Pinecone Research review: how it works and who can join
PocketsFull is a competitor of Pinecone Research. This page is written by PocketsFull and is not connected to Pinecone Research.
Pinecone Research is an online consumer panel where members take surveys about products, brands and services, and are sometimes asked to test products at home.
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In short
- What to expect
- Both sites pay in gift cards rather than a steady income: expect pocket money for time spent on surveys and offers, not a salary.
- What it is
- Online consumer and new-products panel
- How PocketsFull pays
- Gift cards
- PayPal
- Litecoin
- Start earning
- Create a free account
- Complete your profile
- Check the Earn page
- Redeem your rewards
Updated
This Pinecone Research review looks at what the panel says about itself on its own pages: who runs it, how members earn, where it is available and how it pays.
PocketsFull is a separate rewards site and a competitor to Pinecone Research. The rest of this page explains how Pinecone works, then shows how PocketsFull compares.
What Pinecone Research is
Pinecone Research describes itself, in its membership agreement, as a new-products panel. According to its privacy notice, the panel is owned by The NielsenIQ Company (US), LLC and ROI Rocket, while the membership agreement refers instead to the panel's owners, suppliers, research partners and agents, including ROIRocket.com, LLC. The Google Play listing for its Android app shows a different developer name, Oceanside Ten.
Pinecone runs separate member sites for the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany. The Canadian site is offered in English and French. The US About page describes the panel as representing consumers nationwide. No statement about availability in any other country was found on the pages checked.
Pinecone Research at a glance
These facts come from Pinecone Research's own membership agreement, privacy notice and FAQ pages.
| What it is | Online consumer and new-products panel |
|---|---|
| Run by | According to its privacy notice, The NielsenIQ Company (US), LLC and ROI Rocket |
| How you earn | Surveys, at-home product tests, quizzes, polls, games (US, UK, Canada), focus groups |
| Where it's available | United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany |
| Platforms | Web member sites and an Android app on Google Play |
| Payout methods | Visa gift card, Amazon gift code, other gift cards by email |
| Minimum payout | $10 (US, Canada); 1,000 points / £10 (UK); 1,000 points / 10 € (Germany) |
| Who can join | Age 18 or older (or able to give valid consent); one membership per person and household |
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How members earn on Pinecone Research
Members take online surveys about products, brands and services, and answer quizzes, polls and profile questionnaires. The FAQ says members are quite likely to be asked to take surveys that include at-home product testing, for example food, drinks, hygiene products, pet supplies and wearable technology.
Games are listed as an earning activity on the US, UK and Canadian sites. Pinecone also lists focus groups and other research invitations, and a refer-a-friend option in its site menu, though details of the referral reward are not shown on the public pages.
According to the membership agreement, most interviews average 15 to 20 minutes, and occasional household questions are not compensated. Rewards from surveys are added to the member's account automatically and immediately after a survey is completed, but the agreement also says rewards earned from surveys are valid for one year from the award date and expire if unused.
How it pays and who can join
Pinecone Research lists a Visa gift card, an Amazon gift code, and other gift cards sent by email as its reward options. The US, Canadian and UK FAQ pages mention one of 1,800 gift cards, while the UK homepage and the German pages mention more than 400. The minimum payout is $10 in rewards in the United States and Canada, 1,000 points (£10) in the United Kingdom, and 1,000 points (10 €) in Germany.
Whether PayPal or any cash payout is offered to ordinary members is not listed in the FAQ of any of the four sites. The privacy notice does mention that bank details may be requested, with the member's permission, solely to process a reward payment by ACH transfer, but the FAQ itself lists only gift cards.
To join, members confirm they are 18 or older, or are otherwise able to give valid consent, and that neither they nor anyone in their immediate household works for a consumer packaged goods company or in the marketing research or advertising industry. Pinecone allows one membership per person and one per household. The membership agreement states that Pinecone never charges members to take part. Whether sign-up is open to everyone at all times or limited is not stated on the pages checked.
Pinecone Research vs. PocketsFull
A side-by-side look at what each site offers, based only on what each one states about itself.
| What's compared | PocketsFull | Pinecone Research |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Online rewards site for surveys and offers | Online consumer and new-products panel |
| How you earn | Paid surveys and offers, including game and app offers | Surveys, product tests, quizzes, polls, games (US, UK, Canada) |
| Payout options | Local gift cards, PayPal, Litecoin | Visa gift card, Amazon gift code, other gift cards by email |
| Where it works | Depends on member's country | United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany |
| App | Android app on Google Play, plus mobile browser | Android app on Google Play |
| Free games | Free browser games for fun, no rewards | Not published |
| Referral program | Personal referral link on referral page | Listed in site menu, details not published |
How PocketsFull differs
PocketsFull is a rewards site where members take paid surveys, complete offers, and redeem rewards for gift cards. Like Pinecone, joining is free and there is no deposit: rewards are earned, not bought.
On PocketsFull, offers include game and app offers found on the Offers page, where a member installs or opens an app or game and reaches the steps the offer lists. Some offers take between 7 and 30 days to confirm, and each offer states its own confirmation time. PocketsFull also has a separate free-games section with browser games that are for fun and do not pay rewards.
PocketsFull has an Android app on Google Play, and its website also works in a phone browser. Gift card options depend on the member's country, and a redeemed gift card is sent to the member's registered email address. There is also a referral programme, with each member getting a personal referral link on the referral page.
How PocketsFull pays
The box below shows the payout options available on PocketsFull, and they depend on the member's country.
Local gift cards are shown first, for example Roblox, Amazon or Target in the United States, Roblox, Amazon or The Dining Out in the United Kingdom, and Razer Gold, Steam or GCash in the Philippines. PayPal and Litecoin are also listed on the redeem screen.
PocketsFull does not list other payment apps as a payout option.
United States
- 650+ gift cardsSee all gift cardsWallet and prepaid cards
- Venmo
- Virtual Mastercard
- Visa eReward
- Virtual Visa
Mobile top-up 
PayPal
Litecoin
PocketsFull does not pay into these wallets: Cash App, Zelle, Chime
How to start on PocketsFull
Create a free account
Sign up with your email or through the app, at no cost.
Complete your profile
A complete, accurate profile helps match you with more surveys.
Check the Earn page
Take surveys and complete offers listed for your country.
Redeem your rewards
Exchange your balance for a gift card or another listed payout option.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pinecone Research legit?
Pinecone Research is a long-running consumer panel with a published membership agreement and privacy notice that describe who runs it, how surveys work and how rewards are paid. Its ownership wording differs slightly between its own documents, so it is worth reading the privacy notice and membership agreement yourself before joining.
Is Pinecone Research safe?
The membership agreement states that Pinecone never charges members to take part, and that all of its emails come from one named address on its website. As with any panel, read its privacy notice to see what personal and bank details it may request and why.
Does Pinecone Research pay?
Pinecone Research lists a Visa gift card, an Amazon gift code and other gift cards sent by email as its reward options, with a published minimum payout that depends on the country.
How does Pinecone Research work?
Members create a free account, answer profile questions, and are then matched with paid surveys, product tests, quizzes and other research activities. Rewards are added to the account after each completed survey.
Is Pinecone Research available in Nigeria?
Pinecone Research runs member sites only for the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany, and no statement about availability in Nigeria or any other country was found on the pages checked.
What are sites like Pinecone Research?
Other rewards and survey sites exist too, including PocketsFull, where members take paid surveys and complete offers instead of joining a single consumer panel.
