Lifepoints is a popular survey site that offers anyone the chance to earn gift cards or PayPal vouchers for completing surveys. While most of us have encountered such survey sites, they often sound too good to be true.
Can you actually supplement your income simply by answering surveys about different products or brands? More importantly, is Lifepoints legit or just a scam designed to rip off unsuspecting users?
You’ve come to the right place for answers to these questions and more. We’re about to break down exactly what Lifepoints is and how it works before delving into an honest Lifepoints review.
Lifepoints is now one of many different online survey platforms operating around a similar framework. Throughout our reviews, we’ll give you an honest overview of what you can (and can’t) expect from such sites overall, as well as a look at how Lifepoints ranks against competitors such as Swagbucks and Survey Junkie.
Throughout our review, we’ve signed up for Lifepoints and other paid survey sites to give you a realistic view of what each has to offer. We’ll give you the lowdown based on our own experience to help you decide for yourself whether or not signing up is the right choice for you.
Lifepoints is one of many online market research sites that offer users the chance to earn points in exchange for filling out online surveys. The current platform was created in 2019 by merging former survey platforms MySurvey and GlobalTestMarket.
As a global test market research project, the Lifepoints community now includes users from over 40 countries.
But who is behind all the surveys? The survey site was set up by Lightspeed, a Kantar Group company first established as National Family Opinion in 1946. The advent of the Internet allowed the company to evolve into “the world’s largest custom research and analysis provider,” with decades of survey experience to back it up.
By utilizing online surveys, the site can now conduct market research for various companies by offering users rewards in exchange for taking surveys. For each survey you complete, you’ll earn reward points, which, in this case, are referred to as “Lifepoints” or LPs.
Once you rack up enough points, you can redeem them for Lifepoints rewards such as gift cards. If you prefer to redeem your points in cash, you can also opt for a PayPal payment. But how many points do you need to earn gift cards and other prizes?
This is where we get into the grey areas of many survey sites. This begs the question.
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If you think the ability to earn money by taking surveys sounds too good, rest assured you’re not alone. Here’s what you need to know about Lifepoints and other online survey sites.
While Lifepoints is a legitimate survey site, it’s not the kind of opportunity you’ll want to quit your day job to pursue. Lifepoints often offers users ten free “life points” or LPs just for signing up.
This sounds like a generous offer until you realize each point is worth roughly 1 cent. Unfortunately, this is also a fairly average rate among other survey sites.
That said, while Lifepoints is primarily geared toward having users answer surveys, some competing sites also offer additional ways to earn points. Swagbucks, for instance, offers users additional ways to earn points, such as shopping online.
Herein lies the key to deciding if signing up for the Lifepoints panel is worth it. If you love answering survey questions and don’t mind getting paid less than minimum wage, then Lifepoints may be for you.
It is a legit way to earn rewards like gift cards or small payouts to your PayPal account. Just understand that it’s definitely not going to make you rich.
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Now that you’re up to date on what you can expect from Lifepoints let’s take a closer look at the platform’s key features and how it works.
Signing up for Lifepoints is relatively easy and only takes a few minutes. Simply visit the Lifepoints website or download the Lifepoints app from Google Play or the Apple store.
To create a Lifepoints profile, you can enter your email address, create an account with your email address, or via your Facebook, Google, or Apple account.
Pro Tip: We highly recommend creating a separate email account to use specifically to sign up for Lifepoints or any other paid survey site. Such sites are not at all shy about sending you constant marketing emails.
While we definitely recommend using a separate email for survey sites, we can also attest that it will need to be one you can actually verify. We first attempted to sign up for a temporary email from TempMail, an awesome site for snagging a temporary 10-minute email address.
Lifepoints was able to spot our antics, however, and would not allow us to sign up until we created a new Gmail address. Once you enter your info, you’ll be asked to verify your email by clicking on a link that Lifepoints will send you.
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New Lifepoints members are then asked a number of questions to round out their profile. Some are legit questions about your demographics, income level, and how many people live in your household.
The idea here is to give Lifepoints an idea of the type of survey opportunities best suited for you.
Other questions you’ll be asked during the initial profile setup phase seem geared toward ensuring you’re not a robot.
Once you complete these questions, you’ll officially become a Lifepoints member and be directed to your account dashboard.
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The Lifepoints dashboard is sleek and easy to navigate compared to other survey platforms.
When you first log in, you’ll be given a “tour” of its most important features and highlights. The tour is pretty straightforward and will point out things such as:
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At this point, you’ll be able to start earning points for answering questions. Your initial options will include a few survey invites designed to learn more about you.
The health survey, for instance, will ask you questions similar to those you’d answer when signing up for a new doctor. Some of these can get pretty personal, but the survey is completely optional and does include a “prefer not to say” option.
Why does Lifepoints care whether or not you suffer from acne or anxiety? These questions are designed to create a database of go-to users for surveys about health-related products.
For instance, if a market research firm wants to get a feel for how their new acne cream is doing, it’s helpful to have a group of people standing by who may have actually used it.
There’s also a “more about you” questionnaire, which awards you one life point for every question you answer.
These questions ask about everything from your habits to your job title. While they may not explicitly state this, they are designed to gather more information about how much control you have over purchasing decisions both at work and at home.
They also attempt to get a feel for what kind of products you tend to buy or are likely to consider buying shortly. Filling out these questionnaires is an easy way to earn more points and may even help you qualify for more surveys.
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When you’re ready to take surveys, you can click on one of the survey options at the top of your dashboard, depending on which survey category you’d like to see. You’ll be presented with a list of options that display the number of life points you can earn and the approximate time it will take to complete each survey.
As you can see, surveys tend to pay out anywhere from 50 points on the low end to over 200 on the higher end. Many surveys offer more points for taking longer to complete.
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This is where things tend to get a bit dicey for many users. Completing surveys should be as easy as clicking on survey invitations you’re interested in, right?
Not so fast. Many available surveys require you to answer a whole round of qualification questions before you’re allowed to begin.
One of the more common complaints among users is that these questions often ask for the exact same information every time. You’ll be asked to verify everything from your age and location to your shopping habits.
For whatever reason, it seems that Lifepoints and other survey platforms have yet to develop a way to transfer your profile questions to these surveys. Even more frustrating is that you’ll often complete all the questions only to find out that you don’t even qualify for the survey.
Sometimes, you’ll be given a consolation prize, such as 2 Lifepoints, just for trying.
Regardless, such questionnaires often feel like an interrogation from the survey police and often increase the time you spend online to find a Lifepoints survey you qualify for.
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With enough determination, you’ll eventually find a survey on the Lifepoints app or website that you meet the requirements to complete. The surveys themselves are laid out in a sleek, easy-to-navigate fashion.
Some questions use a colorful click or drag-and-drop menu. Others are presented in a more traditional question-and-answer style.
The surveys we took all did a good job of presenting questions in various engaging formats. Once you complete a survey, your Lifepoints rewards will reflect the points you earned.
Be aware that you must actually complete surveys to earn Lifepoints. For instance, if you stop 15 minutes into a 20-minute survey, you’ll forfeit any points you may have earned.
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When you rack up enough points, you’ll enjoy a number of redemption options.
To redeem your points, just head to the rewards section of your dashboard. You’ll be presented with options, including how many points are needed to take advantage of each offer.
Taking advantage of the average $5 offer will require at least 550 points.
They do, indeed. It’s important to note that your points will be no more if you don’t participate in a Lifepoints panel, survey, or other site activity within 30 days of registration.
Additionally, Lifepoints’ terms state that points expire after 90 consecutive days of inactivity. For this reason, it may be best to cash out as soon as possible unless you habitually log on and earn points regularly.
Given this setup, it’s highly likely that Lifepoints never pays out many reward points.
New users often sign on expecting to make money, take a few surveys, and give up before earning enough Lifepoints to cash out.
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Now that we’ve covered how Lifepoints works and what new users can expect let’s break down the platform’s pros and cons. We’ll look at how Lifepoints compares to other survey sites and highlight the downsides potential users need to be aware of.
Lifepoints‘ most obvious pro is that it is actually a legitimate company that offers paid surveys. While some would argue that its tactics are a bit scammy, it’s not a scam in the sense that it will steal your personal or financial information.
The information you supply when you’re selected to participate in a survey panel is passed along anonymously. For more information, be sure to thoroughly review Lifepoints’ privacy and security policies.
As we covered above, even the best survey sites will not make you rich. They probably won’t even pay you what you’d earn, making minimum wage. If you understand, they’re not a bad way to make extra money or enjoy the odd gift card.
Anyone with an internet connection can sign up for the Lifepoints panel. If you spend much time online anyway, it’s a nice, free way to kill time.
The average Lifepoints panel could be geared toward anything from product testing reviews to questions on the latest social topics. While most surveys are designed to appeal to as many people as possible, Lifepoints still presents plenty of different topics.
Whether you’re out to score a free movie ticket, cup of coffee, or Amazon gift card, Lifepoints offers a nice range of rewards. How many surveys you’ll have to complete to earn various prizes can vary, depending on the gift card or reward in question.
It’s also nice that charitable donations are an option for anyone looking to make a difference from their mobile phone.
In all fairness, this particular downside is not limited to LifePoints. While online survey points are one way to make extra money or score gift cards, most will not even pay you minimum wage.
If you’re looking for an actual job, you’ll likely spend more time looking for work on sites like Flexjobs, Fiverr, or Upwork.
One of the most common customer complaints about Lifepoints is that it doesn’t regularly feature enough new surveys. This can make it hard to earn the points needed to actually earn money or qualify for gift cards.
Competitor sites like Survey Junkie tend to be a bit more popular due to their tendency to keep the surveys coming.
While Lifepoints exclusively focuses on surveys, competitor sites like Swagbucks offer users more opportunities to earn points and save money. In addition to surveys, Swagbucks also lets users earn points for shopping online, watching videos, and playing free games.
Swagbucks gives customers more ways to earn extra money. It also includes cashback offers and coupons that allow members to save money online and in stores.
While Lifepoints has generated enough positive reviews to stay afloat, its average SiteJabber ranking was 2.87 out of 5 stars. Ouch!
Many of these negative Lifepoints reviews claimed that the site’s customer service team was unpredictable and unresponsive. A worrying number of users racked up many points, only to be locked out of the site for reasons never explained to them.
We don’t claim to offer professional advice. However, such reviews make anyone think twice about waiting to earn more money before cashing out as soon as possible.
Welcome to the moment of truth. Here, we’ll consider our own product testing experience and all we’ve learned about Lifepoints and how it works.
We’ll then rank the survey platform in a number of different categories to give you a better idea of how it stacks up.
Overall, ease of use is probably Lifepoints’ biggest strength. The sign-up process is relatively hassle-free, especially considering that users can opt to create an account with their Apple, Google, or Facebook accounts.
The dashboard is also incredibly straightforward – so the introductory virtual tour is almost completely unnecessary. There’s only one reason we didn’t give Lifepoints a full five stars in this category.
We found ourselves among the many users who found the qualification process for individual surveys incredibly frustrating. Given the vast amount of information that Lifepoints collects about each user, it seems odd that they haven’t found a way to transfer that data to individual surveys.
Given the rapid advances in technology over the last few decades, it seems a bit absurd to require users to undergo continual screening processes for each new survey. In Lifepoints’ defense, however, they are far from the only survey platform guilty of the inconvenience.
Unfortunately, one of the main reasons Lifepoints is so straightforward is that it offers little. Users’ options for earning more points are limited exclusively to surveys.
Sites like Swagbucks offer not only more ways to score points but cashback offers that can also translate to savings. While Survey Junkie is also predominately geared toward surveys, it tends to offer far more options than Lifepoints’ limited opportunities.
Few businesses these days have managed to avoid at least one scathing online review from an angry customer. We get it – everyone has off days, including customers and companies.
However, the number of complaints that Lifepoints has generated on sites like SiteJabber and Survey Police is worrying. In all fairness, however, the platform’s reviews fare much better on Google Play and Trust Pilot.
Given that Lifepoints is completely free, how do we justify giving it a 2? In this instance, the value comes down to how much money you can earn for the time you put in.
As we’ve stressed, Lifepoints is not necessarily unique in terms of online survey platforms. But before you put in the time and energy needed to earn even the lowest gift card option available, it’s important to understand what you’re getting into.
Between taking the time to fill out survey qualification questions and actually completing the surveys, you’ll likely end up earning anywhere between $2-$3/hour. It’s also important not to rely on being able to click through the surveys without actually paying attention to the questions.
Lifepoints are set up to detect this kind of behavior and may flag you if you provide inconsistent answers or don’t catch a question designed to ensure you’re paying attention. The platform may then lock you out of your account.
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Overall, we give Lifepoints an average score of 2.75 based on several factors. While the company isn’t necessarily a scam, it’s not an easy way to earn money, and there are currently better alternatives.
While marketing companies used to set aside huge budgets for product testing, survey platforms have made it easy for them to get the same results for a factor of the cost. Admittedly, this is a solid tactic, but it also comes at the cost of underpaying users for providing valuable feedback.
Other survey companies compensate for this by offering users things like coupons or cashback rebates. Lifepoints, however, still exclusively offers surveys—far fewer than many competing platforms.
Additionally, users are forced to waste time filling out questionnaires simply to determine if they are eligible for certain surveys that appear on their dashboards. Being disqualified can be frustrating, especially when you’re awarded 2 Lifepoints (the equivalent of 2 cents) for your efforts.
We also found Lifepoint’s points expiration policy fairly ungenerous. While it may be an attempt to keep users active, it comes across more as an underhanded way to avoid making payouts.
Points earned by new users can expire in as little as 30 days, while those of established members will vanish after 90 consecutive days of inactivity. Survey Junkie’s points, on the other hand, won’t expire unless you haven’t logged in for a solid year.
Whether or not Swagbucks is right for you will largely depend on what you sign up expecting to achieve. If you approach it as a way to earn a little extra money or a few free gift cards in your spare time, then you may end up loving it.
After all, it’s not a bad way to keep yourself entertained in your log bus community home or while you watch Netflix. But if you hope to substantially increase your income, you’ll likely be disappointed.
Even if you do decide to go all out and attempt to earn a ton of gift cards, you may also want to consider signing up for sites like Survey Junkie and Swagbucks as well. That way, you’ll never run out of surveys to take, even on days when Lifepoints is running low on opportunities.
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Last updated: August 20, 2024
