Homescan review: How do you make money & is it worth it?

What is Nielsen Homescan?

The Homescan program provides Canadian households with the opportunity to get rewarded for sharing information about the purchases they make. If you’re accepted on to the panel, you can use the Homescan app or a special scanner to scan the barcodes of the products you buy. You’ll also provide NielsenIQ with details of non-barcoded purchases you make and information about your online shopping purchases.

In return, you’ll earn reward points, while you can boost your points balance by completing surveys and participating in other studies. The points you earn can then be redeemed for a variety of digital gift cards through the Homescan website.

NielsenIQ, also known as NIQ, is a consumer intelligence company that was founded in 1923. It’s headquartered in Chicago, and the Homescan program is known as the National Consumer Panel in the United States. NielsenIQ operates in almost 100 countries around the world.

Is Homescan legit?

Yes, the NielsenIQ Homescan Consumer Panel is a legit rewards platform. It’s run by market research firm NielsenIQ, which was formerly known as ACNielsen.

The Homescan panel runs in multiple countries worldwide, including the United States, Canada, the UK, Europe and Australia. It gives users a chance to share the details of their grocery and retail shopping purchases with NielsenIQ, which then passes this feedback on to product manufacturers and retailers to help them improve their offerings.

Go to site

Earn income completing surveys & playing games

• Join over 30 million users making money online
• Earn an average of $300 per task
• Cash-outs start at $2
• Get a $5 sign-up bonus when you start your first offer

What we like about Homescan Canada

• Earn money just for shopping. Being a member of the Homescan panel allows you to earn reward points simply for completing all your regular shopping.
• Multiple ways to earn. You can earn points by sharing your shopping data, completing surveys, winning competitions and more.
• Wide range of gift cards. You can redeem your points for a wide range of digital gift cards through NielsenIQ.
• Free to join. It’s completely free to join the platform and get rewarded for shopping.
• Established company. Homescan is run by a legit market research company with a history dating back more than 100 years.

What to watch out for

• Not completely online. Unlike sites that pay you for completing online surveys and playing games, Nielsen Homescan requires you to physically scan barcodes when you shop.
• Time consuming. You’ll need to decide whether the time commitment required to scan barcodes and report information about your shopping experiences to NielsenIQ is worth the rewards you receive.
• No cash rewards. The Homescan panel doesn’t pay you in cash—you can only redeem your points for gift cards.
• Slow sign-up process. You’ll need to complete a lengthy questionnaire when you first apply to join the panel. After that, whether or not you’re selected depends on whether the panel requires households with your demographic profile, so you may be on a waiting list for a few months.
• Limited pay details. You’ll need to sign up for an account, which includes providing plenty of personal information, to see details of the gift cards available and minimum cash-out amounts.

How to earn money on Homescan

Scan your shopping

• How it works: If you become a panel member, you can download the Homescan mobile app or receive a special barcode scanner from NielsenIQ. Then, whenever you make a grocery store or retail purchase, you can scan the barcodes of the items you buy. You’ll also need to provide NielsenIQ with details of non-barcoded purchases, such as fresh produce and gas, and share information about your online shopping purchases.
• Time and effort involved: You’ll need to allow time to scan every item you purchase, plus to share details of all your other purchases and shopping trips.
• Earning potential: Varies.

Complete surveys

• How it works: NielsenIQ will also let you know or surveys you’re eligible to complete. You can then answer these surveys online to earn reward points.
• Time and effort involved: Varies, but most online surveys range from 5 to 30 minutes.
• Earning potential: Varies depending on the survey, but most online survey sites typically offer payouts worth between $0.50 and $5 per survey.

Participate in special studies

• How it works: On occasion, you may also be invited to participate in special studies run by NielsenIQ. There’s limited information online about how these studies work, but one example may include keeping a weekly journal of your activities—for example, you may be asked to keep a record of your TV watching habits for a week.
• Time and effort involved: Varies depending on the study.
• Earning potential: Not specified, but generally, special studies have higher pay.

Enter sweepstakes

• How it works: Homescan panel members who are regular participants can also earn entries into the platform’s sweepstakes draws.
• Time and effort involved: Minimal.
• Earning potential: Up to a $2,500 Visa prepaid card.

How much does Nielsen Homescan pay?

There’s no information on the Nielsen Homescan website about how much you get paid for participating in the panel. However, comments and reviews from users on websites like Reddit and Trustpilot generally point out that like other online survey sites, Homescan isn’t going to make you rich. There are some panel members who report earning enough points to redeem for decent gift card rewards, but there are also others who complain that the time taken to scan barcodes and share shopping details isn’t worth it.

Tips to maximize success on Homescan

• Use the mobile app. Users report that scanning your items and sharing your shopping information is easier through the Homescan mobile app than with a dedicated barcode scanner.
• Scan when you get home. Trying to scan each item at the store during your weekly grocery shop can add more hassle to what is already a stressful experience. Save your item scanning for when you get home and it’s time to unpack everything to ensure an easier process.
• Check for surveys regularly. Log in to your Homescan account regularly to see if there are any new survey opportunities available. This will help maximize your earning potential.
• Use multiple platforms. If you want to make money from online surveys, it’s worth signing up to multiple platforms so that you can shop around for the highest-paying surveys.

Homescan reviews

Reviews for NielsenIQ Homescan are quite mixed. While the app has picked up some positive reviews for its ease of use, some reviewers claim that scanning purchases and sharing shopping information is not worth their time. Some users also complain about being contacted by NielsenIQ when they haven’t scanned any purchases for a while.

However, there are some online posters who comment that Homescan is a legit way to earn extra spending money through gift cards.

As of April 6, 2025

What does Reddit say about Homescan?

Homescan Reddit feedback is once again mixed. Though there are some users who report that they have been able to redeem a reasonable amount of gift cards through the platform, there are others who report a slow earn rate and complain that the scanning process is a time-consuming chore.

Is Homescan safe?

Homescan is run by NielsenIQ, a market research company with a history dating back to 1923. Headquartered in Chicago, USA, it offers the Homescan panel program across over 250,000 households in 25 countries.

Homescan’s privacy policy states that it protects the identities of participants. The platform will not use your personal data to advertise, promote or market goods or services directly to you, and the privacy policy also states that NielsenIQ Homescan does not allow its clients to market directly to you.

How does Homescan make money?

NielsenIQ is a consumer research company that makes money by sharing consumer behaviour and purchasing insights with product manufacturers and retailers. Those companies pay Homescan for the data it collects and provides.

Homescan doesn’t make money from its members, as it’s free for new users to join the panel.

How to sign up and start earning

You can get started with Homescan by completing the following steps:

1. Visit the Homescan website and click “Join Now.”
2. Enter your name, address and email address.
3. Agree to receive emails from NielsenIQ.
4. Fill out a questionnaire about factors such as your marital status, education level, employment, family background and more.
5. If there is an opening on the Homescan panel that suits your household demographic profile, you’ll be contacted to be informed that you have been selected.
6. You can then download the Homescan app (or potentially be sent a special scanner) and start scanning purchases when you shop.

How to cash out your earnings

When you’ve earned enough points to cash out for a gift card reward, you can do so by logging in to your account. You’ll then need to head to the Homescan rewards catalogue and select the gift card you would like to purchase.

Is Homescan worth it?

Like so many side hustles, online survey sites and money-making opportunities, Homescan isn’t going to make you a million bucks. But it’s a legit platform run by an established market research company, and it provides a real way to earn some extra spending money. It’s up to you to decide whether the time and effort required is worth it for the rewards you get.