The Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel pays you in reward points to keep its app on your phone and its software on your computer while you use them like normal. Figure on $50 to $60 a year in rewards at most, plus monthly sweepstakes entries.
Is it legit? Yes. Nielsen is the audience measurement company behind TV ratings, and this panel is how it studies what people do online. The trade is your browsing data for a small, steady reward, and you should go in knowing that.
The short answer
- Pays in weekly points worth up to $60 a year ($30 for mobile, $30 for computer), though some of its pages say up to $50.
- Computer panelists also get entered in a monthly $10,000 sweepstakes with more than 500 winners.
- It records the sites you visit and how long you stay, but not your user IDs or passwords.
- It’s free, you must be 18 or older, and you can only register devices you own.
What the Nielsen panel pays
Nobody gets rich here. Think of it as a gift card or two a year for doing basically nothing after setup.
| Reward | What you get | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly points | Up to $60 a year in rewards ($30 mobile, $30 computer) | Install the app or software and stay connected |
| Monthly sweepstakes | $10,000 split among 500+ winners, top prizes $500 | Software on at least one computer, connected each month |
| Sign-up games | Scratch-off or spin-the-wheel chances to win | Joining the panel |
| Surveys | Extra rewards when you’re invited | Invitations aren’t guaranteed |
One wrinkle: Nielsen’s FAQ gives $60 a year in one answer and up to $50 for mobile in another, and the sign-up page says up to $50 too. So plan on about $50 and treat anything more as a bonus.
Good to know
The rewards come from staying connected, so leave the app installed and running. If you’re inactive for six months in a row, Nielsen closes your points account and the points expire.
What Nielsen tracks on your devices
This is the real cost, so read it before you sign up. The app collects the web addresses you visit, how long you stay on each one and general activity on the device. It doesn’t collect your user IDs or passwords.
A few rules come with it. You have to own the devices you register, be the parent or guardian of any kids who use them, and get your employer’s OK before you put it on a work computer. Honestly, just keep it off work devices.
Uncomfortable with any app watching your browsing? Then skip this one. There’s no version that pays without the tracking.
How to join
- Register on Nielsen’s site. You answer questions about you, your household and the devices you use.
- Install the app on your phone or tablet and the software on your computer, on the devices you registered.
- Leave it running. Points add up each week you stay connected.
- Redeem your points for rewards in your account.
It costs nothing to join, and you’ll never be asked for a credit card or to buy anything.
How to quit
Log in, go to the Profile Management page and choose to opt out under Account. Then remove the Nielsen app and software from each device. Points you haven’t redeemed go away when your account closes, so cash them out first.
Is it worth it while you’re paying off student loans?
If you’re fine with the tracking, yes, because it’s the rare earner that takes no time after setup. About $50 a year won’t move a student loan much by itself, though. It works best stacked with other small earners, all sent to the loan.
For more of those, see our list of apps that pay you to answer questions and the bigger how to make money to pay off student loans guide. If you’d rather grab a few one-time bonuses, ReferralWallet has sign-up bonus apps that pay out.
Next stepSee what an extra few dollars a month does with our student loan payoff calculator
Nielsen’s FAQ says staying connected earns weekly points worth up to $60 a year in rewards, $30 for mobile and $30 for computer. Its sign-up page says up to $50. Computer panelists also get monthly sweepstakes entries.
Yes. It’s run by Nielsen, the audience measurement company. It’s free to join and never asks for a credit card. The trade is that it records the websites you visit on your registered devices.
The web addresses you visit, how long you stay on each, and general device activity. Nielsen says it doesn’t collect user IDs or passwords.
Not through this panel. The Computer and Mobile Panel measures how you use the devices you register, not your TV.
If you leave the panel or stay inactive for six months in a row, your points account closes and the points expire. Redeem them before you go.
Sources (3)
We use primary sources wherever we can: Federal Student Aid, the U.S. Department of Education, the IRS, federal regulations and each company’s own site.
- Nielsen. Computer and Mobile Panel FAQ. computermobilepanel.nielsen.com. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- Nielsen. Computer and Mobile Panel sign-up. computermobilepanel.nielsen.com. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- Nielsen. About Nielsen. nielsen.com. Accessed October 22, 2026.
