Points2Shop
Points2Shop Review
Points2Shop is a classic online survey site hosted on the Cint survey platform, offering respondents virtual points in return for their opinions. We’ve taken an in-depth look at Points2Shop to see if the time it takes to answer surveys translates into fair compensation.
Andrew: Andrew is one of our reviewers who’s been with HuginX the longest. With a background in membership support at one of the largest survey companies, Andrew has a lot of inside knowledge of the Market Research industry and has helped us refine our reviewing criteria. When Andrew is not working with reviews, he likes to go hiking with his dog Charlie.
Is Points2Shop legit?
Yes, Points2Shop is a legit survey site operated by the Swedish panel platform Cint Group AB. Cint is a public company traded on the Stockholm stock exchange and has operated in the market research industry for more than a decade. The company is also a member of the organisation Insights Association, which aims to uphold professional standards within the market research industry.
What’s the concept?
Signing up to Points2Shop is simple and free, and users can start earning points immediately. These points can be redeemed for a variety of rewards, including gift cards and cash.
The concept behind Points2Shop is based on the fact that market research is an essential component of many businesses. By gathering data on consumer opinions and preferences, companies can make informed decisions about product development, advertising, and branding.
The revenue generated by Points2Shop’s owner Cint Group AB also funds the rewards you get as a respondent to surveys. This creates a win-win situation for both parties. While users get the chance to earn rewards for their time and opinions, Cint gains valuable insights which they can sell to their market research clients worldwide.
Accounts frequently blocked
Points2Shop has gained a reputation for frequently suspending user accounts based on suspicions of dishonesty, invalid responses, or inattentiveness during survey participation. This practice aims to prevent the inclusion of low-quality or misleading data within the company’s research efforts, but it also elicits frustration from its users.
From a user perspective, the frequent suspension of accounts on such grounds can be highly frustrating. Participants invest time and effort in completing surveys, hoping to earn rewards or contribute to valuable research. However, the suspicion of dishonest or inattentive answers leaves them feeling unfairly targeted and their efforts discredited.
Users may perceive the account suspension as an accusation of misconduct without clear evidence, which can result in disappointment, loss of trust, and a sense of being unjustly treated.
Example of a frustrated Points2Shop user ending up with a suspended account without further explanations.
On the other hand, from the company’s perspective, the frequent suspension of accounts serves a purpose in maintaining data quality and ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the survey results. The owner of Points2Shop, Cint Group AB, has previously reported of a significant volume of invalid survey responses. Cint endeavours to collect genuine, truthful responses to provide meaningful insights to their clients.
By scrutinizing user accounts and suspending those suspected of providing dishonest, invalid, or inattentive answers, the company aims to safeguard the integrity of its research. Avoiding the inclusion of misleading or low-quality data helps them deliver valuable and actionable information to their clients.
From an objective standpoint, Points2Shop’s practice of suspending accounts based on suspicion is a delicate balancing act. While it aims to maintain data integrity, it runs the risk of alienating users who may feel unfairly targeted or wrongly accused. Striking a balance between preventing fraudulent activities and maintaining user satisfaction is crucial for the long-term success and credibility of the platform.
Frustrating user experience
One of the most frequent complaints about Points2Shop and the Cint platform in general, is the inefficient matching of surveys with respondents. This is also something we experienced, getting screened out of surveys again and again.
Attempting to take surveys without being able to qualify can be an exercise in mounting frustration and disappointment. Each attempt starts with a glimmer of hope, only to be quickly extinguished by a series of disqualifications. The process becomes a frustrating cycle of answering preliminary questions, investing time and effort, only to be met with a disheartening message stating that the participant does not meet the desired criteria.
The frustration deepens as one realizes that the disqualifications are often arbitrary or subjective, leaving participants perplexed and questioning the purpose of the screening process. Hours can be wasted on surveys that abruptly halt due to incompatibility, rendering the time and energy invested completely fruitless with a minimum of rewards earned.
Earning rewards
Rewards come in the form of PayPal payments or gift cards from popular retailers such as Amazon.
However, users may be disappointed to learn that the average pay per survey on Points2Shop is just $0.30. This means that users would have to complete a significant number of surveys before they can reach the $5 threshold required to redeem their rewards.
To put this into perspective, users need to complete an average of 17 surveys to reach the $5 redemption threshold. With each survey typically awarding only a few points, it can be a slow and tedious process to accumulate enough points to redeem any rewards.
Also, keep in mind most survey attempts will end in failure on Points2Shop. In our experience, we only qualified for 1 out of every 3 surveys we attempted to take. This adds to the frustration of wasting time in return for very little reward.
On the positive side, the redemption options cover PayPal payments or gift cards, which are the most popular redemption options. However, that is not much of a help if you don’t meet the minimum payment level of $5.
Note that Cint Group AB, the company behind Points2Shop is operating a number of survey websites. In reality, these are just differently branded landing pages all leading to the same platform. Other Cint panels include:
Points2Shop PayPal proof of payment from site owner Cint.
Pros and cons
Signing up to Points2Shop, like any other survey site, has its pros and cons:
Pros:
On the positive side, Points2Shop offers a variety of surveys on different topics ranging from shopping habits to medical ailments. If you’re a curious type of person, you’ll find it interesting to see what type of topics brands and businesses are covering through market research.
Another advantage is that it offers users the option to receive cash payments through PayPal. Additionally, Points2Shop has a transparent point system, where each point is worth $0.01, and users can track their earnings and points easily on the platform.
It is also worth noting that Points2Shop is a member of the Insights Association, an international organization that sets ethical and professional standards for the market research industry.
Cons:
On the negative side, the compensation for completing surveys on Points2Shop is relatively low. The average pay per survey is $0.30, and users have to accumulate a minimum of $5 in rewards before they can redeem them.
Furthermore, Points2Shop is known to be quick to block accounts, often without warning or explanation. This can be frustrating for users who have put time and effort into completing surveys or other tasks.
One of many complaints of Points2Shop on Trustpilot describing how their account was suspended.
On paper Points2Shop offers a variety of earning opportunities and cash payments. However, users should be aware of the platform’s limitations, such as low compensation, quick account blocking, and dated design.
Top Rated Panels
- Transparent payment system
- Low redemption level
- High incentives compared to regular consumer survey sites
- Good selection of payment options
- Interesting survey opportunities
- High qualification rate
- Simple user interface
- Surveys are not always mobile-friendly
- Complex questions which can take a lot of concentration and time to fill out
- High quality survey experience
- Interesting surveys on trending topics
- You always qualify for surveys (once signed up)
- Well paid survey opportunities
- Tablet and free internet service offered to households without internet access
- Not possible to sign up without a special invitation
- Not too many survey opportunities (2-5 per month)
- Easy to qualify
- Variety of topics and activities
- Informative and interesting surveys
- Excellent helpdesk
- Fast and easy PayPal payments
- High payout threshold
- No join-bonus
- Owned by one of the largest market research companies
- Above average payout per survey
- A low threshold to redeem rewards
- Easy to qualify for surveys
- Low volume of survey opportunities
- Technical glitches using the Pinecone Research app
- No payout threshold
- Gives loyalty credit if you do not qualify for a survey
- Above-average incentive levels
- Limited earning opportunities
- Hard to qualify and low pay for partner surveys
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