American Consumer Opinion Review

Whether you’re 16 or 60, chances are that you’d like to have a little extra money in your pocket. There are a variety of different ways to earn extra money – selling old stuff, getting a part-time job, etc. – but not many are as easy, convenient, and impactful as providing your opinions to major brands.

If you’ve got spare time and a computer, you’ve got a way to earn some extra money. By completing surveys and other offers through an online marketing research panel like American Consumer Opinion and Ask Wonder, you can offer your feedback and opinions to shape brands and products – all while getting paid.

Looking for your first survey site or a new addition to your collection? Keep reading to find out if American Consumer Opinion is for you.

About American Consumer Opinion

Founded in 1986, American Consumer Opinion began as a small American survey panel that only operated in the United States through the mail. Once the internet became readily accessible, they expanded to countries all over the world throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. With more than 8 million panelists of all age ranges, genders, and demographics, they’ve got an incredible diversity that allows Fortunate 500 companies and brands of all sizes to gauge markets all over the world.

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Who It’s For

Despite its name, American Consumer Opinion isn’t just for Americans. Their panel is inclusive, allowing for just about anyone who lives in supported countries to participate (as long as they are legally allowed to). They offer support for international clients from various continents and in multiple languages, as well as boasting a low 14+ age requirement (depending on your location). This makes it great for teens and young adults who want to earn a little extra money while they’re online.

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The Website

Once you get on the website, you’re greeted by the very simple registration system. After proving you’re not a robot and creating your login information, you’ll have to provide contact information for receiving prizes before you can access the dashboard.

On the dashboard you’ll find just about everything of importance. Your points are listed in addition to a variety of polls and any surveys you can complete. As a new user, you’ll have a survey to collect more information about your home and spending habits, making you eligible for more demographics and therefore more survey opportunities.

Surveys

When you have a survey available, you’ll receive a notification via email in addition to it appearing in your dashboard. In general, you can expect around 1 invitation per month if you’re a good fit for a specific brand, or as few as 2-3 per year if you don’t quite fit the right demographics. These surveys can be simple questionnaires, asking your opinion on various brands or products or can even include opportunities for product testing and providing feedback. You may review a new TV ad, website ad, or another piece of promotional material or provide feedback on the packaging or a product itself.

Pay and Rewards

Rather than a cash balance, American Consumer Opinion operates with point balances, providing a specific number of points for completing tasks, referring friends, or winning contests. Surveys are anywhere between 5-5,000 points (depending on the length and the niche), with each point being worth $.01 (so between $.05 and $50 per survey). Once you reach 1,000 points ($10), you are allowed to cash out or spend the points on various rewards.

When it comes to claiming your earnings, you’ve got a few options:

PayPal

If you’re looking for the closest option to cash, PayPal falls into that category. You are able to cash out $10 or more via PayPal, with payments taking a few days to be processed. You will need to make sure your account email is the same as your PayPal email to avoid problems and be ready to eat the 2.9% + $.30 fee for each cashout!

Sweepstakes

Haven’t quite earned enough to cash out or want a chance at winning a bigger prize? There are sweepstakes that run regularly on the website, allowing you to put something like 100 points ($1) into a $100 Amazon gift card draw, allowing you to multiply your smaller balances into something much better. Keep in mind that you run the risk of not winning and losing your points, though!

Gift Cards

If there’s a specific retailer that you want to buy something from, you may be able to find a gift card for them to cash out into. It’ll save you from the PayPal fee, but limits how you can spend your cash.

Charity Donations

Feeling charitable? American Consumer Opinions allows you to donate your earnings to a variety of charities instead of claiming the money yourself.

Pros

Survey Variety

The ability to do more than just questionnaires is a definite positive, with product testing being a welcomed change.

Multiple Cash Out Options

Rather than being forced to enter sweepstakes or settle for gift cards, you get the choice of multiple cash out options – including PayPal, or a cash-equivalent.

Teen Friendly

A minimum age of 14 allows for younger people to get involved and provide their input for some extra money while also influencing their favorite brands.

Cons

Long Payout Times

Customers have complained about payments taking 8-12 weeks or more to be processed in some cases – simply unacceptable in the modern age.

Limited Survey Availability

With only about a survey per month (if you’re lucky), there’s not much earning opportunity from the site alone.

Conclusion

With various survey types and cash out options, American Consumer Opinion makes itself a panel to consider joining for anyone. While the opportunities are infrequent, the longer surveys and product testing opportunities can be worth a solid amount of money for your time. If you’re on the good side of cashing out, you will be able to avoid the 8-12 weeks for payment and spend it how you want with PayPal. Consider adding American Consumer Opinion to your active panels, and then wait for those emails.