One of the easiest ways to earn real money online is to share your opinion through surveys. However, not all survey sites are the same or pay the same amount. The best way to maximize your earnings is to consider a site that recruits for a variety of short surveys and longer focus groups and panel studies.
User chats is one of the best and highest paying sites for survey and remote focus groups. In this user chat review, I’ll discuss how the site works, what to expect, and outline some key pros and cons. But first:
What is the difference between an online survey and a focus group?
Both surveys and focus groups involve the collection of market research. Companies want to know your thoughts and opinions about certain brands, services and experiences you’ve had. In an online survey, you may be asked a series of questions that you can read and select a multiple-choice answer.
Focus on groups they are a little different. They usually involve a more in-depth conversation with the actual brand or its representative. It can be one on one or in a small group with others. Each focus group participant is encouraged to contribute to the conversation and share their honest thoughts and opinions.
As with surveys, you also need to qualify your target groups, so this may require you to fill out a few preliminary questions. Because focus groups tend to be longer and more involved, they are much more valid than surveys. User interviews primarily provide opportunities for groups (also referred to as research studies) and can pay an average of $60 or more per study.
How user chats work
User chats is a site that provides you with opportunities for research studies or groups on a wide range of companies and brands. It is a market research company that works with several clients seeking feedback on various services and products. The best thing about user interviews is that you can conduct surveys and research studies entirely online.
Some of the opportunities you can find on the site include:
- Online tests and surveys: 10 minutes to several hours ($20-300+)
- Online Interviews: 30 minutes to 2 hours ($20-$300+)
- A study of online journals: 3 days to several weeks ($55-400+)
- Online Focus Groups: 1 to 3 hours ($40-$200+)
- All online studies: 30 minutes to several days ($20 – $1,500 and up)
How this site works is simple.
Step 1: Create an account
Go to user chats and click on the maroon button in the upper right corner that says “Sign Up”. From there, you’ll be asked for your email address and phone number, or you can create an account by signing in with your LinkedIn or Facebook account.
Step 2: Fill in your profile details
This is probably the most crucial step. Brands want to know specific details about you to see if you would be a good fit for a research study. So be sure to fill out your profile information completely and include information such as the industry you work in, your age, gender, marital status, ethnicity and other common demographics. User Interviews also recommends linking your social media accounts (Facebook and LinkedIn) to increase your chances of being selected to study.
Step 3: Search for studies and complete the screener survey
Once you have finished creating your profile, you can immediately start looking for paid research studies. To qualify for the study, you will need to complete a pre-survey and answer a few general questions. You may not get selected every time, but it’s a good idea to apply for the ones you’re interested in to increase your chances of being selected.
Step 4: Confirm your study, participate and get paid
If you are selected to study, don’t forget to confirm the time you have to appear online for the interview. Once you are approved for the study, you will receive instructions and a link to an online appointment to use at your scheduled start time. Or, if it’s a survey, you can probably do the survey now.
Use panel studies and focus groups to make sure you participate, even if there are others in your group. Since you’re also getting paid, it’s important to speak your mind and answer all questions honestly. Once you complete the panel study, you will receive payment within 10 business days.
What types of market research do they do?
User interviews come in a variety of study formats (in-person, telephone, and online) and study types (individual interviews, focus groups, multi-day studies, and unmoderated assignments). As you browse the platform, you will be able to see the estimated time required and payout for the format and type of study. Note that there are multi-day studies available where you may be required to complete a set number of hours over a series of days. Or you may be asked to test the product for a week and then do a 90-minute one-on-one study to discuss your thoughts and feedback.
How payment works
Use user chats to browse opportunities and see how they’re compensated before signing up. Online group studies cost around $40 to $200 and take 1 to 3 hours. User Interviews will pay you within 10 days of completing your task. The payment is distributed through the incentive provider, Tremendous. With Tremendous, you can choose to pay with gift cards to popular retailers like Amazon, PayPal, and Starbucks, or prepaid cards, charitable donations, and more.
User Interviews Reviews
User Interviews is a legitimate company that offers over 2,500 new survey and group opportunities every month. I did some digging to see what real users were saying about the platform and most of the responses were very positive.
On Reddit, there is a lot of positive feedback from users who say they liked the survey options and got paid on time. On Trustpilot, User Interviews gets a 4.5 star rating out of 5 stars. This is great news for anyone looking to earn some extra cash in their spare time!
Who can participate in user chats?
User Interviews accepts participants from the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. According to them conditions of use, you must be at least 16 years old to join and have parental consent. However, users over the age of 18 have a higher chance of being selected for panel studies. They are currently in high demand for participants who are data scientists, software engineers, product managers, IT managers, and small business owners, but they also have general study types.
Advantages and disadvantages
Pros
- It’s easy to register even if you’re under 18.
- Surveys and panel studies will pay well for your time.
- There are different types of panel studies and genres to choose from.
- There are a number of payment options.
- High rating on Trustpilot.
Disadvantages
- Pre-screening surveys are mandatory, so you’ll need to opt-in before choosing.
- Payment may take up to 10 days.
Alternatives to user chats
One downside to studies is that your demographics may not make you an ideal participant in current studies. To increase your chances of being selected for opportunities, you can register with more market research platform. Here are some companies that are recruiting study participants.
Survey of gauges
Survey of gauges is a market research firm that recruits users for in-depth online surveys. With their surveys, you can answer questions via text, audio or video, with the latter two offering higher payouts. Gauge Research pays $10 for quick POV surveys and up to $500 for deeper engagement. With this market research platform, payments are made through Tremendous where you can get gift cards and prepaid cards, donate to charity and more.
Opponent
Opponent conducts market research for major companies such as Adobe, IBM, Microsoft, Amazon and Intuit. They offer a wide range of study formats and study types. Respondent accepts users from all over the world and the average project pays an incentive of $75.
Survey Junkie
WITH Survey Junkie, you can earn points by taking surveys, participating in newsgroups, product tests and surfing the web. They accept users who are over 18 years old from the US, Canada, Australia and the UK. You can use the points you earn to purchase gift cards from major retailers, cash via PayPal, Visa gift card or direct bank transfer.
Summary: Should you sign up for user chats?
It’s not every day that you come across a high paying online survey site that also offers online focus groups and panel studies. User chats make it easy to monetize your thoughts and opinions from the comfort of your own home.
If you want to make extra money online, you should consider trying this website. Realize that this probably won’t be consistent work, but it can be a great way to earn some extra cash with very little time or effort on your part.
The best way to find out if user chats are right for you is to sign up and see for yourself. It’s free and you can do it here.
Originally published on July 5, 2021. Content updated July 2024.
