7 Legit Product Testing Jobs For Free Stuff Or Extra Cash

Do you want to enter the product testing industry but are worried about fraud?

You have every right to be, as this enjoyable side hustle is growing in popularity, and scammers are taking advantage of it.

That’s why we’ve put together this guide to point you to seven legit product testing sites that’ll get you started on the right foot. We’ll also reveal some tips to help you boost your earnings!

What Is Product Testing?

Testing is essential in creating, enhancing, and marketing a product. It entails analyzing and evaluating a product’s quality, functionality, performance, and other features to ensure it meets the desired standards. 

Several companies conduct such assessments through consumer panels to gain a better understanding of how their potential customers think and react. 

This way, companies save a great deal of time and money as they now have a shortcut to what their market needs and ideas on how they can improve. 

And this approach is highly effective. Around 68% of businesses increased their sales by using market research, according to a Hanover Research study published in 2018.

Types of Product Testing Jobs

As you learn how to become a product tester, you’ll find out it’s not a standardized role; rather, it’s classified into different types. We’ve listed below the most common roles you’re likely to come across:

1. Concept Testing

If you’ve ever taken a survey to answer questions about a product that hasn’t yet been released, then you’ve participated in concept testing. 

Product owners use this type of testing to determine the viability of a new idea or feature before developing it. They do so through multiple channels, but the most used are surveys.

2. Market Testing

When a company develops a product but wants to test the waters in the market before releasing it, they resort to market testing. 

This strategy entails allowing only a select group of people to receive and test the product, sometimes in different geographic areas. Based on the feedback they gather, companies can better predict the success of their products in various markets.

3. A/B Testing

A/B testing, or split testing, is another type where you could receive items to try. Companies use this method when comparing two variations of a product or its components.

They send or show them to product testers to see which one they prefer. This allows product owners to identify the option that’ll appeal to the majority of their audience.

Top 7 Platforms to Find Legit Product Testing Jobs

To avoid falling into the hands of scammers in this industry, we’ve compiled a list of the best product testing sites that’ll deliver on their promises and pay you to test products.

1. McCormick & Company

If treating your taste buds and getting paid for it sounds appealing, you should join McCormick & Company’s consumer testing program. This company is well-known for producing flavors, spices, seasonings, and other tasty goods. 

Once you register for its program, it’ll store your information in its database and contact you if you match an upcoming test. You can take the test at its Maryland location or at home, and it’ll involve tasting many foods, beverages, and snacks.

How Much You Can Earn With McCormick & Company

According to the website, participants are compensated for testing products, but the exact amount depends on the type and duration of the taste test. We found out from previous participants’ comments that their pay can range between $30 and $75 per test.

Pros of McCormick & Company

Hands down, one of the super easy jobs out there is food tasting. It’s also quite profitable, especially given that the taste tests on this program usually take no longer than an hour. You also get to try new foods and influence their final flavor!

Cons of McCormick & Company

Product tests at McCormick aren’t a frequent thing. You can only participate four times per year, and after each participation, you’ll be ineligible for any tests for the next three months. 

Related: Other ways to get paid to test products at home

2. Pinecone Research

Pinecone Research is one of the product testing companies owned by Nielsen, a data and market measurement leader and co-owner of the National Consumer Panel (NCP). 

This website will mainly pay you to complete online surveys. These surveys will include questions about new or improved goods in various categories, such as homecare and beauty products. 

You could occasionally get physical products or food mailed to you, with a follow-up survey to get your feedback.

You’ll need to get an invite link to join this website. Through this link, you’ll enter some personal information, and if it matches any of its current studies, you’ll find tasks coming your way.

How Much You Can Earn With Pinecone Research

This website offers a minimum of 300 points per completed survey, which equates to $3. You can exchange your earnings for cash or prizes that include Amazon, Starbucks, and Walmart gift cards. 

Pros of Pinecone Research

Most product testers prefer sites with no cashout limit, and Pinecone Research is one of them. This means you can redeem your earnings at any amount. It’s also nice to see how flexible its payment options are, which include bank transfers, gift cards, free products, and more. 

The diversity of its surveys and tests also keeps things interesting and gives you a behind-the-scenes look at new products entering the market!

Cons of Pinecone Research

To become a member, you must find an invitation link, and it’s not always guaranteed that the company will get in touch with you. You see, it has specific profile requirements, and it doesn’t have this kind of information publicly available. 

3. BetaTesting

BetaTesting is one of the legitimate product testing websites helping businesses find product testers based on their specific criteria. 

You’ll get paid to test new apps, websites, and other tech products to provide feedback on their usability, bugs encountered, and other functionalities. 

How Much You Can Earn With BetaTesting

The pay for completing a task on BetaTesting ranges between $10 and $20.

Pros of BetaTesting

If you enjoy experimenting with technology, you’ll love working with BetaTesting. It deals with reputable companies, has a helpful and responsive team, and offers fair compensation. 

Another great thing about it is that it has no payment withdrawal limits, and some participants even reported receiving free products!

Cons of BetaTesting

There’s no guarantee you’ll be accepted to join the BetaTesting team; in fact, competition is fierce. Even if you’re accepted, you’ll find that the tasks are few and far between, as you can only be assigned a maximum of five tasks per month, or sometimes nothing at all.

4. JJ Friends & Neighbors

JJ Friends & Neighbors is a consumer testing program launched by the multinational corporation Johnson & Johnson. 

Enrolling in this program involves receiving free samples of products that haven’t yet been released to the market to get your feedback on them. This includes testing fragrances, mascara, dental floss, and a wide range of other products, all of which you get to keep! 

Although it has product tester jobs from home, there are also meet-up-required activities like joining focus groups and consumer panels.

How Much You Can Earn With JJ Friends & Neighbors

While its website doesn’t clearly state its pay range, we dug a little deeper and found that members could receive either money deposits or gift cards. The payments range from $5 to $200, with the average amount mentioned by members being $40. 

Pros of JJ Friends & Neighbors

This program is a great place to start product testing as it’s rewarding and diverse, involving everything from product testing to completing online surveys, among other things. 

Aside from the free stuff you’ll get from top brands, you might even make some extra cash. Many people also mentioned that they received money quickly for their paid tasks.

Cons of JJ Friends & Neighbors

We didn’t find a significant downside to JJ Friends & Neighbors except that sometimes it can be challenging to join this program.

5. American Consumer Opinion

American Consumer Opinion (ACOP) is a top-ranked market research firm. It pays you to test products, complete surveys, and participate in focus groups and other activities. 

The registration process is quite simple; all you have to do is create an account using your email address or a Google, Apple, or Facebook account, whichever you prefer.

How Much You Can Earn With American Consumer Opinion

There aren’t many product tester jobs on ACOP, and when they do appear, they come with varying pay; it can be cash or gift rewards. 

Since this site primarily focuses on online surveys, it has the earnings for these available. You can take short surveys and earn 5-10 points, or longer surveys and earn 100-5,000 points. The ACOP point is worth one cent, and the minimum cashout amount is $10. 

Pros of American Consumer Opinion

We like how it doesn’t restrict its members to a single source of income; you can juggle multiple tasks to earn more rewards. 

You can also redeem your profit in several ways. It can be through PayPal, Hyperwallet, Sweepstakes (using your points, you can enter this event and win lucrative prizes if you win), or even donating it to charity!

Cons of American Consumer Opinion

We have to say the flow of paying tasks on this site was quite unpredictable. Months may pass when only a limited number of surveys are available. 

The withdrawal limit on earnings is also a major drawback.

6. NetGalley

For all book lovers out there, NetGalley is a website that’s certainly worth checking out! Once you become a member, you’ll join fellow readers and industry professionals. 

What happens is that you can request unpublished books to read and provide honest feedback on. The catch here is that you must learn the tips and tricks that’ll help you increase your approval rate by authors and publishers.

How Much You Can Earn With NetGalley

You don’t get paid to read books on NetGalley. However, you get to discover new books before they’re published, review them, and even keep them! 

Pros of NetGalley

You’ll get exclusive opportunities to receive books you’ve been wanting to read or for one of your favorite authors just in exchange for your feedback.

Not to mention that by participating in such a focused community, you’ll enhance your book-reviewing skills and uncover aspects of the industry you didn’t know about.

Cons of NetGalley

The fact that no fee is offered can turn away many people. You must also have a strong profile for your book requests to be approved. That’s why if you’re just starting out, it may take some time to receive books.

7. Influenster

Influenster is a platform that helps brands in various industries promote their goods. It does so through its massive network of reviewers and influencers. 

It’s mainly a website where you can read product reviews, but it also matches its clients with relevant influencers who can help them increase their brand exposure. 

When this match occurs for you, you’ll get multiple free products or a VoxBox and will be required to test and share your thoughts on them, primarily through your social media accounts.

How Much You Can Earn With Influenster

You won’t get paid to test products on Influenster, but you get to keep them.

Pros of Influenster

Receiving branded products for free is quite tempting and may even increase your fan base! We also like the diversity in the brands Influenster partners with; you’ll find it in beauty and personal care, food and beverage, healthcare, and other industries. 

Cons of Influenster

This website won’t be much of help if you don’t have many followers on your social media accounts. Brands target members with a large following base to send them a VoxBox, so you’re unlikely to receive free products if you don’t have one. 

What You’ll Need for Product Testing

To shape yourself into a successful product tester, you’ll need to be equipped with the following three things: 

• Attention to Detail: Most of the time, companies will pay you to meticulously inspect products for minor details before the major ones. You’ll need a keen eye for detail to ensure you provide the type of feedback they want, and that’ll encourage them to send you more tests.
• Relevant Industry Knowledge: Several websites will favor testers with industry experience over others. That’s why it’s always better to target sites offering tests on products you’re familiar with; for example, it could relate to your profession or a brand you frequently use, etc. 
• Writing Skills: The more accurate and detailed your writing about your observations, the more likely product owners will want to collaborate with you. 

Tips to Succeed at Product Testing Jobs

Now, allow us to share with you some time-tested tips to help you up your game at product testing and increase your earnings:

• Create a Separate Email Address: To ensure you don’t miss any invites or testing opportunities, set up a professional email account specifically for product testing applications.
• Join Several Programs: Participating in one product testing website won’t make this side hustle profitable, but joining multiple programs will. That way, you’ll have access to more tests which translates to more money.
• Check Confidentiality Terms: Always look for and carefully read the confidentiality terms of any program to avoid unpleasant scenarios. For example, in most cases of testing products that aren’t yet released, you must be discreet about them or risk being removed from the program.

Similar jobs

Here are a few more ideas for simple gigs you can do from the comfort of your home and get paid for:

• Watch Ads for Money: Earn up to $200 per month just by watching advertisements; learn about all the websites that offer this now!
• Get Paid to Play Video Games: Discover legit ways to turn your video gaming hobby into a lucrative source of income.
• Get Paid to Write Amazon Reviews: Do you want to make an easy $73.89 per hour? Learn how to get started as an Amazon product reviewer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wrapping Up

All the product testing websites we’ve listed are trustworthy, so you only need to choose a few that meet your current goals. 

Remember to proceed with caution when dealing with unknown sources, especially if they demand payment in exchange for product tests. 

We’d love to hear what you think of this guide, and if you found it informative, don’t forget to share it!