Is Octopus Group a Good Online Survey Site? Here’s my Review

I’ve used Octopus Group since January 2017 and regularly check they are still going well and paying as they always have.

They are the highest paying online survey site at $16.80 per hour.

This means, when you do a survey, you know exactly how much you will make. I explain this further below.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

This review is based on my experience over the past few years and feedback from readers.

Check the comments at the end for more.

Here is my full review and tips to make more with Octopus Group.

Is Octopus Group Really the Highest Paying Australian Online Survey Site?

I’ve been doing other online surveys since 2010 and can verify, Octopus Group pay the most.

Even if you get screened out you still get paid 10c for your time.

Recently, I was eligible for a few and only got screened out of 1 so they are fairly consistent.

Most other online survey sites have different rates for different surveys. Octopus Group has a system with a set rate per time so you know that whether a survey is 1 minute, 5 minutes or 20 minutes, the per-minute value is the same.

Meaning, just like your hourly wage, Octopus Group pays surveys properly in a set time per dollar manner ($0.28 per minute which is $16.80 per hour).

The amount of time for their surveys is quite accurate too.

However, if you get screened out, you spend a lot of time doing the start of a survey then getting screened out and only getting 10 cents.

Here are some recent examples:

How Much Will You Make?

This depends on how many surveys you get offered and completed as well as how many referrals you have or get who actively do surveys.

With the surveys, you make $0.28 per minute or $16.80 per hour (yes, you can get long surveys sometimes).

Since most online survey sites have a bad reputation for low pay, you can see how Octopus Group is different.

But they are the same as other survey sites in every other way.

A few surveys a month could easily add up to a few hundred or even over $1,000 a year.

How Do I Join?

It’s easy to join Octopus Group here and start making money with online surveys.

Simply fill in your details and be sure to do it accurately to get all the surveys relevant to you.

When you have an incomplete or incorrect profile, you don’t get as many surveys and can potentially be screened out which means you don’t make as much money.

Be honest and as detailed as you can so you get accurate surveys.

How is Octopus Group with Customer Service?

I have had an extremely mixed experience with Octopus Group customer service.

In general, they have been condescending but I eventually get things sorted and the error is theirs each time so far.

Hopefully, you don’t have to deal with their customer service but if you do, here are some of my experiences with it to give you an idea.

Update: August 2023, I needed to contact them due to some issues while I was overseas.

They were fast, efficient and polite. A significant change from before and my issue was sorted easily.

Having used them for years, customer service has been a bit up and down but seems to be good now.

At first, I found them to be decent until there were issues with payments but in the 5 years I’ve been using them I’ve only had to use customer service a few times.

A few times I contacted them about non-payments, they got quite rude and condescending, even when they were at fault.

Once, payments were not received so I contacted them a few days after I should have had it.

They gave me a snarky remark about it being a public holiday (this was a few days after so payments still should have been processed by the time I contacted).

Later, they emailed saying there was an error and the payments weren’t actually put in for processing.

So it was their mistake but they did not apologise. The snarky public holiday comment was both rude and incorrect.

Then when I asked readers for feedback, I was supplied numerous examples of condescending and rude emails, delayed replies and poor customer service.

I am sure when I had good service it was because I had referred so many to them.

I avoid having to deal with their customer service at all.

How do I make Money with Octopus Group?

There are 2 ways to make money with Octopus Group.

Firstly, do online surveys, provided you aren’t screened out. They can email you whenever there is a new survey relevant to you.

Also, you can log in regularly to check if you want to.

Secondly, referrals. Octopus Group pay you $2 for every referral after they have completed their first survey and then another $1 for each survey the referral completes, up to a total of $25 per referral.

As you can see when I started in 2017, it was small.

Now, I make much more both from surveys and referrals.

How long do Surveys take?

Surveys can be under a minute or I have seen surveys over an hour. You get to choose which ones you do though so if you prefer the shorter ones, only do those ones.

If you want to make more in one hit, do the longer ones.

How do I get paid?

Choose between cash or gift cards. Cash is deposited directly into the account of your choosing.

Cash out by Sunday for payments the following Monday, although it says on the site it can take up to 30 days.

I usually cash out on a Sunday afternoon but you can cash out any time and get paid the next day (Monday).

You simply log in, click on redemptions then choose if you want cash or a gift card.

Fill in the details, confirm by sending YES to their mobile number then it will be processed.

You can choose to let the money build up throughout the year then cash out for Christmas or school holidays or travel for the family.

There is a monthly cash-out limit though.

For gift cards, you can cash out $100 per day and it arrives immediately. By per day, they mean 24 hours.

If you cash out at 10am one day, you have to wait until after 10am the next day to do it again.

The value of gift cards is higher though because when you cash out $100, they only take $96.

Meaning you get a little extra rather than when you cash out with cash.

Stores including Woolworths are available with the gift cards too.

What are the cons?

The biggest issues for myself and readers have been getting screened out of surveys, thus wasting time.

Slow or condescending customer service is an issue for most I know as well.

Although, I have not had that issue for a few years now.

Travel and Surveys

Octopus Group are strict about ensuring you are a resident or in the country if doing surveys.

I logged into my account while in Vanuatu and got suspended because it flagged me as not being from Australia.

Once I proved I am from Australia and was simply travelling, my account was reinstated. It was done quickly and easily.

So if you are travelling, do not log into your account at all unless you want to be suspended and have to prove what you are doing.

Leave it until you get back and cash out then.

Overall View of Octopus Group

It is the highest paying, cash out is done on time and the gift cards are instant.

There are numerous surveys on offer and they are clear about how long they take and what you get paid.

Many readers say they get screened out regularly by Octopus Group. I get screened out of about 1/4 of them despite an accurate profile.

Overall, they are one of the better ones. No online survey site is amazing in my view and they won’t make you rich but this one has made me and many readers more than most online survey sites.

Sign up to Octopus Group for free here

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