PineCone Research is often talked about as one of the highest-paying survey sites.
But is PineCone Research legit and really a great way to make good money by sharing your opinion, or is it a scam to stay away from?
I have tested hundreds of paid survey sites, and let me reveal right away that PineCone is one of the legit options, and I have been paid by it myself.
In this 2026 PineCone Research review, you will learn all the details about what the platform offers, so you will know exactly what to expect and if it is worth trying to get an invitation.
And let me just tell you right now that it has undergone a major update since I first tested it. So, let's get to it, shall we?
What is PineCone Research, and what does the site offer?
PineCone Research panel is a part of the famous market research company NielsenIQ. So, it is backed by one of the biggest companies within market research and has been around for a long time, so PineCone is 100% legit.
And as long as you do it honestly, you can definitely expect to get paid. I have personally been paid for it many times.
It is, however, different from many other survey panels in several ways, but more about that later.
Let's first go over the ways you can earn on PineCone Research, so you know what to expect before going over how to get paid and the earning potential.
For that, I have made a video that gives you an inside look and shows exactly how you can earn from PineCone. You can also read all the details below the video.
Recommended: Check Out the Top Survey Sites in Your Country
Option 1 – Paid Surveys
PineCone Research is, first of all, a survey site, which means this is the main way to earn here. It is a fairly simple site that is easy to use.
Because it mainly has surveys as a way to earn, it does not necessarily have daily opportunities, but it has regular surveys. When I first started testing it, it was one of the absolute best-paying sites, with a minimum of $3 per survey.
However, since more and more survey sites that offer high rewards and more options have emerged, Pinecone is no longer as special and attractive as it used to be, in my opinion.
Plus, as mentioned earlier, it has undergone a major update, but most users have complained that earning from the surveys isn't as easy anymore because they often get disqualified.
Also, be aware that it no longer offers a guaranteed $3 per survey. It can often be quite a lot less. This depends on the exact survey and also the country you live in.
In general, you can just choose which surveys you want to participate in and which ones you do not. But as mentioned, qualifying for surveys is quite hard since the update, so to maximize your earnings, you must answer every survey offered, which can take a bit of patience and a lot of effort, in my opinion.
Option 2 – Playing Games
PinceCone Research also now lets you earn rewards by playing games. However, when I tested this opportunity, I never got to test this opportunity because it just showed an error where it failed to load the games I could play.
So, I can't really expound on this opportunity, which isn't a good thing, in my opinion. Many members also say that the site has gone downhill since the update because they encounter a lot of errors.
Option 3 – Sweepstakes
PineCone Research sometimes has sweepstakes, where you, as a member, have a chance to win some really great prizes.
They, for example, run daily, weekly, and monthly sweepstakes. The winner of the daily sweepstakes wins $100. In the weekly sweepstakes, the winner gets $250, and the monthly sweepstakes prize is $1,000. So if you are lucky, it can really give you some nice extra money.
The rules and conditions can change from sweepstake to sweepstake, but when there is one available, you will be able to see the rules and conditions on PineCone Research's website.
Recommended: Check Out the Top Survey Sites in Your Country
How do you get paid?
You get paid in points on PineCone Research. Luckily, it is very easy to figure out how many points are worth. 1 point is worth 1 cent.
You can then exchange these points for a number of rewards. It used to offer PayPal, direct bank transfer, or products as payout options.
Now, they only let you redeem gift cards or prepaid Visa cards. You'll need to earn 1,000 points ($10) to redeem a reward.
However, many members complain that they've lost the points they've earned when they didn't use them after a certain period.
I can't really confirm if this is true since I have not experienced it myself.
But personally, I like panels that pay via PayPal instead of gift cards or prepaid Visa cards, as it is such an easy way to get your money.
In general, I would say its payout system looks quite straightforward. You earn enough points to redeem gift cards, but in reality, it's quite clunky. When I tested it, I clicked on the Amazon gift card option, and it only took me to Amazon. The same thing happens when I click the Visa option. It takes me to the Visa website, which is very weird.
So, I'm not exactly sure if it lets you withdraw your earnings, which is the most common complaint of most members.
How much money can you make?
PineCone Research was one of the highest-paying survey sites. You used to earn a good amount per survey. However, since the update, it's harder to earn because the qualifying rate is very low.
Plus, with all the issues of its payout system, I would say its current earning potential is very low, in my opinion. You'll need to be very patient if you want to earn a decent amount from it.
Can you use it on mobile?
Taking surveys on mobile is a great way to make money on the go or whenever you have a little extra time.
That is why it is great when a survey site has a mobile-friendly website or, even better, an app that is easy to use.
PineCone Research has an app, and it is available for both iOS and Android. So, if you join the panel, downloading this app can be an easy way to get access to the surveys.
This also makes it possible for you to get notified as soon as a new survey is available.
Sometimes, surveys can fill up quickly, so if you want to participate as much as possible, it is good to have the app and get a notification when there is a new survey.
Who can join PineCone Research?
The joining process for PineCone Research used to be quite hard. Previously, you needed an invite to join.
But since the update, signing up as a member has become very easy. You just fill out the sign-up form and answer the profile questions. Once you are done, you can log in to the website and start answering surveys.
As for the countries it is available in, it is available in the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy. So, if you live somewhere else, this is not for you.
Each country has its own website, and they are sometimes called different names, as in some cases it has a name in the local language. For example, in Italy, it is called Foresta D'Opinioni. In France, it is called O'Pignon Marketing. Now, if you are interested in joining PineCone Research, you can find the link to your country here.
Can you get support?
Being able to get support if you have any issues is important as a member of any survey site.
This is where I have experienced some issues with PineCone, and it is an area where it is a bit of a letdown, in my opinion.
They do have the option for you to contact PineCone Research support through email, and you will supposedly get an answer within 24-72 hours.
However, I have experienced several times that it takes quite a lot longer. And the answers I have gotten were very generic and almost as if they did not really read my messages, but just sent a standard answer.
Waiting for long and then just getting a generic answer that is not very useful is a letdown and something PineCone could definitely improve, in my opinion.
However, you might never need their help, and then this is not an issue.
PineCone Research scams to be aware of!
I just wanted to include one very important aspect in this review, as there are Pinecone Research scams you need to be aware of.
These scams have nothing to do with the platform itself, as that is 100% legit, as mentioned earlier. However, some scammers sometimes misuse the logo and name of Pinecone Research.
One example of such a scam is a “mystery shopping” assignment. You would be given a fake check and advised to cash it and then use some of the proceeds to test a service. You would be told that you can keep the balance from the cashed check as payment; however, the check later bounces. This can get you into serious problems with your bank.
Other examples include recruiting for “business evaluation surveys” or “hiring” employees.
Be aware that Pinecone Research has no involvement in these fraudulent scams. Participating in Pinecone Research surveys is always free, and they will never ask you to cash a check for a large amount and then use the proceeds to “test” a service.
Final Verdict
PineCone Research is a legit survey site, but it also has its downsides, especially since the update.
So, let's finish this review by summing up the pros and cons so you can get a better overview of what it offers before deciding if it is for you or not.
Pros:
- Relatively low payout threshold
- Has a user-friendly app
Cons:
- Limited earning opportunities
- Often slow support
- The payout system is a bit clunky
- Doesn't offer cash rewards anymore
Overall, PineCone Research used to be a great survey site to join if you got the chance. However, since the update, it's not that great anymore. It's harder to earn from surveys, and some earning opportunities don't work.
Plus, the payout system is quite clunky, and the payout options have been reduced. Their support can be slow, in my experience. It can still be worth joining as an extra site, but there are also many better survey sites, so it should not be the only platform you join, in my opinion.
You can check out the top survey and GPT sites in your country. The sites and apps on this list all have good earning potential, and most of them offer to pay in cash.
How to join?
It is easy and fast to join PineCone Research. Just click the button, choose your country, and then you will be taken to the sign-up page where you can sign up and get started right away.
If you have any comments, questions, or experiences with PineCone Research, I would love to hear from you in a comment below.
I’ve done my fair share of researching survey sites, but have never come across PineCone Research. You’re right in that $3 is fair for 15 minutes of time, especially if the payout threshold is only a dollar! And with the mobile app, its hard not to suspect PineCone to be the best legit survey company out there (even backed by Nielsen Co.!).
Thanks for sharing I’ll have to join when I get some extra time on my hands.
Thanks for the feedback Chase.
If you live in one of the countries, where you can join, it is definitely worth joining PineCone.
All the best,
Mikael
Hey there,
Someone told me that Pinecone Research was a really great program for surveys but if they don’t have a constant supply of surveys for their members, it means you cannot rely on them to make money daily.
I see in your list of top 10 survey sites you recommend PrizeRebel. I think I will get into this instead. Thanks.
Hi Dave,
It is true that PineCone Research does not give you surveys every day. But if you can, it is still a great site to join, because it gives really good rewards for your time. And then join other survey sites as well that gives you daily opportunities. That way you will overall be able to earn the most.
But PrizeRebel is definitely worth joining as well, and it is one of the sites that gives daily opportunities, so good decision to join that.
All the best,
Mikael
This is an excellent and concise review of Pine Cone Research. In fact, as a result of reading it I actually registered with them just now and am waiting to be notified of my first possibility for a survey.
I had never heard of this company before and am glad that you brought it to my attention.
Thank you,
Howard
Hi Howard,
Thanks for the feedback. Great to hear you decided to join and hope you will enjoy it. Feel free to keep me updated about how you like it. Would be great to hear about your experiences as well.
All the best,
Mikael
This post is very informative and it really includes everything you need to know, in order to start with paid surveys!
You don’t miss any detail, so anyone interested in these surveys and how to make money from them, will find this very useful and can start right away, for sure!
Great work! Keep it up! 🙂
Hi Anna,
Thanks for the comment and your feedback. Glad to hear you like the info.
All the best,
Mikael
Thank you so much for your post ”Is PineCone Research a Scam or Legit?” This is a breath of fresh air. I had lost all hope of finding genuine surveys I can join to earn a decent income working from home.
The money people get paid sounds reasonable. Unlike other surveys where you are paid with shopping vouchers after parting with too much confidential information.
I tried to sign up unfortunately, only 4 countries show up. Is this an exhaustive list of countries that can participate?
Hi Zegu,
Yes, PineCone Research pay very well per survey compared to many other survey sites. But it is actually a misconception that most survey sites only pay in vouchers. There are many sites that pay in cash through PayPal or through prepaid visa card, but PineCone is still one of the absolute highest paying survey sites.
The list is not an exhaustive list of the countries where PineCone Research is available. But they only once in a while have campaigns where they recruit new members, and then they make invitations available on certain websites (PaidFromSurveys being one of them) and at the moment these are the countries I have been given an invitation link to. I might get others at a later time depending on the countries they want to recruit more members in in the future, but at the moment these are the only ones.
All the best,
Mikael
how come i cannot join pinecone research. says that Thank you for your interest in PineCone Research. Unfortunately, there are no available openings for members with a household make-up that aligns with yours at this time. However we will keep your registration for a few weeks in case a spot opens up.
However, we do have openings in our sister panel – Nielsen Computer & Mobile is looking for computer users, and could use your help!
So my question is what can you tell me about Nielsen? Do you have a review on them?
Hi Darlene,
Did you register for PineCone through the link on this review? Because PineCone is one of the only survey panels where you can only join through an invitation link. And the groups of people they are looking for differs from time to time. By clicking the join link above, you will see what countries/groups I have invitation links for at the moment.
I do have a review of Nielsen Computer and Mobile panel. It is a bit different from PineCone but still an interesting panel to join, as you do not really have to do anything there to earn. Just click the link above to read more.
Hope this helps and let me know, if you have more questions.
Mikael
yes i registered thru your link, but was not an option for my age group, and yes i seen the nielsen, i overlooked it before.ty
Sorry to hear that PineCone is not currently recruiting for your specific age group. They are often very specific about the groups they recruit for, and sometimes it changes with short notice.
But hope you will like Nielsen instead, if you decide to join. Also, if you tell me which country you are from, I will be happy to suggest other great survey sites you can consider, as it depends a lot on the country you live in which sites are the best to join.
Mikael
i applied 2 times, keeps telling me not accepting my status at thistime.
Sorry to hear this Darlene.
I tried to look into it before when you asked. It seems there are just not recruiting your specific demographic group at the moment. PineCone have very specific groups they are inviting and it is often in limited numbers.
Did you end up trying some of the other survey sites instead?
Mikael
yes i signed for a few of them, i believe it was you that suggested top 8 or top 10, im not sure,its been awhile.i have a question tho, have you checked out survey bods or instagc?
I have checked out InstaGC – you can read my full InstaGC review here for more info. It is a legit site with pretty good opportunities. SurveyBods is only for the UK, so I believe it might not be for you.
When I try to sign up, even when I choose Canada as my country, I am asked for my zip code. I have tried to enter my postal code but it has too many characters and gets cut off, and then is invalid.
Thanks for letting me know Tyra. I will try to contact PineCone and see if they can explain the reason. I will get back to you as soon as I hear anything.
Mikael
Hi again Tyra,
I have now heard back from a contact I have that is now looking into it and checking, if there is an error on the sign up page. Will get back, when I have an update.
Mikael
Hi Tyra,
My contact has looked further into it and several people have tried to see, if they can find out what the issue is. She has asked, if I could get a screenshot of the error you get when you enter your postal code. It can help them locate the error.
So if you have the opportunity to take a screenshot of the error message you get and send it to me on mike @ paidfromsurveys.com then I will forward it, and they will look further into it.
Thanks,
Mikael
tried diff browser and android
strange it does not work Darlene. I will try to see if I can get a hold of PineCone and let them know. But I can see it works for others so it is a bit strange. If I hear anything I will let you know.
Mikael
JUST TRIED THE ANDROID, AND SAME REPLY,
so whats the current replys about pinecone and getting in there
Hi Darlene,
I forwarded the screenshot you send me and it has taken a while to get an answer. Just got it now.
Not really helpful though. Only answer is that there is not really a good explanation other than PineCone is strict and sometimes block people that try to sign up several times.
But I do not know if that is what happened to you. There is unfortunately not more I can do. Seems like it is better for you to just go for some of the other sites instead- Sorry.
Mikael
yes i did try several times but why does that matter it says to sign up and i did it in case they were accepting, i didnt know there was a issue on how many times you tried …geez. thanks. im not gonna worry about it then, its their loss.
No, it does not make much sense. But luckily there are also many other great sites so think you are right that it is better to just not worry and focus other sites for you.
i forgot mikael to tell you, im from the US
The US has a lot of great opportunities for paid surveys. I have made a list specifically with the best survey sites for the US. You can check it out and see if you can get some inspiration for new sites to join.
Mikael
just received email about pinecone research accepting surveyors but once again i used your link and they are not accepting applicatants at this time
Sorry to hear that Darlene. The spots often fill up quickly but it is the beginning of the month and I have been told that there should be spots available so it sounds very strange.
Are you aware that for the US there are different invitation links depending on your demographic group? You have to make sure to use the right one to be able to join.
Mikael
yes i see that, i signed for the 3rd one, the other too where, younger than my age group, and other was hispanic, so i chose 3rd one. same results as last time.
Very strange Darlene. I really have no good explanation for that. My only other suggestion is to try it on a different device or different browser.
Mikael
Hi again Darlene,
I have just heard back from a contact I have that are in charge of the PineCone invitations I have for the US. There still should be plenty available. He asked if I could get a screenshot of the message you get when trying to sign up so he can investigate further.
If that is possible, just send it to my email.
Thanks,
Mikael
i emailed it too you the screenshot
Thanks for the screenshot Darlene. I will forward it to my contact and hear if he can give any more info.
Mikael
Hello Mikael . Thank you for bringing PineCone Research to my attention … in spite of the site not being available for Brazil . I hope any upcoming update of this review could bring some info about the site planning to expand to more countries .
Hi Wil,
If PineCone becomes available in more countries and I am able to get invitations for them, I will update the review right away.
And don’t worry – I am testing some sites at the moment that are available worldwide and should also give good opportunities in Brazil. I will soon post the reviews of them and also send out emails to my subscribers about the best of them.
Mikael
Hi Mikael,
Thanks for the review, I had joined and received a cheque right away but then got leery as I was worried it was a scam. After reading your review I feel more confident about the company and will deposit my cheque now!
You are welcome Lisa. Glad my review helped you.
Mikael
There appears to be a problem with the PineCone Research link. I get to the page where I indicate age, and it appears to be progressing, but I only get a blank page. I’m in Canada, so should be fine.
Thanks for letting me know Jean. But it must be some kind of temporary technical glitch on PineCone’s site since you can get to the site and put in your age etc. Maybe try again and see if it works now.
If not, I would suggest you to reach out to PineCone’s support and ask what is going on.
And feel free to keep me updated about how it goes.
Thanks,
Mikael
HI Mikael,
I just tried to join on PineCone France and they are not recruting at the moment. They will keep my details for a little time.
Thanks for all your researches about survey websites !
Hi Nathalie,
Did you try to join through my invitation link here on this site? Because that should still have invitations left for this month for France. If that is not the case, I need to check with them.
And glad to hear you like the research I am doing about survey sites.
Thanks,
Mikael
Hello again Mikael,
Yes it was through the link on your website. But I’m quite happy to wait a bit longer.
Ok. Thanks for letting me know.
Hope you will get invited to participate soon.
Thanks,
Mikael
HI Mikael: I just tried to join PineCone and they said they are not accepting new members at this time. I was a panelist with them a few years ago, but had to stop when I started a new job.
P.S. Thank you for all the helpful insight on your website.
Hi Robert,
Glad to hear you like the info on my site.
Can I ask which country you are from? And you clicked the invite link here from my website for the correct country?
Mikael
I am from the USA. I used your link.
Thanks again.
Very strange – Usually I am notified when they run out of invites for a month but have not heard anything this month. So not sure why that is. Did you get to fill out your profile before you got that messages or was it right after clicking the invitation you were told?
Thanks
I believe I did fill out my profile. Maybe they weren’t looking for my age group. I am 63.
Yes, I think that might be the reason if you filled out your profile before they showed the message.
But luckily there are many other good sites you can join instead then – especially in the US. Did you see my list of the best sites in the US? That might give you some good ideas for alternatives.
Hi Mikael,
I was on pincone member panel for long time and had earned lots a points. I was removed from the panel. make story short I didn’t cash out caz I was never Inform by panel and didn’t realize . can you help me get my points back ?
Sorry to hear that. There is, unfortunately, nothing I can do to help you get the points back.
Their support is not always the fastest in my experience but that is your only chance to get them to give your points back. Let me know how it goes.
Mikael
HI, I have clicked the link but not received an email from them, I am in the UK, is it too late in the month or do you know if they don’t have any spots left for this month? Should I try again at the beginning of September?
Hi Rebecca,
The email will be here from PaidFromSurveys.com as I have the invitation you need to be able to join.
Just checked and it seems like you should have received it – if you have not, please make sure to also check your spam folder. There should still be spots available this month.
Let me know how it goes.
Thanks,
Mikael
Hi. Many thanks I received the email but I wasn’t accepted 🙁 when should I try again?
Did they say why you were not accepted? Because sometimes they are also only looking for certain demographic groups and if that is the case, it might not help to try again later.
Also, in the UK there are many other great sites. Did you check out the list of the best survey sites in the UK?
That list has a lot of great alternatives in case PineCone does not accept you.
Thank you for the reply, I am with a ton of other sites but have been trying with pine cone for a couple of months. I was wondering if it was worth trying again at the start of September though as they demographics may change, does it work like that? Sorry for bugging you.
you are not bugging me:-) I am happy to help if I can.
But yes, it might be worth checking again at the beginning of September. They always have the most invites available at the beginning of the month. But not sure if that will change the demographic they are looking for though. That is more unpredictable when that might change.
Let me know how it goes.
Hi Mikael, I tried register couple days ago and they says me
“Thank you for your interest in PineCone Research. Unfortunately, there are no available openings for members with a household make-up that aligns with yours at this time. However we will keep your registration for a few weeks in case a spot opens up”
Do you know if they are accepting new users at this time? thanks.
No, they do not accept new members right now. You can check out this list with alternatives to PineCone instead.
Hope that helps.
I have given up on Pinecone….maybe they will Email me when they can accept me…that is what the message said…good luck all.
Tocheck for invites it says click on your country so when i click on the usa it goes directly to a google search page ??
The link redirects if it for some reason detects something suspicious about the click. In your case, I have no idea why it would redirect like this. Unfortunately, I cannot do anything about it as I am not in charge of the company and how their links work.
I was able to join. I almost immediately received an invitation to a survey. However, just one or two questions into the survey, I was informed that I didn’t qualify for that particular one. I waited for a month for another survey or product to review, but got absolutely nothing. Not worth sharing my personal information with them.
Sorry to hear but thanks for sharing your experiences.
If anyone is looking in 2025, I’m seeing they pay $1 NOT $3 directly on their website. I was a member years ago, but stopped doing surveys because of life…and I got kicked out.
The rate can very depending on your country and on the exact survey. I will make sure to update the review and make this clear. Thanks for sharing.
Avoid Pinecone Research. They did an update in 2025. It appears to be a very big downgrade!
You should do another evaluation of Pinecone Research and the legitimacy of this site. They did an update in July or beginning of August. You now get disqualified or the survey is closed. All responses from ” Karen Scott ” are generic and from what I have seen nothing is ever resolved. Take a look at reviews of Pinecone Research since August 2025. So many 1 star ratings with a mix of previously happy users that are now very unhappy with Pinecone Research. You will not match survey, survey is closed, or you be disqualified after answering questions. I have trouble believing this is a legitimate/honest business. I joined before the update. I was satisfied with the short experience prior to Pinecone’s update. Since then, nothing but a negative experience. Not worth wasting your time. Find something, anything else, and stay away from Pinecone Research.
Thanks for letting me know. I will look into this and update the review accordingly.