Survey Squad Review (2025 Update) – Legit Qualitative Community, But Invites Are Scarce

Survey Squad built its reputation on matching everyday consumers with moderated focus groups that pay $75 to $200 per session. The community is still active in 2025, but several behind-the-scenes changes have trimmed invitation volume and shifted how you redeem incentives. If you are thinking about applying, use this guide to understand how the program works today and whether it still fits your earning strategy.

Survey Squad at a glance

• Owner: Sago (formerly Focus Forward), a global market research supplier headquartered in New York.
• Primary work: Remote and in-person focus groups, individual interviews, diary studies, and occasional online communities.
• Average pay: $75–$150 for 45–90 minute qualitative sessions; quick screener surveys typically pay $1–$3.
• Payout options: Digital gift cards or PayPal through the Tremendous platform, usually delivered within seven business days after participation is verified.
• Availability: Open to U.S. and Canadian residents age 18+, with a heavy focus on metropolitan areas and niche professional backgrounds.

What happened to Survey Squad?

Focus Forward rebranded under the Sago umbrella in 2023, and the company migrated most of its respondent management tools to Sago's consolidated portal in early 2024. Survey Squad remains the public-facing name for consumer recruitment, but legacy logins now redirect you to a Sago-branded dashboard. The biggest implication for members is that study invites may arrive from multiple sender addresses (for example hello@sago.com or participate@focusfwd.com), so you need to whitelist the entire domain to avoid missing opportunities.

The transition also tightened quality controls. Applicants now complete a detailed onboarding questionnaire covering employment, household income, healthcare usage, and purchase habits. Sago compares every screener response to your profile, and inconsistencies can disqualify you immediately. It is better to update your profile when your situation changes than to try to fit into a study that is not a match.

How the community works in 2025

Once your profile is approved, you will periodically receive short screeners. These are unpaid or low-paid questionnaires (usually 10–20 demographic questions) that determine whether you qualify for a more lucrative study. Most focus groups take place over Zoom with webcams on, while product tests or ethnography projects may require uploading photos or journaling over several days. Sago uses Calendly-style booking links so you can select a time slot; spots disappear fast, so respond within minutes if you see a good fit.

Survey Squad does not maintain a public job board, and there is no mobile app. Everything happens by email and the respondent portal. Because clients are looking for specific personas—such as electric vehicle owners, cybersecurity managers, or parents of toddlers—you might go weeks without a match and then receive three invitations in one day. Treat it as a bonus earner rather than a daily source of cash.

Payout methods and timelines

After you complete a session, the moderator submits attendance to the project manager. Payments are processed in weekly batches through Tremendous, which lets you choose from PayPal, Visa prepaid cards, Amazon, Target, Starbucks, and dozens of other retailers. Expect delivery within seven business days, though brand-new members may experience an additional verification call on their first redemption. If two weeks pass without a reward email, reply to your project confirmation thread with the study ID to trigger a manual check.

Keep in mind that taxes are your responsibility. Sago issues 1099 forms to U.S. members who earn $600 or more in a calendar year. Save the payment confirmation emails so you can reconcile your totals at tax time.

Realistic earning potential

High payouts per session make Survey Squad enticing, but invitation scarcity keeps average monthly income modest. Most long-term members report completing two to four studies per quarter, translating to $300–$500 a year. Professionals in medical, financial, or enterprise IT roles see higher demand and can cross $1,000 annually if they are responsive.

The best way to improve your odds is to specialize. Make sure your profile captures certifications, software tools you use, and brands you purchase regularly. If a screener asks for proof—like a business card or product receipt—have those files ready so you can upload them before slots fill.

Eligibility and account requirements

You must be at least 18 years old and live in the United States or Canada to join. Sago will request a mobile phone number for two-factor authentication, and you should plan to take studies from a quiet location with a reliable broadband connection. Only one account is allowed per household, and VPNs or proxy services are blocked. If you fail to attend a booked session without notice, your account can be suspended for 90 days or removed entirely.

Periodically review your profile to confirm your employment status, household composition, and technology inventory. Dormant accounts that have not completed a study in 12 months may stop receiving emails until you log in and submit an availability update.

Pros and cons

Tips to land more invites

• Complete every profiling module. New modules appear quarterly in the portal; finishing them keeps your status active and surfaces new study categories.
• Respond quickly to screeners. Add key sender domains to your contacts and enable push notifications so you can reply within minutes.
• Be camera-ready. Many projects require webcams, so test your lighting, audio, and background before sessions to avoid last-minute cancellations.
• Track your studies. Maintain a spreadsheet with dates, topics, and payment status. It helps you follow up politely if a reward email is delayed.

Better qualitative research alternatives

• Respondent – Specializes in expert interviews paying $40–$200 per hour with transparent project boards.
• Recruit and Field – Long-running recruiter with frequent consumer and healthcare studies.
• FocusGroup.com – Operated by Sago as well, but features a public dashboard and more consumer-friendly topics.
• UserFeel – Offers remote usability tests that pay $30 for 20-minute website feedback sessions.

Final verdict

Survey Squad is still legit in 2025, yet it functions best as a supplementary source of qualitative work. Apply if you have specialized experience and can react quickly to screeners, but do not rely on it for regular income. Combine it with transparent boards like Respondent or FocusGroup.com so you always have another opportunity ready when Survey Squad is quiet.