Nielsen Pulse vs National Consumer Panel: Which is Better?

	Nielsen Pulse Turn your screen time into rewards 5 Surveys American Consumer Opinion Angus Reid Forum ask GfK Branded Surveys Brox Panel Cashwalk Consumer Opinion Institute Crowdology E-Poll Surveys Fetch Rewards Focus Group Freecash Hintsters InboxDollars InboxPays InstaGC Ipsos KashKick LEO by Leger LifePoints Media Rewards Mindfield Online MindsPay MobileXpression MOBROG MyPoints MySoapBox Nicequest Nielsen Digital Voice Nielsen Mobile OnePoll Opinion Outpost Opinionsite PaidViewpoint Panel Engage Panorama Panel PermissionResearch Pinecone Research Pogo PointClub Points2Shop Prime Opinion PrizeRebel Product Report Card QuickRewards QuickThoughts Rakuten Insight Rewardia SpeakUp Surveys Survey Club Survey Junkie Survey Roundtable Survey Savvy Surveyeah SurveySavvy Connect Swagbucks Tellwut The Panel Station Toluna Influencers Unlock Surveys Voz Latinum YouGov ySense Yunite	National Consumer Panel Scan barcodes on what you already buy for real money 5 Surveys American Consumer Opinion Angus Reid Forum ask GfK Branded Surveys Brox Panel Cashwalk Consumer Opinion Institute Crowdology E-Poll Surveys Fetch Rewards Focus Group Freecash Hintsters InboxDollars InboxPays InstaGC Ipsos KashKick LEO by Leger LifePoints Media Rewards Mindfield Online MindsPay MobileXpression MOBROG MyPoints MySoapBox Nicequest Nielsen Digital Voice Nielsen Mobile OnePoll Opinion Outpost Opinionsite PaidViewpoint Panel Engage Panorama Panel PermissionResearch Pinecone Research Pogo PointClub Points2Shop Prime Opinion PrizeRebel Product Report Card QuickRewards QuickThoughts Rakuten Insight Rewardia SpeakUp Surveys Survey Club Survey Junkie Survey Roundtable Survey Savvy Surveyeah SurveySavvy Connect Swagbucks Tellwut The Panel Station Toluna Influencers Unlock Surveys Voz Latinum YouGov ySense Yunite

At-a-Glance Comparison

Get a look at the differences between Nielsen Pulse and National Consumer Panel with this overview of their features and benefits.

	Nielsen Pulse	National Consumer Panel
Summary	Nielsen Pulse Run by Nielsen, a global market research company with over 100 years in the business Earning is passive — once set up, points accumulate automatically every day One-time setup bonuses available for connecting devices and streaming platforms Available on Android and iOS; connected TV devices can also be registered Rewards come in the form of brand vouchers and gift cards No joining fee, and you'll never be asked for credit card information Participation helps inform how media companies and brands understand consumer behavior	National Consumer Panel Get rewarded for scanning your groceries and other purchases Receive a free barcode scanner or use the app to scan products Choose from a huge merchandise catalog when you redeem your points Take surveys on a variety of topics to earn even more points Get sweepstakes entries for your ongoing participation Backed by market research leaders Nielsen and IRi
Accepting New Users	Nielsen Pulse Yes	National Consumer Panel Yes
Accepts Teens	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Has Signup Bonus	Nielsen Pulse Yes	National Consumer Panel No
Has Referral Program	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Has Loyalty Bonus	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel Yes
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Rating Comparison

Which is better, Nielsen Pulse or National Consumer Panel? See how their expert and user ratings compare.

	Nielsen Pulse	National Consumer Panel
Overall	Nielsen Pulse [4/5]	National Consumer Panel [4.79/5]
Opportunities	Nielsen Pulse [3/5]	National Consumer Panel [4.5/5]
Rewards	Nielsen Pulse [4/5]	National Consumer Panel [4.25/5]
User Reviews	Nielsen Pulse [/5] Read 0 Reviews	National Consumer Panel [4.5/5] Read 24 Reviews
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Rewards Comparison

Compare Nielsen Pulse rewards and National Consumer Panel rewards to see how their redemption options stack up.

	Nielsen Pulse	National Consumer Panel
Cash / e-Wallet	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel Yes
Virtual Visa	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Cash App	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Cash via Check	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Apple Pay	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
PayPal	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Direct Deposit	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Venmo	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Gift Cards	Nielsen Pulse Yes	National Consumer Panel Yes
Amazon E-Gift Codes	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel Yes
Amazon Gift Cards	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel Yes
iTunes Gift Cards	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Electronic Gift Cards	Nielsen Pulse Yes	National Consumer Panel Yes
Electronic Gift Codes	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel Yes
Crypto	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Bitcoin	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Etherium	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Dogecoin	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Merchandise	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel Yes
Sweepstakes Entries	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel Yes
Charity Donations	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
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Opportunities Comparison

Compare how you can earn money with Nielsen Pulse and National Consumer Panel and find your next side hustle.

	Nielsen Pulse	National Consumer Panel
Do Micro Tasks	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel Yes
Download Apps	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Focus Groups	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Listen to Music	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Play Games	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Read Email	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Share Your Data	Nielsen Pulse Yes	National Consumer Panel Yes
Shop	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel Yes
Take Surveys	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel Yes
Test Products	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Train AI	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Upload Receipts	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel Yes
Use Search Engines	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Walk / Exercise	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Watch Videos	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
Write Reviews	Nielsen Pulse No	National Consumer Panel No
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Service & Snafus

Learn about customer service and potential issues with Nielsen Pulse and National Consumer Panel before you sign up.

	Nielsen Pulse	National Consumer Panel
Customer Service	Nielsen Pulse Nielsen Pulse offers email-based support for US panelists at uspulsesupport@nielsen.com. The website also includes a Contact Us page with the same email address. There's no live chat or phone support listed. The terms also allow panel members to contact Nielsen directly to request account deletion if they choose to leave. Given that Nielsen is a large, established company, their support infrastructure should be reasonably reliable — though response times are not published, and the absence of live chat may be frustrating for users with urgent account issues.	National Consumer Panel This program is backed by the Nielsen company so expect quick and courteous response if you run into any problems.
Bad News	Nielsen Pulse The biggest sticking point for many users will be the privacy trade-off. The app requires you to grant location permissions, notifications, and install a research VPN on your device. Nielsen uses this access to track your device usage, web activity, streaming behaviour, and purchases. The terms explicitly state that this can include sensitive personal information such as race and ethnicity. You also won't know if you qualify until after you complete the eligibility survey. Those who don't qualify are put on a waitlist, with no guarantee of ever being admitted to the panel. Membership is household-wide by agreement. When you sign up, you're agreeing on behalf of all household members whose devices the app is installed on — and you're required to inform them and get their consent before doing so. People employed by TV networks, cable or satellite providers, digital media platforms, or other media companies are not eligible to join. You also must keep your panel membership confidential and are not permitted to publicly identify yourself as a participant — including in app store reviews. Points expire after 12 months and have no cash value. If you leave the panel for any reason, any unredeemed points are forfeited. Nielsen can also modify or discontinue the rewards program at any time.	National Consumer Panel Since scanning all of your purchases can be a bit tedious, some might consider the compensation from National Consumer Panel to be a bit low for the effort.
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Final Verdict

See our closing thoughts to help you decide if Nielsen Pulse or National Consumer Panel is better for you.

	Nielsen Pulse	National Consumer Panel
Closing Thoughts	Nielsen Pulse Nielsen Pulse is one of the more straightforward passive earnings programs out there. You install the app, go through a brief setup, and points accumulate on their own. There's no survey grind, no daily check-ins, and no tasks to complete. For the right person, it genuinely is close to set-it-and-forget-it income. The catch, of course, is that what you're trading for those rewards is fairly deep access to your device activity. The research VPN in particular is something that gives users pause, and rightfully so. Nielsen has a long track record and a legitimate reason for collecting this data, but you should go in with clear expectations about what you're sharing. If you're comfortable with the data sharing arrangement and you pass the eligibility survey, Nielsen Pulse is worth a spot on your phone. It's a credible program from a credible company, and passive rewards without any active effort are hard to beat.	National Consumer Panel If you buy a lot of groceries and don't mind taking the time to scan them, National Consumer Program is a great way to earn a variety of rewards as well as sweepstakes entries. There's really no reason not to give this one a try. Might as well get paid for things you already buy, right? If you stay diligent about scanning the products you buy, you will be eligible to rack up some great merchandise. It's also worth noting, that if you find NCP isn't for you, a prepaid shipping label is provided for you to send your scanner back. As of December 2015, you can now use their app which performs the same function as the scanner which eliminates the hassle of shipping if you change your mind.
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Nielsen Pulse

National Consumer Panel

Closing Thoughts

Nielsen Pulse

Nielsen Pulse is one of the more straightforward passive earnings programs out there. You install the app, go through a brief setup, and points accumulate on their own. There's no survey grind, no daily check-ins, and no tasks to complete. For the right person, it genuinely is close to set-it-and-forget-it income.

The catch, of course, is that what you're trading for those rewards is fairly deep access to your device activity. The research VPN in particular is something that gives users pause, and rightfully so. Nielsen has a long track record and a legitimate reason for collecting this data, but you should go in with clear expectations about what you're sharing.

If you're comfortable with the data sharing arrangement and you pass the eligibility survey, Nielsen Pulse is worth a spot on your phone. It's a credible program from a credible company, and passive rewards without any active effort are hard to beat.

National Consumer Panel

If you buy a lot of groceries and don't mind taking the time to scan them, National Consumer Program is a great way to earn a variety of rewards as well as sweepstakes entries. There's really no reason not to give this one a try. Might as well get paid for things you already buy, right?

If you stay diligent about scanning the products you buy, you will be eligible to rack up some great merchandise. It's also worth noting, that if you find NCP isn't for you, a prepaid shipping label is provided for you to send your scanner back. As of December 2015, you can now use their app which performs the same function as the scanner which eliminates the hassle of shipping if you change your mind.

Click to Join

Nielsen Pulse vs National Consumer Panel