One of the easiest ways to make real money online is to share your opinion by taking surveys. 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 offers a variety of short surveys, and longer focus groups and panel studies.
User Interviews is one of the top and highest-paying survey and remote focus group sites. In this User Interviews review, I’ll go over how this 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 collecting market research. Companies want to know your thoughts and opinions about certain brands, services, and experiences you’ve had. With an online survey, you may be asked a series of questions that you can read through and select a multiple choice answer.
Focus groups are a bit different. They usually involve a more in-depth interview with the actual brand or a representative. This could 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.
Like surveys, you also need to qualify for focus groups, so this may require filling out some preliminary questions. Since focus groups tend to be longer and more involved, they pay much more than surveys. User Interviews provides primarily focus group opportunities (which are also referred to as research studies) and can pay anywhere from $40 to $200 per study.
How User Interviews Works
User Interviews is a site that provides you with research study or focus group opportunities across a wide selection of companies and brands. They are a market research company that works with several clients looking for feedback on different services and products. The best part about User Interviews is that you can do surveys and research studies solely online.
Some of the opportunities you can find on the site include:
- Panel studies: One-on-one interviews
- Focus groups: Similar to a panel study but with a group of participants
- Multi-day studies: Panel studies that are hosted in parts or segments that last for a few days
- Surveys: Short-answer survey opportunities that pay well for your time
How this site works is simple.
Step 1: Create an Account
Head to User Interviews and click the button in the upper right-hand corner that says ‘Sign up to Participate.’ From there, you’ll be asked to fill out some basic information about yourself and create an account.
Step 2: Fill Out Your Profile Details
This is probably the most essential 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 details in full and include information like what industry you work in, your age, whether you’re married and have kids, interests, brands you use regularly, and more.
Step 3: Look for Studies and Complete the Screener Survey
When you’re finished creating your profile, you can immediately start searching for online panel studies or surveys to take. You will need to complete a pre-screen survey and answer a few general questions to qualify you for the study. You may not get selected each time, but it’s good to keep applying for ones you are interested in to increase your chances of getting picked.
Step 4: Confirm Your Study, Participate, and Get Paid
If you get selected for a study, be sure to confirm the time you must appear online for the interview. Once you’re approved for the study, you’ll receive instructions and an online meeting link to use at the scheduled start time. Or, if it’s a survey, you can likely take the survey right away.
With panel studies and focus groups, make sure you participate even if others are in your group. Since you’re also getting paid, it’s important to voice your opinion and answer any questions honestly. Once you complete your panel study, you’ll be paid in 10 business days.
How Long Is the Average Survey or Panel Study?
The average length of a panel study can range between 30 minutes to two hours or more. Remember, there are also multi-day studies available where you may need to participate for a set number of hours over a series of days. Or you may be asked to test out a product for a week and then do a 90-minute, one-on-one study to discuss your thoughts and feedback.
Most online surveys will take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes to complete.
How Payment Works
With User Interviews, focus groups and panel studies pay you very well for your time. You can browse through a few sample opportunities before signing up to see how they are compensated. Panel studies that run for an hour pay around $60 to $125.
There are also some 2-hour studies that pay as much as $400. User Interviews will pay you within 10 days of completing your panel study or survey. They offer several payment options, including check, PayPal, Amazon, or Visa gift cards.
User Interviews Reviews
User Interviews is a legitimate company that offers hundreds of new survey and focus group opportunities each month. I did some digging to see what actual users were saying about the platform, and most responses were very positive.
On Reddit, there is lots of positive feedback from users saying they enjoyed the survey opportunities and got paid on time. This is great news for anyone looking to make extra cash flexibly online by simply sharing their opinion.

Who Can Join User Interviews?
User Interviews accepts participants from the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Germany, France, and the UK. According to their terms of use, you must be at least 13 years old to join and have a parent’s consent. However, users who are 18 or older have a better chance of getting picked for panel studies. Currently, they have a high demand for participants who are data scientists, software engineers, product managers, IT managers, and small business owners, but they also have general types of studies too.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- It’s easy to sign up even if you’re not 18.
- Surveys and panel studies pay well for your time.
- There are a variety of panel study types and genres to choose from.
- There are a variety of payment options.
Cons
- Pre-screening surveys are required, so you’ll need to apply before getting selected.
- Payment could take up to 10 days.
Summary: Should You Sign Up for User Interviews?
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 Interviews makes it easy to earn money for your thoughts and opinions from the comfort of your own home.
If you’re looking to earn extra money online, you should consider giving this site a try. Realize that this probably won’t be a consistent job, but it can be a great way to earn some extra money on the side with very little time or effort on your end.
Ultimately, the best way to know if User Interviews is right for you will be to sign up and see for yourself. It’s free, and you can do that here.
I would like to be a product tester. I have signed up with sites and focus groups.
I have not heard from any of these companies for one year. Very frustrated.
I would like to find someone to help me or mentor. Please help me.
Hi Cindy,
For focus groups, you have to be the target audience they are looking for — so it may take some time. My suggestion is to sign up with multiple sites, and then work on other things while you’re waiting.
Here is a list of focus groups:
https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/money-focus-groups/
Website testing is another good side earner:
https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/test-websites/
And short tasks too:
https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/short-task-sites/
Good luck!
I’m interested in these surveys though I’m a Lesotho national residing in South Africa. Please try cater for us too😒
User Interviews and Respondent are available to South Africans.
For more worldwide gigs, see this post:
https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/worldwide-work-from-home-jobs/
Hi,
How do I sign up for these online surveys?
Does it cost Indy to start it up?
What if I dnt have a bank account that is known WOrldwide?
Yes, it’s free to sign up!
User Interviews accepts participants from the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Germany, France, and the UK.
Go here to sign up: https://bit.ly/3qYWDeI (affiliate link)