If you own a device with access to the Google Play Store and don’t feel like using your own money to pay for extra Google Drive storage, in-app purchases, or any of those other optional extras, this is for you.

There exists an app, made by Google itself, that will pay you for your opinion. Naturally, it’s called Google Opinion Rewards and it’s free to download and use in the countries where it’s supported. Thankfully, South Africa is one of those countries – has been since March last year (even though the app’s availability page still hasn’t been updated).

How much is your time worth?

We’ve been using the app since it launched and have accrued over R250 from 141 surveys. Sure, that’s not going to mean an early retirement but it’s not bad for the cumulative seven or so minutes they took to complete. In July 2023, we completed ten surveys for a total of R26.19. Last month wasn’t as lucrative, we were only sent nine surveys and received R13.72 in return.

But is the price of a Chappie really worth the time and effort? Well, there’s no rule that says you have to be honest or even read what the survey is asking. So if you can’t spare the five seconds it takes to blindly tap on answers, then maybe it’s not. The only thing we strongly advise against is not having an opinion. As far as this app is concerned, we absolutely play ice hockey and think ‘somewhat positively’ of it.

What’s in it for Google?

There are a few caveats, obviously. When we say the app is ‘free’, we specifically mean that it doesn’t have a monetary price. But the adage ‘if you aren’t paying for the product, you’re the product’ couldn’t ring any truer here. Nothing is really free anymore.

Payouts can fluctuate in value, with the most common being R1.50 for a three- or four-question survey and can go up to R15 for longer ones – usually regarding a YouTube video we watched recently – although those are rare. The frequency with which you receive the surveys is sporadic. You may not see one for days and then get one or even two a day for the next three days.

You also won’t be receiving your rewards straight to your bank account but rather to your Google Play Store wallet as credits. You can’t convert those into dinner for the family but the first tier of Google One comes with 100GB of storage and only costs R30. Think of all the photos you can hoard.