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Home / Earn Money / Unlock Surveys Review: How It Works, Pros And Cons

Unlock Surveys Review: How It Works, Pros And Cons

Updated: November 21, 2024 By Colin Graves | 5 Min Read Leave a Comment

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Unlock Surveys Review | Source: The College Investor

Source: The College Investor

Unlock Surveys is a market research platform that lets you earn rewards by answering surveys. 

There are dozens of paid survey websites like Unlock Surveys, such as Survey Junkie, Inbox Dollars, and Swagbucks, but not all are legit. 

In this Unlock Surveys review, we explain how it works, cover the key features and pros and cons, to help you decide if this rewards website is worth joining.


Unlock surveys logo

Quick Summary

  • Paid survey website 
  • High minimum payout ($25) 
  • Welcome bonus of 500 points ($25)
  • Redeem reward points for e-Gifts cards
GET STARTED

Unlock Surveys Details

Product

Paid Surveys

Minimum Payout

$25

Ways to Earn

Surveys

Welcome Bonus

$5

Promotions

None

What Is Unlock Surveys?

Unlock Surveys began as Springboard America in 2009, but rebranded in 2024. Like other paid survey sites, Unlock helps household brands, and various government, nonprofit, and media organizations by gathering insightful data from the general population. 

What Does It Offer?

Unlock Surveys allows you to earn reward points for answering surveys, and then redeem your points for a wide range of gift cards. In addition to reward points, you may be given contest entries where you can win cash or other rewards. 

Complete Surveys

Unlock Surveys is different from sites like Swagbucks in that the primary way to earn is by answering surveys. There is a sign up bonus, and you may be invited to participate in the occasional referral campaign, but it's not a regular thing. 

How Much Are Surveys Worth? 

According to Unlock, most surveys are worth between 50 and 500 points ($0.50 to $5.00), if you qualify and finish the survey. Typically, the longer the survey, the more points you will receive. However, you might only be entered into a contest draw, although Unlock will let you know what you can earn in the survey invitation. 

Redeeming Your Points

You can redeem your rewards when you reach 2500 points, which has a value of $25. Gift card options are as follows: 

  • Virtual or physical Mastercard 
  • Amazon e-gift card 
  • iTunes 
  • Google Play 
  • Charitable donation 
  • Various other gift cards

It takes about a week to receive your rewards after you've made your point redemption. To find out your points balance, simply login to the Unlock Member Portal. 

Unlock Surveys Giftcards | Source: The College Investor

Unlock Survey Gift Card Options. Screenshot by The College Investor

Will My Rewards Points Expire? 

As long as your account remains active, your points will not expire. Unlock Surveys reserves the right to close your account and reclaim any outstanding points if you have been inactive in the Unlock Surveys community for more than five consecutive months. 

Is There A Referral Program? 

Unlike some paid survey sites, Unlock Surveys doesn't have a regular refer-a-friend program. That said, they will sometimes target a select group of users with a limited-time referral campaign. They do not provide details on how to qualify for one of these programs. 

How Many Surveys Will I Receive?

Unlock Surveys doesn't disclose how often you will receive surveys. It depends on several factors, including the type of market research they are doing, what the quotas are for specific surveys. From there, they use a random selection process. That said, you can improve your chances at receiving relevant surveys by completing the Monthly Mosaic and Profiling surveys as they are sent out. This lets Unlock Surveys know more about you and makes it easier for them to send you relevant surveys. 

Are There Any Fees?

No. Like most online survey websites, Unlock Surveys is completely free to join. In fact, never join a survey or get-paid-to (GPT) website that charges a fee for membership. 

How Does Unlock Compare?

As mentioned, there are dozens of online survey sites to choose from, and some that have more to offer than Unlock Surveys. Two of the best platforms are Survey Junkie and Swagbucks. 

Survey Junkie is a dedicated survey website. It has a low $5 minimum payout threshold, and you can choose from three payout options: PayPal Cash, bank transfer, or gift cards. Plus, you may have an opportunity to earn more with focus groups. 

Swagbucks is more than just a survey site. It offers many ways to earn. You can answer surveys, but you can also get paid to shop online, play online games, search the web, take advantage of bonus codes and special offers, and more. It has a very low minimum payment threshold of $1 (which you can redeem for an Amazon gift card) and payment can be in the form of PayPal Cash, gift cards, or prepaid Visa cards. 


Header
Unlock surveys logo
Survey Junkie Logo
Swagbucks

Rating

Min. Payout

$25

$5

$1

Activities

Surveys

Surveys, Focus Groups

Surveys, Shopping Online, Playing Games, Swagbucks Offers, Bonus Codes, Search the Web

Payout Options

e-Gift Cards

PayPal Cash, Bank Transfer, Gift Cards

PayPal Cash, Gift Cards, Prepaid Visa

Cell
OPEN AN ACCOUNT
READ THE REVIEW
READ THE REVIEW

How Do I Open An Account?

You can get started with Unlock Surveys by clicking on the blue, Join Now button on its website homepage. You'll receive a 500 point-bonus ($5 value) for signing up. To qualify, you must be at least 18 years of age, a U.S. resident, and not be employed in market research or a related industry. 

During the sign up process, Unlock Surveys will require you to provide some personal information via a short survey, and confirm your account by responding to an email. 

Is It Safe And Secure?

Unlock Surveys should be considered safe to use. For starters, they are not collecting or storing any highly sensitive data, like credit card or bank account numbers, or your Social Security Number. A detailed privacy policy is available on its website, and Unlock Surveys states that it keeps all of your personal information and survey responses strictly confidential and will never sell, exchange, or distribute your personal details to any party without your prior consent. 

Contact

If you need assistance, you can contact Unlock Surveys by email at support@unlocksurveys.com or by regular mail to the following address: 

Unlock Surveys
225 W Wacker Drive, Suite 1900 
Chicago, IL 60606
USA

Is It Worth It?

If you're only signing up for one paid survey site, then Unlock shouldn't be the one you join. It offers fewer ways to earn points than top sites like Swagbucks, and fewer redemption options than Survey Junkie and others. Not having the option to redeem for cash, whether it's via PayPal, bank deposit, or a check in the mail, is disappointing. Also, Unlock is very vague about whether you will even have a chance to earn rewards points for a survey — you may only be entered into a random draw. 

That said, the best way to maximize your earnings with online survey sites is to sign up for multiple platforms to increase the number of survey opportunities. If that's your strategy, than Unlock Surveys is worth a shot. It is free, after all. 

Check out Unlock Surveys here >>

Features

How To Earn

Paid Surveys

Points Per Survey 

50 - 500 points ($0.50 - $5.00)

Welcome Bonus

200 Points ($5 value)

Refer A Friend

By invite only

Minimum Payout Threshold

2500 points ($25 value)

Points Expire

Not if your account remains active 

Redemption Options

Gift cards only 

Customer Support Email 

support@unlocksurveys.com

Mobile App Availability

No

Web/Desktop Account Access

Yes

Promotions

None

Unlock Surveys Review: How It Works, Pros And Cons
  • Potential to Earn
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Service
Overall
3.7

Summary

Unlock Surveys is a paid survey website for U.S. residents over 18 years of age. Complete surveys and redeem points for e-Gift Cards.

Pros

  • $5 welcome bonus
  • Points don’t expire (as long as account remains active)
  • Redeem points towards e-Gift cards

Cons

  • High $25 payout threshold
  • No referral bonus (invite only)
  • No cash redemptions (gift card only)
  • Get Started
Colin Graves Editor
Colin Graves

Colin Graves is a personal finance editor and writer. During 20+ years in the banking industry, he managed books of business in excess of $1 billion, winning awards for outstanding leadership and customer service. In 2022, after building his side hustles into a full-time business, Colin walked away from the 9-5. He teaches others how to do the same at ColinGraves.com

Editor: Robert Farrington

Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, or other advertiser and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Comment Policy: We invite readers to respond with questions or comments. Comments may be held for moderation and are subject to approval. Comments are solely the opinions of their authors'. The responses in the comments below are not provided or commissioned by any advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any company. It is not anyone's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
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