UserTesting review: how much tests pay and how to get accepted

What UserTesting is

UserTesting connects companies that want to improve their products with people who give them feedback. The clients it shows on its page include Canva, HP and Subway. UserTesting now also owns User Interviews, another large research platform.

Each session is called a test. In a test you might answer survey questions, complete tasks while your screen and voice are recorded, or talk to a researcher live.

• surveys: questions only, no screen, audio or video recording; they work on any device
• recorded tests: tasks on a site or app while you think aloud, with screen and audio recording and sometimes video
• live conversations: a video call with a company representative at an agreed time

How much UserTesting pays

The platform does not publish a per-minute or hourly rate. Each test pays differently, depending on the test type, its length and how much the client needs people like you. The amount is shown in your test feed before you agree.

You are paid in US dollars to PayPal, usually 14 days after the test. There is no minimum threshold: once a test is approved, the payment is sent automatically. If you want the money in another currency, PayPal converts it at its own rate.

One caveat: a client may cancel the payment for an incomplete test. If you skip tasks or stop thinking aloud, the money may not arrive.

Who can become a tester

You must be at least 18. Asked "does it matter where I live?", UserTesting says it welcomes contributors from around the world. The restriction is language: tests are in English, French or German, and you need to speak, read and write fluently in at least one of them.

Ukrainian is not among the testing languages: UserTesting supports only English, French and German, and its support centre is in those three languages too. Fluency is required to apply, but not every test needs you to speak: surveys involve no recording at all.

You can reapply only once. So it is worth preparing for your first attempt rather than signing up on a whim.

Computer and phone requirements

You can test from a computer or a phone, but the device must meet the minimum requirements in the applicant FAQ.

Microphone and app

You need a microphone for most tests because you think aloud. The built-in one on a phone or laptop usually works, and an external one is fine too. For the practice test, UserTesting advises against Bluetooth headphones.

On a computer you install nothing for the practice test. On a phone you need the UserTesting app from the App Store or Google Play.

Note that the requirements differ between two UserTesting pages. The marketing page lists Android 10 or later and advises against Xiaomi phones; the applicant FAQ says Android 8.0. If your phone is borderline, go by the stricter requirement.

The practice test: how to pass first time

Before you get paid tests, you must pass a practice test. It checks that you can think aloud and follow instructions. You share your screen and microphone, read a scenario and complete a few short tasks while narrating what you see and do.

Once you submit it, the team reviews the recording and emails you the result. If it does not meet the requirements, you get feedback and may be given one more try.

• set aside 10 minutes and do it in one sitting: you cannot pause and resume
• find a quiet place and turn off notifications
• make sure your microphone is unmuted and close to you
• allow screen recording, especially on Android and macOS
• act as if you are really doing the tasks yourself, and narrate as if talking a friend through it

Your first paid test and your rating

After your first paid test, UserTesting temporarily pauses invitations while its Quality Team reviews your recording, assigns your first rating and gives you tips. From then on, clients can rate the quality of your feedback.

To get tests, you answer screening questions, which is how the platform matches you with client orders. UserTesting says new recorded tests are released all the time, but how many fit you depends on your profile and language.

What a typical test looks like

UserTesting describes the contributor journey in four steps, and it helps to know them in advance so the interface does not confuse you.

• you answer screening questions so you can be matched with a specific client order
• your test feed shows available tests and the pay for each; you accept one that fits
• you complete the tasks, narrating aloud what you see, what you are looking for and what surprises you
• once the test is reviewed, payment goes to your PayPal automatically

If something goes wrong

You can quit a test at any time or report a problem during the recording, for example if the client’s site will not load or a task is impossible. If a task cannot be done, use that option rather than quietly submitting an incomplete test: clients may cancel payment for incomplete tests.

Quick questions can go to Edison, the virtual assistant in your dashboard and the support centre. If that does not help, the support centre has a request form for the team. PayPal verification, withdrawal and conversion questions are handled by PayPal support.

UserTesting and User Interviews: how they are linked

User Interviews now belongs to UserTesting, and some UserTesting studies are offered through User Interviews. If you complete one of them through User Interviews, UserTesting processes the payment, 14 days after the study.

They are still different platforms with different rules. User Interviews has a closed country list, and Ukraine is not on it. UserTesting has no such list.

Rules and taxes

When you sign up you accept the contributor agreement: the terms of service, the content policy and the code of conduct. If UserTesting decides you have broken them, it may remove your account.

UserTesting does not withhold taxes from payments. Reporting the income under your country’s rules is up to you. Your test and payment history is visible in your dashboard under test history.

Who the think-aloud format suits

UserTesting suits people who speak English, French or German confidently and are happy to narrate their actions aloud. For Ukraine it is one of the few large platforms with no country restriction.

• pro: accepts people from any country, and you see the pay before each test
• pro: no payout minimum, money is sent automatically
• pro: apps for iPhone and Android
• con: PayPal only and only three languages
• con: only one chance to reapply
• con: a client can cancel payment for an incomplete test