How to Get Paid to Review Products

Have you ever wanted to try out the latest gadgets, beauty products, or even food items before they hit the market? Do you love sharing your opinions and insights? If so, you’re in luck. Companies today are more eager than ever to understand their potential customers. And they’re willing to pay people like you to review their products to gather valuable market research.

Getting paid to review products is an exciting way to earn some extra money while indulging in new experiences. As a product tester, you get to sample items ranging from tech gadgets to snack boxes, depending on the testing platform and campaign. All you have to do is provide honest, constructive feedback that companies can use to refine their offering.

But how do you get started receiving free products to evaluate and making money doing it? This guide will walk you through some of the top websites and panels to join to start getting paid to review products.

1. Influenster

Influenster is one of the most well-known product testing community. The site partners with big brands across beauty, food, home goods, and more. Members of its panel receive complimentary products in exchange for reviews.

Types of free products members get include:

• Makeup and skincare
• Haircare
• Perfume
• Food like candy and snacks
• Household cleaning supplies
• Pet products

After trying samples, you’re expected to leave reviews about your experience with the product. Reviews can be left on Influenster’s website as well as sites like Amazon or Sephora.

The key benefit of Influenster is access to major, coveted brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills, TreSemme, and Kraft. Members also get the perk of receiving full or travel-sized products instead of one-time sample packets.

Influenster has over 4 million members and counting. Sign up is free and the site accepts members aged 13+.

2. BzzAgent

BzzAgent specializes in word-of-mouth and social media marketing campaigns. Members receive free, full-sized health, beauty, food, household items, toys, and more to try at home. In exchange, the brand expects you to share your experiences online and offline with friends.

The types of products you might receive include:

• Granola bars
• Makeup like lipstick or eyeshadow
• Coffee creamers
• Candles
• Toys and games

You share your reviews by posting on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. Brands depend on BzzAgents to get the word out to their networks in an authentic way. You can also leave reviews on BzzAgent’s website or sites like Amazon.

BzzAgent says over 2 million product testers have participated in its campaigns so far. Membership is free. The site accepts those aged 13+ living in the U.S.

3. Toluna

Toluna brings together product innovators and consumers like you to collaborate on new product development. Members get the chance to try out samples, take surveys, join live panel discussions, polls, and more. In exchange, you earn points that can redeemed for cash, contest entries, sweepstakes, and monthly prize drawings.

Panelists can expect to try products like:

• Food and beverages
• Beauty and personal care
• Pet products
• Household goods

Many surveys and product tests on Toluna take less than 15 or 20 minutes to complete. But the platform notes some activities like an online focus group could take a few hours and offer compensation accordingly. Payment can take 4 to 6 weeks via check or PayPal.

Toluna says it has over 17 million members across 38 countries. You must be at least 13 years old to join.

4. Smiley360

Smiley360 specializes in lifestyle product testing. Its community receives free stuff like kitchen appliances, snacks, personal care items, and more in the mail. Members test samples at home and share their authentic thoughts. Reviews are always honest – you aren’t required to post positive feedback to receive perks.

Some types of smileyboxes you might receive contain:

• Food like cereal, candy, coffee
• Beauty items like shampoo or lip gloss
• Kitchen tools like popcorn makers or panini presses
• Tech like speakers, tablets, or apps
• Baby products like diapers or formula

In exchange for the sample box to try at home, members complete activities like writing reviews, answering polls, posting photos, creating videos, and more.

Smiley360 has more than 900,000 members. You must be 18+ and live in the U.S. to apply for its community and start getting VoxBoxes.

5. House Party

At House Party, members host themed parties with friends for the chance to try trending products for free. Brands ship party hosts sample boxes to test and share. You provide your feedback to the brand, create social buzz, and earn rewards along the way.

Some types of parties and products you could expect include:

• Makeup parties with items like lipsticks or palettes to try
• Cooking parties with appliances like air fryers or new spices and sauces
• Baking parties with mixes, pans, and tools to whip up sweet treats
• Crafting parties with new arts supplies like paints or glue guns

While anyone 18+ can sign up for an account, you must get selected to host an actual party and receive product samples. Brands look for hosts that are social media savvy, creative, and willing to generate excitement around trying new products.

In exchange for throwing a themed testing event with friends and sharing your reviews publicly, hosts can earn rewards like Amazon gift cards or free products.

6. Home Tester Club

Home Tester Club delivers free samples right to your door so you can try before you buy. Product tests span food and beverage, personal care, baby items, kitchen tools, and home goods. Brands rely on everyday consumers to test prototypes or new launches before investing in full production.

Types of samples you might receive include:

• Breakfast cereals or granola bars
• Shampoos, deodorants, toothpastes
• Dish soaps or laundry detergents
• Diapers or wipes
• Pet foods or treats

After trying the products at home, you fill out surveys sharing your feedback. Tests typically take between 5 to 30 days from start to finish. Members earn points for each one completed that can be redeemed for prizes or cash rewards.

Home Tester Club has sent over 2.5 million product samples so members in the U.S. and Canada since launching. You must be 18+ years old to qualify.

7. UserTesting

Do you love evaluating websites, apps, or software experiences? UserTesting pays everyday people to share their thoughts on digital products that are still in development.

Brands rely on user testers to identify issues and provide suggestions to refine their platform before launch. Members complete tasks like:

• Trying a website and giving thoughts on ease of use or navigation
• Downloading an app beta version and pointing out any glitches
• Testing new software and assessing if features make sense

Tests involve everything from recording your voice and screen to answering written questionnaire. Each activity pays a set fee ranging from $10 to over $100 based on difficulty and time required. Members are paid 7 days after successfully completing an available test via PayPal.

UserTesting has over 1 million registered testers and has delivered over 23 million ratings and reviews. Members must be at least 18 years old to sign up.

8. TryMyUI

TryMyUI is another popular website focused exclusively on usability testing. Every test involves interacting with a digital product like an app, website, or software and sharing where the experience excels or falls short.

Some types of tests you could be asked to complete include:

• Booking a mock flight online and giving feedback on the process
• Ordering a simulated pizza delivery on an app
• Providing thoughts on the workflow of business software

Most tests take about 15 to 20 minutes from start to finish. Compensation ranges from $8 to $50 per test depending on the complexity and estimated time commitment. TryMyUI pays via PayPal 7 days after completing an assessment.

TryMyUI has facilitated over 375,000 tests so far. Its tester panel includes over 70,000 members spanning consumer demographics. Members must be at least 16 years old to qualify.

9. Validately

Validately offers remote, flexible user testing opportunities on business tools, apps, websites, and more. When you join its tester community, you’ll receive email notifications when a new test matching your profile becomes available.

Some examples include:

• Testing the user experience of an airline’s updated website redesign
• Evaluating the ease-of-use of a smart home app
• Rating the simplicity of a project management software’s interface
• Providing feedback on a clinic’s new online patient portal

Members earn $10 per test which typically take 15 to 20 minutes. Payment is issued via PayPal 1 week after successfully completing a test.

Over 150,000 testers make up the Validately participant panel. You must be 18+ years old to qualify.

10. dScout

dScout approaches product testing from more of an anthropological lens. Every month, members receive smartphone diary missions related to a client’s research question around habits, preferences, or experiences.

You’ll capture photos, videos, audio clips, and journal entries over 2 to 5 days that give brands insight into your daily life. For example, past missions have asked participants questions like:

• How and when do you usually grocery shop during the week?
• What snacks do you reach for when satisfying hunger between meals?
• How do you determine which ingredients make it into a family dinner?

Missions pay up to $90 depending on what’s required over the project’s timeline. Participants are selected based on demographic factors like location, lifestyle habits, age, interests, and more to match available campaign needs.

dScout members must be 18+ years old. The network spans over 100,000 testers across the U.S and EU regions.

Signing Up for Product Testing Websites

If getting free samples delivered to your mailbox and paid for giving your thoughts sounds appealing, take the next step to sign up.

Head to two or three websites that seem the best fit based on categories or products you’d enjoy testing. Create member profiles highlighting your interests, demographics, social media presence, reviewing experience, and more.

The more complete your profile, the better chance you have of getting selected for coveted campaigns. Make sure to check your inbox and dashboard regularly for available testing opportunities.

When product samples do arrive, carefully read instructions from the brand about test duration, requirements, and compensation terms before diving in. Parameters can vary greatly from campaign to campaign. But as long as you follow directions and give thoughtful, honest feedback, you’ll be on your way to becoming a coveted product tester.

Conclusion

Getting paid to review products is an exciting side hustle. You get to indulge your inner shopaholic by sampling free stuff before anyone else. Whether you’re a trendsetter, early adopter, or casual consumer – your opinions hold tremendous value. Brands want to hear your thoughts so they can create even better products that people love.

So what are you waiting for? Browse some of the top websites featured in this guide and find a community to join today. Create your tester profile, check campaigns regularly, and before you know it – you’ll be trying out the latest innovations delivered right to your front door.