it takes to accumulate the cash and how few surveys you will receive – IF you’re in the right location and location services are enabled to receive invites, of course.

Are there other activities I can do to make money with Surveys On The Go?

No. there are simply surveys … on the go. The trick is to connect via your app wherever you can check in to make sure that you are always in the right place at the right time. Once you’ve checked in for a moment, you can always go about your business again, but while on location at whatever store, it makes pretty good sense to check-in.

Whether you want to earn money online full-time or just make some extra cash from every survey you take, Surveys On The Go does pay for your name, demographic information, profile surveys, location, and opinions … just not all that well, it seems.

What are the pros and cons of installing Surveys On The Go?

The app layout and compatibility is quite smooth and most users do not report app glitches. Support seems to alternate between fully engaged, or fully absent.

Pros

• To use the app, simply use your phone to check in and find available surveys (in case your notifications are not working)
• The app does not slow devices down
• There is no cost to install the app (other than data if you’re not on wifi) meaning what you earn is pure profit
• Great interface.
• Unobtrusive and runs in the background
• Get paid in cash!

Cons

• Location-based apps ping signal towers all day, draining batteries. Disable location services if you find this to be irritating
• Not available worldwide – earning potential definitely seems to be location-based – meaning you could earn a lot less than advertised
• Really low yearly earning potential

Is the Surveys On The Go app legit?

This Surveys On The Go review should have given you many pros and cons to weigh up and not just those on the lists above.

Is the Surveys On The Go app worth installing?

That all depends on how much money you expect to earn from it. The more interactive you are while on the go, the more surveys you are likely to receive.

Is the Surveys On The Go app legitimate or a scam?

In a way, that depends entirely on the user experience while it’s installed on their mobile device. For some, the experience is just not worth it. For others, it’s easy to make extra cash by just being patient enough and checking in all the time to make sure they are truly available “on the go”.

Tips for managing GPT sites and accounts

As always, we recommend these best-practice tips on how to make the most out of taking online surveys for extra money:

• Do your research – add the word “review” to your search keywords for better results. For example, “surveys on the go +review” entered as a search term on your browser will bring up all relevant sites that mentioned a Surveys On The Go review
• Create a separate email address – because a lot of the sites you visit will spam your personal mailbox if you don’t. NOTE: This is tricky if you choose PayPal as a payout option because your signup email address will be linked to your primary PayPal email address
• Keep track of progress – tracking your progress on a simple spreadsheet or keeping a journal of sites you’ve signed up to can be a great way to manage your earnings
• Keep track of the sites you are not comfortable working with – this will come in handy when your lists get longer
• Sign up to a few sites at a time – be diligent and disciplined about following up and completing the surveys you get invited to join via links and invites in your inbox so that you’re first in line to make extra money online
• Always be privacy-conscious – if it creeps you out to add some personal data on survey sites, it’s best to avoid that site altogether and delete your account there, too
• Pay attention – when you hear or read of red flags about certain sites, you can be sure that doing business with them is probably not going to be in your best interests