Get paid £70+ for an hour giving your views and feedback on products and services in paid market research and online focus groups.
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Taking part in online market research panels doesn’t take up much time and is easy to do.
Plus, most panels are online, so you won’t need to travel to any focus groups.
You can make £50 to £70 for most research, but I’ve seen some pay up to £175 or even more if you are asked to complete tasks over a few days.
This isn’t like survey sites where you fill out question after question, but need to have a face to face conversation (usually just done online through Zoom or similar).
Best market research panels to join
All these research panels are free to join. I have signed up for most of these (and have been paid by them for completing research panels).
You should never pay to join a focus group or research company or hand over a deposit. They will be paying you.
People for Research
People for Research is a UK-based company that offers online focus groups and usability testing, with participants earning from £50 to £150 for their feedback.
They have a wide variety of panels to join, and most of them are online. I’ve done the majority of panels with them.
Respondent
Respondent offers high-paying research opportunities, often ranging from £50 to £150 per hour.
They focus on one-on-one interviews and focus groups conducted online. The projects are advertised in dollars but pay out in pounds to PayPal. They offer shorter panels of just 10 minutes (getting around $30) or longer projects of around 45 minutes, paying up to $250.
Research Opinions
Research Opinions connects people with various market research opportunities, including online focus groups.
They generally advertise for projects taking place within the next month. They pay well and have positive reviews from participants.
Indiefield
Indiefield offers a range of market research opportunities, including online focus groups. They have a good reputation and pay well for participant feedback. Most surveys pay from £50 – £175, but I’ve seen one advertised for £600!
You cannot sign up directly on their site, but they have a sign up form here. I’ve been getting their panel requests for over 10 years, and they offer a referral fee if you know someone else who can do the panel.
Code3Research
Code 3 Research offers different types of research to be involved with from user experience testing, focus group, online panels and even eye-tracking studies.
Saros Research
Saros Research connects participants with online focus group opportunities in the UK, with payments typically ranging from £40 to £100 for an hour or two. If they are longer, you get paid more.
Angelfish Opinions
Angelfish Opinions specialises in market research, online focus groups and video diaries. It offers participants between £40 and £100 per study. Some studies, mega quick ones, can pay just £1.
Focus4People
Focus4People offers various market research opportunities in areas like banking, consumer goods and travel, including focus groups and product testing. The typical payments range from £40 to £100.
Take Part in Research
Take Part in Research offers opportunities for focus groups, product testing, and online research, with compensation often between £40 and £150.
Paid market research panel – what actually happens?
I’ve taken part in a fair few market research panels over the years.
Since most of them have moved online, it’s really flexible for me to get involved and make some extra money.
I can schedule the online meeting around work and family and most don’t last more than an hour.
So you have an idea of what happens, here’s what I had to do on the last few market research panels I took part in.
I can’t give away the names of the brands as that’s confidential, but I can explain what you’d expect to see.
Research projects – banking app
I was on a video call, and they explained what was going to happen. They shared their screen, and I could see a dummy version of an app.
I was given control and had to click through the app’s pages, talking about what I saw and what I’d do next if I was using the app for real.
Then, at the end, they asked some other questions. It took about 35 minutes, and I was paid £80.
Research projects – accommodation booking site
I did another on a hotel booking site.
It was on a Zoom video call, and I had access to their screen so I could see a website.
They asked me to describe what I would do if I were to book a hotel, what I would look for, and the steps I would take. I was paid £120.
Website testing – online kid’s game, for a kid’s area of a large UK news site
I did this research with the help of my daughter (I split the money with her, and she was VERY happy).
Over four weeks, she needed to join an online game once a week. At the end of the 10 minutes, we’d fill in a form together to talk about what she liked or didn’t like about the game.
At the end of the month, I completed a final questionnaire, and that was it! We were paid £65 in Amazon gift cards.
It’s all that easy!
What’s great is that you don’t need a special set of skills or knowledge.
Researchers are looking for people from all different backgrounds to answer honest questions about a service or experience.
There are never any wrong answers – it’s your opinion.
Other types of panels can include:
Online surveys and diaries
Participating in online surveys and keeping diaries of your experiences can also be a great way to earn extra money. Some companies pay for detailed feedback over a period of time.
Usability testing
Usability testing involves trying out websites or apps and providing feedback on their user-friendliness. It’s a straightforward way to earn money by sharing your thoughts.
The idea is that they’ll use the feedback from focus groups to help develop their ideas and improve their service.
Focus groups
Generally, a focus group has more than one person, and you can discuss and bounce ideas. The researchers will record what you say to learn insights.
How to sign up for online focus groups
You need to apply to research projects advertised through different market research companies.
Usually, you can only take part in one panel every six months with the same agency, which is why it’s worth signing up with more than one agency to boost your earnings.
You may get a fair few emails from each panel, so it might be worth signing up with a dedicated email so it doesn’t clog up your main inbox.
After you’ve signed up, you will receive email reminders about any new paid market research opportunities. You can also log in on their website and check who they’re looking for.
You will need to apply for each panel separately. They are looking for specific people, so don’t worry if you’re unsuccessful in getting a spot on every panel you apply for.
They will ask for your name, age, where you’re based, and when you’re available if you have access to a phone or computer with internet access.
They generally ask open questions as well. This is to see if you actually have an opinion. For instance, I’ve been asked which celebrity (dead or alive) I’d want to go for a meal with and who would play me in a film. Instead of one-word answers, I explain why to try and make myself stand out.
Top tip:
I’ve found that I get picked for the ones where I use complete sentences with punctuation when answering the questions rather than one-word answers. I think this shows the researchers that I am genuinely interested, which is likely why I’ve been picked for numerous panels in the past.
Do you need to pay tax?
The government like to tax us on everything, but this might be slightly different.
You are entitled to a tax-free allowance of up to £1,000 for trading income or property income.
Trading counts as self-employment or casual services (like one-off jobs such as babysitting, selling on eBay, hiring out your stuff, or making money through survey sites and market research).
So, provided any income stays below £1,000, you don’t need to tell the tax department. However, you should still keep records, just in case you end up earning more.
Naomi knows the burden of living on very little and became debt free by following her own money saving tips and tricks. She is an expert on saving money at the supermarket and side hustles.
