Survey Savvy Review 2020 – Is It Legit?

Since you are checking on Survey Savvy, you must be looking for ways to make some side income in 2020. Probably, you are curious, filled with doubts, and wondering whether this paid opinion site is genuine or not. We understand you. The internet is awash with countless opportunities to make money, but some are outright scams. Thus, it is okay to be a little vigilant.

If you need side gigs, paid surveys are one of the easiest to earn money. You share your opinions like you quite often do on Twitter, IG or Facebook. But unlike on social media platforms where nobody gives a damn, Survey sites value your opinions and pay you merely for sharing your experiences.

Well, in this review, we check out SurveySavvy. We cover everything you would want to know about it, and of course, we have a few surprises for you. So, buckle up, and find out whether it’s legit or not.

What is Survey Savvy?

Survey Savvy is a paid survey website that began its operations early as 1999. It is not an independent company, though. It is owned and managed by Luth Research LLC, a market research giant that has been in the business since 1977 and currently has its headquarters in San Diego, California.

With a conglomerate playing the big daddy, Survey Savvy is most definitely genuine. Such a giant wouldn’t want to ruin their name for failing to honor a few payments or scamming people online, would they? What’s more, the famous Better Business Bureau (BBB) has rated Luth Research as an A+ company since 1993.

They may be legit, but how does it work? How much does it pay for its surveys and is it worth it? How does it make these payments? And finally, what’s so unique about it? Well, we still got a lot to tell you, so tie your safety belt and let’s ride.

How does it Work?

Survey Savvy researches on behalf of government agencies and many worldwide brands, including multinationals and research agencies. The gist is to help these client companies to improve their performance in the market. To deliver, it needs research takers, which is where you come in. So, you are not just a survey taker. You are, in reality, the customer or a potential customer of these brands. Without your experiences, inputs, and expectations, the brand can advance for the better.

While some survey sites will require you to pay a monthly subscription, at Survey Savvy, you pay nothing to join and participate in its projects. Create your account by filling out a profile form as required. Once you become a member, you can access the available survey projects depending on your suitability.

Some of the demographic you need to provide, include your name, age, location, and household members. This data is instrumental in prequalifying you for various projects based on the criteria for choosing candidates as set by the website’s clients.

Once you sign up, you get SavvyConnect, a desktop application that collects information about your online activities, collate this data, aggregate it doe meta-analysis and use it to qualify you for different research projects. Remember, the data will not be in any way linked to your name, so it remains pseudo-anonymous

Most users are wary of this SavvyConnect feature for its ability to spy on your activities online. We agree, it sounds creepy, but it isn’t! The app is very safe, as it is only interested in profiling you to tailor surveys for you. Plus, SurveySavvy doesn’t sell your data to the third party. The feature, especially its mobile version, however, slows down devices and may conflict with the functionality of some apps.

US survey takers get a monthly $5 for installing the SavvyConnect desktop app and another $5 for the smartphone app. Despite its challenges, it’s worth the risk as it automatically qualifies you for more surveys. You’ll get an email invite if you are eligible for a project.

The site only pays or awards you once you have completed the assignment at hand.

Note: SavvyConnect a web extension that runs silently on the background of your device. We cannot surely tell what data it collects, except what Survey Savvy explains on its website.

Survey Savvy Eligibility Criteria

It’s free to join surveysavvy.com, but you must meet the following irreducible minimums:

  • You need to be over 14
  • Have a reliable internet connection.
  • Have a valid email address
  • Provide a physical home address

Ways to Make Money with Survey Savvy?

The primary way to make money here is through surveys, but there are other ways to top up your earnings.

Surveys

Once on the platform, you’ll see the survey number, how much it pays, and how long you may take to complete it. To open it, click on the survey number. The survey will open in a new tab, and you can go ahead to complete it. As it is the norm with this kind of project, the first 5 – 10 questions will screen you to make sure you qualify. In most cases, you’ll be eligible. But if you don’t, you’ll be notified.

You can earn from $.50 to $2.50 in surveys that go for about 10 to 30 minutes. Some pay more, but such a project is particular on qualifications and could take you an hour or more to complete. How much money you make is highly dependent on how many projects you undertake.

SavvyConnect Application

Most users, particularly Americans, don’t fancy the SavvyConnect feature but which is useful in profiling and sending more surveys their way. Survey Savvy figured that the best approach is to entice users to embrace the app. So, it offers $5 monthly for those who have installed the desktop app, and another $5 monthly for those who have it on their mobile device.

Whether you participate in surveys or not, this amount is guaranteed, as long as you are a US resident and keep the SavvyConnect installed. While the offer is tempting, it might not work well on your device, but you won’t know until you try it out. If it’s a burden to your gadget, uninstall it and focus more on surveys.

Promotions and Bonuses

Survey Savvy runs a generous two-tier referral program that promises you a percentage of your referral’s earnings. It even gets interesting as you also earn when your references also bring their friends.

In another promotion, you could get a ticket into the monthly Survey Savvy draws where 50 winners get $10. All you’ve to do is take surveys regularly, and the site’s camera might capture you for the entry.

Also, Survey Savvy occasionally conducts sweepstakes and run contests with lucrative rewards. Keep your eyes open, lest you miss out.

 Note: Survey Savvy is a reasonably liberal platform and accepts many countries. But in case your country is missing in the application form, you can contact them to guide you.

Methods of Payment

Unfortunately, Survey Savvy doesn’t have many options when it comes to how it pays you. All payments are via paper check delivered by mail upon request. Each payment request costs you $1, and it may take a week or up to a month, depending on your location, for you to receive the check. It’s unbelievable to fathom that a global research company can still stick to such 18th-century practices. It is as though PayPal & Direct Deposit don’t even exist.

With a check as its payment method, its $1 payout minimum means nothing to survey takers. Most people prefer to have their money as quickly as possible. To add an insult to the injury, it takes a whole month to receive your check. Perhaps this is its ultimate undoing, given the level of technological advancement we have in the money transfer market.

Pros and Cons of Survey Savvy

Pros:

  • It pays real cash, not credit points that you have to exchange.
  • The two-tiered referral program is a perfect way to earn passive income.
  • The SavvyConnect feature earns you easy money.
  • It is global
  • It is reputable with an A+ BBB ratings
  • You automatically get enrolled in monthly lotteries.
  • No withdrawal thresholds

Con:

  • It is such a hustle to land surveys here if you leave outside the US.
  • Slow payment – why wait for a whole month when there alternatives that pay almost instantly?
  • SavvyConnect is more like a spy. Survey takers want projects, not to be snooped on.
  • The SavvyConnect might interfere with your gadget’s performance.
  • Only pays by check, which is an outdated method of payment

Customer Service

You reach the customer service either through telephone or email listed on its page. The response is pretty fast. Nevertheless, some users have raised complaints about the leukemic manner by which Survey Savvy handles issues to do with failed fund transfers. Some survey takers say they have had to hard press the provider to have their payment delivered. But from our perspective, perhaps it is challenging to trace a mailed check.

There is room for improvement, and it should start with updating their payment system to include the modern methods of payment to end the endless need to call or email the company about mailed checks. Also, it could be much better if they can include an instant messaging feature.

Is Survey Savvy A Scam?

Survey Savvy is not a scam. It has been in existence for over two decades. They pay you in cash, which most sites don’t do, and it has a generous referral program. With its SavvyConnect, you can significantly increase your chances of getting invitations. AND if you are an American user, you can earn $10 monthly in passive income by just having the app installed on both their PC and mobile phone.

On the flip side, Survey Savvy offers few projects to don’t reside in the US, and this app sometimes causes problems with accessing the internet. While the company has never failed to honor payments, mailing checks take an eternity, mainly if you are from another continent.

It is generally a great site one we gladly recommend. But there are better, more rewarding survey sites that we’ve reviewed here as well. They offer a rich collection of surveys, pay well and have convenient payment methods.

FAQ

I can’t qualify for surveys; why?

Surveys on the platform are not created internally but taken from client companies that need the research. These companies target a specific demographic, which most of the time won’t be you! So, if you don’t qualify, that’s the reason.

Why would they allow me to start a survey if they know I don’t qualify?

You may meet the overall requirement for a survey but fail to meet there are specific requirements the researching company requires. Therefore, your suitability to handle such projects can only be determined once you answer a few screening questions. These questions are usually less than ten and are very personal. If you don’t meet the threshold, you’ll not complete the survey and, consequently, not get paid. But if you succeed, you’ll get to complete it and earn the quoted amount.

Is the SavvyConnect Spying on me?

No! The app works the same way as social media networks, and Google works to optimize your ads and content. In this case, though, it optimizes the surveys that suit you. It tracks down your online behavior and where you spend your money online. It may sound scary, but in the end, it helps Survey Savvy profile and qualify you for perfectly suiting surveys. For the record, the company clearly states on its website that it doesn’t sell any personal info to third parties. It only anonymously aggregates your data for meta-analysis.

I’m Outside the US, can I request my money via PayPal?

No, Survey Savvy doesn’t support any PayPal or any other method of payment, except check. Once you make the request, you can wait for your payments for up to 3 months, given that you are outside the country. For those who reside within the borders, it can take about 4 – 6 weeks.