FAQs

Joining Ipsos Access Panels

What is Ipsos Access Panels?

Ipsos Access Panels is comprised of hundreds of thousands of people who share their opinions. Members take surveys and help shape the products and services we all use everyday.

As a panel member, you have the opportunity to take surveys and influence the marketplace on a wide variety of subjects. Many panelists even get to see new ideas or test new products and services before the general public.
How do I join the Ipsos Access Panels?

You can join directly from our website! Just click the JOIN link in the menu!

The registration form asks questions about you and your household. We use this information to determine which surveys will be most appropriate for you. For example, we won’t send you a survey about dog food if you don’t have a dog in your household.
Why should I join Ipsos Access Panels? What are the member benefits?
What you’ll get:
- Opportunity to influence political, social, and, in particular, consumer decision makers with your thoughts and opinions.
- Earn points for taking surveys — points add up fast and you can redeem them for great stuff.
- Automatic entry into a draw for one of three prepaid shopping cards worth £850 each, just for joining. Learn more.
- Other opportunities to win great prizes, including our annual car give away. Learn more.
- Free membership - Being a member never costs you anything ... ever.
A note about what you won’t get:

If you were promised lots of money for taking surveys, this offer did not come from Ipsos and is not legitimate. As a member of Ipsos Access Panels, and most other legitimate market research companies, you will not earn big money by taking surveys.
Does it cost anything?

Membership is always completely free. There are no hidden fees and we pay all expenses (including mailing costs for product tests and rewards). In fact, you’ll earn reward points and contest entries for taking surveys.
How often will Ipsos Access Panels contact me?

We’ll contact you via email whenever there is a survey for you to take. Most members receive at least one survey each month and on average, about four per month. It is always your choice whether you take a survey, but the more surveys you take, the more points you earn.

We’ll also occasionally send you emails when there are important panel news that you should know about right away.
How much money will I make for taking surveys?

You will earn reward points which can be redeemed for High Street vouchers and Amazon.co.uk gift certificates. Points add up fast – most surveys are worth 5 to 250 points and members get an average of 4 surveys each month.

If you were promised lots of money for taking surveys, this offer did not come from Ipsos and is not legitimate. As a member of Ipsos Access Panels, and most other legitimate market research companies, you will not earn big money doing surveys. Your say WILL count. You WILL get chances to earn points to redeem for great prizes. You WILL be first in the know. And we deliver the rewards we promise. Check out the Winners to see the latest winners.
What if I no longer want to be a member?

Your membership is always voluntary and you can decide whether or not to take any surveys that you are invited to.

If you would like to terminate your membership, just click the unsubscribe link and follow the instructions. If you have points remaining in your rewards account, you can redeem them for up to 30 days after terminating your membership.

Please allow 10 days for us to process your unsubscribe request. If you receive survey invitations or emails during that time period, please ignore them.

The new website

What is new on the website?
There are quite a few improvements on our new website, to offer you a more transparent view of your account.

For example, on the My Points Account page you can see:
- the surveys you have taken part in since this new website was launched, and the points received for
  each of them
- your complete orders history, together with the orders status
- any prizes you might have won, pending confirmation, under "Other Awards"
- your total number of points, since you joined the panel
You can take time off from receiving our surveys for a while, if you go on vacation, you can change your email address and phone number, you can invite friends to join the panel, and, most importantly, you can see if there are any new surveys you have just been invited to! To see what else the website has to offer, login and browse for other interesting features.

Signing in

How do I Sign in?

Sign in from any page on the website by entering your email address and password in the space provided at the top of the page. This is different from the old website, where you used to sign in with your panelist ID instead of your email address. Your password remains the same.
My email address is not recognized!

To login, use the email address where you receive Ipsos Access Panels survey invites.

If you have just changed your email address – and confirmed the change by clicking on the link we sent you at the new address – you can login with the new address only.

If you have tried to change your email address but have not confirmed it yet, you will need to use the old address to login.
What if I forget my password?

Click on the Forgot Password link near the Sign In button (found at the top of each page). Follow the instructions to have your password emailed to you.
How do I change my password?

If you are not already signed in, sign in using your email address and current password. Click on the My Profile menu item. Instructions for changing your password can be found on the My Profile page.
Why doesn’t "Remember me" Remember me?

For the Remember me check-box to save your sign in information, you must close the browser window (when you are finished using our site for the day) instead of signing out. If you sign out before closing the window, your information will be lost. We only suggest using the Remember me check-box if you are the only person using your computer.
What browsers are supported on the Ipsos Access Panels site?

Currently, the Ipsos Access Panels site support Internet Explorer 6 or higher, Mozilla Firefox 3.0 or higher, Apple Safari and Google Chrome

Surveys

How often will I receive survey invitations from Ipsos Access Panels?

The number of surveys you receive will vary. Most panelists receive at least one survey invitation every month with an average of four per month. Based on their profile information, some members receive a few more than this. It is always your decision about whether or not you take a survey.
How do I receive my points or other rewards for taking a survey?

Anytime you access a survey, either by email or on our website, our system registers earned reward points and/or contest entries as soon as you complete the survey.

For most surveys, the earned points will be added to your account within a few minutes of survey completion.
When I click on a survey link from my email invitation, I cannot connect to the survey. What should I do?

If clicking on the link does not let you access the survey, please copy and paste the second text link, found lower in the invitation letter, into your browser's address bar. The link may be split across two lines or more. If it is, you may have to copy and paste each line separately. If this does not solve your problem, contact us at epanel-uk@ipsosinteractive.com, with the survey invitation or survey number.
What should I do if I’m having trouble/technical difficulties taking a survey?

If you experience difficulty with the link or any part of the survey experience, please use the Contact Us form on this site – or the "Support" button in the survey window itself - and provide a brief explanation of the problem, including your survey link or survey number. We will look into the matter promptly and get back to you within 2 business days.
Why do some surveys end early, or I’m not allowed to take them?

Many surveys are looking for specific characteristics that apply only to a small percentage of our panel. Although we understand that it can be frustrating, ending a survey early ensures that your valuable time is used wisely. Answering an entire survey about a product that is of no interest to you would likely be more frustrating.
Why do surveys often ask if I intend to buy something?

Questions like "Do you intend to buy this product" are meant to find out what types of people are interested in a product. For example, men are more likely to want to buy a moustache trimmer but women are more likely to want to buy a curling iron. Sometimes, it’s hard to know what types of people would be interested in a product so that’s why we ask. We will NEVER try to sell you anything.
What if I will be away and cannot take surveys?

If you will be going on vacation or need some time off from taking surveys, you do not need to unsubscribe. Using the Report a Vacation feature, share with us the days you will be away and we will make sure not to send you any survey invitations during that time. You can book time away after logging in, using the Report a Vacation link at the bottom of each page.

Earning points

I took so many surveys before this new website was launched! Why don’t I see them on My Points Account page, or on the Surveys History page?

The My Points Account page and Surveys History page display only surveys completed after 28th of March 2010. However, we keep track of your past earnings: your total number of points contains all the points you have earned since you joined Ipsos Access Panels!
How do I earn points?

Earn points by taking Ipsos Access Panels surveys. The number of points you earn for each survey depends on several factors, including survey length. Your points will be deposited in your rewards account within a few minutes after you complete most surveys. You will see the rewards associated with each survey after you first click on the survey link.

We are constantly looking for additional ways for our panelist to earn points. Please watch your email for programme updates.
How do I check my points?

You can access your account by signing in to our site and clicking on the My Points Account menu item. The My Points Account page provides information about points earned, orders/points redeemed and your account balance.
How often is my account updated with points I’ve earned?

The points you earn for taking surveys are added to your account and are usually updated within a few minutes after you complete the survey, with the exception of just a few surveys.
What if the points for a survey I took do not show up in my account?

For some surveys, such as those that are to be taken over several days, points may not be deposited in your account until you complete the last part/day of the survey. If you do not see the points for a specific survey in your account, please contact us, quoting the survey number.

Please note that the My Points Account page and the Surveys History page display only surveys completed after the28th of March 2010, while the points total displayed everywhere on the website shows all the points you have earned as an Ipsos Access Panels member.

Remember, you must complete a survey in order to earn points for that survey. If your points do not appear upon survey completion or if the points amount is incorrect, please let us know.
How do I know how many surveys I have completed?

To check your survey history, simply sign in, scroll over the My Surveys menu item at the top of the page, and click Survey History. There you will find all the details of your completed surveys since this website was launched: the 28th of March 2010.

Redeeming points

What can I redeem points for?

You can redeem the points you earn for Amazon gift certificates, High Street vouchers and charity donations. You must have at least 1,380 points in your account to redeem.

If you spend time using Facebook applications or games, you’ll be happy to know that now you can use your reward points to order Facebook credits.

Take a look at the options in our Gift Area by signing in, and clicking on Gift Area under the Rewards main menu item.
How do I redeem points?

You can redeem your points at any time by signing in to our website and clicking the Rewards menu item. Then click the Gift Area menu item and follow the instructions provided.

When you order, be sure to check the address information we have on file to ensure we’re sending your redemption item to the right place!
How long will it take for my award to be delivered?

Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery off all reward. All redemptions for e-vouchers are delivered via email. All redemptions for gift cards or paper vouchers are delivered via regular mail.
Can I change my order or exchange it for another option after I’ve placed my order? Can I return an item?

Shortly after having placed an order, you can still cancel it. To cancel an order, go to My Points Account, click on the "Orders" view, and if a cancel button appear in the order status column, you may cancel your order.

If you do not see the "cancel" button, then your order has already been registered at our supplier, and we cannot cancel it anymore.
How do I check the status of my order?

Sign into our website and go to the My Points Account page. A description of your order, order number and order status will appear in the Orders section.
How long is a paper voucher/ gift card valid for?

You’ll find the expiry date for your Amazon.co.uk gift certificate in the email containing the Amazon code. Usually, Amazon gift certificates are valid for up to 12 months.

Paper vouchers are also usually valid for 12 months, but to be sure, please check the expiry date printed on them.
Do my points ever expire?

Your points do not expire as long as you remain an active member of Ipsos Access Panels. If you unsubscribe from the panel or if your membership is terminated, then your points account will be closed. Any points remaining in your account longer than 30 days from termination will be forfeited.

An inactive panel member is someone who has not responded to any survey invitations for a while, in which case Ipsos Access Panels reserves the right to deactivate their membership. If your membership is deactivated, any points remaining in your account will be forfeited 30 days after your account is closed.

Contests and winners

What contests are available to Ipsos Access Panels members?

We always have several contests available for our members including a quarterly draw for one of four prepaid shopping cards worth £850 trip and our annual car giveaway.

For a complete description of our current contests and how you can become eligible to win, visit the Rewards page.
How will I be notified if I win?

Winners are notified via email. We send a winner notification email to the address we have on file for you - so be sure your email address is up to date. (To change your email address, sign in and click on My Profile.)

Every winner’s notification includes a confirmation deadline - which means that you must respond to the prize notification by the date stated in the email or you will forfeit the prize. So check your email often! Members can also check the Other Rewards information on the My Points Account page (available after signing in). Any contest winnings that are pending acceptance will be listed in this section of the page.
Where can I find information about past winners?

Check our Winners Gallery for a listing of recent winners.

VIP

What is the VIP program? How do I become a VIP?

Our VIP program is our way of giving something extra to our most loyal members. VIP members qualify for special prize draws, like prepaid shopping cards. You must be an Ipsos Access Panels member to qualify for the VIP program, but it’s easy to become a VIP member: complete at least 5 surveys over a 3 month period, and you’re a VIP for that quarter and get to participate in the quarterly draw for one of four prepaid shopping cards worth £850 each.
What are the benefits?
Only our VIP members are entered into these special draws:
- Quarterly VIP Giveaway – All panelists who qualify as VIP for a given quarter are entered to win one of four prepaid shopping cards – worth £850 each.
How will I know if I am a VIP?

We will notify you if you are a VIP a couple of weeks after the end of each quarter.

If you don’t make it for one quarter, it’s easy to earn VIP status for the next quarter—just be sure to take most of the surveys you receive.

Refer Friends

What is the Refer Friends program?

The Refer Friends program enables you to invite your friends to join the Ipsos Access Panels and get credit if they do.

To refer a friend, click on the Refer Friends menu item after signing in and follow the instructions. It takes only a minute to refer a friend.

To be eligible, the friends you refer must live in the same country as you, have a valid email address, be 16 or older, and must not already be a member.
What are the benefits?

For each eligible friend you refer who signs up to be a member of our panel, you will receive 100 points. Periodically, we conduct special referral campaigns with even more rewards. Watch your email for announcements.

My Profile

How do I change my contact information?

To change or update your email or phone number(s), sign in and click on My Profile. To change your postal address, please use the Contact Us form to provide the new address.
How do I change my password?

If you are not already signed in, sign in using your email and current password. Click on the My Profile menu item. Instructions for changing your password can be found on the My Profile page.
How do I change other personal information provided when I joined?

To change other information, such as changes to your household, please use the Contact form and provide a description of the changes.

Privacy

How is my personal privacy protected?

Protecting your privacy is very important to us. We will never try to sell you anything and will use the information you provide only for research purposes. Please see our Privacy policy for details.
How is my personal information used?

Information such as age and gender are factors we use to select participants for our surveys. Without them, we are not able to ensure our results accurately reflect the demographic make-up of the country you live in.

We will never give your personal information to anyone outside of our company (including our clients). The information you provide is only used for research purposes, and to determine who is best suited for a survey. For more information on our privacy policy, click here.
What are cookies and why does my computer have to accept them in order to complete a survey or sign in?

A cookie is a small bit of information that is stored in a user's browser, often just a code that contains the server name and a generated string of unique text and numbers. Cookies are used to store information about what pages you have requested within that specific site (and only within that site). Any sites that need to "recognize" you without a password (such as a customized news reader, MyYahoo!, or other personalized sites) do so by storing the key to your profile as a cookie. Unless the visitor has specifically offered personal information already on the site (e.g., through a registration form), there is no way for a site to know more about that individual than the unique cookie code within that particular site. Cookies can be beneficial in research to determine where a respondent has "left off" in a survey if they wish to pick up again later and to help us provide your personalized information when you are signed in.

Complaints

When it comes to the internet, we understand that there are some things that can be worrying. We’re not perfect, but we ARE open about what we do, what we don’t do and when we make mistakes.

Here are some questions that we’ve heard from panelists and we want to make sure you have the answers:

Thinking about leaving? Please read these first.

You sent me a spam joining invitation – how did you get my details?

Ipsos never sends unsolicited email. In most cases, you receive an invitation to join the Ipsos Access Panel based on a recommendation sent to us by one of our providers. As an online market research company, we work with various providers of opt-in and double-opt-in e-mail addresses to constantly enlarge our panel and ensure national representation.

In case you are not interested in joining, please click on the unsubscribe link at the end of the invitation that you received and we will not send you other invitations to join the panel. Please note that this might not preclude some of our providers from sending you invitations.
I signed up for Ipsos Access Panels and now I’m getting spam!

Ipsos Access Panels NEVER shares your email address with anyone. 100% guaranteed. We are registered with Casro, ESOMAR, MRA, and MRIA, the top global market research organizations. Our business depends on the fact that we follow accredited email processes. We do not spam.
I never got the points I was promised for completing a survey

We are trying to credit your points real time, immediately after having completed a survey. However, sometimes, points are credited only after a survey closes, which can take up to two weeks. If you know you were supposed to receive some points, but never did, please contact us quoting the survey number, and we’ll settle the issue.
If you’re not trying to sell me stuff, then why do you keep asking if I want to buy something?

Questions like "Do you intend to buy this product" are meant to find out what types of people are interested in a product. For example, men are more likely to want to buy a moustache trimmer but women are more likely to want to buy a curling iron. Sometimes, it’s hard to know what types of people would be interested in a product so that’s why we ask. We will NEVER try to sell you anything.
You charged my credit card!

Ipsos Access Panels NEVER asks for your credit card information and we NEVER charge panelists to be members. The Ipsos Access Panel is free to join and free to take surveys. We never ask for your credit card information to send rewards. It hasn’t happened yet, but if you see the Ipsos Access Panels name on your credit card bill, then be assured it is fraud. Please let Ipsos Access Panels and your credit card company know immediately.
I never received the voucher I ordered

Vouchers and gift cards usually take 3 weeks to reach you. If you have waited longer than 6 weeks, there may be a problem. Please e-mail us to find out what is causing the delay.
Why do I always screen out of or not qualify for surveys?

Most people screen out of or don’t quality for surveys on a regular basis. It ensures that your valuable time is used wisely. We agree it can be frustrating but it’s probably less frustrating than answering an entire survey about a product that is of no interest to you.
Why am I still getting emails even though I unsubscribed a long time ago?

Within ten days of unsubscribing, you will stop receiving emails from Ipsos Access Panels. If you are still receiving emails after that point, it is probably because we have you registered with a different email address. Check the most recent Ipsos Access Panels email you received to see which address it was sent to. Unsubscribe with that address instead. If you continue to receive surveys from Ipsos Access Panels more than ten days after you unsubscribed from us, please let us know.
I was promised I would make a lot of money doing surveys and I haven’t.

As a member of Ipsos Access Panels, and probably all other legitimate market research companies, you will not earn big money doing surveys. Your say WILL count. You WILL get chances to earn points to redeem for great prizes. You WILL be first in the know. And, we deliver the rewards we promise. Check out the winners page to see for yourself.
I signed up for a prize/reward, but I never received it.

Some people who join Ipsos Access Panels visit us from a third party site which promises a pay-out for joining Ipsos Access Panels. Those pay-outs are the responsibility of the referring company. Ipsos Access Panels never pays each person who joins. If you were expecting a pay-out and did not receive it, contact the site that promised it to you. There is good news though. Ipsos Access Panels does offer a quarterly prize draw for joining-one of three preapid shopping cards worth £850 each -and another quarterly draw for taking part in update surveys. Once we complete the legal requirements associated with awarding prizes, those winners are posted on our website.

Information for Survey Exchange members

Effective August 11, 2010, your Survey Exchange membership has been transferred to Ipsos Access Panels. This move means many exciting changes are in store for you. Please note that eligibility into our programs is effective from the date of your transition to the Ipsos Access Panels.

Your Point balance - The value of a point has changed. Don’t worry. You still have EVERY POINT you’ve earned with Survey Exchange; only they were converted to the value of an Ipsos Access Panels point. For example: Your Survey Exchange balance of 4500 will now display as 450. Visit your account to check your converted points balance.
Rewarding Loyalty – effective on the date you were transitioned to Ipsos Access Panels, you have the opportunity to participate in our Loyalty Program. The more surveys you take, the more points you earn. Read more.
One stop shop – our member website makes it easy for you to take surveys, see your point balance in real-time, read the latest news, take fun polls, and much, much more. So, take some time to visit each page on the site.
Celebration of Winners – we like to showcase our prize winners and share what they won by taking surveys. View Winners.
Shop or Donate - Our catalogue offers High Street vouchers and Amazon cards. You can even donate your points to one of our charities. Check it out!
Minimum Redemption Rate - It takes a minimum of 1,380 points for you to redeem your rewards.

Quick links