There are many ways to make money online, and it can be hard to determine, what opportunities are scams, and which ones are actually legit and real ways to earn.
One site you can join for free and supposedly earn some extra cash by taking surveys is ThePanelStation.com.
But is the Panel Station legit, and can you really get paid for quick surveys as it claims? Or is it a scam you should stay away from?
Let me just reveal right away that it is not a scam, and Panel Station is a real and legit platform.
However, that it is not a scam does not mean that it's automatically a good fit for everyone. This Panel Station review can help you figure out if it's right for YOU or not.
What is the Panel Station, and what does it offer?
Like most market research survey sites, Panel Station uses information provided by us (its users) to help its clients with market research.
Companies pay Panel Station to collect information they need for their research to, for example, improve their services or products. In return, the users (you) get paid for your time and effort.
It can therefore be a great way to have your opinion heard and get paid for it at the same time.
It is a pure survey site, which means that, more or less, the only way you can earn money there is by taking surveys.
This is not a bad thing, as sites that only offer this often are very easy to use. So let's look a bit more into what you can expect from the surveys you will get there and how you, in general, can earn as a member.
I have made a video that will give you an inside look so you can see exactly how it works. You can also read all the details below the video:
Recommended: See the Best Survey Sites in Your Country
Option 1 – The Panel Station Surveys
Panel Station surveys are the main way to earn points, and you take them either on the website itself or through their mobile app (more about the app later).
Contrary to many of the other survey sites I have reviewed here at PaidFromSurveys.com, most of the surveys are done through the app (more about this later).
The surveys generally take 12-15 minutes each, so earning points can be quick and easy. Instead of paying you dollars per survey, you earn points for each survey that can be exchanged for rewards (more about the payout methods later).
You will usually earn between 500-5000 points per survey, so some of the surveys pay very well, but others not so well. So you just need to choose the surveys you complete wisely to make it worth your time.
Once you join, you have to take a few short profiler surveys, so Panel Station can match you with the right surveys. So it is important to take these, to start receiving the paid surveys.
However, even though you fill out the profiler, there will often be surveys you do not qualify for as on most other survey sites.
On average, you get 1-2 surveys a week. This is not a lot compared to the top paying survey sites, but it is a normal amount for a site that only offers surveys. It does, however, mean that you should definitely consider also joining other survey sites, as the Panel Station alone will not give you a lot of earning opportunities.
If you end up not fitting what the company is looking for in a particular survey and thereby do not qualify for a survey (it happens for everyone on more or less all survey sites), you will still earn twenty points for responding to the survey, so make sure that you're responding to each survey, even if you are not sure if you are qualified!
20 points are, of course, not a lot, but I personally appreciate it when a site at least gives a little consolation reward when you do not qualify, as it can otherwise be quite frustrating.
At times, you might receive additional surveys through text messages, postcards, or e-mail, if you have allowed this.
When you sign up, you can, for example, choose to allow them to send you surveys via WhatsApp, which is something I have not seen on other survey sites.
It can be a good idea to allow them to contact you with these extra surveys if you want to get access to as many surveys as possible. But if you do not want to be contacted and just take surveys through the app or website, this is also possible.
You can also earn a little extra by keeping your profile updated and by taking special profile surveys.
By completing the profile surveys, you will not only earn a few extra points, but it is also a way to make sure you will be matched with the surveys that fit you the best, and thereby there is a greater chance you will qualify for the surveys you are offered.
So this is what you can expect from the Panel Station surveys. As I mentioned, this is the main way you can earn money here. There is, however, one extra way you can earn if you are willing to risk your earnings and feel lucky – that is through the sweepstakes.
Option 2 – The Panel Station sweepstakes
If you're feeling especially lucky, you can use your points to enter the monthly sweepstakes drawing for great prizes like Amazon gift cards. This is, of course, only relevant if you are willing to potentially lose your earnings.
It is a lottery, and therefore good chances you will not win. But if you feel lucky, it can be a way to win some great extra prizes. If not, you are probably better off just getting your rewards paid out (more about how to do this later).
Additionally, there is a quarterly drawing that can get you a grand prize of around $275 or around $100 consolation prize.
All you need to do to enter these quarterly drawings is to participate in the surveys sent to your inbox. Even if you aren't chosen to fill out the full survey, each response is taken as an entry into the quarterly sweepstakes.
The quarterly sweepstakes is a fun way to potentially earn bonus money on top of what you're already earning through redeeming points.
I have not seen that many websites offer cash sweepstakes on top of their rewards model for free, so it is a fun bonus that you just might get! Of course, nothing is guaranteed, but it never hurts to try!
Recommended: Check Out the Top Survey Sites in Your Country
How do you get paid?
After you reach the 3000-point mark, you can exchange your points for Panel Station rewards.
The Panel Station points value is that 1000 points are equivalent to around $1.5. This means you can get paid once you have earned around $5, so it is a pretty low payout threshold.
The rewards are, for example, vouchers for a variety of merchants, from Amazon to Flipkart and more. You can also get cash in some countries.
The exact rewards you can choose from will, however, vary depending on the country you live in.
But overall, you cannot get paid in cash via PayPal on The Panel Station, so if you are looking for sites where you can earn cash, you should go for some of the PayPal sites instead.
PayPal used to be an option, but it no longer is. So if you see any info about this elsewhere, it is because they have not updated the info yet. So just to make it clear, as I have often been asked this – No, The Panel Station does not pay via PayPal.
Vouchers take 6-8 weeks to process, so you'll have to be patient while waiting for your payout. Vouchers are delivered to your e-mail address with a PIN that you can use directly on the merchant's website.
Personally, I do not really understand it has to take this long to process the rewards. I know it is to make sure the company paying for the research has approved it, but compared to some of the quick paying survey sites that pay out within hours, it seems like a very long wait.
However, once you start taking surveys regularly on the Panel Station, the rewards will come to your regularly as well because of the low payout threshold, and then you will not really notice the wait.
Like every other market research site, you're definitely not going to get rich by taking surveys on the Panel Station. You can make some nice extra money on the side as a member, but you should not do it if you are expecting to make a living from it.
Remember that you can quit the panel at any time, but you don't get to cash out any points that aren't at a fully redeemable amount.
If you decide to quit before you can redeem your points for a voucher, you don't get anything in return. So make sure to plan to wait until you have redeemed your points if you decide to quit the panel at some point.
Can you use it on mobile?
On some survey sites, it can be very difficult to take surveys on the phone. And it can be great to be able to take surveys on the phone, as you can then earn a few extra bucks while watching the kids, waiting for dinner to be ready, waiting for the bus, etc.
The Panel Station is, as already mentioned, designed to be easy to use through their mobile app, as this is the main way to take surveys in this panel, so if you like being able to take surveys anywhere, this is a great option.
It's free to download the Panel Station app, and it can be used on both Android and Apple devices. Because it's through an app and not a website, you don't have to worry about the website not loading properly or being truly mobile-compatible.
Who can join the Panel Station?
It used to be quite hard to find out who could even join The Panel Station. Now they have, however, made it possible to see an exact list of countries in the top menu on their website, so this is a great improvement, in my opinion.
It is currently available in 36 countries. As of updating this review, you can join The Panel Station if you are a legal resident of the following countries:
US, India, Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia, UAE, Thailand, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Russia, Turkey, Philippines, Egypt, Argentina, Kenya, UK, Malaysia, Colombia, Poland, Vietnam, Korea, Chile, Singapore, Taiwan, Australia, Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Hong Kong, France Ghana, New Zealand, Qatar, China, Peru, Ecuador.
The number of available countries has expanded quite a bit since I first tested the panel, and it might expand further, so even if your country is not currently on the list above, it can still be worth checking the exact countries on their website, if you decide this is the right opportunity for you, after reading this review.
However, there is no guarantee that they will always accept new members just because you live in one of these countries. Sometimes you might experience that they have closed for new members for that month or that your profile does not fit what they are looking for, and you cannot join.
So it can be a bit difficult to join compared to many other survey sites.
Be aware that there can only be one member per household. So if you are several people in your household who like taking paid surveys, you have to decide who will be suing The Panel Station.
If several join from the same household, you risk all the accounts will be closed, and you will lose your earnings so make sure to coordinate this.
At times, you will, however, receive surveys that are for certain members of the household – for example, for the teen in the household, the male/female in the household, etc. In these cases, you are encouraged to have the appropriate member answer the survey – the money will then be added to your account.
If you are not able to join Panel Station, whether because you live in the wrong country or someone in your household is already a member, you can check out the best survey sites available in your country.
What if you need support?
If you are having trouble accessing your account, troubleshooting can be accessed right through the mobile app or the FAQ section on the website.
However, at the time of updating this review, the FAQ section on their website is not working, but hopefully, they will get this fixed at some point.
If you have additional questions or need further help, you can contact their support team via email.
The exact contact email depends on the country you live in, so you have to check this for your specific country. You can also contact the company through their Twitter and Instagram accounts.
They say you can expect to get a response within 24 hours, but I have tried contacting them myself, and I have honestly not been impressed.
In some cases, it takes many days to get a response, and I have also tried not getting a response at all. So, in my experience, their support could definitely be improved.
Final Verdict
The Panel Station can be a fun way to earn some extra money on the side through a legit company and have your opinions heard at the same time. But it is not the right survey option for everyone.
So let's finish this review by summing up the pros and cons, so you can get a better overview before deciding whether it is for you or not.
Pros:
- Has a convenient app
- It's available in multiple countries
- Several payout options
Cons:
- A long wait for redeemed rewards
- Not very many available surveys
- Does not offer cash payment
The Panel Station is definitely a legit survey panel and not a fake scam, and it has existed for many years. However, it has both pros and cons.
You won't have to worry about the site not working on your phone if you're using their mobile app to complete surveys, and The Panel Station Review is available in many countries, which are great aspects.
However, you'll have to wait 6-8 weeks for your reward, so make sure that it's not something you need right away! Considering that the vouchers are all digitally delivered, it is quite a long turnaround time, and this is the thing I like the least about Panel Station.
Overall, I would say that The Panel Station can be a decent secondary survey site to join if you are able to join.
However, you should make sure to also join other survey panels as well to get enough opportunities. You can check out the list of the best survey sites in your country here.
How to join The Panel Station?
If you want to join, you can just click the button below, and you will then get a list of the countries The Panel Station currently recruits new members in.
Just choose your country, and you can then easily sign up. It only takes a few minutes.
If you have any comments, questions, or have any experiences with the Panel Station yourself, I would love to hear from you in a comment below.
Such a nice website. Now i am using this site, today also i get $9.30 in my papal account
Great to hear Sathmussain. Thanks for sharing.
After how long should one be paid after cashing out?
It takes 6-8 weeks so Panel Station is pretty slow compared to many other sites.
Mikael
Some error is always showing in my panal account if l want to register my phone number and redeem my points. I wrote to them but they are not responding. Please can you help me. I’m in Ghana ??.
You need to keep contacting Panel Station’s support about this and hope they will get back to you. But just be aware that if you have used VPN to make it look like you are from a different country, then they see it as fraud and will not reply.
Ok, l will keep trying.
hope you will get an answer soon
Hi! How much are the points worth in cash?
3000 points are worth around $5.
Though panel station has been one of my favourite websites, it seems to be going thru some server error problems since past 2 days, 3 of my surveys on which i spend 30 mins each completing it ended up with “looks like u were in a hurry” and didnt pay me, i answered all questions carefully, have wrote to their help team, they haven’t replied yet, hope its not going scam, won’t be doing any surveys till they rectify that error, its like wasting more than 30 mins on every survey knowing they wont pay in the end
Thanks for sharing your experience about this Dinesh. Sad to hear their support does not answer. Hope they will fix it soon and feel free to keep me updated about how it goes for you.
Hi, in what countries do they pay via PayPal?
They do unfortunately not list exactly which countries they offer PayPal in. So the best to be sure is to go to their website in your country and see what they offer there.
Thanks for replying
You are welcome Williams – anytime.