Taking surveys for money has been a “thing” for a long time, but with the invention and growth of the internet, it has become even more popular.

You can complete more surveys in less time, and that gives many the idea that you can earn a significant amount of money doing it.

Is this true?  In some ways.  You can definitely make more than a couple of dollars every few months as in the days of taking a survey now and then at the mall, but what about real money?

It depends on your strategy and which survey sites you frequent.  We took a look at Mindfield Online Surveys to help you decide if this is one to add to your list, or if you should just move on to the next opportunity.

What is Mindfield Online Surveys?

Mindfield Online Surveys is a no-frills paid survey site owned by McMillion Research.  McMillion Research LLC has been around for 38 years, and they are located at 1012 Kanawha Blvd E ST. 301, Charleston, WV 5301-2840.

The company was started in 1980.  They have an A+ rating with the BBB and only 6 complaints.  There is one positive review, and one negative review posted to their file.

Those complaints were mostly related to those having issues with cash out.  One had an issue due to their support ticket being sent to spam, and the other was terminated due to abusive language when calling the help desk.

All complaints were dealt with professionally and promptly by a manager. It should be noted that the one that called and used foul language was terminated, but a cash out of the $8 balance was offered still.

This company has a 4.34-star rating with the BBB, which is amazing for the paid survey industry.

Certifications

Mindfield has a number of certification badges and professional memberships posted prominently on their website.  These include:

• Return Path
• TRUSTe
• Experian Quality Data
• SM Certified Email
• CASRO
• American Marketing Association
• MRA
• MRS
• Pharmaceutical Market Research Group
• Mobile Marketing Association

This is a huge number of memberships and certifications and helps to verify them as the real deal.

Sign up

Signing up is free and easy.  It starts with a standard registration and email verification process.

The email verification is very important. They will send you an email to the address you register with, and you need to click through to verify the address.  Until you do this, the process is not complete.

After that, you will have a profile survey which again, doesn’t take long.  However, it is still vital to the quality of your experience on the site as it helps them match you with surveys and studies that best fit you.

You must be at least 15 years old and live in the United States or Canada to sign up at this time.  They note in their FAQs that they are working on opening up survey opportunities to other countries.

Surveys

The surveys take 10 to 15 minutes each on average.  You will receive an email invitation to those survey that fit your profile best, but you can also go to the “take a survey” section on the website when you log in and see a list of what is available.

If you connect your account with Facebook, you will get even more survey opportunities, but it is not required.

Something interesting with Mindfield Online Surveys is that they disable the “back” button while you are taking surveys.  This can be frustrating if you make a mistake answering a question, but they claim it aids with quality control.

They feel that if you go back and forth in a survey, you have a higher chance of giving incorrect data and that the quality of the survey can become corrupted.

My advice in light of this is to read each question very carefully and take your time answering.

You do not have to do it at a snail’s pace, but since you cannot correct mistakes you want to be sure to answer correctly the first time.  Too many mistakes will look like you are giving false information and you could lose your privileges.

My Survey Experience

I have to admit I have not answered surveys for Mindfield Online in several years despite believing they are a really great group.  I tried to log in to see what I could do now. When I did, I couldn’t remember my password.

I tried to reset and was told to contact the service desk.  Since there is a notation that they are not currently accepting new panelists when you click to join, I assumed I had been inactive for too long.  It is common for paid survey sites to terminate inactive accounts.

They don’t mention anything about inactive accounts on their website in either the policies or the FAQs though.

As if on cue, I received an email from the panel at about this same time.  I was able to get in a see the surveys available, and I remembered why I loved them so much!

My initial list said that I had 679 surveys available for a total of $974.

What I Found

The first page of the list was full of surveys with time estimates of ranging from 3 to 5 minutes to 18 to 20 minutes.  The pay for each ranged from $10 to $4 per survey, which is almost unheard of.

Of course, the average based on 679 surveys for a total of $974 is around $1.40 per survey, so further down list, there must be a lot of surveys that pay much less than this.

I tried a few of the surveys.  All of them were either already full, or I didn’t qualify.

The one I did not qualify to take was for parents of children that wear training pants’ so I obviously need to update my profile.  It can really make a difference.

Product Testing

They do offer some product testing opportunities based on profiles that match available studies.  When I worked with them years ago, I had the opportunity to do this a few times, and it was really fun.

These invitations always came by email. I was sent toilet paper, shampoo, and facial care products for testing.

After using them for a week or so, I was sent a survey to take related to the product.  These paid pretty well usually, from $5 to $20, plus you got to keep any leftover product.

I remember loving the facial care products, and my whole family loved the toilet paper, but I was not a fan of the shampoo, just in case you were wondering.

Sweepstakes

They do a monthly sweepstakes drawing.  The total retail value of all prizes each month is $500.  Typically, these are gift cards of various values, but it can change.

You receive a sweepstakes entry for each survey you take.  Entries run from the first to the last day of the month, and the random electronic drawing happens automatically at 11:59 pm on the last calendar day of the month.

Winners are notified within 24 hours and given 14 days to respond before a replacement winner is picked.

Show Me the Money

Mindfield pays in cash only.  The minimum cash-out balance is $5.  Once you reach this amount, a button will appear that will let you cash out.  You can do so by check or PayPal deposit.

It takes 1 to 2 weeks to process the request, and then it can take 4 to 6 weeks for a check to arrive.  PayPal deposits typically come within 5 to 10 business days of being processed so that it could take 3 to 4 weeks total. It is usually faster that.

I have actually been paid by them and can verify that though it is a slow process, they do pay. The biggest complaint most have is that the money doesn’t post to your Mindfield account until 10 to 14 days after the survey closes.

It does not post immediately after you finish an individual survey like on most sites. This makes some new participants nervous until they can see that they will get credit for their time.

If you request a check and it does not come within 90 days, you can open a support ticket for a reissue.

If your PayPal deposit goes to an email address other than the one you use for PayPal, you are responsible for connecting PayPal to that account so you can access funds.

I suggest you be careful to register with whatever email address you already use for PayPal.  If you do not have a PayPal and plan on opening one, use the address you register with to open your PayPal.

Is Mindfield Online Surveys Legit or a Scam?

They are 100% legit.  Mindfield is free, and they pay on time.  When you go to www.mindfield.com, you will not be asked for money or credit card information.

Unlike many other sites, there are not even any offers that may ask for this information.

It should be noted that on their website and in the McMillion file on the Better Business Bureau site, there is a warning.

There is a company with a similar name running a scam that sends a check for a secret shopper job.

The recipient is to use the funds to complete the shop and send some of the funds back to “test” the process.

The check is fake, and when it does not clear the bank, the recipient is out a significant amount of money.

Neither McMillion or Mindfield are connected with this in any way, and they are working diligently to warn those who may fall prey and to stop the perpetrators.

Conclusion

The bummer here is that Mindfield Online Surveys is not currently accepting new panelists.  When they open back up, however, this is one that should definitely be on your rotation.

It is impossible to know how much you will make or how many surveys you will get to take, but the answer is none if you aren’t even a member.  Once you join, this one has great potential.

Combined with other recommended sites such as Swagbucks and Inbox Dollars, you could make some nice extra money taking surveys.