I know that online surveys aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, which is why I offer information for other ways to earn money with surveys and other online tasks on this site.

One method I haven’t mentioned yet that will probably interest some of you is how to earn cash over the phone.

That’s right – just like there are online surveys there are also phone surveys, just like those ones that used to call your parents and interrupt dinnertime.

Except that these aren’t just unsolicited telemarketer surveys that want you to spend time answering questions for nothing in return.

These are actual paid surveys that you’ll only participate in if you’re signed up with the research panels that offer them.

If you want to learn more about how to earn cash for taking phone-based surveys, then this article is for you!

Taking Telephone Surveys for Money

Most people prefer to do things online or through texting nowadays, but some people still prefer to make old-fashioned phone calls for personal or business reasons.

Regardless of your reasoning for wanting to learn more about phone surveys, it’s clear that you’re not alone.

There’s definitely a market for these types of studies because there are several online research panels and focus group companies that still offer them.

If people didn’t want to participate in them, then they’d phase them out for other types of surveys that are more popular.

With a telephone survey, you’ll be invited to participate in the study just like you would with an online survey.

The research panel will usually send you an email letting you know that a study is available for you and invited you to respond to your invite.

You can choose whether you want to complete that survey or not based on if you have time for it and the pay is decent.

Some panels will need you to be available during a specific block of time on a certain day for a representative to call you, while others might let you pick your call date and time from a few options.

These surveys usually have a live person on the other end who calls you and asks for your responses.

Your full call will be recorded so that the panel has all the answers to each question available to send to its client.

Sometimes, you might have questions given to you by a computer instead of a live person.

Some responses may be multiple choice and require you to hit specific keys on your phone’s keypad to answer while others will be open-ended, giving you more opportunity to explain your thoughts.

Once your phone “interview” is over, you should be eligible for your reward within a couple of days at most panels.

Are These the Same as Text or App-Based Surveys?

When I talk about phone surveys, I’m only talking about the ones that you answer questions on over a phone call.

You can, however, also use your phone to make money to answer text messages or complete online surveys via a mobile app.

These are different than phone surveys even though you’re using your phone to complete them.

These surveys are known as text surveys and mobile surveys, while studies conducted over a phone call are phone surveys.

It’s important to understand the difference so that you don’t accidentally sign up for a survey panel that only offers mobile or text surveys instead of phone surveys.

They all can get you paid, but if you’re specifically looking for surveys you take over phone calls, then you’ll want to just look for ones labeled as phone studies, telephone surveys, or a similar phrase.

How Much Can I Make? How Do I Get Paid?

The panels that offer surveys over the phone are all different, just like those are that offer online studies for cash.

That also means that they’ll pay different amounts and offer different rewards from each other.

Phone studies do usually take a little longer than the ones you’d complete online, so they often pay a little more to compensate you for your time.

Where you get $1 for completing a 15-minute survey online, you might get paid $10 for a 15-minute phone survey, for example.

You can always check the payment procedures for each panel you want to sign up for by visiting its help section or FAQ. Both can be invaluable resources for letting you know important details before signing up for an account.

An important note: Phone surveys tend to pay more by mailed check than online surveys do.

With online surveys, mailed checks are continuing to get phased out by most panels in favor of electronic payment methods and gift cards.

However, phone surveys still often pay by check, so it’s important to make note of this when you’re signing up for each panel if checks aren’t your preferred payment method.

Pros and Cons of Telephone Surveys

Phone surveys are convenient in some ways but not so convenient in others (just like regular web-based studies!).

Here are some of the pros and cons to consider before you decide if this is the right type of paid survey for you:

Pro: Perfect for people who don’t have internet or don’t like to use internet

Although most people do seem to have internet service and enjoy using it nowadays, that’s not true for everyone.

Some simply like doing things the old way and having conversations with people instead of through a computer.

And, not everyone has internet access at their house.

Those who live in rural areas, for example, may not have an internet service provider that’s able to hook up service to their home.

In this case, taking online surveys simply isn’t plausible.

The one caveat is that you’ll usually need to register for each panel online, so if you don’t have any internet service, you’ll at least need to find a way to do that (maybe by visiting a café or library, for example).

You’ll also need a way to check emails to respond to survey invites, so having data service on a mobile phone might help with that.

Pro: You might be able to explain your thoughts better

Phone surveys give you the chance to respond in a few sentences to really share your opinions on each question, unlike web-based surveys that might only offer multiple-choice or a small space for open-ended responses.

Some people just aren’t excellent writers, either, which can make it difficult to express their thoughts in web-based surveys.

If you prefer to use conversation to explain your opinions, then phone surveys are probably best for you.

Con: You’re usually limited on scheduling flexibility

With online surveys, you can usually hop on the web and take a survey anytime you want, so long as it’s not yet filled up with responses.

Phone surveys aren’t as flexible.

You often need to set a time for someone to call by choosing one out of a few options, and it’s possible that none of them fit with your personal or work schedule.

Other times, you’ll only be able to take the survey if you’re available on a specific date and time so the survey interviewer can contact you.

People who have rotating work hours might find it difficult to meet the scheduling requirements of phone survey panels.

Con: Payments may take longer

Because phone surveys sometimes pay by check, you might have to wait longer to get paid.

However, this isn’t always the case.

There are some panels, which you can find down below, that offer PayPal payments and other forms of rewards that could help you see your cash as quickly as you would after taking an online survey.

Companies That Conduct Telephone Surveys (and Pay!)

Although it’s not as easy to find survey sites that will pay you for telephone surveys as it is to find ones that have online surveys, they definitely do exist.

I did the hard work for you by finding 8 of the top telephone survey sites that pay you for your time answering questions over the phone.

FocusGroup.com (14+, United States)

Like its name suggests, this site is all about focus groups, which are basically lengthy surveys that could last an hour or two or even extend over a few days.

You can find in-person, online, and phone-based focus groups here that pay, usually, around $75 to $100.

You’ll get points for your survey which you can turn into cash by requesting rewards sent to a prepaid debit card.

Inspired Opinions (18+, United States)

This site lets you participate in research studies in the way you prefer most – online, over the phone, or in person.

You’ll earn reward points for each one you complete. 100 points equals $1 here.

Rewards are in the form of gift cards, including Amazon and other popular options, in denominations of $5 to $100.

iOpinion by Plaza Research (18+, United States)

Plaza Research is a market research company that invites people like you to take online or phone surveys for cash via its online platform, iOpinion.

iOpinion also features in-home surveys – something most panels don’t offer – for people who enjoy having face-to-face conversations even more than talking on the phone.

Give yourself about 20 minutes to fill out the registration form, as this one’s kind of lengthy.

Opini (16+, United States, United Kingdom, Asia)

This survey panel focuses mostly on online studies, but also has some phone surveys for members to take.

Most surveys pay no more than $4, but you also shouldn’t expect to spend more than 10 minutes or so taking them.

Opini also has mobile apps for Android and Apple users so that you can take surveys on the go.

Probe Market Research (18+ [Some surveys require 21+], United States)

Probe Market Research has a wide range of study topics for its members.

Some may be adult-oriented, which is why they’ll sometimes only allow adults 21 or older to take them.

However, most of them are okay for ages 18 and up.

You can expect to earn anywhere from $50 to $400 for phone studies through Probe Market Research, but there’s no mention of exactly how the company pays.

It might be a good idea to ask about this before signing up.

Respondent (18+, United States)

Respondent is yet another company that offers phone-based surveys in addition to in-person focus groups and web-based surveys.

Once you register, you’ll have access to the dashboard that lists all available studies and choose the ones in which you’re interested in participating.

Survey Squad (13+, United States)

Survey Squad has several types of surveys available for its panelists, including focus groups, in-person interviews, and phone studies.

Because these studies are often more in-depth than your usual online survey, you can expect to make anywhere from $100 to $300, on average, for them – but you’ll also need to spend more time on them.

Phone surveys are typically paid by check from this company, and you should expect to wait about six weeks for payment.

You’ll also need to qualify for each survey you take but doing so gives you one entry into the company’s sweepstakes for a chance to win extra cash each month.

User Interviews (18+, Several countries)

User Interviews is one of the few companies offering phone studies that accepts members from countries all over the world.

However, if you’re outside of an English-speaking country, you may not have many opportunities available to you.

You can always sign up, though, and see if it works for you.

Once you register, you can browse the projects and apply to those that interest you.

Pay varies by project, but you can expect to earn decent rewards here, like $100+ for a 60-minute video or phone interview.

Conclusion: How to Get Paid to Do Phone Surveys

With such a variety of ways to share your opinions and get paid, almost anyone can take part in surveys.

Phone studies give people who don’t have the internet or don’t enjoy using the internet a chance to still get some side income by sharing their thoughts.

The above sites are just some that offer telephone surveys (although they might offer other types, too) but others exist online.

Be sure to do your research before joining them, though, to ensure that they do, in fact, pay, find out how they pay, and see what their process is like.

Good luck!