PointClub ReviewÂ
PointClub is an online survey panel that offers rewards for taking surveys. But is there much point in signing up? In this review, we’ll look closer at PointClub’s features, rewards program, and user experience to help you decide if it’s the right survey panel.
Is PointClub a legit survey site?Â
Yes, PointClub, is a legit online survey panel that has been operating since 2012. Headquartered in California, the site is managed by Innovate MR, a data collection firm supplying survey participants to the market research industry. Innovate MR is also a corporate member of the market research industry bodies ESOMAR and the Insight Association.
Data Privacy: Any reason for concern?
Data privacy is a growing concern among research participants, and knowing your rights is essential. For example, under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), consumers have the right to know what personal information is being collected about them and request that their information be deleted.
PointClub appears to be taking data privacy seriously. Still, users should exercise caution and carefully review the platform’s privacy policy and data handling practices before participating in surveys or sharing their personal information. Regulations such as CCPA in California provide the right to request that personal data be deleted. While data privacy concerns linked to survey companies like PointClub are valid, the platform is trying to address these issues and protect users’ personal information.
Hard to read the privacy policy
We found the privacy policy of PointClub to be very difficult to read. The fact that it contains 3701 words indicates that it is quite lengthy and may require a significant amount of time to read and understand fully. It is dense and complex, containing legal jargon and technical terms that will be challenging for most readers to comprehend.
Additionally, the Flesch readability score of 32 indicates that the text is complex and that many readers will struggle with the language and sentence structure used in the policy.
Here is a screenshot from PointClub’s privacy policy:
To help their users understand how data is shared, they could make a summary for their members or at least include more headings and subheadings to organize the text and make it easier to skim and find information.
How much can you make on PointClub?Â
In our experience, while testing PointClub for over two months, the average points per survey on PointClub is around 400. This means users can expect to earn around $0.40 per survey (1 point is worth $0.001). However, users can only redeem their rewards once they reach a minimum of $25.
Considering the 5,000 points join bonus, users still need to earn 20,000 points for vouchers and checks.
With these high payment thresholds in mind, having realistic expectations and remembering that earning rewards will take considerable time and effort is essential.
Things to keep in mind (from PointClub’s T&Cs):
- PointClub can revoke your membership at any time for any reason, including if you violate our Terms, without giving prior notice.
- Your earnings are tracked in the form of points. Each point is worth 0.001 USD (1,000 points = 1.00 USD). PointClub may change the value of points after giving 45 days’ notice through announcements on the Site, email, or elsewhere. Any changes will only affect new points earned, not points you’ve already earned.
- “Pending” points are earned from completed surveys but are not redeemable. It can take up to six (6) weeks for them to be reviewed and posted to your account. Once approved, they become “banked” points and can be redeemed. Points can only be redeemed in increments of 25,000.
- If you’re in the U.S. and it’s your first redemption, you’ll receive a check by mail. Your mailing address will be verified with the U.S. Postal Service before sending the check. Subsequent redemptions in the U.S. can be done through PayPal deposits, gift cards, etc.
- All rewards in connection with PointsPlus will be received in the form of a check sent by mail, regardless of your location or redemption status.
- For PayPal redemptions, PointClub will deduct an additional 2% to cover the PayPal fee. This doesn’t apply to gift card options.
Too high payment limit
Based on our experience, you’ll need to take as many as 40 surveys before getting your first real reward paid out. It’s easy to understand that some members feel that PointClub’s high payment limit is taking advantage of users’ time and effort. This can create a sense of frustration and mistrust among users, damaging the reputation of PointClub and the survey industry as a whole.
Summary
On the positive side, PointClub does offer benefits that can be attractive to users. The site offers several gift card options, giving users more choices in redeeming their rewards. PointClub also sends frequent survey invitations, making it easier for users to earn money by completing surveys regularly.
However, there are more downsides than positives to signing up with PointClub. The site has a very high payout threshold, which means users must earn a significant amount before they can cash out their rewards. This is frustrating for users who will need to take surveys daily for months before earning anything. Additionally, PointClub has limited earning opportunities, which means users have fewer ways to earn money than they would with other survey sites.
In our experience, it can also be tough to qualify for PointClub surveys, leading to wasted time when constantly getting screened out. This adds to the time it takes to reach the high payout threshold. PointClub is also known to be quick to suspend accounts if they suspect fraudulent activity, which can be frustrating for users who feel their accounts have been unjustly blocked after taking surveys for months.
Last but not least, PointClub’s privacy policy is hard to read and very complex, which makes it difficult for users to fully understand how their data is used. Users should be aware of the information they are sharing and how it may be used, but the lack of clarity in the policy may make this problematic.