Got Opinions? This Research Firm Will Pay You to Share Them

I have to say, few better feelings exist than seeing some extra money trickle into your bank account — especially if it’s easy money.

We found an opportunity that pays you to take part in online studies and surveys.

Market research firm 20|20 Research has been around since 1986, and has offices in Nashville, Tennessee; Charlotte, North Carolina, and Miami, Florida.

If you live in those cities, great — you can get paid to participate in in-person studies.

But even if you don’t, you can still get in on these paid opportunities, as long as you’re at least 18 years old and live in the U.S. or Canada.  

Keep reading to learn what this is all about.

What Types of Paid Studies and Surveys are Available?

Research opportunities vary from focus group discussions to one-on-one interviews. The subject matter, however, depends on the client — and those vary.

“Anything and everything you can imagine, from HIV to organic yogurt to ATV Vehicles,” panel manager Amanda Brown told me.

She offers some recent, more specific examples of recent studies:

  • A major cabinet company needs a panel of 180-200 homeowners who live in the Ann Arbor, Michigan, area.
  • Another client needs participants who are 45 to 46 years old, have been diagnosed with chronic constipation and use one of two different types of medications.
  • This example is super specific: A client wants married women between the ages of 25 and 50 who have kids in the household. In addition, these married women must have a high school diploma, make $55,000 or more a year, shop at a major wholesale grocery store and have never bought a Whirlpool appliance — or any appliance in the past year for that matter.

For transparency’s sake, Brown says it can be difficult to get into some of the studies.

“Because many of our clients are looking for the 10% of the 10% of the populations at times … you may take several pre-qualifying surveys before making it as a participant,” she says. “But, once you do, you are compensated very well.”

How Much You Can Get Paid Per Opportunity

There are two types of paid opportunities: surveys and studies.

The surveys are for points; 100 points is equal to $1. Brown says it pays about $6 to $10 an hour for those surveys. She suspects a survey doesn’t take more than about 15 minutes to complete.

On the study side, there are live chats (so you don’t have to leave the couch!), which last about 30 minutes to an hour and can pay $15 to $30 an hour.

There are also extended online studies. Brown says three-day studies are very common. This means a participant would need to log in once a day for about 45 minutes to an hour to answer questions. She says panelists would be paid at least $20 to $30 an hour — perhaps even more.

“As an advocate for the panelists, my job is to ensure our panelists’ time is valued,” Brown told me. “Therefore, if a survey is longer, we make sure we increase the pay to reflect the time invested.”

How to Sign Up with 20|20 Research

If you’re still feeling skeptical, check out 20|20 Research’s Facebook page. (It even hosts contests with prizes!)

You’ll find more than 170 reviews for the company with an overall 4.4-star rating. The most common complaint is people don’t get selected to participate, but like Brown said, there are no guarantees.

Here’s a recent review from Carol Jackson: “I have enjoyed doing the surveys and the 20|20 employees are the best! Always a smile and very helpful. I have told friends and family about it. My son and husband have done a couple surveys, too. What’s a hour of your time?”

OK, so here’s how to sign up: Visit learn.2020panel.com, or hop over to the community page at join.2020panel.com.

You’ll start by filling out a 15-minute consumer profile survey. (I can vouch for it. I signed up, and it was super painless.) This helps you get matched to surveys and studies.

Upon completion, you’ll get an email. Be sure to confirm your registration within eight hours.

If you have any questions, you’re encouraged to shoot an email to [email protected].

Keep an eye on this page, too. If I qualify for a study or survey, I’ll be sure to let you know about my experience.

Your Turn: Have you participated in panel studies/surveys? Tell us about your experiences!

Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder.