There are many ways to make money online these days with tons of gig economy jobs and side hustles for people to increase their income when needed.
For instance, you can earn money online just by surfing the web or answering online surveys. And this is where survey sites and market research panels like Permission Research come in.
The million-dollar question: Is Permission Research Legit?
That’s the focus of this Permission Research review. I cover how it works and the different ways to earn money on the site.
What is Permission Research?
PermissionResearch is an online market research panel that focuses on analyzing internet trends to understand consumer online behavior.
Such data is then used by companies to create better online products/services and offer a streamlined browsing experience to web visitors.
The site is owned by Comscore, Inc, a marketing company headquartered in Reston, Virginia. Comscore is a member of the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF), which has been in the market research game since 1936!
Currently, Permission Research boasts a community of more than 2 million members across the globe.
How Does Permission Research Work?
Permission Research gets paid by companies to carry out online research on their behalf and help them understand internet trends and consumer behavior.
Thus, this market research panel works somewhat differently from other survey sites.
Instead of dishing out digital surveys and paid offers, the site uses tracking software to monitor its members’ online activities and internet usage.
Here’s how the site works:
- Sign up for Permission Research: To become a member of the Permission Research community, you’ll first need to create an account (desktop only).
- Install a tracking software: Once you’re in, you’ll be asked to download and install software on your computer and other devices you use to access the internet.
- Get monitored: The software runs in the background to monitor how you use the internet. This data is useful for understanding consumer behavior and is combined with data from other users.
- Get Survey invites: Occasionally, you may get invited to participate in online surveys.
- Earn rewards: Win a monthly jackpot or earn cash or gift card rewards.
One other app that pays you to download/install it on your devices is MobileXpression (iOS and Android).
How To Join Permission Research
Making Permission Research sign-up is simple. The site is free to join and open worldwide. You only need to be 18 years old or above to join its community of 2M+ users.
To join, hop on the Permission Research website (desktop only) and hit the ‘Join Now button.’
Then fill in a simple questionnaire to answer a few demographic questions like your date of birth, education level, employment status, and more — for you and another household member.
From there, download and install the research software and continue your everyday online activity as the program tracks your behavior.
How to Make Money on Permission Research
Earn To Use Its Tracking Software
By joining Permission Research, as its name suggest, you are giving explicit permission to conduct research out of your internet behavior.
All you have to do is to install the software and do your normal browsing activity while running the software in the background.
But if you are worried whether the software gathers sensitive information from your device, the site states that it ensures they do not get any sensitive data such as your online banking details, government information, photos and videos from your gallery, phone contacts, etc. All they gather is the internet browsing behavior.
So what do you get in return for your permission to get monitored 24/7?
Well, this is where things get somewhat sketchy with Permission Research because there seems to be not much you can do to make money.
The site doesn’t offer per-survey or per-task rewards. A few ways to earn rewards include:
Monthly sweepstakes
You stand a chance to win their monthly jackpot prices of $25, $2,500, $5,000, and $10,000. Though chances are slim, you can get good money if you’re the lucky winner. This sweepstakes offer is not available in all countries.
Surveys
Occasionally, members get email invites to participate in surveys that offer cash or gift cards. But each survey will require you to answer a set of pre-screening questions to ensure that you belong to the survey’s target demographic.
If you don’t qualify, you will not be moved forward to the actual survey.
A tree on your behalf
This is an indirect reward. Permission Reward partners with Trees for the Future to plant over 50,000 trees every month.
Once you become a member, a tree will be planted on your behalf. Over 18 million trees have been planted.
How to Redeem Rewards on Permission Research
Whether you win the monthly jackpot or accumulate enough cash rewards via occasional surveys, you have a few ways to redeem rewards on Permission Research, including:
- Request a cash check
- Redeem rewards for gift cards
- Purchase sweepstake entries
- Donate your earnings to charity
It is important to note, however, that unlike most surveys that pay cash or gift cards to survey participants, Permission Research will plant trees on your behalf.
The survey that the site sends out for a chance to earn cash, gift cards, and sweepstakes entries are the compensation the site can give to serve as a ‘thank you offer’ for all the participants.
Pros of Permission Research
- The site is free to join and open worldwide
- Little to no effort to win rewards
- Get paid via a check or store gift cards
- Planting trees for every member helps make the world better
- Research helps make the internet a better place for everyone
Cons of Permission Research
- The site offers limited earning opportunities
- Privacy concerns as the research software monitor users 24/7
- The tracking software may slow down your device
- You may never earn a penny from the site
- Only available to use on a desktop or laptop
Is Permission Research Legit?
Permission Research is a division of Comscore, a marketing company based in Reston, Virginia.
The fact that Comscore is a member of the centuries-old ARF gives this market research panel a solid background that’s hard to doubt.
The company has a secure website and an A+ rating/Assured Identity Verified badge on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website.
Again, you know upfront that their software will track all your online activities, so there are no tricks on that.
Based on this information, one can say that Permission Research is a legit site that doesn’t promise more than it gives.
Is Permission Research Worth It?
While there’s not much you can do to earn money on the site, you stand a chance to win one of their monthly jackpots, up to $10,000. The downside is you may never earn a penny from the site.
That said, the company is socially responsible and sustainable and will plant a tree on your behalf.
You can sleep tight at night knowing that your online activities are helping to make the planet and the internet a better place for everyone.
So if you don’t mind having software on your devices tracking every move you make on the web, you may want to try Permission Research.
Permission Research Alternatives
The market research panels listed below pay you to answer online surveys.
Best Paying Survey Sites
InboxDollars
Survey Junkie
PrizeRebel
U.S. only; $5 sign up bonus
U.S. and Canada; Free points on sign-up
Worldwide; Free points on sign-up
Make money when you answer surveys and watch video ads
Offers tons of surveys every day
Get paid to complete surveys and other simple tasks
Redeem earnings starting at $30
Redeem earnings starting at $10
Redeem earnings starting at $5
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Have you tried Permission Research? let us know about your experience in the comments.
