What is paid research

In short

Before shipping a product, a company wants to know whether people understand it. So it finds a few people with the right characteristics and pays them per hour or per completed task.

You are not selling anything and not referring anyone. You are asked about your experience, shown an app screen, or given a task and asked to think out loud.

How much it pays

The rate depends on the format and on how rare your profile is. A short survey is usually a few dollars. A half-hour interface test is tens of dollars. An hour-long interview with a narrow specialist can be hundreds.

The money comes from the researcher or the platform where the study was posted. We are not part of that chain: we do not run studies and we do not transfer rewards.

What actually happens

First comes a short screening questionnaire. It exists to check whether you match the conditions of that specific study. Answer honestly: a mismatch is usually discovered during the session itself, and the reward is not paid then.

If your profile fits, you are invited and given a time slot or a link to the task. Payment arrives after the researcher confirms the work was completed.

• surveys — from a few minutes to half an hour
• website or app tests — usually 15 to 40 minutes
• interviews with a researcher — from 30 minutes to an hour and a half
• diary studies — several short entries across a week

What never happens here

A real study never asks you to pay to take part, never asks for card details to "verify" you, and never requires buying something to unlock tasks.

If someone asks for money upfront or for access to your banking app, it is not research. Close the page.