UPDATED: May 13, 2022

You’ve tried different side hustles, but now you need to look for new opportunities to earn extra. Your budget is tight. Maybe you’ve recently lost your job, or you’ve been working reduced hours due to the pandemic.

In your search for legitimate money-making opportunities, you come across Branded Surveys. Scam survey sites and apps have taken over the net, so you still feel skeptical about get-paid-to (GPT) platforms.

However, unlike other options, Branded Surveys has minimal negative reviews. The positive comments and remarks you see online make you hopeful about it, so you’re now seriously considering signing up for an account.

Just like you, we love exploring online money-making opportunities like Branded Surveys. Our team noticed the influx of positive reviews on BBB. Sitejabber, Surveypolice, and TrustPilot, so we decided to try the platform ourselves.

We’ll debunk the myths and rumors surrounding Branded Surveys in this piece. You’ll gain first-hand insights into the app and its earning potential without signing up for an account.

Stick with us until the end. Otherwise, you might get disappointed if you don’t manage your expectations regarding the Branded Survey payout system.

Let’s start our Branded Surveys review!

What is Branded Surveys?

Branded Surveys is a GPT app that pays users for answering surveys. The company started as MintVine and was founded in 2012, but Branded Research acquired and rebranded it in 2017.

Upon acquisition, Branded Research overhauled the platform. Instead of just aggregating survey-taking opportunities from other platforms, Branded Research posts exclusive surveys geared toward consumer research.

MintVine accumulated a steady user base of just shy of a million. Although impressive, Branded Research was able to double this number in just five years thanks to its advanced survey matching technologies.

Despite the growing user base of Branded Surveys, it didn’t expand its target market outside the U.S., the U.K., and Canada.

How Branded Surveys works

Before fleshing out how Branded Surveys operates, let’s go through the changes Branded Research made. 

As a new user, you won’t get the chance to try MintVine’s early versions. However, user reviews and PR news releases show that the platform changed under Branded Research significantly.

Some of the most prominent enhancements the company made include:

1. Branded Pay

Branded Research uses its own payment processing technology called Branded Pay. It ensures swift, on-time withdrawals with low fees and achievable minimum cashouts.

You can even opt for same-day cashouts. Note that other widely known GPT apps need at least two to three days to process withdrawals.

2. Branded Elite

Branded Elite is a loyalty program that rewards users for consistently answering surveys on Branded Surveys. MintVine didn’t have a similar system before.

Branded Research explains that Branded Elite not only encourages new users to improve their accounts, but it also earns their long-term patronage. Statistics show that one out of four panelists stopped using other GPT survey apps altogether.

3. Survey-Matching Engine

Branded Research incorporated a high-quality survey-matching engine into MintVine. This technology lets the platform send survey opportunities to the appropriate correspondents more accurately, minimizing the risk of disqualification.

Of course, you might still get disqualified from surveys now and then. However, the Branded Research survey-matching engine ensures that you have the best qualification ratios possible.

4. Fortune 500 Company Partnerships

What sets Branded Surveys apart from its competitors is its partnerships with Fortune 500 companies. You can rest assured knowing that your answers go to credible brands.

Moreover, global brands often allocate more resources toward market research than small-scale businesses and startups. Hence, better payout rates.

Who Should and Shouldn’t Use Branded Surveys?

Branded Surveys is a relatively low-involvement GPT app that suits a wide range of users who:

  • Understand GPT survey apps. Most users successful on Branded Surveys have a solid understanding of GPT survey platforms and how they work. They’ve also tried out other apps before. 
  • Can manage their income expectations. Although you have total control over how much you make, GPT survey app earnings typically have a limit. Expecting too much from these platforms will only lead to disappointment.
  • Already have several other streams of income. Use Branded Surveys as another income stream. Although it won’t make more than your other high-risk passive sources, it gives you additional unearned income for incidental expenses.
  • Won’t rely on their earnings from answering surveys. Users who make enough money from their day jobs typically have the best experience on GPT survey apps. You’ll feel better if you can afford to “forget” about your Branded Surveys earnings.
  • Like answering relevant consumer surveys. Branded Surveys consist of nothing but paid surveys, so you’ll only maximize your earnings if you don’t mind going through dozens of survey questions daily. But don’t worry—the questions are often straightforward and opinion-based.

Unfortunately, Branded Surveys might not suit users who:

  • Need a full-time income. No GPT survey app can replace your day job. You should only use your survey-taking earnings for minuscule, incidental expenses like laundry, parking tickets, and coffee.
  • Hate consumer surveys. Unlike Swagbucks, Branded Surveys primarily focuses on paid surveys. Yes, it has bonuses. However, you won’t make a single penny if you refuse to answer surveys honestly.
  • Have little to no free time. The quickest way to maximize your earnings on Branded Surveys is to answer surveys daily and utilize bonuses. Again, each survey only pays a couple of dollars. You won’t end up with much if you only accomplish one or two surveys every month.
  • Live in geo-restricted locations. Branded Surveys only accepts users from the U.S., the U.K., and Canada because its partner companies serve consumers from these locations. The platform doesn’t have any survey opportunities outside these three areas yet. Although you can use VPN to bypass restrictions and answer surveys, you might encounter some issues with withdrawals.

How to Sign Up on Branded Surveys?

Branded Surveys has a relatively fast, straightforward sign-up process. It takes less than a few minutes, plus you can complete your account from your Android device.

Step 1: Head to Branded Surveys

Download the app or visit Branded Surveys. Click the Sign-Up button at the top of the screen and log in with your Facebook or email address.

Step 2: Fill in Basic Details

Fill in your name, gender, and zip code then hit the Start Earning button. 

Step 3: Collect Bonus Points

You’ll get 50 points for free upon signing up and another 100 points once you confirm your email address. For your reference, a typical survey pays around 100 points.

Step 4: Complete Your Profile

You’ll see several notifications prompting you to complete your demographic profile.

Step 5: Start Answering Surveys

The site automatically shows you three surveys to answer based on your demographics. Try them out!

Making Money on Branded Surveys

A common mistake that new users commit on Branded Surveys is relying solely on paid survey  base rates.

Yes, paid surveys serve as the platform’s primary money-making opportunity. However, you’ll only maximize your earnings once you learn to utilize its different features, such as:

Surveys

You’ll get two to three new paid surveys every day. For new users, a 10-minute survey pays around 50 to 100 points, while 30-minute surveys pay nearly 200 points.

However, your earnings will increase as your account grows. Immediately after accomplishing just two surveys, you’ll start getting 10-minute survey opportunities paying 250+ points.

Apart from paid surveys, you’ll also come across the following:

  • Daily Polls: Branded Surveys regularly posts Daily Polls on various topics. Although they only pay five points, you’ll need five seconds to answer one question.
  • Partner Surveys: Branded Research partners with several GPT apps and websites to publish partner surveys now and then. They pay as much as regular surveys.

Overall, endeavor to answer all the surveys you receive. You might not qualify for some, but the platform’s accurate survey-matching technology minimizes unfair disqualifications.

Branded Surveys Branded Elite Program

The Branded Elite Program is a bonus system for loyal users. It allows you to boost your earnings according to your current tier, which only increases if you answer surveys consistently.

The program offers three tiers, namely:

Bronze Badge Perks

Users who accumulate 0 to 599 points in three weeks earn the Bronze badge. It rewards you:

  • +50 points for referrals
  • 5% cashout bonus for completing 12 surveys in 7 days
  • 7% cashout bonus for completing 20 surveys in 7 days
  • 9% cashout bonus for completing 30 surveys in 7 days

Silver Badge Perks

Users who accumulate 600 to 2099 points in three weeks earn the Silver badge. It rewards you:

  • +50 points for referrals
  • 10% cashout bonus for completing 12 surveys in 7 days
  • 12% cashout bonus for completing 20 surveys in 7 days
  • 14% cashout bonus for completing 30 surveys in 7 days

Gold Badge Perks

Users who accumulate 2,100+ points in three weeks earn the Gold badge. It rewards you:

  • +50 points for referrals
  • 15% cashout bonus for completing 12 surveys in 7 days
  • 17% cashout bonus for completing 20 surveys in 7 days
  • 19% cashout bonus for completing 30 surveys in 7 days

Leaderboard

Branded Surveys tracks the platform’s top 100 users and rewards them with the following number of points at the start of each month:

  • Top 10 Branded Elite Leaders: 300 points
  • Top 20 Branded Elite Leaders: 150 points
  • Top 70 Branded Elite Leaders: 100 points

Branded Surveys Referral Program

Branded Surveys rewards its users 50 points for referrals that achieve Silver badges. But make sure that your friends use your unique invitation link, or else the system won’t detect your referral.

Admittedly, Branded Surveys doesn’t have the best referral program. Many users find it unusual that their friends need a Silver badge before the platform releases their referral payouts. Also, 50 points only equal around $0.50. 

The only upside is that Branded Surveys has one of the easiest sign-up procedures among GPT survey apps. You can create a profile in just five minutes. You can use this feature as your hook when encouraging friends and followers to try out Branded Surveys.

Branded Surveys Earning Potential

How much will you earn on Branded Surveys? We already know it won’t give you a full-time income, but let’s assess whether it’s worth your time or not.

After all, you’ll probably spend an hour or two using it every day. Although your earnings won’t match your day job’s hourly rate, they should at least meet the U.S. minimum wage. Otherwise, you’ll make more begging for spare change on the streets.

After assessing the Branded Survey payout rates, we calculated that 100 points equal $1. Considering that an average 30-minute survey pays 200+ points, you’ll make $4 to $5 per hour from answering surveys alone.

Moreover, your earnings will further increase if you achieve a badge. For instance, if you have a Gold badge and answered 12 surveys in the past week, you’ll get a 15% bonus.

In theory, you could end up with $100+ per month if you answer surveys regularly and have a gold badge. But don’t get your hopes up.

Based on reviews, most users don’t make three digits in 30 days. The platform doesn’t send enough 200-point surveys for you to make $5 per day, plus expect to get disqualifications now and then.

Realistically, most users withdraw $30 to $50 per month.

Cashing Out Branded Surveys Earnings

You can cash out your earnings once you hit 500 points or $5. Just hit the Withdraw button, then select one of the following payment methods:

  • PayPal: You can transfer your points to your PayPal account. The Branded Surveys rewards page mentions that transactions take three business days, but many users shared instances wherein their withdrawals took over one week.
  • Branded Pay: Branded Pay is the in-house payment processing system of Branded Research. It lets U.S. users transfer funds to their bank accounts without the exorbitant transaction fees on PayPal. Transactions could take up to three days.
  • Gift Cards: You can withdraw your points as gift cards to popular brands like Amazon, Apple, or Visa. Branded Surveys still take three days to process gift card withdrawal requests, but you can at least avoid steep PayPal and ATM withdrawal fees.

The Pros and Cons of Branded Surveys 

Don’t worry if you’re still on the fence about Branded Surveys. We can help you reach an objective, informed decision by weighing the pros and cons we gathered from different users:

Pros

  • Quick sign-up process
  • Can use VPN to bypass certain geo-restrictions
  • Branded Elite program increases your earnings by 15% to 20%
  • Low minimum cashout requirement
  • Multiple cashout options
  • Minimal negative reviews
  • Regular surveys available

Cons

  • Withdrawals take longer than promised
  • Not enough highly paid surveys per week
  • Branded Elite program requirements are hard to accomplish
  • Referral system requires friends to achieve silver badges before payouts
  • Referrals only pay $5
  • Survey disqualifications happen now and then

Alternatives to Branded Surveys 

Branded Surveys offers a streamlined GPT platform that lets users get paid for answering surveys. Most users take home $30+ per just by spending one hour on the app daily.

However, it doesn’t suit everyone’s needs. Whether you want to supplement your Branded Surveys payouts or replace the app altogether with another platform, check out these alternatives:

  • Swagbucks: Swagbucks offers several money-making opportunities. Apart from answering paid surveys, you can also get paid to watch videos and play mobile games. Also, users say that Swagbucks sends more survey opportunities daily.
  • PrizeRebel: PrizeRebel is a widely known and trusted survey platform that has been running since 2007. It typically offers the same payouts as Branded Surveys.
  • Freecash: The platform offers more earning opportunities than Branded Surveys. Apart from answering surveys, users should look into its website beta testing gigs. They pay a bit more than surveys.
  • Survey Junkie: If you feel that Branded Surveys doesn’t provide enough surveys daily, try Survey Junkie. It has the same per-survey payout. However, you might be able to maximize your earnings thanks to its broader database of survey opportunities.
  • ySense: Like Swagbucks, ySense provides several money-making opportunities. You can make extra money by answering surveys, installing apps, referring friends, playing games, and scanning receipts. Try out its shopping cash-back features the next time you do your groceries.
  • Honeygain: Honeygain lets users make passive income by sharing their internet connection’s unused data. Just leave the app running in the background. It requires far less time and effort than answering surveys on Branded Surveys.

Branded Surveys: Our Final Verdict

Is Branded Surveys a scam? The answer: no. The platform features several earning opportunities, competitive rates, and engaging user challenges.

You won’t make a living on Branded Surveys payouts. However, it offers competitive rates up to par with other GPT apps like Survey Junkie and Swagbucks.

Also, the platform gives users several opportunities to boost their earnings. You’ll make significantly more every month if you utilize its referral system and unique Branded Elite program.

Overall, strive to answer at least two to three surveys daily. If you do so, you could make $30+ per month, depending on your badge status and bonus points.