SurveyLion review: Is it legit?

SurveyLion lets you earn extra cash by filling out surveys, but you'll need to wait a while to get paid.

SurveyLion

SurveyLion.com is a reputable online survey platform based in Canada. For every survey you complete, you’ll earn a cash reward typically ranging from $1 to $10, and you can cash out at any time. Payment is via cheque, but be aware that SurveyLion only mails out cheques every couple of months, so you’ll need to consider other options if you want instant access to the money you earn.

Pros

  • Canadian platform
  • Legit way to make money online
  • No minimum cash out requirement

Cons

  • Get paid by cheque only
  • Payments only mailed out six times a year
  • Not as many ways to make money as some other platforms
  • Website looks a little dated

What is SurveyLion Canada?

SurveyLion is an online opinion survey platform that pays cash when you fill out surveys. Once you’ve signed up for an account and created your profile, you’ll be emailed invitations to complete surveys you may qualify for.

Depending on the length and difficulty of the survey, you’ll be paid between $1 and $10 for every survey you successfully complete. When you want to cash out what you’ve earned, the money will be sent to you by cheque.

Is SurveyLion legit?

SurveyLion is run by Canadian Viewpoint, an opinion data collection company that was founded over 40 years ago. Headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario, it’s a member of the Insights Association, ESOMAR and the Canadian Research and Insights Council.

SurveyLion’s website lists phone and email contact information, a physical office address and a privacy policy.

How do you make money?

There are two ways to make money with SurveyLion.

Complete surveys

  • How it works: SurveyLion emails out survey invitations to its members. Surveys are completed online, and you’ll receive cash incentives for sharing your opinion.
  • Time and effort involved: Most surveys take 5–15 minutes.
  • Earning potential: $1–$10 per survey.

Refer friends

  • How it works: You can earn money by referring any of your friends who are Canadian residents to SurveyLion. They’ll need to join through your refer-a-friend invitation link and become an active SurveyLion member. You can use a maximum of 15 referrals per 7-day period.
  • Time and effort involved: It only takes a minute of minimal effort to send a referral link to someone.
  • Earning potential: $3 for every friend you refer.

Tips to maximize success

  • Keep your profile up to date. Complete your profile and make sure the information it contains is up to date. This will maximize your chance of being invited to surveys that you qualify for.
  • Sign up for multiple sites. Becoming a member of several legit online survey platforms will open up multiple opportunities to complete surveys and earn money. Simply signing up for a single platform means there will be days when there are no surveys available for you to complete.
  • Respond quickly. When you receive an email invitation to a survey, click through to complete the survey as soon as possible. This will reduce the risk of missing out once the survey has reached its required number of participants.
  • Know the payment schedule. When you want to cash out your earnings, SurveyLion mails out payment cheques every two months. Check the payment schedule (you can see it further down) so you know the optimum time to request a cheque.

Pros and cons of SurveyLion

Pros

  • Established platform. SurveyLion is a Canadian survey site run by a market research company that has been in business for more than 40 years.
  • No minimum redemption amount. You don’t need to reach a minimum account balance before accessing your rewards, so you can cash out whenever you want.
  • Earn extra cash. SurveyLion provides a legitimate way to earn some extra pocket money to supplement your income.

Cons

  • Receive payment by cheque only. There’s no option to cash out your earnings for e-gift cards or via PayPal.
  • Slow payments. SurveyLion mails out cheques six times per year, so you’ll have to wait a couple of months between payments.
  • Limited ways to make money. SurveyLion doesn’t provide as many ways to make money as some other survey sites.
  • Website a little dated. SurveyLion doesn’t have a mobile app, and its website isn’t quite as modern or user-friendly as some other opinion platforms.

Reviews for SurveyLion

There are only a limited number of SurveyLion reviews online, but the limited feedback that is available is quite mixed. While some customers praise the platform for providing an easy way to make extra money and for always paying as promised, others complain about surveys taking longer than the estimated time and there only being a limited number of surveys available.

Trustpilot reviews3.1/5 based on 6 reviews
BBB reviewsN/A
BBB ratingNot rated
BBB accreditationNo

As of December 5, 2024

What does Reddit say about SurveyLion?

There’s limited feedback about SurveyLion on Reddit. However, the minimal mentions it does get point to the fact that it is a legit online survey platform, but posters also comment that completing online surveys is never going to let you make a large amount of money.

Is SurveyLion safe?

SurveyLion says that all information you provide remains completely confidential on its secure server. None of your personally identifiable information will be passed on to a third party unless you provide prior written consent.

You can also review a copy of SurveyLion’s privacy policy on its website.

How to sign up and start earning

You’ll need to be 16 years or older to register on SurveyLion. You can sign up by completing these steps:

  1. Visit the SurveyLion website and select the Sign up link.
  2. Fill out a registration form with your:
    • Name
    • Email address
    • Street address
    • Password
    • Gender
    • Date of birth
    • Phone number
    • Language
  3. Confirm your email address.
  4. You’ll be emailed invitations to participate in surveys that you may qualify for.

How to get paid

When you’re ready to cash out your SurveyLion earnings, you can log in to your account and navigate to the Request Payment page. Select the button labelled Request a Payment to access your eligible incentives.

SurveyLion sends payments via cheque. Payments are mailed out according to the following schedule:

Payment requested beforeCheque will be mailed on
February 1February 15
April 1April 15
June 1June 15
August 1August 15
October 1October 15
December 1December 15

As of December 5, 2024

Bottom line

SurveyLion is a legitimate opinion site that offers an easy way to earn a little bit of extra cash online. It’s simple to sign up and complete surveys, but just be aware that you’ll earn pocket money only—filling out online surveys is never going to be a huge money spinner.

Frequently asked questions

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To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Leanne Escobal as part of our fact-checking process.
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Writer

Tim Falk is a freelance writer for Finder. Over the course of his 15-year writing career, he has reported on a wide range of personal finance topics. Whether you're investing in stocks and ETFs, comparing savings accounts or choosing a credit card, Tim wants to make it easier for you to understand. When he’s not staring at his computer, you can usually find him exploring the great outdoors. See full bio

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