These 4 Companies Will Pay You to Receive Junk Mail in 2024!

These companies are keen to know how long it takes their mailings to reach prospective clients or if they ever receive them. So, they hire what are known as “Mail Decoys” or simply “Decoys“.

You may choose to work as a mail decoy for companies.

Your job will be very simple. You just need to inform the company of what you received (the sender and whether it was a magazine, newsletter, or something else) and when.

How you report back to the company varies from company to company. Some may allow you to do the needful online, but others may expect you to call a number and enter a code from their mailings.

And for your efforts, you will be rewarded.

It is basically like getting paid for taking surveys, except, in this case, you are helping companies gather data on mails (particularly how long it takes a mail to get to its intended audience).

It sounds like a scam!

No, it’s not.

This is a legitimate business.

Companies want to know how long it takes for their mail to get to their intended audience. It has a direct effect on their bottom line, so they take it seriously.

And that is why they pay people to act as decoys and provide them with this information.

Am I going to be bombarded with junk mail?

Well, many do not like having such messages in their mailbox. That is the reason for companies to offer mail decoy opportunities.

Personally, I didn’t find it much of a bother.

In fact, some of the magazines I received had interesting articles.

What’s the pay?

Of course, you are rewarded for doing this. But the exact amount varies from company to company, and each company has a different way of paying.

For example, World Mail Panel credits points to your account every time you confirm receiving one of their mails.

You can then redeem these points for Gift Cards, PayPal, and other prizes.

On the other hand, US Monitor pays you ten dollars per month plus 25 cents for each piece of mail you receive.

Keep in mind though that this is not a full-time job or even a part-time job. You simply cannot count on this as a way to make any substantial amount of money. It’s just some pocket money while having some fun receiving all kinds of mails.

Junk mail forever?

If you want to discontinue being a mail decoy, you inform the company, and they will stop sending them to you.

However, this may not be effective if you happened to order a product from one of the catalogs received!

Companies that Pay You to Receive Junk Mail

There are a few companies that do this.

But be very careful as this industry also has scammers waiting to take advantage of you.

To stay safe, never ever pay a site to become a “paid mail decoy”.

Legit companies hire you for free.

They are there to pay you, not the other way around.

Here are a few that I know and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend:

1. Quotas (World Mail Panel)
2. USMonitor
3. The Hauser Group
4. SBKC (Small Business Knowledge Center)

The best company, by far, is SBKC. Here’s a little more detail about their process and how it all works. USMonitor is not far behind. Read my full review of USMonitor for more detail.

SBKC Company Background

SBKC works with various panelists around the globe in conducting market research on direct marketing trends.

Panelists (that is, you) come from various backgrounds such as employees, producers, financial advisors, consumers, business owners, and more.

The company compensates those joining their annual studies.

When you become part of the panel, you’ll earn rewards when you send out direct mail and email communications that you might otherwise ignore.

How SBKC Works

First, you need to sign up, which you can do by going to their application form page.

You’ll get an invite to participate in a market research study where you send through these direct mails or email marketing off your junk or spam mail.

In return, you will be compensated for those items that you otherwise throw away.

For each mailing, you can accumulate up to 100 points. However, certain mailings pay more than others.

The mailings that are accepted by SBKC change frequently. Here are some examples of what they typically collect:

• Insurance (e.g., Life, Health, Auto/Property)
• Investments and stipends (e.g., IRA, Mutual Funds, 401(k))
• Mortgage and loans (e.g., Personal Loan, Home Equity)
• Banking (e.g., Money Market, Rewards or Loyalty programs, Savings)
• Credit Cards
• Telecommunications (e.g., TV/Cable, Internet, Wireless networks from AT&T or Verizon)
• Travel and leisure (e.g., airlines, cruises, rental services)

How Will I Get Compensated?

To start earning participation points, you must become a consumer panelist.

These points can be redeemed for gift cards, which you can use at over 200 well-known retailers.

Since SBKC gathers these mails in various forms, there are also methods for sending the materials to them from your end.

In order to earn points, you’ll need to:

• Direct Mail: Place all necessary direct mails in postage-paid envelopes provided by Small Business Knowledge Center. Most of these mails need to be sent once a week.
• Email: Forward all relevant emails as required by the company.

You can also earn bonuses when you refer friends and have them participate in the program.

You can also earn extra points by participating in their periodic bonus opportunities shared through the Consumer Panelist newsletter. It’s a good way to earn additional points with minimal effort.

Frequent participation is advantageous. Those who take part regularly can earn up to $20 worth of points every 6-10 weeks.

If you’re a business owner or self-employed, SBKC allows you to earn rewards more quickly compared to regular consumer panelists. This is because there is greater interest in marketing mails and emails directed toward small business owners.

To earn points for your gift cards, you’ll need to submit a form to SBKC with your basic information to complete your panelist profile. SBKC ensures that all sensitive information is protected and kept confidential.

You can choose to opt-out if you no longer wish to participate in the program.

How Do I Send in My Junk Mail to SBKC?

The company will provide prepaid envelopes.

Simply place your junk mail in them and drop them in a mailbox.

For spam emails, you can forward them to their email address (which you will receive upon joining).

It’s important to note that they do not accept spam emails related to lottery and gambling scams. They primarily seek the types of mail mentioned earlier.

How about the privacy of my mail?

Privacy is always a concern.

SBKC states that all mailings sent are shredded for confidentiality.

In the many years that SBKC has been in this industry, there have been no privacy-related complaints from panelists.

Final Thoughts

While most people dislike junk mail, this could be a fun way to make money while occasionally receiving interesting magazines.

The best part is that you can opt out at any time if you decide you no longer want to get paid for junk mail.

Are you going to sign up?

Let me know in the comments below.