What’s New With Swagbucks?
If you use Swagbucks, you’re probably already aware of some of the changes to the site which they introduced last week.
Since these changes are pretty significant in terms of earning and redeeming, I figured I better do an update post for those of you who are interested in joining Swagbucks.
Basically the change is that what used to be 1 Swagbucks now is 10 Swagbucks. The cost for all the prizes has been multiplied by 10 as well.
They’ve also added a few ways to get additional Swagbucks each day. You can view special offers for 2-3 Swagbucks each day, and the toolbar also features Swagbucks each day.
I’m not very excited about these changes, but I can’t complain much considering how many Amazon gift cards I’ve gotten from them for free. It just seems a little bit more difficult to earn the same value of Swagbucks now.
Here’s the updated Stats:
Swagbucks Stats
Info Required to Sign Up: Full Name, Email, Country, State, Zip, Year of Birth.
Sign up bonuses: 30 Swagbucks
How money/points are earned: Searching the Web, Completing Special Offers, Shopping, Trading In Cell Phones, Ipods, & Video Games, Referrals
Value of action: Varies. Swagbucks are awarded at random for searches, usually at values between 10-50. For shopping, 2 Swagbuck for every $1 spent at select merchants.
Redemption options: A variety of prizes. Gift cards (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc). Paypal.
Fees or rules for redemption: None–just have the amount the item costs.
Time redemption takes: Shipping estimate is given for all physical prizes ordered. E-gift cards arrived within 15 business days. Amazon giftc ards post on the 16th & 20th of each month.
Cash value of points: Depends on Redemption method. Examples: Paypal: 10SB = $0.01. Amazon.com: 10SB = $0.01. Zendoo.com: 10SB = $1
Zendoo.com: 1SB = $1
Read my original Swagbucks post.
Make Money Online: Answer Text Questions for ChaCha
ChaCha is hiring. What is ChaCha? Well, it’s similar to KGB. Basically it’s a service that answers questions it’s users ask through text message, and pays people to work from home answering these questions.
They are currently hiring for guides, and have four different roles: Expediters (rewrite and categorize incoming questions), Generalists (answer any type of question), Specialists (answers questions in specific categories), and Transcribers (transcribe audio questions).
To sign-up you must fill out some general info (name, address, etc) plus your education level, internet speed, and how many hours you can work. Then you watch a little video about the site, and then you’re required to fill out a W-9 form before you continue (including your SSN).
Next, they send out an email with a link. They ask you to select a guide role, though when I did it, they only offered the Expediter role, so I assume that’s the role they make everyone start with. After that there’s a timed compatibility assessment, and if you pass you can start orientation and training.
This is a contract position, but unlike KGB, you do not have to schedule shifts, you can just jump on whenever you feel like it. It seems like a convenient way to make some extra money online.
From what I can gather reading on their website and other people’s reviews (I did not finish signing up), they don’t pay per question, but instead give you points based on a number of factors (how busy it is, the complexity of your role or the questions, etc.). At the end of the month, those points convert to cash, based on how many points everyone else has. You can cash out when you’re receive $100 or sign-up for a debit card to use your money sooner.
Seems a little fishy to me, and I’ve read reviews praising and scolding Cha Cha, so I’ll leave it up to you to see if it’s worth your time. Comparing this with KGB, I think KGB is the better choice, simply because KGB is straightforward about the amount of money you’re making, and you’re paid monthly.
ChaCha Stats
Info Required to Sign Up: Name, address, birth date, phone number, email, education level, info to fill out W-9 (including SSN)
Member eligibility requirements: 18+ years old, fluent in English, U.S. mailing address, authorized to work in the U.S., high-speed Internet connection
Sign up bonuses: None
How points are earned: Answering questions, transcribing questions, rewriting and categorizing questions.
Value of action: Unable to determine
Redemption options: Money
Fees or rules for redemption: Paid once you reach $100 or you can get their special debit card to access money earlier.
Cash value of points: Based on percentage of monthly cash pool.
Worked for KGB or ChaCha? I’d love to hear about your experiences. Feel free to share them in the comments below, or email me.
Make Money Online: Answer Text Questions for KGB
This is a new opportunity I found out about about two weeks ago from Champagne Living, and I decided to check it out since I’ve been basically unemployed and underemployed for the past year.
You may have heard of KGB through some of their humorous commercials. I was only vaguely aware of the company when I found out about this opportunity. KGB stands for Knowledge Generation Bureau, and they claim to be the world’s largest independent provider of directory assistance and enhanced information services.
Basically, anyone with a cell phone and text messaging can text them a question and they’ll answer it. This can be for directory assistance, driving directions, trivia questions, whatever.
Currently, KGB is hiring Special Agents. These are individuals who, working from their home computer, provide answers to these questions that are sent in by KGB customers.
Requirements:
- Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age
- Must have a U.S. Social Security number or other taxpayer ID number
- Must agree to work as an Independent Contractor
- Cannot already be employed by kgb or any of its subsidiaries
- Must have access to a computer with a high-speed internet connection and Mozilla Firefox web browser
- Must provide a U.S. bank account for direct deposit
- Must have a U.S. mailing address.
Agents can work anytime, 24 hours a day, that’s convenient for them. The minimum amount of work required is 8 hours per month (about 2 hours per week). Pay is per question answered, 10 cents for full responses and 5 cents for validation responses pulled from the database. Pay is monthly, and it is a contract position.
More information about the position is available via the job description.
From what I know now, I would recommend this as mainly supplemental income: something perfect as a part time job for students or moms, or to help make ends meet during this tough economic times. I don’t think it would be a suitable replacement for a steady full time job. This is a great work from home opportunity though.
How to Apply
There are a couple steps to becoming a Special Agent with KGB. First you have to take the Special Agents Challenge, which is a series of different questions in different categories. You can take the challenge for fun and as many times as you need to pass.
Once you pass that, you’ll be invited to complete some training, and a simulation of the questions you’ll be handling as an agent. After that, you’ll take Certification test. If you pass, you’ll be offered a position. If you fail, then, well, this opportunity just isn’t for you.
Depending on how much free time you have, this process could take a few days or about two weeks–they do put a limit on how long you can spending doing each step of the process.
They are hiring now, so if this seems like something you’d be interested in, apply now, before this opportunity disapears.
Make Money Online: Instant Cash Sweepstakes UPDATE
All right everyone, the first time I posted about Instant Cash Sweepstakes I’d only been a member of the site for about two weeks, and I wasn’t particularly impressed with it at the time. Since I’d only had limited experience with the site, I promised to give it more time and then come back with an update. Well, here it is.
Honestly, I stopped visiting Instant Cash Sweepstakes for the most part a week or so afterward. I racked up coins and lottery tickets, but never earned anymore money. I started to feel like maybe this is was the kind of site where you could only earn money if you convince a lot of people to sign up via your referral link (yes that link above is a referral link). At this point I have no referrals, which isn’t surprising, because I haven’t exactly given the site the most outstanding reviews. With all of the other survey sites and money making sites out there, I could earn actual money, not just sweepstakes entries, in the time I was wasting filling out those little surveys.
So what changes have I noticed since my last visit about two months ago? Not much. The coin store is still sparsely populated with ten high priced items (including that bizarre box of Splenda, which costs more than the 8gb jump drive). Apparently at the beginning of the month they decided to change their sweepstakes format, instead of one big prize each week, they’re doing a daily prize of $50, and if your referral wins it, you win it too.
What are my earnings at this point? Well, I’m still stuck at 75 cents. I have 389 coins, and 154 tickets for the lottery drawing today. Keep in mind I haven’t used the site for like a month and a half, but still, not impressive.
So overall, I think I’m mostly done with Instant Cash Sweepstakes. I think I’ll probably still check in from time to time just to see what’s going on and if they’ve done anything new. They still call themselves “beta” and seem to incorporate the ideas of the users, so it’s possible they’ll transform into a great site yet. I’ll keep you updated if they do, but for now I have other things I’d like to spend my time on.
Make Some Extra Cash: Global Test Market Surveys
Let’s kick off the new week with a new website to make some extra money. Today I’m featuring a survey site called GlobalTestMarket. I’ve been a member of this panel for many years, and it’s been a positive experience. I’ve earned money from this site and have been paid a few times.
It’s pretty basic: you sign up, fill out a few profile surveys, and then you’ll receive email invitation for the surveys. Each email will include how many points the survey is worth. When you complete the survey, the points are instantly credited to your account. If you don’t qualify to complete the survey, then you may receive points (they used to give 5 points if you disqualified, but they seem to have mostly phased that out), sweepstakes entries, or just a thank-you screen.
One of the downsides is that it takes a little while to earn enough points to cash out, simply because the minimum cash-out amount is 1000 points, which equals $50. On the other hand, it’s nice to get such a large check in the mail. My first check was $63, which bought two weeks of groceries for me, so it was worth the wait. You just have to plan to be with the panel for the long term.
Personally, I’ve had no problems with Global Test Market. The surveys are fun and interesting and I’ve always received my credits immediately. Payment does take a few weeks, but the checks always come within the time frame. If you are interested in making money taking online surveys, then I definitely recommend GlobalTestMarket.
This panel is open to members around the world, so even if you’re not from the US you can sign up.
GlobalTestMarket Stats
Info Required to Sign Up: Birth date, email, first & last name, address, phone number
Member eligibility requirements: 18 years or older, or 14-17 with parent’s permission
Sign up bonuses: None
How points are earned: Taking surveys
Value of survey: Varies, anywhere between 5-50 points
Earnings for disqualified survey: Points, sweepstakes entries, or nothing (depends on the study)
Redemption options: Check
Fees or rules for redemption: Mi0nimum 1000 MarketPoints ($50)
Time redemption takes: 4-6 weeks if in the US
Cash value of points: 1 MarketPoint = 5 cents
Make Money Online: Instant Cash Sweepstakes
Today I’m posting about a site very different from the other money making sites I’ve blogged about previously.
I’ve been a member of Instant Cash Sweepstakes for about 2 weeks. So far I’m not very impressed with the payout in comparison to the amount of time spent on the site, but it could be far worse.
Basically, how the site works is you answer a series of three questions, these are either user submitted questions or “BIZ” surveys from sponsors (which is how they make the money that the prizes come from). When you submit your answers you win a prize, either cash, lottery tickets for the next drawing, or coins. At a minimum, you will get 1 ticket and 1 coin.
You’re allowed to do five sets of questions every 3 hours. There is an option to sign up for email reminders to let you know when you can play again. Sometimes you’ll get a repeat question set–this is to test whether or not you’re giving honest answers. If you match the answers you originally put, they will triple your winnings (you have to match all 3 answers).
Cash winnings are paid via Paypal. There is a minimum of $2 winnings before you can cash out. The coins were added the day after I signed up. Basically you rack up the points and then you can redeem them in the Bonus Store. This is all very new, so we’ll have to see how it plays out. Currently the prize selection looks like they just picked a bunch of items from around their office (a corkscrew, a box of Splenda…), but slowly they’re adding new items each day. Right now the cheapest item is an 8 GB HP Flash drive, which costs 28,975 coins.
In my two weeks on the site, I have earned $0.75 cents and 182 coins. The 0.75 came from winning cash once. The drawings that the lottery tickets go for happen weekly, and I haven’t won anything from that yet either. Of course, I’ve only been a member for two weeks. I will keep using the site and update on any new winnings and my thoughts after using it for awhile. (You can now read my update here).
So here’s the ICS widget, which you can try out to get a sample of what the questions are like and how the game works. The ICS Stats are below it.
Instant Cash Sweepstakes Stats
Info Required to Sign Up: Email, First Name, Initial of Last Name, Birth date, Gender, State, County, Zip, Paypal Email, Statistical questions (education, employment, race, etc)
Member eligibility requirements: Minimum 18 years old, US Resident
Sign up bonuses: None
How money/tickets/coins are earned: Answering 3 questions to win a “prize,” either cash, tickets, or coins. Minimum 1 ticket and 1 coin each time.
Redemption options: Cash is via Paypal only. Coins can be traded in for prizes.
Fees or rules for redemption: No fees. Minimum $2 to cash out.
Time redemption takes: 72 hours to receive Paypal payment after request.
Cash value of coins: Unable to determine at this time
Check out my update post after two months with Instant Cash Sweepstakes.
Just got a surprise $2 in the mail from Knowledge Networks
Today was an exciting day at the mailbox. I got a 25 gift card for Amazon.com from Mypoints. I also received a sample of Kashi’s new Honey Sunshine cereal which came with a coupon I will be using to get 4 boxes of Kashi cereal for 50 cents at Jewel. Add in two movies from my Netflix queue, and that alone makes a fun day.
There was also a huge first class envelope from Knowledge Networks, which I have never heard of. It was addressed to the current residents, so I opened it up and was surprised to be greeted by two 1 dollar bills.
It turns out Knowledge Panel is a US-based research company. They’re currently doing a national recruitment campaign where they’re randomly selecting addresses and inviting people to join the panel. We were one of the households selected! With the $2 cash up front, they’ve definitely got my attention, and I’m signing up for their panel today.
Unfortunately, you can only sign-up for the panel if your household is selected and sent a letter. If you get a big first class envelope from Knowledge Networks, make sure to open it! Even if you’re not interested in the panel, there’s 2 bucks inside, and free money should not go to waste.
Has anyone ever been a part of the KnowledgePanel? I’m interested in hearing about your experiences.
Make Some Extra Money: Opinion Outpost
I haven’t reviewed any survey sites yet, so I figured I should start with one of my newer favorites, Opinion Outpost.
I’ve been taking online surveys for about 10 years. I have not discovered the magical way that people supposedly make a living completing surveys, but I have made a lot of extra cash over the years which has helped with expenses here and there or just to buy myself an extra little treat.
Opinion Outpost is a very simple panel. You sign up, fill out your member profiles, and receive emails as new surveys open up. If you successfully finish the survey, then your account is instantly credited with the points. If you do not meet the qualifications for the survey, then you have three options: play an instant win game for $75, enter the sweepstakes for $750, or donate 10 cents to the Red Cross (very unique and cool option).
The site only pays via check, which you must request. The minimum amount for payout is 50 points ($5). They say it takes 4-8 weeks to process and deliver the checks, but I’ve always received them within 3-4 days, which is quite impressive in comparison to some other companies.
I’ve only been a member of Opinion Outpost for a few years, but I am extremely impressed with them. The surveys are easy to complete, I’ve always received my points and my checks in a timely manner without issue. They are one of the few panels that I immediately take their surveys when I receive the email invitations, just because I know how hassle free they are.
ETA 10/03/09: I’ve just been notified that Opinion Points can now be redeemed for Amazon.com gift cards. This is great because there is no processing time and the code is emailed instantly. The value of the points is the same for cash & gift card redemption.
Opinion Outpost Stats
Info required to Sign Up: Email, first & last name, mailing address, plus profile information (birthday, sex, marital status, education, employment status, race, etc)
Member eligibility requirements: Must be 18 years of age or older & reside in the USA or Canada. One account per household.
Sign up bonuses: None
How points are earned: Taking surveys
Value of survey: Varies by survey, most are 20-25 points
Earnings for disqualified survey: Choice of instant win game ($75), 10 cent donation to Red Cross, or and entry into a sweepstakes for $750.
Redemption options: Check, Amazon.com gift certificate
Fees or rules for redemption: Minimum 50 points ($5). No fee.
Time redemption takes: I receive my checks in the mail in about 3-4 days. Amazon.com certificates are sent instantly via email.
Cash value of points: 10 points = $1
See Also:
Make Some Extra Cash: YouData
Make Some Extra Cash: Amazon’s Mechanical Turk
Make Some Extra Cash Searching with Swagbucks
Make Some Extra Cash: Search with Swagbucks
I am relatively new to Swagbucks. I joined about a month ago because I saw a lot of other bloggers raving about how amazing it was, so I figured I’d give it a try.
Out of all the ways to make extra money online, Swagbucks certainly seems to be one of the easiest. The main concept of the site is if you search through their online search (powered by Google and Ask.com) you can win Swagbucks.
You can also obtain Swagbucks from Swagcodes hidden throughout the site or by shopping online through Swagbucks. Basically you’re earning for things you do already.
These Swagbucks are redeemable in the Swagstore for anything ranging from prizes like MP3s and Books to everyday items like school supplies. Gift certificates and Paypal are also available.
Today Swagbucks just launched their new toolbar, which is compatible with Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari. Through the toolbar you can conveniently search and access other important Swagbucks features. For the month of September, to celebrate the launch, they’ll be releasing a new swagcode every single day. So that’s 30 free Swagcodes right away.
My thoughts: So far so good. I haven’t had any problems with Swagbucks. I earn at minimum 1 Swagbuck a day. Most days it’s 2-3. You won’t get rich off of Swagbucks, but you will earn great prizes for what you’re probably already doing everyday for free.
Update 3/5/2010: Swagbucks has changed their points system. Check out the updated stats.
Swagbucks Stats
Info Required to Sign Up: Full Name, Email, Country, State, Zip, Year of Birth.
Sign up bonuses: 3 Swagbucks
How money/points are earned: Searching the Web, Shopping, Trading In Cell Phones, Ipods, & Video Games, Referrals
Value of action: Varies. Swagbucks are awarded at random for searches, usually at values between 1-5. For shopping, 1 Swagbuck for every $5 spent at select merchants.
Redemption options: A variety of prizes. Gift cards (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc). Paypal.
Fees or rules for redemption: None–just have the amount the item costs.
Time redemption takes: Shipping estimate is given for all physical prizes ordered. E-gift cards arrived within 7-10 business days.
Cash value of points: Depends on Redemption method. Examples: Paypal: 1SB = $0.02. Amazon.com: 1SB = $0.11. Zendoo.com: 1SB = $1
See Also:
Make Some Extra Cash: YouData
Make Some Extra Cash: Amazon’s Mechanical Turk
Make Some Extra Money: Opinion Outpost Surveys
Make Extra Cash: Amazon’s Mechanical Turk
Unfortunately, like many, I’m unemployed right now. As I search for my next endeavor, I’m also trying to take advantage of whatever opportunities I have available to make a little extra cash.
I’ve yet to find anything I can live off of, but there are a few different ways available to make some extra money so I’m not constantly drawing on my savings account.
Previously I talked about making some money with Youdata. While your earnings there are dictated more by what advertisements are available, today I’m going to tell you about a site where you have more control over how much you earn.
Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, also know as MTurk, utilizes crowdsourcing by offering it’s members opportunities to complete HITs. Each HIT has a money value set by the Requester who needs the task completed, which the worker (that’s you!) earns for completing the hit.
These HITs–which stands for Human Intelligent Tasks–are defined as tasks that a computer can’t perform. They can very greatly from identifying an object in a picture to finding information on a website. I’ve also seen more complex HITs, like evaluating a site or product and writing a review or taking a survey for a university study.
The reward amounts range from a penny to the highest I’ve ever seen of $30. The great thing is you get to choose what HITs you accept, based on how much time and effort you want to give and how much money you want to make. You’ll soon develop a pattern that works best for you.
One of the suggestions I’ve picked up from the reading the forum Turker Nation, is to pick some of the lower paying hits that require little thinking and can be completed quickly. They can easily add up to be larger money with less effort.
When your HITs are approved and the money is deposited in your account, you can either have in transfered to your US bank account or to your Amazon Gift Card balance. Workers in India can receive a check in Indian Rupees.
What I love about Mturk, is there’s always something available to work on. I can do it during commercial breaks while I’m watching TV, while I’m waiting for my boyfriend to get ready to go out, or anytime I have a couple spare moments. Instead of just wasting time, I can earn some money!
Overall: Be smart. There’s no rules about how much the Requesters need to pay the Workers and often times there are HITs posted that require way more work than they’re worth. Just don’t do them.
Also, since Amazon does not regulate the HITs, occasionally there are things that pop-up that aren’t the most ethical of requests. In January, The Daily Background exposed a Belkin representative who was paying for positive Amazon reviews for Belkin products. Personally, I do not participate in those kinds of HITs, and I do not endorse anyone else doing them either. (You can report these HITs to Amazon as well)
But despite that, there are often a lot of great opportunities to make some extra cash. When your cash flow is zero, even a little bit can help.
Mechanical Turk Stats
Info Required to Sign Up: Nothing if you already have an Amazon.com account. Full Name, email. You must also register with Amazon Payments which requires your current address.
Sign up bonuses: None
How money is earned: Performing HITs (Human Intelligence Tasks_
Value of action: Varies depending on the HIT
Redemption options: Transfer money to a US bank account or Amazon.com gift card balance.
Fees or rules for redemption: Minimum $10 to transfer to a bank account. Minimum $1 for Amazon.com gift card.
Time redemption takes: Bank account: within in 5-7 day depending on bank processing times. Gift card: instant.
Cash value earnings: 1 to 1
See Also:
Make Extra Money With YouData
Earn Searching with Swagbucks
Make Some Extra Money: Opinion Outpost Surveys
