Curious Cat App Review: A Decent Money Maker?
Fancy earning a little extra in your free time? Then why not do it from your phone? The Curious Cat app promises quick cash for answering surveys, but is it actually worth bothering with? I’ve been using it on and off, so here’s the straight answer.
Curious Cat review
There are better-paying survey apps out there, but Curious Cat has a low cashout threshold and fairly quick payouts. It’s worth having as a fallback when you’ve run out of surveys elsewhere.
Pros
- Easy, quick surveys
- Decent survey availability
- Low payout threshold
Cons
- Survey pay is low
- Screen-outs can be common
- Not a strong “main” earner
Reviewed by Household Money SavingCurious Cat
Between having three kids and working, finding time to do anything uninterrupted is a challenge. Some days, managing a peaceful trip to the loo feels like an achievement. That’s why survey apps still appeal to me. You can dip in and out whenever you’ve got five minutes spare.
That’s exactly how I ended up trying Curious Cat. On paper, it sounded ideal: quick surveys, instant payouts and no long grind to reach a withdrawal limit. So I gave it a proper go.
What is Curious Cat?
Curious Cat is a mobile survey app available on iOS and Android. You earn points for answering surveys, which you can then exchange for cash via PayPal. Simple enough.
The surveys themselves are usually run by third-party research companies, with Curious Cat acting as the middleman.
Is Curious Cat safe?
Yes. Curious Cat is legitimate and does pay out. I’ve withdrawn several times without issue, and payouts are usually processed within minutes.
The app is operated by On Device Research Limited, a UK-based company that’s been around since 2010. As always with survey apps, my advice is simple: only share information you’re comfortable giving out. No survey is worth oversharing personal details.
How does Curious Cat work?
Once you download the app and create an account, you’ll be prompted to complete a few profile surveys. These usually take 5–10 minutes and pay around 5 points each. The pay is poor, but completing them does help match you with more relevant surveys later.
Inside the app, you’ll see a list of available surveys showing:
• Estimated time
• Points on offer
• Success rate (based on how many users completed it successfully)
Complete a survey and the points are credited instantly. You’ll also get shown a picture of a cat. Make of that what you will.
If you’re screened out early, you’ll usually get 1 point as a small consolation.
Also worth reading
If you want to earn more than pocket change, take a look at some better-paying survey apps in the UK.
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If you want to boost your earnings, take a look at some surveys for money in the UK.
Any extra ways to earn?
This is where Curious Cat falls down. There aren’t many alternative earning options.
Occasionally, you’ll see longer-term studies that involve completing two or three short surveys over time. These usually pay around £1 total. Not amazing, but they’re often quick.
You can also enable location tracking, which Curious Cat claims allows them to send higher-paying tasks related to advertising. Personally, I’m not convinced it’s worth letting yet another app track where I go for the sake of a few extra pennies.
Any downsides?
Plenty.
Because Curious Cat relies on third-party survey providers, it takes a cut before anything reaches you. That’s why the pay is so low compared to some competitors.
You’ll also run into the usual survey frustrations:
• Being redirected to other sites
• Having to answer more profiling questions
• Getting kicked out after 10 minutes with nothing to show for it
And yes, if you genuinely dislike cats, the app’s constant theme might get annoying surprisingly quickly.
How much can you earn with Curious Cat?
Earnings vary wildly. I’ve seen surveys offering 18 points for 25 minutes, which works out at well under 50p per hour. That’s grim.
On a good day, you might earn around 65p for a 10-minute survey, roughly £4 per hour. That’s about average for low-end survey apps, but nowhere near the best.
The upside is the payout threshold. You only need £1 to cash out, and the money usually hits PayPal within minutes.
Curious Cat referral
There isn’t one. You can share the app with friends, but you don’t earn anything for doing so. It’s a missed opportunity and another reason it feels a bit basic.
Also worth reading
Here are some other great ways to boost your PayPal balance.
What other people say
Curious Cat scores well on app stores, with ratings of over 4 out of 5 stars on both Google Play and the Apple App Store. Trustpilot tells a different story, with a rating closer to 2 stars, mainly due to complaints about disqualifications and occasional payout issues.
That split pretty much sums the app up.
My Curious Cat review conclusion
Is Curious Cat worth it? Yes, but only just.
I wouldn’t go out of my way to use it, and it’s definitely not an app I’d rely on for regular income. But because the cashout threshold is so low and payments are fast, there’s no real harm in having it installed as a backup.
If you’re selective with surveys and realistic about earnings, it can fill the odd spare five minutes. Just don’t expect miracles.
Curious Cat alternatives
If you’re looking for some other apps to boost your earnings, check out my reviews of:
Qmee – plenty of surveys and you can earn extra from cashback and games.
OnePulse – an app that will pay you as much as $0.40 for three quick questions.
AttaPoll – another app with plenty of surveys and a low payment threshold.
Or, take a look at my post on the best-paying survey apps.
