Respondent: how it works

What this platform is

Respondent is a marketplace that connects researchers with people for paid research: one-on-one interviews, focus groups, unmoderated tasks, diary studies and in-person sessions. People come here mostly for conversations rather than short surveys.

The platform splits studies into two groups. B2C studies target ordinary consumers. B2B studies target professionals in particular industries, and that is where the highest amounts are. Respondent says it operates in more than 150 countries, but most of its members are in the US.

How participation works

You find a project that matches your background and complete a screener of 2 to 20 questions. Screeners are unpaid. Some partner projects add a second screener on the partner’s site. If you fit, the researcher invites you and, for interviews, asks you to book a time.

A remote interview usually lasts 15–90 minutes by video or phone. For in-person sessions allow travel time and bring ID if asked. Some interviews are run by an AI moderator at a time that suits you; Respondent is more likely to select participants with verified IDs.

After the session the researcher marks your attendance. If the researcher fails to show up, they must still pay you: message them through the platform, and contact support if your status is not updated within 10 business days.

How it pays

The platform’s own benchmarks: a 30–90 minute remote interview pays about $40–150, an unmoderated 5–25 minute task $5–25, a diary study $50–200 or more in total, an in-person interview or focus group $75–250 or more. For professionals in the US, Respondent advises researchers to pay $100 to $600 per remote interview.

Amounts are listed and paid in US dollars. A 5% fee is deducted from each incentive, with a $1 minimum: $20 becomes $19 and $300 becomes $285. Payment usually arrives 7–10 business days after attendance is confirmed.

Since 28 May 2025 Respondent has been moving payouts from PayPal to Tremendous virtual gift cards: you get an email and choose your country and a card. PayPal via Tremendous is available only in some cases.

What to watch out for

Earnings are not guaranteed or daily: you are paid only when invited and after completing a study. The platform itself advises against treating it as a dependable daily income and calls "$100 per survey" rare.

Accepting payment from a researcher outside the platform is forbidden. Red flags per Respondent: being asked to pay to join, to buy equipment, to install unknown software or to send documents outside the platform.

Who can take part

For B2C studies you verify your personal email and phone number by text. For B2B you also verify a work email with your company’s domain: Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, iCloud, Proton and other consumer addresses are not accepted, while a small business’s own domain is fine. The work email is re-verified every 90 days.

A profile photo is required. Researchers choose participants by job title, tools, industry, company size, region, time zone, languages and availability, so fill your profile in fully and precisely: for example, "Product Manager", not "PM".

Respondent publishes no country list, so Ukraine is neither excluded nor confirmed. Before your first study, check which Tremendous payout options are available for your country.