Have you ever wanted to make money off of the products you buy? Do you want to make money by testing products or giving your opinion?
Fortunately, National Consumer Panel (now NCP Online) can help.
This review of National Consumer Panel will explain how you can earn some extra income by purchasing everyday items, testing products, and giving your opinion online.
How Does National Consumer Panel Work?
National Consumer Panel or NCP is an online paid survey panel that is looking for information about what its members are buying. You, as a member, can earn rewards by scanning the barcodes on the household product purchases you’ve made.
You can also earn rewards by testing products and participating in online surveys. The only requirement for you to become a panelist for NCP is that you need to be a resident of the US or Canada.
The process of earning by scanning barcodes with NCP is very simple. By taking a survey in which you answer a few questions about yourself and your family, you can apply to become a member of NCP.
Apart from your name and zip code, you need to give details such as the number of family members, the ages of your family members, your household income, medical history, etc. This information helps NCP create a demographic profile of you.
NCP then goes through the demographic information. However, not all people who want to join are accepted as panelists, as the number of spots available are limited. It may take a couple of weeks before you know if you have been accepted or not. You will receive an email when a slot opens up.
Once you are approved, NCP will send you a handheld barcode scanner free of cost and you will need to scan the barcodes of all your purchases. If you don’t want to use the barcode scanner, you can simply download the NCP mobile app on your iOS or Android phone and use the app’s scanner.
Sometimes, the barcodes may not scan. If this happens, then you need to enter the codes manually. The idea is to just keep scanning barcodes, which will build up your point balance so that you can receive rewards.
Once a week, you will need to transmit your information to Nielsen by connecting the scanner to your computer. This can be done via USB. By uploading your information you will earn points, which can then be redeemed for items from the NCP gift catalog.
When you have become a member of NCP, you may also receive follow-up surveys that collect general information or check your satisfaction levels on the items you purchase. For participation in these surveys, you will receive points based on the length of the survey.
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Is National Consumer Panel Legit?
NCP is a legitimate online survey company and it pays you for scanning barcodes and taking surveys. The service is a joint venture between reputed companies Nielsen and IRi (formerly known as Symphony IRi), which also have accreditations from BBB (Better Business Bureau).
How Do I Get Paid?
When you scan your purchases and upload the information, you receive points and also get an entry into the sweepstakes every quarter. The points you receive can be exchanged for gift cards from various companies such as Amazon, Visa, iTunes, retail vouchers, and a wide range of merchandise such as electronics like LCD TVs, iPads, etc.
Other rewards are things like kitchenware, which includes KitchenAid mixers, Keurig coffee makers, etc. The quarterly sweepstakes can give you a chance to win $20,000.
For 1,000 points, you get $1. Usually, the surveys give you around 500 to 2,000 points. And scanning the barcodes can give you around 20 to 50 points for every item. You can cashout when you reach 8,000 points, which allows you to choose items from the gift catalog.
And, once you exchange your points, the merchandise will take around 4 weeks to reach you. The points that you get do not expire and if you hold onto the points for a long time, it can be beneficial.
Company History
NCP, formerly known as Nielsen Homescan was formed in 1987 as a joint venture between Nielsen and IRi, two leading companies in the US who are into collecting consumer insight. It was then renamed as National Consumer Panel in 2008.
NCP is popularly known as “mini USA” as it represents the opinions of millions of Americans and is headquartered in Syosset, NY.
NCP has been gathering the shopping information and opinions of its members. This information can help the manufacturers and retailers make decisions on how they can improve, develop, and sell their products in the market.
In 2017, NCP was awarded as one of the “Best Companies to Work For” by the New York State, 3rd year in a row.
NCP Online Alternatives
Survey Junkie – Survey Junkie is one of the largest paid survey sites available. They tend to have the greatest number of surveys for anyone to qualify for. Learn more in my review of SurveyJunkie.
Mysurvey – One of the oldest survey sites, MySurvey has a great reputation for delivering qualify paid surveys.
MyPoints – The first get paid to program I ever signed up for, MyPoints has stood the test of time and I have been a member for about two decades.
Harris Poll – Harris is a well known name in polling. Our Harris Poll Online review details how you can make money taking their surveys.
Pros of National Consumer Panel
- The process of becoming an NCP panelist and the signup process is very easy.
- NCP is not a standard paid survey website, you can make money by shopping for groceries and things that you already purchase in your everyday life, then scanning the products barcodes.
- The company provides a scanner free of cost to use on the barcodes. And if you don’t want to use this, you can simply download the company’s app onto your smartphone and scan the barcodes.
- In case the scanner is faulty or malfunctions, it is replaced free of cost by NCP.
Cons of National Consumer Panel
- You need to be a resident of the United States or Canada to become a member of NCP.
- You may not be accepted as a panelist immediately and it is quite possible that you may not be accepted by NCP at all. This is because your acceptance is based on the availability of openings, or the matching of your demographics.
- It takes a long time to accumulate points, and you have to do a lot of shopping in order to accumulate points before you can redeem them.
- If you have any problems, then you need to deal with an automated recording before you can speak to a live customer support member.
- Does not offer Paypal cash out.
- It can take a while to accumulate income.
The Bottom Line
National Consumer Panel is a reliable service that can be used to make some extra cash. The service is available to those who live in the United States or Canada.
By purchasing everyday products and scanning them in for points, you can easily accumulate income. You can also earn points by testing products and taking online surveys.
The service requires that you have a minimum of 8,000 points before you can cash out or redeem them for prizes. For 1,000 points, you get $1.
Usually, the surveys give you around 500 to 2,000 points. Scanning barcodes can give you around 20 to 50 points for every item. There is also a quarterly sweepstakes where you can win $20,000.
National Consumer Panel is an easy way to make some extra cash online or in the comfort of your own home.
Set up a free account with NCP Online>>
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