Is Survey Junkie a Scam?

If you’re thinking of using Survey Junkie, you need to know: Is Survey Junkie a scam? 

Below, we explain whether Survey Junkie is a scam and discuss some steps you can take to improve your safety when using this platform. 

What Is Survey Junkie?

Survey Junkie is a platform that lets you earn rewards in exchange for taking surveys. 

Surveys target particular demographics. If you don’t meet the criteria, you are disqualified from that particular survey, though you still earn a (very) small reward. 

The platform is available in the US, Canada, and Australia. 

There’s also an optional extension you can use to share your browsing activity (supposedly in a privacy-compliant way) for extra points. 

You need 500 points to cash out; the minimum requirement is $5. Cash-out options include a bank transfer, gift card rewards, and cash payment via PayPal. 

Survey Junkie is similar to Survey World, Apex Focus Group, and InboxDollars. 

Is Survey Junkie a Scam?

No, Survey Junkie is not a scam. It’s a legitimate platform where you can answer surveys in exchange for rewards.

Third-party sites review Survey Junkie positively (for example, Millenial Money gives it a rating of 8.5 out of 10, and dollarsprout gives it a rating of 4.5 out of 5), but all of them note that the platform is a fun side hustle, not a replacement for a full-time job. 

In its Survey Junkie review, The Budget Diet said it made $5 for completing 8 surveys, which worked out at around $2 per hour. According to the reviewer, it’s likely possible to make between $25 and $100 through Survey Junkie. 

Similarly, R. J. Weiss, who reviewed Survey Junkie for The Ways to Wealth, said in total, they earned an average of $3.75 per hour. 

Survey Junkie gets mixed user reviews:

• 3.9 out of 5.0 stars (from 44,876 reviews) on Trustpilot.
• 1.3 out of 5.0 stars (from 363 reviews) on Sitejabber.
• 4.3 out of 5.0 stars (from 102,892 reviews) on Google Play.  
• 4.5 out of 5.0 stars (from 81,634 reviews) on the App Store. 

Reviews on online forums like Reddit are generally positive, though people note that you need to verify your identity to participate. 

It is Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited and has a “B” rating. 

Security

We could not find a lot of information about Survey Junkie’s security measures.

Its privacy policy did not have a “Security” section, as is common.

On its Google Play page, Survey Junkie says that data is encrypted in transit, and you can request the deletion of your information. 

On its “How Insights Are Shared” page, Survey Junkie says that if you decide to participate in Surf to Earn, your digital activity will also be encrypted. 

Privacy

Survey Junkie details the kind of personal information it collects, why, and with whom it shares it in its privacy policy.

It collects the following personal information:

• Personal information, e.g., name, email address, phone number, address, date of birth, geolocation, IP address, demographic data (gender, occupation, household), and sensitive data (collected only with consent). 
• Data from surveys, i.e., voluntarily shared data.
• Data from Surf to Earn applications, including browsing/search history, shopping activity, app usage, ad interactions, geolocation and device information, and optional biometric data (e.g., facial ID for verification).
• Passively collected data from cookies, device fingerprints, log files, session replays
• Data from third parties for fraud detection, identity verification, and analytics.

Survey Junkie uses this information to share with clients to improve products/services and advertising, prevent fraud, verify identities, target surveys, comply with laws, build user profiles, understand behavior trends, and administer rewards, surveys, and promotions.

It shares your data with clients (i.e., brands, advertisers, research agencies), service providers, and third parties (in case of legal obligation, fraud investigation, or company merger/acquisition). 

The company sells and shares your data for business and targeted advertising (cross-context behavioral advertising).

Biometric information (e.g., from facial recognition for ID verification) is not sold and will be deleted within 3 years where required by law.

Survey Junkie retains your personal information for as long as you use their services or as necessary to fulfill the purposes for why it was collected, provide its services, comply with laws, etc. 

The Common Sense Privacy Program, which reviews internet services’ privacy policies, gives Survey Junkie a “Warning” rating. 

This means Survey Junkie “Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.”

Among the issues flagged is that Survey Junkie displays personalized advertising, allows third parties to collect data for their own purposes, and creates and uses data profiles for personalized ads. 

Users’ information is also used to track and target ads on other third-party sites or services.

So, Should You Use Survey Junkie?

Depends.

If you’re looking to make some extra cash by taking surveys, Survey Junkie can be a worthwhile option. 

However, from a privacy perspective, it’s not the best platform as it collects a lot of data and shares/sells it with third parties. 

How to Use Survey Junkie Safely and Privately 

• Use a separate email address. Create an email address just for Survey Junkie and other survey sites. This can help protect your identity and keep your primary email free of spam. 
• Don’t turn on Surf to Earn. Unless you’re comfortable sharing your shopping activity and browsing and app usage. 
• Limit what personal information you share. Avoid surveys that ask for sensitive personal information. 
• Turn off location access. Turn off GPS/geolocation for the app and your browser. 
• Opt out of data sales. Depending on where you reside, you may be able to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information. 
• Clear cookies and browser data regularly. This helps limit passive tracking.
• Monitor your rewards activity. If you notice points missing, contact support immediately. 
• Delete your account and ask Survey Junkie to delete your personal information. If you no longer want to use Survey Junkie, delete your account and data. You can do this by submitting a request to customer service, through Survey Junkie’s online form (DSAR), or by clicking “contact us” on Survey Junkie’s help page on their website.