Does the idea of learning legit ways to get paid to test products interest you? Yes, some companies are willing to pay you in several ways to do so.

Product testing by unbiased people is valuable for companies. It helps them discover why an existing product isn’t selling well. Or it might assist them when they’re deciding whether to sell, improve or scrap a new product or service.

Getting product test results from real people can save companies money. Without it, they might spend millions of dollars on merchandise that’s doomed to fail in the market.

So they’ll happily pay independent testers to give them feedback on their products. Below, we’ll show you 12 legit ways to get paid to test products.

Get Paid Through Independent Research Companies

One option for getting paid to test products is through independent research companies. These companies work on behalf of product makers and service providers. They gather opinions from the general public.

Some of the companies mentioned here will pay you via cash. This can be a great way for you to earn residual income.

Others will pay by offering you gift cards to popular retailers. And still, other companies will compensate you in the form of free company products.

Here is a list of some of the more well-known independent research companies.

1. Vindale Research

Vindale Research has been helping companies test products since 2005. They’ve paid out nearly 7 million dollars to members so far.

You can give your opinion about products you’ve used via Vindale Desktop or Vindale Mobile Device. Vindale doesn’t typically send products to your home for you to research.

Instead, they ask you about your use of products and services. For instance, they might ask your opinion about products you’ve used in the past. Similarly, they might ask you your opinion about upcoming fashion trends.

Or they might ask you about what types of electronics your family uses. Every request will be a bit different.

How it Works

You can start sharing your opinions about products by signing up for a free account with Vindale Research. In fact, they’ll pay you $1 just for signing up.

After that, you’ll get email notifications of available product opinion surveys. Or you can head to their website and browse the list of available surveys on your own.

Then you’ll get paid a cash amount for each survey you take. The site will tell you how much the survey pays and about how long it should take you to complete.

When you’ve finished sharing your opinion about a product via the survey, you get a cash balance in your account.

Note that Vindale Research has other ways you can earn money too. Some examples include referring friends and watching videos.

How You Get Paid

Once your Vindale account has reached a balance of at least $50, you can request payment. Vindale will pay you in one of two ways: either via PayPal or via a check sent to your home.

2. Pinecone Research

The Pinecone Research website says it’s a trusted leader in voicing the opinions of consumers nationwide. As a research panelist with Pinecone, you share your opinions regarding products and services.

How it Works

Testing products for Pinecone Research is easy. You start by signing up as a member – this is free. From there you’ll get email alerts about upcoming surveys or product testing opportunities.

Some companies will ask you about product ideas via surveys. Others will have Pinecone send you actual products to test at home. When you get products to test at home, it’s important that you are the actual tester.

Don’t give the product to family members or friends to try out. Instead, be sure to only use the products within your own household and the family living in it.

This is because companies are trying to get a real-world sense of how families or individuals respond to products.

How You Get Paid

Pinecone Research awards you points every time you participate in a survey about a product or an at-home testing scenario. You can redeem the points you earn for cash, gift cards or brand-name merchandise.

Note that your first payout with Pinecone will be an actual check sent to your home address. This is so the company can verify that your sign-up information is valid.

3. LifePoints

LifePoints was founded in 1946 under the name National Family Opinion. Today they have over five million members. You can share your opinion with them on tested products via the LifePoints Desktop app or the LifePoints Mobile app.

They’re the world’s largest provider of custom research, according to their website. LifePoints primarily conducts online surveys, but they also have phone and in-person survey opportunities.

How it Works

You start by registering to be a member of LifePoints. After that, they’ll send you survey opportunities. The number of surveys you get offered depends on how many surveys they’re conducting at the time. It also depends on your suitability for a survey.

How You Get Paid

As you share your thoughts on the products, you’ll earn LifePoints. You can use the points you earn to get cash via PayPal. Or you can use them to get gift cards to various rewards as available from the LifePoints rewards center.

4. American Consumer Opinion

American Consumer Opinion is a company that will pay you to give your opinion and evaluate new products and product ideas. This community is over 7 million members strong, and their website says they’ve paid out over 30 million dollars to-date.

By sharing your opinion about products and services, you get to help influence what types will be available in the future.

The American Consumer Opinion website says questions about products are usually quite easy to answer. And the average survey takes about 10 minutes to complete.

How it Works

As with the other companies listed here, your first step is to register. It’s free to join, and you’ll never pay anything. After you sign up, American Consumer Opinion will start sending you surveys via email.

The emails will contain links to the surveys. You can also log into your member account to find surveys. For each survey in which you send feedback about a product or service, you’ll earn points.

How You Get Paid

You can use the points you earn to get a cash payment to PayPal. Plus, American Consumer Opinion offers ways for you to use your points to make a charitable donation with organizations they partner with.

5. In-Home Product Testing

In-Home Product Testing is a company that has members test products found in a variety of stores. As a member, you might be asked to test products found in these types of markets:

  • Grocery
  • Warehouse clubs
  • Pharmacy
  • Home improvement

It’s free to join In-Home Product Testing. All you have to do is follow the membership instructions on their website.

How it Works

Once you sign up to become a member, you share your opinion about products in one of two ways. The company may ask you to share your opinions about products via surveys.

Or they may send products to your home and ask you to use them physically. That way, you can share your thoughts about the products.

How You Get Paid

Every time you share your opinion about a product or service, you’ll earn points from In-Home Product Testing. When you want to redeem your points, you can sign in to your In-Home Product Testing account.

By visiting the “rewards” tab at the top of the page, you can view your rewards points and choose a free gift card from different retailers. The gift card is your payment for sharing your opinion.

6. Parenting Magazine

Parenting Magazine is a popular magazine (and website) that shares information to help parents raise their children. The company seeks out parents to test various items such as toys, health products, bath products, baby and kid gear.

How it Works

First, join their panel by submitting a membership form on their website. Then you’ll be asked where you live, your contact information and the birthdate and gender of each of your children.

The company needs this information so they can send you age-appropriate products to test. Every time they send you a product to test, you’ll get instructions on how to use it.

Also, they’ll give you instructions on where and when to submit feedback.

How You Get Paid

Parenting magazine is a bit different in that you get paid in the form of free products for your family. You’ll get to keep most of the products that you’re sent to test.

This can save you a good deal of money. You won’t have to buy as many toys, diapers or other items you’re sent to test.

If you’re a parent of underage children, this might be a good way for you to influence product development. Plus, you’ll get free kid and baby stuff at the same time.

Get Paid Through User Testing Companies

Another way to get paid for testing products is to sign up with user testing companies. These companies typically look for people to test different websites.

Here is some information about a couple of the more popular user testing companies.

7. UserTesting

UserTesting pays you to visit websites and apps. The goal is to help companies eliminate bad user experiences with their websites and apps.

Bad website user experiences result in frustrated customers. So by testing websites, you’ll be able to get paid to help companies improve their sites and apps.

How it Works

You start by signing up to join on the UserTesting website. Next, everyone who applies has to complete a sample test. Then you’ll be given instructions on how to begin.

Every time you visit a site or app, you’ll complete a series of tasks as assigned by the company. After you complete the tasks, you’ll provide feedback via audio and video of your first gut reaction to how the site or app handled the tasks.

Because you need to make audio recordings, you’ll need to be sure your computer or device has a microphone.

How You Get Paid

UserTesting will pay you $10 for each 20-minute video you complete and give feedback on.  You’ll get your payment via PayPal exactly seven days after completing a test, according to their website.

8. Erli Bird

Erli Bird is another user testing company. When you join this community, you’ll be working with over 100,000 other testers to help make websites and apps better.

Their website says they work with large companies such as Xerox and The New York Times. They’ve been submitting beta testing results to companies since 2012.

How it Works

As with UserTesting, you have to start by applying with Erli Bird. Enter your email by first clicking on the Join as a Beta Tester tab.

You’ll get instructions from there as to how to proceed. When your membership is official, you’ll begin receiving instructions on how to test websites they need you to test.

As with other beta testing companies, you’ll need to have a microphone on your computer or device. You may be asked to give both audio and written feedback.

The Erli Bird website says you’ll be asked to complete between zero and five beta tests per month. The number of tests you receive is based mainly on demographics.

How You Get Paid

Erli Bird says it will pay you $10 or more for each test you complete and submit feedback on. They’ll pay you via PayPal seven days after you’ve completed your test.

Get Paid Directly from Manufacturers

A third way you can get paid to test products is by signing up directly with manufacturers. Companies that produce a wide variety of products need on-site and at-home product testers to try out their products before they hit the market.

Here is some information on manufacturing companies that seek out product testers.

9. McCormick and Company

McCormick and Company have been making spices, sauces and other flavoring products for well over 100 years. The company has a testing panel run by consumers that help them test new and existing products.

How it Works

You start by signing up to apply to be a panelist. The link above will bring you to the signup page. The signup form asks for basic demographic information. Also, it asks whether you want to be an in-person tester at their headquarters or a nationwide at-home tester.

As an in-person tester, you can expect to spend between 30 minutes and 2 hours at a testing session. If you’re an at-home tester, you’ll use the products at your home.

The McCormick panelist website says you’ll be asked to participate a maximum of four times a year. Also, after you’ve taken part in a test, you won’t be eligible to participate for another three months.

This rule is likely to help ensure the company gets a wide variety of opinions on their products.

How You Get Paid

At-home testers typically get between $10 and $15 per test in the form of a check mailed to their home. Also, the company holds prize drawings for Amazon gift cards for testers who complete internet surveys.

10. Friends and Neighbors (Johnson & Johnson)

Friends and Neighbors is the consumer perception program run by Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson is a famous maker of baby and beauty products. They’ve been in business for over 100 years.

Their program allows people like you and me give our opinions on the products they manufacture.

How it Works

When you click on the Register Now button on the Friends and Neighbors website, you’ll be asked to enter your email address. Plus you’ll need to create a username and password.

From there you’ll get an email link to click on. When you click on the link, you’ll get directions to complete your membership.

Once your membership is complete, you’ll receive emails regarding studies that fit your demographic criteria. Also, you can go on the website to check for testing opportunities.

Testing opportunities are available in the form of on-site at the company tests and at-home tests. And there are survey opportunities regarding products and preferences.

How You Get Paid

The site doesn’t clearly address payment. Instead, it has a vague statement saying that for your participation you may receive an “honorarium as a token of appreciation, such as a Prepaid Visa® Card.”

That’s as specific as the site gets on their Program Detail page regarding payment. However, on their FAQ page, there is an answer to a question about the Prepaid Visa® Card.

It states that “for home use tests, these cards are usually mailed out within 3-5 weeks of the study completion.” Also, they say that they have to wait for everyone to complete the study and this may take several weeks.

11. Reebok Testing Panel

Reebok also has a product testing program. As you may know, Reebok has been designing athletic shoes such as running shoes for decades.

They seek out product testers to test various athletic gear products.

How it Works

If you want to be a product tester for Reebok, you’ll have better luck if you’re an athlete. Product testers are selected on demographic information, including their athletic profile.

If they choose you for a study, you’ll get a test product in the mail. The test products include shoes, athletic clothing and more.

After you’ve received your test product, you’ll be asked to use it as required in the instructions. The test run time is typically 3 to 6 weeks, according to the Reebok website.

As you use the product, you’ll be asked to fill out a log detailing your results. When you’re finished, you’ll need to submit the log to Reebok for them to analyze.

How You’ll Get Paid

Reebok doesn’t pay product testers in cash or gift cards. Instead, you’ll be allowed to keep the products you use as a tester for Reebok.

Running shoes and other athletic apparel is expensive. So getting free products via being a tester could save you some serious cash.

12. L’Oreal

L’Oreal is a longtime manufacturer of beauty products. They produce makeup, hair and skin care products and more. The L’Oreal Consumer Participation Program lets people like you test products and submit feedback for product improvement.

How it Works

L’Oreal has on-site product testing opportunities in New Jersey and Ohio. They also seek out at-home product testers to try beauty and other products from home.

First, register via the link above. Then L’Oreal will direct you as to what steps to take next to become a product tester. The site registration page doesn’t have much more information for testers.

How You Get Paid

As with Reebok, your pay from L’Oreal will likely consist of getting free products from the company. L’Oreal doesn’t mention anything about other types of compensation. However, getting free products is a way to help you avoid having to buy them with your own money.

Summary

Testing products, whether at home or on-site at popular companies, can be a great way to earn money. It can also be a great way to be able to have a say in the development or improvement of products and services.

Companies need real people like you to help ensure their products and services are attractive to the general public. Having those real opinions helps them to provide the best products and services to you and others.

If you want free product, free retailer gift cards or cash in the bank, consider looking into product testing. It might be the perfect side hustle you can use to make more money.

Have you ever tried product testing? If so, what types of products did you test? How did you feel about the process? Was it worth what you got compensated for it?

Feel free to share your opinions in the comments section on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you.