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Did you know you could get Google to pay for some of your favorite apps, games, or in-app purchases? I use the same trick to get my Google One cloud storage subscription for free. I’m talking about taking advantage of the official Google Opinion Rewards app, where you answer a few quick surveys and get Google Play Store or PayPal credit.
What to Know About Google Opinion Rewards
This is more of a PSA than anything, as Google’s mobile survey tool has been around for years. If you’ve heard of it, you probably forgot it existed. And, for everyone else, you’ll be happy to learn that it’s an easy way to earn a few bucks a month to buy apps or pay for subscriptions.
For starters, Google Opinion Rewards is an app and rewards-based program developed by Google. It’s available for both Android and iOS, and all you have to do is answer simple questions or surveys while you’re out and about during the day. After each survey, you earn money.
Download: Google Opinion Rewards for Android or iOS
Once you open the app and sign in, you can sync it to your Gmail account and earn cash to use on the Google Play Store. On iOS, it uses PayPal for fund transfers. That said, it certainly works a little better on Android.
You’ll get surveys based on places you go, recent Google searches, YouTube video watch history, or shopping situations. For example, if I go into a gas station or select retailers, I’ll usually have a survey waiting for me within 24 hours. Or, I’ll get asked if the results of a recent Google search were helpful. Sure, some users won’t like the idea of Google tracking their every move, or want to give them even more information about whether they made a purchase or not. But, if you’re okay with it, you’ll reap some fun benefits.
Most surveys are a question or two and only take about 5–10 seconds to complete. You’ll instantly see the reward, which typically ranges anywhere from $0.10 to $.80 cents. Over the years, I’ve received upwards of $1.20 USD from a single survey, but they’re typically between $.10 and $0.40 in my case.
Expect multiple surveys a week, and if they start to slow down, you can head into settings and add your age, change the location, or expand your location history. This ensures the app has a better idea of your location. As a result, it’ll serve up more surveys, and you’ll get paid.
How and Where to Spend Your Opinion Rewards Credit?
Each time you answer a survey and earn money, it’ll instantly appear in your Google Play balance. You can easily use those credits to purchase Android apps, games, movies, TV shows, books, and select other items from the Play Store. On the iPhone, you’ll be able to use it anywhere that accepts PayPal.
More importantly, since the Opinion Rewards money goes into your Play balance, you can use those credits for in-app purchases or pay for subscriptions like Disney+, YouTube Music, or Google One. I easily earn between $3-5 per month, which completely pays for my Google One cloud storage. Then, when I want to buy a new app or buy something from my favorite game, I use my earnings.
I currently have a balance of over $18, and the app shows your total earnings, confirming I’ve received over $200 total just by answering a few questions. I don’t know about you, but with everything being more expensive than ever these days, it’s nice to let Google pay for a few things.
For those who’ve never heard of Google Opinion Rewards, give it a try today. For anyone who tried it years ago, it might be worth downloading again. Make sure the Google Opinion Rewards app is updated and has full access to your location history, and check it often to see if there’s a survey ready and waiting.
As a bonus tip—tell the truth. You’ll occasionally get asked if you “visited any of these stores,” and if you didn’t, say no instead of answering a question anyway. The app likely knows if you’re telling the truth or not, and you’ll get more accurate and additional surveys in the future.
Last but not least, your rewards can and will expire eventually, so go ahead and buy that game or in-app purchase.