Updated October 4, 2022

InboxDollars Review

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InboxDollars lets you earn cash for playing games, watching videos, and more. But is it legit? Read this review before signing up.

5-point scale (the higher, the better)

Pros and Cons

  • Earn cash, not points
  • Legit company
  • Good paying surveys
  • High minimum to cash out
  • Accounts may become inactive after 10 days of inactivity

Bottom Line

Survey site with many ways to earn, but high payout minimum

If you're like me, you already spend too much time online.

Instead of diving down another Wikipedia rabbit hole, why not earn some easy cash?

InboxDollars lets you earn money in your downtime by taking surveys, watching videos, and more.

Before long, you can earn enough to pay some bills, fill your gas tank - maybe even take that weekend trip next summer.

Below, learn the pros and cons of InboxDollars, which payouts charge a fee, and how to earn your first $15 in just a day.

What is InboxDollars?

Every time I've thought about joining a survey site, InboxDollars is one of those names that always pops up.

And here's why: Over their 20-year history, they've paid users more than $80M.

InboxDollars is actually a "survey aggregator", meaning they find you surveys on third-party sites (I cover the downsides of this later).

For each survey and task you complete, InboxDollars awards you a small sum of cash ($0.10 - $0.50 on average).

But their $15 cash-out minimum is where things get tricky. While $15 doesn't seem like a lot, qualifying for enough surveys can be difficult.

Find out why you might be disqualified from InboxDollars surveys, how to score the $5 sign-up bonus, and tips for reaching the minimum faster.

Why does InboxDollars pay you to take surveys?
Prodege, the company that owns InboxDollars, is hired by retailers and brands to research potential customers. Because the info you share in a survey helps the brands earn your business later, they're willing to pay you a small sum upfront.

Do This First: Get Your $5 Sign-Up Bonus

If you're like most people, you were drawn to sign up for InboxDollars because of their $5 sign-up bonus. After all, it gets you even closer to the $15 cash-out minimum. But how do you actually get it?

All you need to do is:

  1. Create a new account on the InboxDollars website.
  2. Find the account confirmation email they sent to your inbox.
  3. Click the link in the email to confirm your account.
  4. Receive the $5 reward!

The perks don't stop there. Confirming your account also sets you up to earn cash with their PaidEmails program. It's exactly what it sounds like: get paid to read specific emails sent to you by InboxDollars.

Because it's so easy, online surveys are a popular side hustle for teens and college students. But if you're looking to make money AND gain experience, part-time jobs might be a better option.

Interested in InboxDollar's $5 promo? We compiled the best new customer bonuses. Some apps will pay you up to $20 just for signing up. Yup, who doesn't love free money?

Keep reading to learn more money-making tips for InboxDollars, plus how to cash out after earning your first $15.

How to Reach the $15 Cash-Out Minimum

Of all the survey sites I've used, InboxDollars has one of the highest cash-out minimums. If you stick to only taking surveys, reaching that $15 will take a bit of time.

Luckily, there is some low-hanging fruit to take advantage of. These tips and tricks will help you earn $15 quicker:

Qualify for more surveys

  • Keep your profile up to date
  • Be honest & consistent with your answers
  • Look out for tests & trick questions (they know when you're phoning it in)
  • Read the rules of the survey carefully
  • Choose the newest surveys and check for new ones often

Earn the easy cash

  • Fill out your profile ($0.50)
  • Complete 'My List' tasks ($0.50)
  • Confirm your first PaidEmail (this is your $5 signup bonus)
  • Complete the Household survey ($0.10)
  • Complete the Interest Survey ($0.10)

Sign up for other sites (through InboxDollars)

  • Join LifePoints through InboxDollars ($2)
  • Join Pinecone Research through InboxDollars ($2)
  • Sign up for Nielsen and register your internet devices ($5)

Need more ideas? InboxDollars says their "top earners" do these things weekly (or even daily)…
  1. Check the Offers page for new offers (some last only a week)
  2. Use InboxDollars' coupons to save on groceries
  3. Scan items at the store with the ScanSense feature
  4. Refer friends and get 30% of their earnings

Now that you have your strategy, don't miss this run-down of all the money-making tasks offered by InboxDollars.

How to Earn Money With InboxDollars

InboxDollars offers many ways to earn cash on a variety of devices. You can start earning cash the minute you sign up. Here's how:

Take Online Surveys
Members can spend 3–25 minutes answering questions online to earn $0.50–$5.00, and sometimes more.

Play Games
Earn scratch-off cards by playing arcade, card, and Game Show Network games online. (TIP: Gamers can earn money with many different apps.)

Watch Videos
Spend a few minutes watching videos to earn scratch-off cards. The videos vary in length and topics.

InboxDollars Scratch-Off Cards
Many InboxDollars' offers reward you a virtual scratch-off card rather than direct cash. Scratch-off cards work like an instant lottery ticket. Scratch the boxes and try to find matches. If you get three matching sums, you earn the specified prize.

A slider bar at the top of the dashboard tracks the progress you made earning scratch-off cards. Scratch off immediately to earn up to $10. Or keep doing activities until you hit $$ for up to $25 or $$$ to earn up to $50.

Read Emails
InboxDollars sends emails based on the information in your profile. The more emails you read, the more scratch-off cards you earn.

Print and Redeem Coupons
Earn cash every time you print coupons. You'll also get cash for every 10 coupons you redeem.

Shop Online
Shop through your InboxDollars account at your favorite stores. Every time you make a purchase, you earn cashback. The earned money adds to your InboxDollars account.

Scan Grocery Store Products
Use the InboxDollars mobile app to scan grocery store products for money. Each product is worth $0.05. The app shows the products you must scan.

InboxDollars is really geared towards folks who want to make a few bucks here and there. If you prefer more active side hustles, like investing or driving for Lyft, check out other money-making apps and work from home jobs.

How to Cash Out

Look, you won't earn a living wage on InboxDollars. But if you've put the time in and reached the $15 minimum, it's time to reap the rewards.

InboxDollars lets you cash out via:[1]

  1. Gift card
  2. PayPal
  3. Visa

Prepaid Visas or gift cards (InboxDollars refers to these as "ePayments") usually arrive in your email within a day or two. InboxDollars can pay out in Amazon gift cards. But if you shop exclusively at Amazon, you should check out other ways to get free Amazon gift cards.

There is NO fee for digital gift cards or digital prepaid Visas.

PayPal payments require a PayPal account and are processed every Wednesday.

How much money can you make with InboxDollars?
Most surveys on InboxDollars pay between $0.20 - $0.50, but what you make will depend on the tasks you complete and how frequently you use the site. Some surveys reward up to $20, though only for select members matching the required demographic profile.

InboxDollars Pros & Cons

Pros

  • $5 Signup Bonus
    Earn $5 for one minute of work. Just sign up and you'll see the money in your account instantly.

  • Legitimacy and transparency
    InboxDollars is owned by Prodege, LLC - an established market research company with an A rating from the Better Business Bureau[2]

  • Easy to Use
    InboxDollars has made its interface user-friendly and simple to navigate. Your dashboard contains many offers and options to earn money. Clicking on each tab shows your available options/offers.

  • Pending Credits Post in 24 Hours
    InboxDollars credits your account with "pending credits" within five minutes of completion. Track your pending credits in your Earnings tab. All credits post after 24 hours.

  • Earn Money, Not Points
    Many online survey sites reward you with points. Each site has different conversion rates, which can get confusing. InboxDollars shows your dollar earnings right away—no conversions necessary.

  • Free to Join
    You won't pay any sign-up or subscription fees. After your first $15 payout, you automatically become a Gold Member.

  • Generous Referral Bonus
    Get $1 per referral up to a maximum of $5 for your first 5 referrals plus 30% of your referrals' lifetime earnings. After your 5th referral, you can still earn 30% of what they make on the app. That means if your friend earns $15 this week, you'll get $4.50. Plus, you can refer as many people as you want.[3]

  • Earn Prizes to Search the Internet
    Next time you need to look something up on the internet, use InboxDollars' own search engine. It's powered by Bing, so you'll get the same search results and you'll earn a few cents for every search you make.

  • Variety of Payout Options
    The standard payout is via Gift card, PayPal, or Visa. But you can also request:
    • Electronic transfer to participating merchant cards
    • Send funds to a charity
    • Send funds to a friend

Does InboxDollars Pay via PayPal?
InboxDollars now offers PayPal as a cash-out option. They also offer merchant e-cards and prepaid Visa.

Cons

  • $15 Minimum for Payout
    You must reach $15 in order to request payment for the first time. Additional payment requests can be made at $10.00 or higher. Payouts won't happen quickly. Earning only a few cents at a time can make earning $15 seem like an impossible task.

  • Making Real Money Costs Money
    The most lucrative offers will cost you. For example, a monthly donation to ASPCA earns you $25, whereas a survey may earn you up to $0.50.

  • Risks with Third-Party Sites
    InboxDollars will sometimes lead you to surveys on other sites. Just know that those other sites could have a more lax privacy policy and might sell your personal info.

You don't have to just limit yourself to InboxDollars. There are a lot of other online survey companies that will pay you for your opinions and time. It's actually better to sign up for a few apps because you won't qualify for every survey all of the time.

Check InboxDollar's main competitors down below.

How It Compares

Swagbucks
Swagbucks offers more ways to make money than a lot similar survey sites. You can earn points by watching videos, taking surveys, using their browser extension, and more. They also give you $5 for signing up.

Swagbucks also wins for trust factor. Their parent company, Prodege, is BBB accredited with an A+ rating[4], and have 14 years in the business.

  • Income Opportunities: Paid surveys, paid referrals, cashback program, grocery coupons, "Swagbucks Search" engine
  • What You'll Earn: $0.40-$2 per survey (40-200 points)

Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie uses your profile info to find pre-vetted surveys that you qualify for. They'll even award you points if you disqualify from a survey, meaning your time is better spent. Plus, their mobile app makes it easy to earn points on the go.

In terms of trustworthiness, Survey Junkie is BBB accredited with a "B" rating[5] which is more than a lot of online survey sites can say.

  • Income Opportunities: Paid surveys, affiliate program, mobile app, focus groups (mostly for high-performing users)
  • What You'll Earn: $0.50-$3 per survey (50-300 points)

What the Experts Say

Online surveys are a legit way to make extra cash. But there are a few catches to look out for.

As part of our series on money-making apps, CreditDonkey asked a panel of industry experts to answer some of our reader's most pressing questions:

  • What gives money economic value?
  • Can cash back rewards make you spend more than you normally would?

Here's what they had to say:

Bottom Line: Is It Worth It?

You won't get rich quickly using InboxDollars. But you can earn a little side cash and have some fun. For bigger bucks in a quicker amount of time, check out our article on how to make $500 FAST.

If you have free time and enjoy answering questions, watching videos, or playing games, you can earn while helping manufacturers, retailers, and brands shape the future of their offerings.

To get the most out of paid survey apps, you should pair them with money saving apps. That way, your earnings can take you closer to your savings goals.

References

Write to Kim P at feedback@creditdonkey.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for our latest posts.

Note: This website is made possible through financial relationships with some of the products and services mentioned on this site. We may receive compensation if you shop through links in our content. You do not have to use our links, but you help support CreditDonkey if you do.

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