YouGov Panel
YouGov Panel Review
YouGov is a high-profile market research company frequently featured as a source of polls and statistics in the news across the world. But how well does it treat its panel members? Let’s dive in! While the YouGov Panel offers opportunities to earn points through surveys, there are a few things to consider. Stay tuned for an honest review of this platform.
Andreea – Our UX Research Expert: Andreea is from Timisoara, Romania with a background from user experience (UX) research. Her UX knowledge comes in really handy when reviewing survey experience. Originally joining HuginX as a freelancer, she is now a regular contributor to site. When Andreea is not working with panel reviews, she enjoys old classic movies and she has a passion for baking.
What is YouGov?
The YouGov Panel is a survey site and mobile app operated by the London-based company YouGov, founded in 2000. It attracts around 13 million visitors per month, according to SimilarWeb.com. The platform is most popular in countries like the UK, USA, Germany, France, Italy, and Australia. Similar survey sites include Ipsos iSay and Kantar Lifepoints.
Is YouGov a legit survey site?
It is evident that YouGov can be considered a legitimate survey site and mobile app. They conduct genuine market research in a number of countries across the world and have a reputation for being a trustworthy company.
Furthermore, the fact that YouGov does not ask for financial information, such as credit card numbers, adds to its credibility. Legitimate survey platforms should never request sensitive financial data from their users, and YouGov seems to abide by this principle.
However, it’s essential to acknowledge the negative aspects highlighted in the review. The high payout threshold, particularly in the UK, could be seen as a drawback for users who prefer quicker rewards. Additionally, the relatively low compensation for some surveys may be a concern for those who expect more significant incentives for their time and effort.
While YouGov is legit and offers a variety of engaging features, users should be aware of its limitations. As with any survey site or mobile app, managing expectations is crucial. Participating in surveys can be an enjoyable way to express opinions and contribute to market research, but it might not be a quick way to earn substantial rewards.
Signing up with YouGov – how to get started
To start earning points, you simply need to register on the site. Then, after you’ve verified your email address, you’ll get a bonus for filling in your profiling information. Each survey and poll you complete earns you points, which you eventually can redeem for cash or gift cards to various online stores. When you have collected enough points to meet the redemption threshold, you can request a payment through bank transfer.
What about my personal data – are they safe?
YouGov is a high-profile market research firm, and would never do anything to risk breaching data privacy regulations such as GDPR. However, keep in mind that their business is all about sharing data. All the answers you provide in surveys and polls will be shared with YouGov’s clients anonymously, excluding your personal details such as email address and phone number. They will never sell your contact details for other companies to contact you with offers. If a client requires any of your personal information as part of the study (for example to send a product test to your home address), they will ask for your explicit consent before sharing your information.
What we like about YouGov is the fact that they’ve made it very easy for users to select their preferences when it comes to special categories of personal data:
By allowing panel members to select potential sensitive survey categories, you’re given more control over what is shared about you. As an example, if you would like to keep your health conditions confidential while taking surveys, you can de-select “Data about your health”, which means you’ll not receive surveys asking for your medical history or ailments. This is a great step in the right direction to give survey-takers more control of their own data, and something we would encourage other panel providers to replicate.
How much can I make taking surveys with YouGov?
You’ll get only 50 virtual points per YouGov poll. To redeem you need 5000 points (in the UK), so you’ll have to take 100 polls before you’re able to get your hands on your hard-earned cash…
YouGov Amazon Gift Voucher
YouGov has received a 4.1 out of 5 rating on trustpilot.com based on 1,528 reviews, a 4.3 out of 5 rating on Google Play Store based on 29,246 reviews, a 4.0 out of 5 rating on App Store based on 1,100 ratings, a 3.9 out of 5 rating on sitejabber.com based on 67 reviews, and a 4.0 out of 5 rating on g2.com based on 8 reviews.
The average reward received per survey for YouGov varies depending on the country, length, and topic. However, based on the public user reviews, I estimated that the average reward is around $0.50 per survey globally. This is calculated by dividing the total points earned by the number of surveys completed and then converting the points to cash value using the redemption rates for each country.
In the US, one point equals $0.01, and the minimum payout is $15 or 1,500 points. In the UK, one point equals £0.01, and the minimum payout is £50 or 5,000 points. In Australia, one point is equivalent to AUD $0.01, and the minimum payout is AUD $25 or 2,500 points.
Why is the payment threshold so much higher in the UK? Well, YouGov has a high profile in the UK as they are frequently mentioned in the news and political polling. YouGov has some advantages over other sites, such as having more interesting and relevant surveys, a higher survey completion rate, and a lower disqualification rate. YouGov also offers more ways to earn in the UK.
What’s for sure is that if you live in the UK, it will take ages before you see any cash in your account. Unfortunately, this means only the most eager survey-takers will see the benefit of staying signed up as a member of YouGov in the long run. If you’re an occasional survey-taker, you’re much better off looking for panel sites with a lower redemption level.
Additional earning possibilities
By sharing data from online services, such as streaming and shopping services you’ll be able to earn additional points. As an example, giving YouGov access to your Disney+ account in order to download your viewing history will earn you 75 points (£0.75) as a one-off bonus. Knowing how valuable your earning habits are for market research companies, we think £0.75 is quite disappointing in terms of reward size. It should at least be £0.75 per month of having access to your account.
You’ll only get £0.75 to share your complete viewing history per streaming channel…
Summary of YouGov’s surveys experience
Alright, let’s dive into the pros and cons of signing up for YouGov as a survey participant.
Positives.
On the positive side, there are some notable aspects that users might find appealing. YouGov covers a wide range of interesting topics in their surveys. From current events and politics to pop culture and consumer trends, they keep users engaged by offering diverse and thought-provoking content. This makes taking surveys more enjoyable and relevant to users’ interests.
YouGov’s survey interface is clean and minimalistic, making it easy for panellists to navigate the website. Their data policies are very transparent, and they’ve made an effort to give panellists more control over sharing sensitive data. YouGov is the highest-profile market research provider in the UK, and it’s fun to participate in political polls knowing that your answers might influence a news article appearing in the papers the next day. In terms of the rewards level, they are on par with similar panel companies, which usually means a payment of £0.50 – £1 per survey.Â
Another advantage is the high quality of the surveys. YouGov is a reputable market research company known for conducting legitimate studies. Users can feel confident that their responses contribute to meaningful research and have a real impact on various industries.
Negatives.
On the flip side, there are a few drawbacks that potential users should be aware of. One notable issue is the high payout threshold, particularly in the UK. Reaching the minimum amount required to cash out can take some time, which might be frustrating for users who are looking for quicker rewards.
Forcing panellists to take up to 100 surveys before being able to redeem their hard-earned rewards is borderline unethical in our opinion. Only the most eager survey-takers are able and willing to take up to 100 surveys before getting their reward. As a professional market research company, YouGov should understand that this is also not the best way to recruit a representative subset of the population.
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