Branded Surveys (MintVine) Review: Does It Live Up to The Hype?

Branded Surveys was known as Mintvine until November 2017. The company recently rebranded.

According to the press release, this was done to more clearly communicate in the name the mission of the company, and also to showcase the changes that have been made.

The goal of the company in relation to panelists is to provide a more consistent user experience.

One way of doing this was to re-engineer their data collection systems in an effort to better match panelist to surveys.

The company also says users should see improvement in payment processing times, meaning the long wait for rewards after redemption should be drastically cut down.

The changes have only been implemented for a few weeks, so only time will tell if they have been successful.

In the meantime, we can take a look at what the company had been doing, what has worked in the past, and what may need some improvement.

History

Taking a peek at the history of the company often helps to get a feel for what it may be like to work with them. For example, Branded Surveys is owned by Branded Research, Inc.

This is a well-known marketing firm overseas, and they are a member of the ESOMAR (European Society for Opinion and Market Research.)

I had some trouble finding how long they have been around, but they are known, and they are big.

With over 2.8 million surveys completed by the panelist in 2016 and over 1.7 million panel members across the UK, US, and Canada, they must be doing something right.

When trying to determine if a survey company is legit, age, size, and professional memberships are good indicators. Branded Surveys meets at least two of these.

What People Say?

As MintVine, they had a B rating on the BBB website, which is respectable! On various rating sites, you get the regular mixture of good, bad, and indifferent that you tend to get with survey sites.

Some have great experiences, some hate it, and some see it as pretty middle of the road.

In truth, it all comes down to expectations. Those that do not take the time to read all of the information or who are looking to make a living taking surveys are going to be disappointed.

This shows up in their reviews.

Those that only want to do surveys for fun and maybe earn some cool rewards in the process are the ones that seem to like Branded Surveys really.

It is likely this mix is why they have a 3.28 out of 5 stars on BBB.org. This is actually a great rating for this type of company.

Signing Up

The sign-up process as Branded Surveys is quick and easy. They do not ask for any information that is unexpected or shady, and the website is nice to look at and easy to use.

Once you are all signed up, you will need to check your email. They will send you a message, and you must click through the link in the email to activate your account.

The next step is to start the profiling survey. This is how they gather basic information to determine which surveys are the best fit for you.

You do not have to fill it out, but you should. Not only will it help you waste less time taking surveys that you do not qualify to complete, but you will also be rewarded with 100 points.

One last note about signing up. You just have to be over 13, so this is one of the few that is available to minors.

How to Earn Rewards?

In addition to surveys, you can earn points toward rewards through daily polls, referrals, and local deals.

Daily Polls

This is a quick and easy way to increase your points balance. They will earn you 5 points per poll, and they only take a few seconds.

There is usually only one a day, but if you make sure to do it each day it can add up.

Local Deals

This is one area where I am not that impressed. I take that back. It is kind of neat, but you need to know what you are really getting.

You know those group coupon sites like Groupon and LivingSocial? Well, local deals on Branded Surveys is similar. You can get discounts on local dining and recreation.

Here is the tricky part. It easy to think these are special or unique deals to the site. They are not. They are the same deals that are available on the other group coupon sites.

The awesome part is, if you are going to purchase such a deal, you can do it through your Branded Surveys account and get points for it. I am not aware of another survey site that has this option.

There are a few that offer bonus points for shopping online with them, but this is the only one that I know with a “local deals” type set up.

It is a nice option, but the deals are not unique to panel members.

Referrals

The referral program at Branded Surveys is really good. For each person that you refer that signs up with your referral code, you will receive 15% of their points from surveys and offers.

If you get a lot of referrals, this could really add up as well.

What about the Surveys?

As soon as I signed up, I had a survey available. I gave it a shot and was able to get all the way through.

I even got a screen that said: “completed.” Then, I got a message that said it was either already completed or terminated and I got no points.

I have since taken other surveys without the same issue, so I am thinking it was just a fluke thing.

Most of the surveys appear to take between 10 and 20 minutes, and points earned per survey are variable. It depends on what the company using the survey wants to offer.

If you do disqualify for a survey while you are taking it, you will be rewarded with 5 points. This is generous. Some sites offer nothing if you disqualify.

In addition, the new platform uses your answer to the questions on surveys you are kicked out of to help better match you with surveys in the future.

I noticed there were not nearly as many surveys available to me on this site as there are on others. It turns out this is also due to the new platform.

It is supposed to be better at matching you to surveys that you qualify to complete.

How about Rewards?

You can cash out your points for rewards when you reach 1000 points. This equals $10, which can be paid directly to your PayPal, Branded Pay, or Dwolla account.

For those that do not use PayPal, it is nice to see that there are other options for online cash payment.

There is also an option to trade in points for gift cards if you prefer.

How Long does it Take to Get Paid?

In the past, the process could take up to a couple of weeks apparently, but one of the improvements after the rebranding is that payment processing is faster.

They say it can take up to 3 to 5 days, but some report 24 hours or less for electronic transactions.

Is Branded Surveys (formerly MintVine) Legit, or is it a Scam?

This is definitely a legitimate survey company.

You do not get a B rating and over 3 stars with the BBB for being a scam.

They do not ask for payment to sign up, and they pay out rewards as promised.

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Is this a survey company you should join? It depends. Being legit doesn’t make it good.

The decision maker has to be your reason for wanting to take surveys. There are 2 types of survey takers in the world.

There are those that enjoy taking surveys and want to make some extra money by doing it.

Then there are those that are looking for a way to make a living from home and want to try to do that by taking surveys.

If you fall into the first category, you could find some benefit with Branded Surveys.

There are other companies out there that offer more in the way of rewards, ways to earn, and the ability to build up points faster, but this one isn’t bad.

If you want to make a living taking surveys, move along.

Even if you build up a ton of referrals that are extremely active, there are just not enough earning opportunities for anyone to make a living doing this.

The bottom line is this is a legitimate company that offers rewards to panelists for their opinions. It is not a site that was created for the purpose of giving rewards or paying employees.

Use it, but know there are other, better-paying opportunities out there.

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Have you been using Branded Surveys for a while?

We would love to know your experience.

Survey Frequency	High
Minimum Age	14+
Business Name	Branded Research, Inc.