Let me be upfront with you from the start.
I did not write this article based on what I read somewhere online. I actually installed TopSurveys, spent real time completing surveys, and waited to see if the money would actually arrive in my PayPal account.
Spoiler: it did.
This is a real TopSurveys South Africa review, based on my own account and payment proof — not just what you find copied from the app description.
I'll walk you through my complete experience — including every cent I earned, every survey I attempted, and the exact moment I received $5.00 USD in my PayPal account. I'll also be honest about the parts that were frustrating, slow, or disappointing.
If you're tired of reading reviews that just copy-paste the app description and call it a day, you're in the right place. This is a real test, with real screenshots, and real results.
Note: Survey availability, earning rates, and payout options can vary significantly depending on your country. This review reflects my personal experience in South Africa.
New to paid surveys altogether? Check out my beginner's guide: Paid Surveys in South Africa: A Beginner's Guide to Earning Rands (2026).
Does TopSurveys Really Pay? My South Africa Payment Proof
I'll answer the question everyone is actually asking before anything else.
Yes. TopSurveys paid me.
Here are the facts:
- Amount withdrawn: $5.00 USD
- Method: PayPal International
- Withdrawal requested: 6 November 2025
- Money received: 7 November 2025 (next day)
- Processing time: approximately 1 business day
- In-app status: "Done"
I received two emails confirming the payment. The first was from TopSurveys via Tremendous (the B2B payment company they use), with the subject line: "Your $5.00 USD PayPal USA transfer is on its way."
The second email came directly from service@intl.paypal.com — the official PayPal address — confirming that Tremendous had sent me $5.00 USD. The PayPal transaction ID was 6RU6318****86861K, visible in my PayPal account activity.
For privacy, in the screenshots I share below, I blur the middle digits of the PayPal transaction ID and any other sensitive account information.
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| Official PayPal email confirming the $5.00 USD transfer from Tremendous (TopSurveys' payment processor) – received on 7 November 2025, approximately 1 business day after requesting the withdrawal. |
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| My TopSurveys account showing the $5.00 USD PayPal withdrawal with status "Done" – confirmed payment processed via Tremendous on 7 November 2025. |
Transparency: If you sign up through my link below, I may earn a small referral bonus at no extra cost to you. This helps me keep testing apps and sharing honest reviews with the South African community.
🚀 Activate $5 Bonus Goal on TopSurveys
What Is TopSurveys and How Does the App Work?
TopSurveys is a free mobile app available on both Android (Google Play, rated 4.5 ⭐ with 284,000+ reviews at the time I checked while writing this post) and iOS (App Store, rated 4.7 ⭐ at the time of writing). It also has a web version at topsurveys.app.
According to TopSurveys' own claims at the time I checked, they have over 690,000 users and have paid out more than $1 million this year. Their Trustpilot profile showed around 4.2 out of 5 stars across approximately 5,674 reviews when I last checked — which is respectable for a survey app.
The concept is simple: you complete surveys and tasks, accumulate a USD balance, and cash out via PayPal or other methods once you reach the $5.00 minimum threshold.
The app has four main sections:
- Earn — your main dashboard showing your balance and available surveys
- Surveys — where you pick and complete survey tasks
- Games — where you earn by installing and playing partner apps
- Account — your profile, statistics, settings, and cashout history
One thing I noticed early: your experience on TopSurveys depends heavily on which country you're in. Survey availability and rates in South Africa may differ from users in the US, UK, or Europe. Keep that in mind as you read.
If you're worried about whether survey apps are even legitimate, I've written a full guide: Are Paid Surveys Legit in South Africa? 2026 Complete Guide.
How to Earn Money With TopSurveys
1. Surveys (the main income source)
The surveys section has three tabs: Best Match, Short Surveys, and Highest Payout. You pick a survey, answer questions about your habits, opinions, or lifestyle, and get paid when finished.
Here's something I genuinely appreciate about TopSurveys: even if you don't qualify for a survey partway through, you still earn something. These are labelled "Partial Complete" in your transaction history. Most survey apps pay you absolutely nothing when they screen you out. TopSurveys at least gives you a few cents, which makes the experience far less frustrating.
That said, I want to be honest: some surveys pay very little. I saw surveys paying $0.02 for 23 minutes of work — that's roughly $0.05 per hour. That is not a good return on your time. The better-paying surveys in my experience paid around $1.00 to $1.61, but those were less common.
During my test period, I sometimes only saw 2 surveys available at the same time, which was limiting. You should think of TopSurveys as pocket money, not a full-time income source.
2. Games (earn for trying new apps)
The Games section lists partner apps you can install and try in exchange for rewards. Each game shows how much the TopSurveys community has earned collectively — for example:
- Call of Dragons: $582.12 earned by 20,972 players
- Vegas Craze: $315.84 earned by 5,874 players
- Highroller Vegas: $78.28 earned by 9,716 players
I personally earned $0.21 from PopAi (a sign-up task completed on November 11, 2025). It's a small amount, but it required almost no effort — just signing up for a new app.
3. Referral program (10% passive commission)
If you invite a friend to TopSurveys using your personal referral link or code, you earn 10% of whatever they earn from surveys. Importantly, your friend keeps 100% of their earnings — your commission is paid separately and doesn't come from their balance.
I haven't referred anyone yet, so my referral earnings stand at $0.00. But this could be a nice passive bonus if you share the app with people who actually use it regularly.
4. Promo / Bonus Codes
TopSurveys distributes bonus codes through their Telegram channel and WhatsApp group. You can redeem them inside the app under Referrals → Redeem. It's worth following those channels for occasional extra rewards.
🚀 Activate $5 Bonus Goal on TopSurveys
TopSurveys Cash Out Methods
One of TopSurveys' strongest points is the variety of withdrawal options. Here's a breakdown of what's available:
| Method | Minimum Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PayPal International | $1 USD | Processed via Tremendous — fastest option, ~1 business day |
| Revolut | $5 USD | Good option for Revolut users |
| Virtual Visa | $1 USD | Prepaid card usable for online purchases |
| Razer Gold USD | $1 USD | Gaming currency — options from $1 to $100 |
| PUBG New State Gift Cards | $1 USD (300 NC) | Multiple options: $1, $5, $12, $31, $100 |
Important note: While PayPal technically allows withdrawals from $1, the app's progress bar targets $5.00 as the effective cashout goal. Most higher-tier options are locked until you accumulate enough balance.
My cashout experience step by step:
- I tapped Cashout from the main dashboard
- Selected PayPal International — $5 USD
- Confirmed the withdrawal on November 6, 2025
- Received confirmation email from Tremendous on November 7, 2025 at 05:57
- PayPal confirmed receipt with a verified transaction ID in my account activity
Total time from request to money in PayPal: approximately 1 business day.
Need to set up a PayPal account first? I've got you covered: How to Create a PayPal Account (2026): Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners.
My Real TopSurveys South Africa Earnings Timeline
Let me show you exactly what my earning journey looked like — not a polished highlight reel, but the complete picture, including slow days and periods I didn't log in at all.
I installed TopSurveys and started on October 29, 2025. Within the first few days, I was receiving surveys regularly and earning reasonably well for a brand-new account. Here's the full transaction log:
| Date | Amount | Status | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2025 | +$1.00 | Complete ✅ | $1.00 |
| Oct 30, 2025 | +$0.20 | Partial Complete | $1.20 |
| Oct 30, 2025 | +$0.20 | Partial Complete | $1.40 |
| Oct 30, 2025 | +$1.06 | Complete ✅ | $2.46 |
| Oct 31, 2025 | +$0.18 | Complete ✅ | $2.64 |
| Oct 31, 2025 | +$1.61 | Complete ✅ | $4.25 |
| Nov 1, 2025 | +$0.20 | Partial Complete | $4.45 |
| Nov 4, 2025 | +$0.20 | Partial Complete | $4.65 |
| Nov 5, 2025 | +$0.20 | Complete ✅ | $4.85 |
| Nov 5, 2025 | +$0.15 | Partial Complete | $5.00 |
| Nov 6, 2025 | –$5.00 | WITHDRAWAL 💸 | $0.00 |
| Nov 7, 2025 | +$0.12 | Complete ✅ | $0.12 |
| Nov 11, 2025 | +$0.21 | Games (PopAi) 🎮 | $0.33 |
| Nov 12, 2025 | +$0.03 | Partial Complete | $0.36 |
| Dec 16, 2025 | +$0.15 | Partial Complete | $0.71 |
| Dec 22, 2025 | +$0.09 | Partial Complete | $0.80 |
| Feb 14, 2026 | +$0.41 | Complete ✅ | $1.21 |
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| My TopSurveys transaction history showing real Partial Complete earnings – even when I didn't fully qualify for a survey, TopSurveys still paid small amounts ranging from $0.03 to $0.20 USD. |
A few things stand out here:
The first $5 came fast. From October 29 to November 6 — just 8 days — I went from zero to a completed $5 withdrawal. That's genuinely impressive for a survey app.
After the withdrawal, things slowed down significantly. Between November and February, I only accumulated $1.21. Part of that is on me — I had gaps of several days, and at one point almost 1–2 months where I barely logged in. Consistency matters on these platforms. If you don't show up, you don't earn.
Partial Completes saved the experience. Out of my transaction history, roughly 8 entries are Partial Completes. That means I started surveys, didn't fully qualify, but still got something — usually between $0.03 and $0.20. Without this feature, my earnings would have looked much worse.
TopSurveys Pros and Cons (Honest Review)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Confirmed PayPal payment ($5 in ~1 day) | Few surveys available at once (sometimes only 2) |
| Partial Complete earns something even when screened out | Some surveys pay very little ($0.02 for 23 minutes) |
| Multiple withdrawal options (PayPal, Revolut, Visa, gift cards) | High rate of Partial Completes — you often don't fully qualify |
| Professional payment processor (Tremendous) | Earnings slow down a lot if you're inactive |
| Games section for extra passive income | Most withdrawal options locked until higher balances |
| Referral program (10% without affecting your friend) | App can be buggy — website version is more stable |
| Strong store ratings at time of writing (4.5 Play / 4.7 App Store / 4.2 Trustpilot) | Not a full-time income — strictly supplementary |
| From what I saw at the time of writing, TopSurveys sends weekly earnings summaries by email | Survey availability in South Africa can be limited |
How Does TopSurveys Compare to Other Apps?
I've also tested other survey and earning apps available in South Africa. Two worth comparing briefly:
YourView is a South African platform that pays in Rands (ZAR) rather than USD, which removes the currency conversion issue entirely. It also has a strong track record locally, with R738,000+ paid to users. See my full review: YourView Payment Proof 2025: R738K+ Paid.
Multipolls is another app I tested from South Africa — different survey model, different payout structure. If you want a side-by-side comparison, check out my Multipolls App Review 2026.
The short version: TopSurveys pays in USD via PayPal, which is great if you have a PayPal account. If you prefer Rands directly, a local platform like YourView might suit you better. Both are legitimate.
Who Is TopSurveys Worth It for in 2026?
TopSurveys is worth trying if:
- You have a PayPal account and want USD earnings
- You're looking for a small, low-effort side income during free time
- You're patient enough to be consistent over days or weeks
- You already understand that survey apps are not a replacement for income
- You enjoy gaming and want to earn from the Games section as a bonus
TopSurveys is probably not worth it if:
- You're expecting to make meaningful money per hour
- You don't have a PayPal account (though other options exist)
- You need consistent, predictable earnings every day
- You're in a country where survey availability is very low
Want to maximize whatever you earn? I've written a detailed guide: How to Maximize Paid Survey Earnings: Proven Strategies That Actually Work.
TopSurveys FAQ
Does TopSurveys really pay in South Africa?
Yes. I received $5.00 USD via PayPal on November 7, 2025, approximately 1 business day after requesting the withdrawal. The payment came through Tremendous, a legitimate B2B payment company, and was confirmed in my PayPal account activity. This is a real TopSurveys South Africa review with verified payment proof.
Is TopSurveys legit or a scam?
Based on my personal experience, TopSurveys is legitimate. I earned $6.21 total, successfully withdrew $5.00, and received the money in my PayPal account. The app had a Trustpilot rating of around 4.2 out of 5 stars across nearly 6,000 reviews at the time of writing. Results vary by country, and the earning rates can be low for some surveys.
How long did it take to get my first payout?
I started on October 29, 2025 and reached the $5 threshold by November 5–6, 2025 — about 8 days of active use. The payment was processed within 1 business day after I requested it.
What is the minimum withdrawal on TopSurveys?
The main progress bar targets $5.00 USD as the effective cashout goal. However, some reward options like PayPal and Virtual Visa are technically available from $1 USD once you select them in the rewards screen.
Can you make a full-time income with TopSurveys?
No. You should think of TopSurveys as pocket money, not a full-time income source. My total lifetime earnings were $6.21 over roughly 108 days of use (with many inactive periods). The effective hourly rate on low-paying surveys can be as low as $0.05 per hour.
Is TopSurveys available in South Africa?
Yes, the app works in South Africa. My account was set to +02:00 Johannesburg timezone and I successfully earned and withdrew money. That said, survey availability and pay rates may differ from other countries.
Read Also
- How to Start Paid Surveys: Step-by-Step Setup for Beginners
- How to Avoid Paid Survey Scams Safely – Guide for 2026
- YourView Payment Proof 2025: R738K+ Paid (Real Results)
- Multipolls App Review 2026: Legit or Scam? Real User Testing
- How to Maximize Paid Survey Earnings: Proven Strategies That Actually Work
Conclusion: Is TopSurveys Legit in South Africa?
After testing TopSurveys for over 100 days in South Africa, my conclusion is straightforward:
Yes, TopSurveys is a legitimate app that pays real money.
I earned a total of $6.21 USD, successfully withdrew $5.00 via PayPal, and received the money within 1 business day. The transaction was processed by Tremendous (a real payment company), confirmed by PayPal with a verified transaction ID, and is sitting in my account right now.
Is it going to change your financial situation? No. The earning rates are low, survey availability is limited at times, and you need patience and consistency. You should think of TopSurveys as pocket money, not a full-time income source. But if you're looking for a small, legitimate way to earn a few dollars from your phone in your spare time — TopSurveys delivers on its core promise.
If you want to avoid the mistakes I made early on (like skipping days and losing momentum), read my strategy guide: How to Maximize Paid Survey Earnings.
And if you're concerned about survey scams in general — a very valid concern — this article covers everything: How to Avoid Paid Survey Scams Safely.
Ready to try it yourself? Use my referral link below. You sign up free, I earn a small commission if you complete surveys, and you keep 100% of your own earnings.
🚀 Activate $5 Bonus Goal on TopSurveys
Have questions about TopSurveys or survey apps in South Africa? Drop them in the comments below.