You may start a survey and get screened out early. This is a normal part of how surveys work, and it doesn't mean anything went wrong with your account. Here's what you need to know about screen-outs.
What does "screened out" mean?
Being screened out means a survey ended early because you don't match the type of respondent it's looking for. Surveys often want people of a certain age, location or occupation, or with particular habits or opinions. Screening questions at the start check whether you match.
Why did you get screened out?
Your answers to the first screening questions didn't match what the survey is looking for, so it ended early. This can happen even if you qualified for a similar survey before, because each survey has its own requirements.
Does getting screened out affect your account?
No. Getting screened out isn't a penalty and doesn't affect your account or standing on EarnStar.
Do you still earn anything?
Sometimes. Some surveys pay a small reward when you're screened out, and others don't. It depends on the survey and its terms.
Tips to reduce screen-outs
Most screen-outs come down to demographics, which you can't change. Some happen because of how questions are answered, and those you can avoid:
- Don't rush. Take your time to read each question.
- Be honest. Give accurate answers about yourself and your opinions.
- Avoid VPNs and proxies. They hide your real location and can flag your session as suspicious.
- Use a stable connection. Public Wi-Fi can cause problems too, since a shared connection may look unreliable to survey partners.
- Answer every question. Picking "I don't want to answer this question" will usually screen you out.
- Be detailed. For free-text questions, give a unique, thorough answer.
- Keep it clean and original. Offensive, copied or low-effort answers will get you screened out.
Questions about a screen-out?
If you have questions about a screen-out or think there was a problem with a survey, contact EarnStar Support at [email protected].
Find surveys that fit your profile
Join EarnStar and take surveys on iOS, Android or the web. Some surveys pay a small reward even when you're screened out.
