InboxDollars Review 2024: Is it a Safe and Legit Way to Make Money Online?

This complete InboxDollars review will help you decide if this is the right platform for you to earn extra money online!

If you are looking to find a side hustle to make extra money online, you should consider joining InboxDollars. Joining the site is completely free. You can use InboxDollars anywhere, from your home to your favourite coffee shop, your local library, or even on your commute to work. All you neemd is a computer or a mobile phone and a stable internet connection through either your home wifi or phone data plan. Although you may not get rich quickly by using InboxDollars to make money, you can certainly earn a healthy side income on this platform every month. You will also have some fun and share your opinions that will shape real products and services, too!

InboxDollars is one of my favourite sites to earn money online through taking surveys that pay cash instantly. By using the platform, you can earn pocket money through easy and fun surveys, watching videos, surfing the web, and more. I thought it would be a good idea for me to write a comprehensive review on InboxDollars to help you decide if you should download the app or join the platform on your desktop.

InboxDollars Review: frequently asked questions

This review on InboxDollars will cover every little thing you want to know about this money-making platform. You will discover what it is, if it is legitimate, how to sign up, and how to earn money with this platform.

What is InboxDollars?

InboxDollars is a market research platform that connects brands with consumers. It was established in 2000 by then computer science student Darren Cotter, and was acquired by Prodege in 2019. Since then, it has paid over $80 million in cash rewards to its members for doing everyday activities online like reading emails, taking online surveys, playing games, and watching videos and watching TV.

Members of InboxDollars can earn points which can then be used to redeem free eGift cards at popular retailers like Amazon and Starbucks, or redeem for cash through PayPal. You answer surveys and get rewarded for your time and effort – as simple as that!

Is InboxDollars really free to use?

Yes, InboxDollars is completely free! It does not cost anything to sign up, and it does not cost anything to complete any activities that are available on the platform.

Is InboxDollars a safe and legit site to make money?

If you are a bit skeptical about making real money online, you are not alone. Many people may ask questions like, “Is InboxDollars legit?” or “Is InboxDollars a scam?” After all, members are getting real cash rewards from the platform without having to pay a membership fee. The money has to come from somewhere, right?

This is a completely valid concern, but rest assured that InboxDollars is a legitimate business and it is not a scam. It has been seen on BBC News, Yahoo! Finance, and so on. As I mentioned above, InboxDollars was established in 2000, so it has been around for more than two decades already. It is now part of a global marketing firm called Prodege, LLC, which also operates other popular survey sites including Swagbucks and MyPoints.

InboxDollars has an A rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB). On Trustpilot, the platform receives a 4.3/5 rating from over 14,000 reviewers. Its app earns a 4/5 rating from over 100,000 reviewers on Google Play, and a 4.5/rating on the App Store from more than 130,000 reviewers.

How can InboxDollars sustain itself? Well, the key to their business model is advertising and collaborating with consumer-facing vendors: Brands pay InboxDollars to get your input, and InboxDollars then use the money to pay for your efforts!

Does InboxDollars really give you money?

Yes, InboxDollars does give you money! For each survey that you complete, InboxDollars credits your account with actual dollar amounts. This is a unique feature of InboxDollars and the reason why I especially like the platform: instead of points, whose value can change (since you have to convert them into cash), you know exactly how much money you are getting.

You have to build a big enough balance (minimum redemption = $30) to then redeem for your reward. There used to be a $3 processing fee, but the company decided to remove it indefinitely. This means that you will have more money in your pocket!

You can choose from any of the following:

  • PayPal payments
  • ePayment (loaded to a prepaid Visa card)
  • Amazon gift cards
  • A cheque in the mail
  • And many more retailer gift cards (e.g., Target gift card)!

How does InboxDollars work? How can one earn money through the platform?

There are six main ways you can earn money on InboxDollars to get rewards.

1. Taking online surveys

Taking paid online surveys is the bread-and-butter of this company and the main way you can make money with InboxDollars. These are part of the broader family of self-administered surveys as opposed to administered surveys such as face-to-face or telephone. By taking the time to give your opinion, you are providing input for the development of a product or service. The quality of an online survey depends on the reliability of the information you provide and how often you update your profile.

Once you complete your registration and log into your InboxDollars account, you can see surveys available to you under the “Survey” tab at the top of the webpage. For each of the surveys, you will have information such as estimated completion time, how much you can earn, and the categories (e.g., media and entertainment). These pieces of information will help you decide whether you should participate or not.

Many of the survey offers I’ve seen vary quite widely in terms of pay-out. You’ll find that some pay 25 cents for a 22-minute survey, $2.25 for a 10-minute survey or $1 for a 19-minute survey. That’s why it is quite important to only focus on the ones that you feel is worthy of your time.

As you complete surveys, you’ll also work toward earning free scratch-off tickets, which is one other opportunity to earn cash.

2. Watching videos

This is another interesting way to make money with InboxDollars. As a member, you can view sponsored content and earn cash at the same time. You can catch up on celebrity gossip, the latest food trends, the most up-to-date news in technology or healthcare while earning some extra money! Not a bad deal!

3. Playing games

This is a fun one. Who knows that you can make money playing games! With the “Paid Games” portal, you can win gift cards and cash rewards. The games are pretty interesting (e.g., monkey bubble shooter game).

4. Printing coupons

You can find coupons that you can print off on the site and get paid for printing them. You can, of course, use the coupons during your normal trips to the stores and save money. This is a double-win, isn’t it!

5. Shopping

If you love online shopping, this can be a very attractive feature for you. You can earn cashback through InboxDollars if you make your purchases through the site. You can find big brands like Walmart and Gap, or explore some newer brands!

6. PaidEmail®

InboxDollars proudly operates a flagship feature called PaidEmail®. Getting paid through this feature is easy: you will receive emails from advertisers. You will get paid just for opening and reading the emails. You can earn more for completing additional actions through the emails, like sign up for email newsletters or joining a loyalty program.

7. Using InboxDollars’ search engine

InboxDollars has its own search engine. You can make additional money for using their search engine instead of, for example, Google or Bing.

8. Look out for WinIt codes

WinIt codes are posted on social media channels including Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. They can be redeemed on the right sidebar of the InboxDollars homepage. Enter the WinIt code exactly as you see it in the space provided to claim your reward. Start hunting now, we might have a WinIt today!

Does InboxDollars have a customer service team?

Yes it does! InboxDollars has a comprehensive FAQ page, which should answer most of the questions you have. If you have any additional questions, you can submit a request here.

InboxDollars Review: the sign-up process

The sign-up process is very simple and straightforward. Here are the steps:

Head to InboxDollars

The link in the title will take you straight to InboxDollars’ sign-up page. No more need for googling!

Create an account

You will be asked to enter your email address and create a password.

Confirm your account with email confirmation

You will then receive a confirmation email. Once you confirm your account, you will see the $5 bonus deposited into your InboxDollars account. Congratulations!

Fill out your profile survey

You will then be asked to provide some basic information about you to set a base for your account. The information includes:

  • Education background (e.g., your degree)
  • Income
  • Race
  • Marital status
  • Kids (or not)
  • Medical history
  • And more, for a total of 30 questions!

These questions are optional, but you will get an extra 50 cents for answering them. Of course, InboxDollars will use your profile information to match you with surveys, so the more complete your information, the more earning opportunities you will get!

Begin earning!

Congratulations, you are now ready to earn money!

Ready to join the InboxDollars community? Sign up for InboxDollars today!

How to qualify for surveys on InboxDollars

To qualify for surveys in InboxDollars, you will first have to fill out your demographics information after you sign up for an account. This ensures that the platform can find you surveys that are right for you. After all, neither your nor the vendors would want to waste time on surveys that aren’t a good fit, right?

How many surveys you get depends on your demographics

The number of surveys you get depends on your demographics. Companies have a quota in mind when they run surveys, and they want to make sure that the respondents fit into their target market. After all, it doesn’t make sense for a company specializing in female products to run a survey in which 80% of the participants are male. At the end of the day, InboxDollars need to make sure that the survey takers meet the criteria of the brands.

Overall, I’d say that taking surveys on their platform is very pleasant, even for beginners who are looking to make extra cash online. One nice thing about InboxDollars is that each survey clearly shows you how much time it will take to complete it and how much money you can get. This way, you can set aside enough time to complete a survey in one sitting, and you can calculate for yourself whether a particular survey is worth the effort or not. The payments can vary quite widely, so make sure you only focus on the ones that you think are fun and worth it.

How to earn cash through InboxDollars

You collect rewards for any survey completed

For any survey completed on the InboxDollars platform, you will be rewarded with dollars. You will know exactly how many dollars you can earn for each action, whether it is taking surveys, watching videos, shopping, or any other online activities. Each activity pays between $0.50 and $5 apiece.

You can redeem for cash as soon as you hit the $30 threshold

The lowest level of rewards on InboxDollars is $30. There is no waiting period to redeem your reward. As soon as you have earned enough to redeem for a gift card or a cash payout, you can do so right away!

Ready to earn some extra income through InboxDollars? Head to the sign-up page today to earn gift cards, prepaid debit cards, and more!

Alternatives to InboxDollars

Of course, InboxDollars isn’t the only reputable online platform from which you can make legitimate money. There are many free sites that you can try as well. I personally have tried quite a few. All of the ones listed below have been around for quite some time, and they all have a solid reputation. These are some of the best side hustles that you can do.

MyPoints

If you want to earn free gift cards through an online survey site, you should consider using MyPoints. You can get paid by taking surveys, watching videos, reading emails, or even shopping online. Whenever you shop online at the over 1,900 top retailers, including Walmart, eBay and Amazon, available through the platform, you can earn points to be redeemed for gift cards! There are over 75 retail and restaurant partners that collaborate with MyPoints, including Amazon, Starbucks and Walmart. I am sure you will find at least one place that you shop at regularly.

Sign up for MyPoints here!

Check out my comprehensive MyPoints review to learn more!

Swagbucks

Swagbucks is another popular paid survey site. It is an ideal platform if you are looking to fill up little pockets of your time throughout the day with money-making online tasks.

The surveys on Swagbucks can be as short as 10-15 minutes. In addition to surveys, Swagbucks also lets you earn points through tasks like searching the web, watching videos, playing games, or even shopping at your favourite sites.

What I especially love about Swagbucks is that their rewards go on sale as well. If you wait to redeem the rewards, you can get a bigger bang for your buck!

Sign up for Swagbucks here!

To learn more about this free membership platform, check out my complete Swagbucks review!

Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is yet another popular place where you can earn gift cards with surveys. By sharing your opinions to help brands deliver better products and services, you will get rewarded with your time. Survey Junkie already has 20 million active members, and you don’t want to miss the opportunity to join the community!

Sign up for Survey Junkie here!

Curious about this platform? You will not want to miss my Survey Junkie review!

LifePoints

LifePoints is another one of my favourite survey websites that pay you instantly through PayPal. You can make money on your desktop or your mobile phone, whichever is more convenient for you. The app will transfer points into your online account as soon as you complete your first survey. You can then redeem your points for cash via PayPal or gift cards instantly. 

If you are in the US: Sign up here for LifePoints!

If you are in Canada: Sign up here!

Interested in learning more about this platform? Check out my complete LifePoints review!

For a limited time, you can earn 10 LifePoints just for signing up! Sign up for LifePoints today (US or Canada)!

Pinecone Research

Pinecone Research is one of the highest paying survey sites out there. It has paid surveys that are worth $3 or more, depending on the length and genre. As a matter of fact, Pinecone Research is what I used to help me pay for my own college tuition.

Of course, Pinecone has evolved a lot since then. It now has an accessible survey app that you can use to take surveys no matter where you are.

The platform also holds giveaways and sweepstakes for all its members. Fingers crossed and I hope you win!

If you are in the US: Sign up for Pinecone Research here.

If you are in Canada: Sign up here!

Opinion Outpost

Opinion Outpost is another popular survey site. You can earn points by completing surveys, testing products, watching ads, and completing real-world missions. You can then easily redeem your rewards via PayPal, iTunes gift cards, Amazon gift cards, and more!

If you are in the US: Sign up for Opinion Outpost here.

If you are in Canada: Sign up here!

You can check out my comprehensive Opinion Outpost review to learn more!

Is InboxDollars for me?

How do you determine if InboxDollars is the right fit for you? Answer the following questions for yourself:

Am I looking to make a living with InboxDollars?

If the answer is yes, then making money online through InboxDollars probably isn’t for you. Using InboxDollars is ideal for a secondary stream of income, but it’d be difficult to survive on answering surveys alone. However, if you want to earn PayPal money during your downtime, then InboxDollars can just be what you are looking for.

Do I enjoy taking surveys in my spare time?

Nobody likes to be stuck with doing things they don’t like doing. Definitely check out InboxDollars if you think you will enjoy answering survey questions. If you find out you don’t like it after you try it, do not hesitate to close your account!

Do I have time in my life for InboxDollars?

Although completing surveys on InboxDollars doesn’t take a long time, it still takes some time. If you are already working 2 jobs or feeling stressed out already with everything that is going on in your life, take a deep breath, and focus on your other priorities first. We all need to manage our time well.

By the way, if you want to improve your time management skills, you may want to check out a super simple yet useful tool called the Eisenhower Matrix!

How to make additional cash online using other apps or websites

If you are also interested in exploring other ways of making money online, then there are several good alternatives as well. These alternatives require similar or even less effort as taking surveys. They are particularly suitable for people who only have small pockets of time throughout the day. Below are my top recommendations:

Use Drop to earn gift cards

Drop is a free app that rewards you for shopping at your favourite brands. It is a well-established app with over 3 million members. It is rewarding and fun. Sign up for Drop app here!

Check out my Drop app review to learn more!

Play games for money with Android app Mistplay

Mistplay is a wonderful Android app that allows you to play games and make money. It is as easy as downloading the app on your Android phone, playing games, earning Mistplay units, and cashing out on gift cards!

If you are in the US: Sign up for Mistplay here.

If you are in Canada: Sign up for Mistplay here.

Use Ibotta to earn cash-back for your purchases

Ibotta is a popular free cashback app in the US. You can earn cash-back for all purchases made through ibotta.

iOS users: sign up here!

Android users: sign up here!

Check out the ibotta review to learn more!

Use Fetch Rewards for your groceries

If you are looking to earn cash back on groceries, then Fetch Rewards is a great app to have. Here is my review on Fetch Rewards to help you decide if this is the right app for you.

Things to remember when making money online

Earning extra money on the side online can be a very rewarding experience. But of course, the online world does have its risks, and we need to remember to protect ourselves in the virtual world. Here are the key things to remember when you are trying to side hustle online.

Install anti-malware software on your computer

This should be a no-brainer, but it is worth reiterating. You want to protect your computer and your personal information at all times.

Do not click on suspicious links

If you see a link in an email that looks suspicious, please don’t click on it. This is another situation where you should listen to your guts. If you aren’t sure, chances are you shouldn’t click it! Delete that email, now!

Be careful with phishing emails

Deleting phishing emails is unfortunately almost a daily routine for me, so we must all be extra careful. Check the display name, the actual email address (and make sure it matches the display name), and the content of the email before you click on anything or respond.

Give your eyes a break

Taking online surveys or using cash-back sites can put strains on your eyes, especially if you do it for a prolonged period of time. Don’t forget to give your eyes a break once in a while. Eye pain is not fun!

Remember to be patient

Patience is key. Be patient, and you will see money gradually accumulate.

Enjoy the process

Making some money online via online surveys or cash-back sites is fun and exciting. It shouldn’t feel like a burden. Enjoy the process, and smile!

Remember that by taking surveys, not only are you earning some side income, you are also providing valuable feedback to companies so they can develop better products and services. You are effectively making consumers’ lives better with your contribution. That feels pretty good, isn’t it?

InboxDollars Review: Final Words

This is it! My full InboxDollars review. By taking surveys, playing games, and watching online videos during your spare time, you can have a new way to earn a little cash or a lot. Is InboxDollars worth it if you want to give it a try? Definitely! It is a fantastic platform for you to make some extra side-income during TV commercial breaks, while you wait for your water to boil, or on your commute to and back from work. Sign up for InboxDollars today!

What are you waiting for? Sign up for InboxDollars today and receive $5 free cash just for signing up!

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