FocusGroup.com

What: FocusGroup.com pays consumers to take surveys; participate in focus groups and clinical trials, but good-paying surveys are rare

Expected pay: $2 to $250 per survey/focus group

Husl $core: $$

Where: Surveys and clinical trials are offered nationwide. Focus groups are available in: Appleton, WI; Atlanta-Clairemont; Atlanta-Buckhead; Bala Cynwyd; Boston; Chicago; Chicago-Oak Brook; Columbus; Dallas; Kansas City; Los Angeles; Minneapolis; New York City; Philadelphia; Phoenix; San Francisco; St. Louis; Teaneck.

For clinical trials, check their website (locations and trials change regularly) 

Requirements:

• Over the age of 18
• All other requirements will depend on the specific survey or focus group

Review:

FocusGroup.com pays consumers to take surveys; participate in focus groups and clinical trials, but good-paying surveys are rare. And you give up a lot of privacy by telling the screeners everything from your age and income to your personal preferences. The site does promise to provide an opt-out option before releasing your identity to clients, however.

Payments are made through points that are later turned into pre-paid gift cards. You won’t make a living taking surveys, since each is likely to pay between $1 and $10 worth of points. But the in-person focus groups can pay a decent daily wage — $50 to $250. T(he amount and nature of the payment is disclosed prior to taking the survey or participating in the focus group.) Our rating is the result of the low pay — and nature — of the nationally available survey work and the disconcerting review from Reddit (below).

If you are contemplating participating in a clinical trial, please be sure to read all of the disclosures carefully. Admittedly the pay — and the promise of a cure to whatever ails you — can be compelling. But this is also where drug companies discover the sometimes life-threatening side-effects of their medications. Don’t put your life on the line unless the disease your are suffering from is equally threatening.

Other survey/focus group opportunities on SideHusl: FindFocusGroups; Shifrin-Hayworth, SignUp Direct and Consumer Opinion Services.

What their users say:

There are a number of glowing reviews on the FocusGroup.com website. This is from Reddit. 

“Hey all, I’m a Graduate Student at Rutgers University in the MBA program for Marketing. Focus groups are usually scams, as you will never get paid for what you have given, and you don’t know that we already have our data when you “don’t complete a survey”. The truth: You completed our survey, and now we’re not going to pay you. How do you get paid? Post on sites like this that you can “make money” with your opinions. Most times, this will never happen. Sure, some sites will give you a few pennies for an hour of surveys, but the majority gain the data needed then “disqualify you” to avoid payment. Focusgroup.com? SCAM. How do I know? I just interned with them. They sell your data, after it’s be put through a basic algorithm, to extrapolate from your basic data. No opinions necessary. We look at respondent age and location, and then sub-categorize by income. That’s all we need. Sometimes how many kids you have or the car you drive is all we need to know your spending habits. We are not about to pay you for what you volunteered when you sign up. We already have all we need from you. We send emails for “opportunities”, but three questions in, we’ve already compiled our data, and you are “disqualified”. Don’t waste your time giving us free info that we sell for thousands and up to companies who think we actually did something. We are crooks. Steer clear.”

Try FocusGroup.com