Panelbase review: Surveys and product testing?

Survey sites are an easy way to make extra money from home. Take a look at this Panelbase review to see what this site offers and why you should join. Plus, use my link to get an extra £3 to start you off.

Panelbase 10-second review

A pain to get started with all the profile questions, but worth it in the end. An average rate of pay for surveys, but there are chances to test products and apps and you can even earn taking part in focus groups, which pay far more. Panelbase is a must for serious survey takers.

Panelbase review

If you want to earn money from home, why not try a few survey sites? My blog readers will know I can earn over £6,000 yearly without leaving my living room. Plus, I work full time and have three children.

And one of the benefits of survey sites is that you’re not always restricted to working from home. Some surveys can be completed from your phone, which gives you a great opportunity to earn extra when you’re out and about.

One of the sites I regularly use to help me earn extra is Panelbase.

Survey sites pay peanuts, don’t they?

No. Survey sites get a bit of a bad press and sometimes, rightly so. Some terrible panels out there will pay you a pittance – sometimes around £2 per hour. Equally, there are plenty of good sites out there too.

I’ll be honest, they will never replace a full-time wage, but then they were never meant to. How can you ask somebody about their work if they’re at home answering surveys?

But that doesn’t mean you can’t earn a sizeable income. Even if you just set out to earn £5 per day in your spare time, that works out to over £1,800 per year. Imagine what you could spend that on?

What is Panelbase?

Panelbase is an online research panel that rewards members for participating in market research surveys.

Taken from their website:

panelbase.net is one of the fastest growing research communities on the internet, offering members the opportunity to provide their opinions on a range of products and services, as well as topical issues.

As a registered member, you can earn rewards for participating in different typed of research studies.

Not only do they pay for completed surveys, but every attempted survey is also entered into a prize draw. And if you don’t qualify for the survey – you gain another entry, meaning it’s to your advantage to attempt as many surveys as possible. Prizes range from £1 to £50 and your winnings are paid into your Panelbase account.

2 x £50.00
10 x £10.00
20 x £5.00
100 x £2.00
250 x £1.00

Is Panelbase safe?

Panelbase is run by Dipsticks Research Limited, a British company based in Northumberland. They have been operating since 1999.

With over 20 years of experience, you can be assured that Panelbase is a legitimate site. I have been using them for several years without any issues. Their privacy policy is up-to-date and they can be contacted via telephone, email, or their postal address.

Getting started

Panelbase is an easy site to sign up for. However, if you want to earn more, you’ll need to fill in some profile questions. And there are plenty of them. I recommend you take your time with them and fill them in in short batches.

They need to be updated every six months. However, as it stores your previous answers, it only takes a few minutes to do.

Panelbase will email you when they have a survey to complete. Depending on your profile, this can be anything from 5 to 15 times per week.

Is it mobile friendly?

When you receive an email notification that there is a survey available, Panelbase tells you which device you can complete it from. The vast majority can be completed from a computer, tablet or smartphone. Of course, it depends on what the survey is testing.

The good

You’ll receive surveys fairly regularly, and they pay a consistent rate, unlike some other sites. All the money you receive can be transferred directly into your bank account. The minimum balance to withdraw is £10, which you can often reach within a week.

I have also been lucky enough to join some online focus groups. The best paid involved being part of an online community for around a month and answering questions about my thoughts on energy. It took less than 30 minutes per week and paid £40. On top of this, I was invited to a video interview once the study had finished. Six of us and a host chatted about the future of electricity for 90 minutes and I earned another £48!

I also have qualified to test products too. You will need to complete a short (paid) survey to see if you’re a suitable tester. If you qualify, you will be sent a free sample (usually food or drink) to test over the next few days or weeks.

You will then receive another (paid) survey to share your thoughts. And you can be as honest as you like.

Products that I have tested include:

• chocolate bars
• energy drinks
• finance apps
• dog chews (for my dog, not me)

And if that tickles your fancy, why not look at my list of other product testing sites?

There are MiniPolls available, some set by Panelbase and some set by other users. Completion allows you to enter prize draws and may also see if you’re eligible for future surveys.

The bad

You will sometimes start a survey and then get kicked out soon after. This can be frustrating, especially when all you’ve done is fill out your age. If you’re the wrong age, you shouldn’t be sent the survey in the first place!

And there are a lot of profile questions you need to fill out. Although they aren’t essential, they increase the likelihood of you receiving surveys. You also need to update your profile every six months.

I have attempted over 500 surveys in the last year. I have won a grand total of £0 from the prize draws…

Unlike other sites, there is no referral scheme, so you can’t earn money by getting your friends to sign-up.

Some surveys are device-specific. For example, Panelbase may be looking for you to download software for your computer or an app for your phone. The more devices you own, the better chance you have of earning.

Withdrawing can be a little bit of a pain, as you will need to fill out your bank account details each time. It’s good that Panelbase doesn’t store this information, but I’m always nervous that I’ve entered the wrong digit. A PayPal option would be great.

Panelbase refer a friend

As a way for you to earn extra, you can recommend Panelbase to your friends. Send your unique link (found in the account section) to somebody and you’ll get 30 pence if they join. If they complete five surveys, you’ll earn another 70 pence.

What other people say

When I write my reviews, I always take a look to see what other users think of the site. On Trustpilot, Panelbase scores an impressive 4.4 out of 5. Many users report that it’s an easy-to-use site and pays well. On the negative side, some users complain that payment is only made by BACS and are often screened out of surveys.

How much can you earn from Panelbase?

There isn’t a set amount you’ll earn for each survey, but expect to earn in the region of £6-7 per hour.

Below is an example of how much I managed to earn in a month – although the webpage’s name always makes me chuckle…

I generally withdraw money to my bank account every few weeks; it typically takes under a week to show.

Over the last two years, I have spent less than an hour each week completing surveys and managed to earn over £1000 – plus several freebies!

Earning extra with Panelbase

Occasionally, you may be lucky enough to be invited to test products with Panelbase. This is a fun way to earn extra and access exclusive products too.

And if you have children, there are also diaries for them to complete. It’s fun for kids and you get paid for their troubles.

My Panelbase review conclusion

So, is Panelbase worth it? This is a genuine site and I have used it constantly for the last five years. Yes, the prize draw does seem like a waste of time, but I’m willing to forgive that.

As always, combine this with some other survey sites and you’ll make a decent extra income.

And just to add, after 900 surveys, I received this notification:

Whoop!

And, if you’re still not tempted when you register you will automatically be given £3 into your account!

If my Panelbase review hasn’t convinced you, why not take a look at some of the best paying survey sites?

Some Panelbase tips

Panelbase is quite a straightforward survey site, so there are very few tips I can give you.

However, try to complete surveys as soon as you see them. Many have limited space and I’ve seen them fill up within an hour.

Keep your profile up-to-date. The more accurate it is, the more likely it is that you will receive surveys you can actually complete. It takes around 10 or 15 minutes to do, but it’s worth it.

FAQs