Vindale Research Review

Update: Vindale Research closed its doors in November 2021. If you’re looking for an alternative, check out our list of the best survey sites.

Vindale Research is an online market research platform where you can earn cash by taking surveys and completing offers.

You can also search for job openings and earn money by recruiting your friends to sign up for the service.

There are dozens of different survey websites out there. Some of them are legitimate, and many are total scams.

I will say upfront that Vindale Research is a legit way to earn a little extra money on the side. If you spend the time filling out surveys, you won’t get rich. But you will get paid.

This post is going to give you a full overview of Vindale Research so you can decide if signing up is worth your time. Without further ado, let’s get started.

What is Vindale Research?

Vindale Research is an online market research company based out of New York. The company was founded in 2006 and has since expanded into the U.K., Canadian, and Australian markets. In 2018, Vindale was acquired by Reimagine Holdings Group for an undisclosed amount.

How it Works

Vindale pays its subscribers to complete various so-called studies, which actually offer that Vindale has negotiated with its advertisers. (Vindale’s advertisers are the ones that ultimately pay the bills.) When you complete one of these studies, Vindale gets paid by the advertiser. They then share a portion of that commission with you.

For example, let’s say an auto insurance company is looking for prospective customers that live in Nevada. If you complete a “Car Study” with Vindale and tell them that you own a car and live in Nevada, Vindale could then sell your information to that auto insurance advertiser for a fee. In turn, Vindale would then pay you a few bucks for completing the study. In a nutshell, that’s how the operation works.

Over the years, Vindale has shelled out nearly $8 million to its subscribers. That’s a lot of studies!

Vindale Research Features

Once you register an account, you’ll have access to the Vindale platform where you can take surveys (i.e., “studies”) and engage with other money-making opportunities. Let’s briefly explore each one.

1. Paid Studies

As a Vindale subscriber, you’ll have access to a paid studies panel where you can earn cash for completing surveys.

Generally speaking, the amount of money you’ll earn depends on how long each study takes to complete. It also depends on how much of your personal information is required to satisfy the study.

As you can see, the “Baby Food Study” pays $10 but takes 35 minutes. (It might take even longer than that depending on how focused you are.) You can also see that the “Pet Survey” pays $1, but takes 10 minutes to complete.

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2. Access to Other Panels

Vindale also matches you with similar survey programs where you can earn points or cash. As you can see in the screenshot below, they’re currently pushing Ipsos, PointsClub, and VIP Voice, among panels.

No doubt, Vindale gets paid when you sign up for these external websites. But at the same time, you get the opportunity to earn money or points on those other websites once you’ve signed up.

This doesn’t exactly jump out as a thrilling benefit to me, but it is what it is.

3. Job Center

Vindale’s Job Center matches you with job openings in your area. I imagine that Vindale earns a cut on this too. But hey, at least they’re offering you some potential leads for work opportunities.

4. Paid Referral Program

Another way you can earn cash with Vindale is by recruiting your friends to sign up through your referral link.

Currently, they’re paying $5 for referrals. If you get even just a few of your buddies to join, you’ve already earned enough for a large pizza. Score!

5. Reward Codes

Vindale’s Reward Codes program offers a new and outside-the-box way to earn cash. Here’s how it works.

The company posts reward codes across their various social media properties, including Facebook, Twitter, and their blog. If you see a Reward Code on one of these forums, all you have to do is copy and paste it into the Reward Code box in your account (pictured below).

You’ll then automatically get cash credits posted to your account.

6. Get Paid via PayPal

Now for the most important feature: Once your earnings hit $50, you can transfer your funds to PayPal. This is probably the main reason why Vindale is so popular and trusted.

You can earn actual cash in your PayPal account—as opposed to “points” or “rewards” that have no real monetary value that other websites might offer.

Vindale Research Fees

Vindale is 100% free to sign up for, and there are no membership fees of any kind. Keep in mind that the company is actively monetizing your data and interaction with the site, though.

As such, you can expect to receive email ads from Vindale and other third-party companies as a result of signing up for the service. Where’s that spam filter when you need it?

Getting Started

Signing up for a Vindale account takes only about two minutes.

First, click Sign Up on the top right-hand corner of the website or click on the green Free! Get Started button in the middle of your browser.

You’ll then land on a profile creation page that asks for your basic information, including your name, address, DOB, gender, and ethnicity. You’ll also have to create a password.

Once that’s done, you’ll need to click on the activation link in your email to activate your account. It’s that easy.

Pro Tip: When I first signed up, the account activation email didn’t arrive, so I had to click ‘Resend Email’ in the dashboard. Once I did that, the activation email arrived seconds later, and I was able to access my account.

Vindale Research Promotions

At the time of this writing, Vindale is offering a $1 sign-up bonus to first-time subscribers. The $1 bonus will be automatically applied once your account is registered and confirmed.

You’ll also have to take a 5-minute Accelerated Training tutorial. It could be worse.

Security

Vindale uses SSL encryption throughout its web platform to keep your data safe. It also helps that the company doesn’t store super-sensitive data like your Social Security number or credit card information.

The company also offers a fraud awareness guide that advises you about some of the dangers lurking in the online survey world.

Customer Support

Vindale offers customer support in the form of a ZenDesk-powered self-help portal. You can also email them at [email protected].

Check out their Contact Us page for more information about how to get in touch with Vindale.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Free to sign up for and use, with no monthly fees
  • Easy-to-use survey platform
  • A legit company that actually pays you in cash (via PayPal)

Cons

  • Annoying follow-up emails pushing you to take surveys.
  • You might get paired with questionable third-party panels.
  • It might take a lot of time to accumulate $50 and get paid.

Alternatives to Vindale Research

Some of the more frequented alternatives to Vindale include the following, but, not all of these sites actually pay cash, so make sure to do your homework before signing up:

FAQs

Is Vindale Research a Legit Company?

Yes. Vindale is a legit survey and market research company. You will get paid if you take surveys and follow the simple payment instructions. What’s more, Vindale has achieved the status of “Great” on TrustPilot, where it has a 4-star rating (out of 5) from over 4,000 reviews.

How Do I Get My Money From Vindale Research?

To get paid by Vindale you need to take the following steps.

  1. Accumulate $50 in your account.
  2. Once you reach $50, request a funds transfer in the Payment Center.
  3. Have a verified PayPal account to receive those funds.

To be clear, you need to have a PayPal account to get paid by Vindale.

How Much Can You Make at Vindale Research?

It depends on how much time you spend taking surveys. I would guess over time you can earn anywhere from $50 to a few hundred bucks, at most. Survey websites are not the most lucrative side hustle.

What is the Best Paid Survey Site?

Personally, I’m a big fan of SurveyJunkie. InboxDollars is decent as well. But honestly, this is a matter of personal opinion.

Is Vindale Research Right for Me?

Vindale Research is one of the most established cash-paying survey websites. If you have lots of spare time on your hands, and plan to spend that time on your computer, it might be worth signing up and trying to earn $50 or more by taking Vindale’s surveys.

On the other hand, if you’re already super busy and are looking for a lucrative side hustle, Vindale Research (and similar online survey sites) is probably not going to be the best use of your time.

Whatever your side hustle might be, the goal is the same: stacking some extra cash so you can avoid debt, invest wisely, and live a life without worrying about money. Thanks for being an important part of that journey.

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  • Comment Author image blank
    I have been working with Vindale for several years with no problems. When I needed to turn in a W-9 form in September 2020, my account has never been the same. I am not getting the surveys that I used to be able to access. I could usually make anywhere from 50-100 a month. Now I cannot even get one survey a day and it is less than $1. I was always able to access the higher paid surveys, but now I cannot. They are blaming it on my computer and that I am not accepting cookies which is not true. I believe they have set some kind of modulator on my account. Why else would I not be able to get the surveys I need? I am a senior on a very limited social security income and I use this money to pay for meds, food, and household supplies. So not being able to get surveys from them is very frustrating to say the least. Vindale is managed by Dynata and I have repeatedly asked them to check into this problem but they just refer me back to Vindale. So, think twice about using Vindale as a viable source of income.