National Consumer Panel: Earn Rewards + More
If you’re looking for a way to get rewarded while shopping, you may be interested in signing up for the Nielsen National Consumer Panel! As a panel member, the Nielsen National Consumer Panel will provide you with a hand-held scanner and every time you or members of your household shop, you’ll use the scanner to scan the bar codes on all of your purchases. You can even have your kids join in on the fun and scan all your items while shopping. Then, once a week, you’ll send in your purchase information.
Interested? Head on over here and fill out the application and you’ll be on your way to becoming an NCP panelist! Keep in mind that not all areas may be needing panelists at this time, so you’ll need to first register to find out if they’re currently needing panelists in your area. If you’re a little hesitant about signing up, check out this email (and picture above) that I received last month from reader, Becky…
I have been a member of National Consumer Panel (Home Scan) for a year and a half. It is such an awesome company. I scan all my purchases each week and upload them to their company as well as surveys. The surveys are so simple and most of them are only 5 to 10 minutes. I have earned enough for a grittle, Shark Steamer Mop and coffee maker over the year and a half. They have tons of wonderful items to select from. I recommend this company to anyone who enjoys getting free items and making a voice to the companies.
Side note, I know the National Consumer panel is not for everyone as I have heard good and bad reviews. However, lots of readers have signed up and been really happy due to receiving surprise cash incentives in the mail. So, even if you don’t get accepted to be a panelist, you may receive a surprise just for signing up! 🙂
I applied last time you mentioned NCP. I got my scanner this past Sat!! I’m excited!! Thank you for being so great to all of us Collin!!
Wow! I’ve been on the “wait list” for over a year!
Wow, I guess I didnt realise how lucky I was!! I only applied in the last 6 months! Maybe they needed more single females??? I have no idea???
I applied around one or two months ago and received my scanner last Wednesday. I was super surprised. Anyone know how many points you earn for scanning items? I haven’t been able to find that information. My packet said that someone would be calling me, but I have yet to receive a phone call. I hope this is worth it. My fiance just laughs at me sitting on the floor scanning my groceries!
I was with NCP several months back and was doing very well with it and enjoying it. But then I was suddenly unable to transmit my purchases. Unfortunately, customer service was not very helpful, minus one representative who tried to help me re-set my scanner. Sadly, I had to return my scanner and end the program, although I was told I could sign up for it again.
*Also, please note, the kind representative who helped me informed me that if your home phone service is digital vs. analog, that might cause a connectivity issue. If anyone else has encountered this, please let me know. I really enjoyed it while it lasted! Thank you Collin!
I had a similar problem! It said the transactions went through then I get an e-mail stating I hadn’t sent any in in over 6 months and I’d have to return my scanner, though I had been doing them every week. I e-mailed them and asked them for help and asked them if I could try again. They never e-mailed me back then started calling me and threatened me that if I didn’t return it right away I’d have to pay $200. It was a great idea! Just wish it would have worked right…
I was on the waiting list for 3 years and have now been scanning for over 1 year! Love it! The surveys are great too! I love saving those points for a really good prize of my choice!!!
just curious, my family eats mostly “real” food, fruits, veggies, etc. So there is no bar code to scan. Does anyone know if I can still do this program?
Yes, they send along a cardstock with fresh veggies, fruits, bakery, etc scannable barcodes so that you can enter all these types of items that don’t have them.
Yes, you just scan the items you buy that do have a barcode. It is not just food and grocery items, but anything bought at retail with a barcode.
just curious, my family eats mostly “real” food, fruits, veggies, etc. So there is no bar code to scan. Does anyone know if I can still do this program?
Yes you can. they send you a card with these options on it.
You will get a scan card that has bar codes for items like this. It’s very easy to do. I have been doing it for over a year now.
hmmm…yes you can BUT…it became too much of a hassel for me because to scan fresh fruit/’veggies/fish from a market etc…which we also mostly eat (nothing really packaged with scannable code…you would have to take the scanner with you to the store and scan in the store on the shelf or at the counter…hope this makes since. I returned mine within a month…didn’t like at all…but, that is just me…seemed like a lot of work for nothing in return or much…I did get approved and received the scanner all with in a week.
hope that helps
lol..”sense”…wonder why font so big? 🙂
I just got a call on Friday that they are sending me a scanner. I’m so excited!
I have been on the waiting list for about a year :/ I wish they would hurry up and call!!!
When I try and sign up, it says that my city isn’t recognized by their system? Is it only in certain areas?
I signed up the last time you mentioned it too, and I was selected. I’ve had my scanner for about two weeks now and it’s been fun. A little tedious when you have a big shop, but I’m excited to earn my points and see what I can get for them!
I am a panelist and it’s easy! The surveys really are quick, too. I am saving points for a Kindle!!
Word of CAUTION here-this will get OLD really quick if you like to hit the deals several times thu-out your week. It becomes a big pain when you’re working, got the kids and DH to care for and then to top it all off, you have to enter every single item everyone in your home purchases. Let that sink in a minute. EVERYTHING!
I didn’t last 2 weeks and I don’t even have kids at home any more. Many times I could never remember what Q I’d used on what product-you get where you just want to enter anything to move on and get it over with. Yikes!
I agree…not to mention adding in every item…the regular price, sale price, bogo and coupon values…times number of items purchased…tax…sub total total…on and on..I just didn’t have time
I got approved within a month of applying and received the scanner shortly after that. I did not feel that the program’s rewards was worth the time and and energy. At the time, I was not also shopping for my family, but also items to sell at numerous bakes to support self pay sports and marching band. I get shivers whenever it’s mention…but it would be much simpler for a small family and single person.
It keeps telling me that they’re not looking for anyone in my area =( but, I live in a descent size city XD
I applied, was quickly accepted, got the hardware set up and never did it. By the time I get home with bags and bags of groceries for me, my husband and our two kids, I’ve been through the checkout line once and I have no desire to do it again.
You would have to be a masochist to enjoy this. Truly.
I like it. I kind of cheat and don’t do my groceries but oh well.
I signed up about a month ago, and just got the call from them that they will be sending me my scanner! I am excited to earn free STUFF! =)
I signed up for this several years back also. Had trouble getting it to work with my phone jack also. Then before I knew it they were contacting me telling me to return the unit. I did, but did not register the return and they kept saying I did not send it back, but I did. They were threatning me with charging for the unit, even though I HAD returned it. Just becareful, they were talking about adding it to my credit report ect, or I’d have to pay some $$ to them. After many calls, they finally recieved it and left me alone. NEVER AGAIN!!!
I finally got accepted after applying three times! I’ve had mine about a month and it’s kinda fun! If you do have a huge trip to the grocery store with coupons and everything, it does get a little confusing but most of the time it isn’t bad at all. My son loves to help me scan things and put up the groceries now! =) You earn points for scanning and transmitting every week but there are other ways to earn points too such as taking surveys and they even gave me 1000 points just for being accepted!
I got accepted almost immediately last time this was featured. And I have to say, it got old REALLY quick. If I had more time – no job, no kids, no household – it’d be fun. But think about it – my biweekly grocery trips to Walmart have on average over 200 items. I had to scan each item, enter the price (which you have to do in store because reading those receipts is impossible), enter quantity, enter whether a coupon was used and amount, etc. It was just too time consuming. And seeing how many points I would get each week – it’s a flat amount, not based on how much time you put into it – it was going to take me forever to earn anything. So I would say it’s up to the individual. I really wanted to participate too…I was pretty disappointed to return it.
You can transmit through your computer now (we don’t have a home phone line). Sometimes it’s a different link to sign up through (you may just want to go to their home page). For couponers it usually is quite a hassle but it also depends on where you shop. One larger chain in my area they automatically had the prices but another local (regional) chain did not. Since I shop at the regional place more often it was a drag!
This bumms me out 🙁
We’re sorry but the National Consumer Panel is not recruiting new households in your area at this time.
Wow, they ask a lot of questions!
Get used to it! They ask tons of questions that’s what they’re in the business of:P
I did it religiously for about 8 years but didn’t get enough points to earn many prizes. After my DD was born I did if for another year or so then gave it up. I really enjoy my shopping now as I’m not thinking about all the hours (yes hours) I spent scanning each week!
I just wanted to give you a heads up about NCP when you download their CD you are instaling in your computer a full access to everything you do in that computer, when you send your weekly scan you are also sending all the ionformation of all the websites and all the things you used your computer for. I learned the hard way and when I called them they confirmed this. I was a panel memeber for 8 months but was not OK with this so I returned everything.
Do you know how to remove the thing from your computer? I have sent back my scanner as NCP was not worth it at all! I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND it at all.
I have been a panelist for over a decade now, have moved countless times and have been through graduate school, am the sole bread winner in my family and a single parent. Just like anything else in life, if you create some processes and a system to support the required scanning activities, participation doesn’t have to be all that time-consuming. I have redeemed my points for iPods and won $500 in one of the monthly sweepstakes. I’ve had to replace my scanner twice and have never had an issue with the customer service center. My experience has been mostly favorable with the Panel and I have always read the fine print to fully understand what I signed up for.
How do they know what you get? Can you scan the stuff at home when you are unpacking?
I’d love to know too? More details please 🙂
260,000 for 22″ tv? Got approved instantly but hopped on here read this before calling them after I read thru it. Unless they want to like throw me a tv or something and sign a contact that I’ll help them or something then its going back. Only other way would be if I just scanned and surveyed like I thought, and not enter it all in. I’m a single dad lost my job then car and home just trying to maintain order here, (my babies are 3 and 10) hats off to you ladies who get no nothing from the daddies and doing it solo, but this is full time. this isn’t gonna pay my phone bill prevent me from foreclosure anything that I need to spend my few hours I get to worry and try and prevent from happening.
after reading all this I am hoping that I would of said no. I got the call today and now that I read that you have to transmit all my info on my computer I am not interested. They said they will send me the info in 2-4 weeks