Most people who start out doing paid surveys don’t make any money. The big reason for this is that they have simply joined the wrong survey sites. The best cash surveys make it easy to earn money with in a number of ways. This article explains how to spot them.

The first thing to do is make sure the site actually pays cash. Most do not. It pays, literally, to find out what the payment method actually is when you check the reward scheme. There are 3 basic options: PayPal, check or bank transfer. A few of the best sites even ask you your preference.

Some survey panelists are put off by check, especially if it is in a foreign currency. However, if you are in the UK you can pay foreign checks, typically in dollars, into your bank account with a charge of about £6.

After you sign up you should receive email invitations to take surveys. Before you begin, the invitation or site should inform you of the reward (points or money) and the time it will take. If it doesn't state this then you could be spending a lot of time for next to nothing. Knowing the time and reward lets you pick and choose the most worthwhile surveys and maximise your earnings.

You can't make money with cash surveys if you don't get enough survey invitations. This is another thing to check before registering. If the site pays poorly or is even mediocre and you can only expect one survey or so a month, then you are better off focusing your efforts elsewhere.

The last thing to find out is the payout threshold. Most websites will require you to reach a limit, usually in points, in your account before they pay. If this threshold is high then you might have to wait a long time before getting anything. One or two sites however, that pay via Paypal, do pay immediately for each completed survey.