Is PineCone Research Legit or a Scam? (2026 Review)

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 it in some cases 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 gerat 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.

If you have any comments, questions, or experiences with PineCone Research, I would love to hear from you in a comment below.