Prolific is a site I just discovered this week that seems very promising if you like paid surveys, but hate the fact most of them only pay a dollar or so a piece for your time. Lucky for you, Prolific is different. In our review today, I'm going to explain how it's different, what you can earn on Prolific, and how to get started participating in the studies they offer.
What Makes Prolific Different From Other Panels
When you sign up as a participant for Prolific, you're saying you want to take part in academic research and get paid for your time. This is different from popular market research panels like Pinecone Research because you aren't answering questions about products and services or media. Instead, this is usually scientific research, so you never know what you'll be asked. This makes for a much more interesting, non-redundant experience.
The website also states that they occasionally have opportunities for you to test out websites for start-ups.
How Much Does Prolific Pay?
I did some digging about Prolific pay since the site doesn't specifically say, and I discovered on the BeerMoney sub-Reddit that you may average around £6 per hour (about $7.93 US dollars — this is a UK site so they list things in pounds first, but people from the US are allowed to participate as well as other countries in the world).
So, as you can see, most of these studies are going to pay you more than what you'd earn from survey panels.
How And When Does Prolific Pay?
After you've completed a survey, the researcher has put the study up has a few days to either approve or reject your answers. If your answers are approved, it will take approximately seven days to get your earnings via your Paypal account.
You must have at least £5.00 (about $6.61) in your account to qualify for a payout.
No “Screening Out” With Prolific
Another perk of Prolific is that you don't have to deal with the annoying problem of answering a few survey questions and then screening out — not getting to take the entire survey or get paid. This is a common problem with most survey panels, and Prolific is so proud of the fact they don't do that to you that they advertise it on their website!
Side note – we do have a list of survey panels that don't screen you out if you are interested in joining more with guaranteed payments.
It's good they do this because you're not wasting time here. The payment is guaranteed if you complete a survey and the researcher accepts your answers. Which they generally should if you have followed the directions and answered honestly.
Is Prolific Actually Paying Participants?
Yes. The research I've done indicates Prolific is not a scam, and they are paying people who participate here. In fact, some people are making $20 to $40 a month or more for participating on this site. It's impossible to say exactly how much you'll earn because the studies that come to you will vary. Some people get more than others. But it definitely appears to be a promising “egg” to add to your basket in terms of extra cash.
Who Can Sign Up For Prolific?
As mentioned above, Prolific is open worldwide to most countries. You do have to be at least 18 years old to sign up according to the fine print/terms listed on their website.
Prolific Pros and Cons
To sum it all up for you neatly, here is what I've gathered:
Pros
- Higher pay for surveys than you get with most panels.
- No “screening out.” You get paid for your time.
- Surveys are more interesting than market research based studies.
- Open worldwide.
Cons
- It could take 7-10 days to get your payment after you complete a study.
- They do take Paypal fees from your earnings if you cash out with less than £20 in your account.
- It is up to individual researchers/requesters to approve your answers so you can get paid. While most are honest, there could always be bad apples who try to get out of paying you for no reason.
- No referral program as of 3/14/19. So unlike other panels, you cannot get paid for referring your friends here.
How To Sign Up For Prolific
I think this sounds like a promising one to add to your list of panels to use for extra money. If you'd like to get started, just go here to sign up.
Good luck, and let us know in the comments how it's going for you if you have tried it.