Taking surveys for money is becoming more popular with each passing day, but can you really do more than just have a little fun earning a few dollars or winning a couple of prizes? Some say yes, some say no, and some say it just depends on the site you use.
VIP Voice is one of those sites. Is it one of the good ones though? Truly it depends on your criteria. We like to start with a little history.
What is VIP Voice?
VIP Voice is a survey site that is owned by NPD Group. This is a well-known marketing group that has been around for decades. Founded in 1967, they have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
There are only 5 complaints on their account, and they are pretty non- consequential. Either way, the company responded appropriately, and the issues were closed.
NPD is the listed as number 8 in the AMA Gold Report list of Top 50 marketing research firms in the world. They serve clients across 20 countries and 20 different industries.
When it comes to surveys, they outsource a lot of it to the Toluna Group.
According to their website, they have submitted over 12 million surveys annually in a broad range of industries including but not limited to:
- Beauty
- Food/ beverage
- Clothing
- Sports
- Home goods
- Recreation
In the case of VIP Voice, the Parent Unit is definitely a heavy hitter.
Who Can Join?
In the United States panelist are accept from the age of 13 up, but legal residents of Canada but be at least 18.
So How Does it Work?
It works just like all the other survey sites out there work on the surface. You go to the website, you enter your email address and name, and that creates your account.
Once you are in you will get a survey that is designed to flesh out your profile so they can better match you with surveys you qualify to complete.
These are tedious to fill out, but VIP Voice gives you points for it, and it really will help keep you from wasting time on a survey before getting disqualified.
Fun fact about VIP Voice and an advantage they have over other sites is that they offer anywhere from 25 to 200 points for disqualification surveys.
That is a lot more than most site offer, if they offer anything, for surveys that you do not get to finish due to not qualifying.
Once you are done with that, wait for the surveys. They can show up on your account, or they can be emailed to you, so keep an eye out and make sure you set your spam filter accordingly.
How Much Can You Make?
This is where the differences between VIP Voice and other survey sites become glaring. You don’t make money. You can’t. There is no cash to be had, at all. It is all points.
I know, you are thinking you can cash in your points for a gift card. Not really. You can’t do that either.
So, what the heck are all these points good for? Why even bother? VIP Voice has two options for using your points. You can either use them in BidLand or SweepsLand.
BidLand
This is exactly what it sounds like. BidLand is an auction site where you can bid points on prizes. These include gift cards, houseware, electronics and more.
Some things people have won in auctions include $25 Amazon gift cards, cookware, mini tablets, and Bose speakers.
These are really nice prizes, but you do have to win the auction to obtain them, which isn’t guaranteed.
Some members of the panel are happy with what they get, but others that have been members for 7 or 8 years claim they have never gotten anything.
While this sounds disheartening, keep in mind the ability to bid is determined by how many points you have, and if you are consistent and dedicated for a year you could easily build more points than someone who had been a member for several years but only does a survey or two here or there.
In this scenario, it would make sense why people who have been members for years are not winning, but some that are newer are winning plenty.
Not everyone has access to all auctions either. Your access to prizes depends on what tier you are in, which is based on the number of surveys completed. We’ll talk more about tiers later.
The point is, there are some good prizes, but no matter how many points you have, you aren’t guaranteed to win anything.
If you bid on an item and do not win it, your points remain in your account.
SweepsLand
SweepsLand is where you can trade your points for entries in sweepstakes. Sweepstakes prizes are pretty big. There are trips, $1,000 cash prizes, and even college scholarships.
Smaller prizes such as gift card, slow cookers, and earbuds are included as well. The winners list shows someone winning an outdoor playset also.
One VIP point equals one entry. Winners are notified by email one two weeks after the sweepstakes closes as well as their names being posted on the winners list.
Once you use points to enter sweepstakes, they are gone. Whether you win or not, you lose those points.
How Many Points are Surveys Worth?
Now that you know you can’t cash in your points for any guaranteed prize, let alone cash, you need to know how quickly you can earn enough points to bid or enter sweepstakes to even have a chance.
VIP Points pay out on a tiered system which is different from any other site I have seen, but actually kind of awesome.
Here is how the tiered system works. You earn a set number of points per survey based on the tier you are in, and you move up in tiers as you complete more surveys. There are 5 tiers.
| Tier | # of Surveys Completed | Points Awarded if Disqualify | Points Awarded if Qualify and Complete |
| 1 | 1 | 25 | 50 |
| 2 | 2-4 | 50 | 100-150 |
| 3 | 5-9 | 100 | 175-275 |
| 4 | 10-19 | 150 | 300-525 |
| 5 | 20+ | 200 | 550 |
This system rewards those who are dedicated and consistent in taking surveys, and keeps panelists from becoming frustrated with disqualification.
It also frees panelist from the stress of trying to choose surveys that will give them the most bang for their buck. They all pay out the same regardless of difficulty or length, based on your tier.
Under this system, points build up fairly quickly so as to be able to try for prizes frequently, comparatively speaking. After all, isn’t that why anyone would be there? Getting prizes is the fun part!
Things to Consider
One of the complaints against NPD was about increasing telemarketing calls after signing up with VIP Voice, so keep that in mind. It was only one complaint, but proceed with caution depending on how you feel about telemarketers.
It is also important to remember that you have to pay taxes on the prizes you receive, even if they are not cash. VIP Voice will even send you a 1099 if the value of the prize is greater than $600. If you get a 1099, the IRS gets a copy, so you have to claim it.
There was an example of a panelist winning a Bose speaker in an auction. When he received it, he said he looked at several sites to get an idea of its worth, and it seemed to be selling for between $300 and $400.
His 1099 was for between $700 and $800 however. VIP Voice uses proven and accepted valuation methods to estimate the value of prizes at the time they are awarded as accurately as possible. In this case, the valuation was different from the market value at the time of receipt. It happens.
Before prizes are sent out, the winner is notified of the value and the tax liability associated with it.
This is something to keep in mind so that you are not taken by surprise. Prizes are still income, just like on a game show or at a casino, and you will be responsible for the taxes.
Is VIP Voice a Scam or Legit?
It isn’t a scam. A company as old and well-known as NPD, especially one with an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, would not likely be running a scam.
Also, it does not raise any of the standard red flags of a scam. It doesn’t ask for payment or credit card information, and people actually do win and receive prizes.
It’s legit, but a legit what? Is it a legit way to make money from home? Probably not.
Is it a legit way to have fun, win prizes, and not really spend any money other than potential tax liability on said prizes?
Yep. It sure is.
[wps_conclusion-with-button title=”Conclusion: Can You Make Money?” style=”card-success” btn_style=”btn-primary btn-shadow” btn_url=”/gotosite-vipvoice” btn_text=”Sign Up Here Now” btn_target=”_blank” btn_position=”text-center”]
VIP Voice is an established surveys site that works to gather marketing data for its clients. It does this by offering incentive points that can be used to bid on or win prizes.
It is not a way to make a living from home, and really doesn’t even fit in a rotation with survey sites that are being used as such. It’s fun, but it isn’t work. I would categorize it more as gaming site than money making site.
Overall, this a fun site for taking surveys for a legitimate change to win some pretty awesome prizes.
[/wps_conclusion-with-button]
Are you ready to get started?
Have you been using VIP Voice for a while?
We would love to know your experience.
