Bonusboy
Why survey apps ask for your zip code, birth year and gender
Almost every paid survey begins with the same three questions: how old are you, what is your gender, where do you live. Many people wonder why an app needs that before showing a single survey. The short answer: the research partner needs it to avoid wasting your time, and the long answer is below.
What the three fields are for
Research studies are sold with quotas: so many people per age band, per gender, per region. When a partner knows your birth year, gender and postal code in advance, it can skip studies whose quotas you cannot fill and send you the ones where you have a chance. Without that information every survey has to ask the questions itself and screen you out after a minute. That is why the app asks once, up front, and why the three fields are optional: skipping them only means more surveys end at the first questions.
What Bonusboy stores and sends
| Field | Stored by Bonusboy | Sent to survey partners | Not sent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth year | Yes, with the date you consented | Yes, to the partner serving the survey | Day and month of birth |
| Gender | Yes | Yes | Anything beyond the option you chose |
| Postal code | Yes | Yes, to match region quotas | Your street address, which we never collect |
| Country | Yes, fixed at sign-up | Yes | — |
| Name and e-mail | Yes, from your Google sign-in | No | Partners see a numeric member ID only |
The partner receives these fields with a member number, not your name or e-mail. Answers you give inside a survey stay with the research partner; Bonusboy never sees them and could not sell them if it wanted to.
Why the country cannot be changed
Your country is set when you sign up, from the sign-in and network location, and it stays fixed. Survey prices and quotas differ by country, so a changeable country would be the easiest way to cheat partners, and partners respond to cheating by cutting off the publisher for everyone. If your country was recorded wrongly, support can correct it once, before any withdrawal.
How to fill it in, edit it, or remove it
Open the Surveys tab; the profile card is at the top until it is completed or dismissed. You can edit the three fields any time from the same place. If you delete your account, the profile is deleted with it after the 30-day grace period described in the deletion guide. Bonusboy's privacy policy lists every field we hold and every partner we work with; it is linked in the footer of this page.
Quick answers
Is the survey profile required?
No. You can skip it and still take surveys. Without it, partners cannot pre-filter, so you will see more surveys that end at the first questions.
Does Bonusboy sell my answers?
No. Your survey answers go to the research partner that runs the survey, never to Bonusboy. Bonusboy only receives the result (completed, screened out, cancelled) and the reward amount.
Can I change or delete the profile?
Yes. The profile can be edited in the app at any time, and deleting your account removes it together with everything else after the 30-day grace period.
