People are making money by giving interviews. Yes, that’s right.
User Interviews is one of the biggest market research platforms out there, with over 5 million registered users. You can potentially make hundreds of dollars every month by participating in a wide variety of research studies from different companies. So, if you're looking for a way to make some quick cash, User Interviews might look very tempting. However, is User Interviews secure and worth your time? And can you actually use your spare time to make $50-200 an hour?
That's what we are here to explore with this in-depth review. Today, we’ll be showing you:
- How User Interviews works
- Available research categories
- Pros and cons
- Reviews from other users
- How to make an effective account
- Tips and tricks
- Alternatives to User Interviews
By the end of this guide, you can decide for yourself whether User Interviews is a viable method of making some quick cash or not.
Let's get started.
What Is User Interviews?
User Interviews is a market research platform that connects companies and researchers seeking authentic feedback with prospective users willing to give their opinions (this can be you).
Before launching a new product, website, or app, companies typically want feedback from real people – people like you and me. Even the biggest companies in the world need input before rolling out a new update.
According to their website, User Interviews has helped over 4,500 companies connect with human users, including household names like:
- Amazon
- Spotify
- Adobe
- GoPro
Since its inception, User Interviews has launched over 100,000 studies for industry giants like these. The platform makes it easy for researchers and companies to find study participants, streamlining the hiring process and making it simple to find candidates that meet the criteria.
At the same time, users are happy to give their opinions, as they are being paid to do so. People get paid for their time while happily contributing to market research.
Apps like User Interviews have become an invaluable resource for companies seeking user feedback and for people who are willing to give it (for a price).
Is User Interviews Legit?
User Interviews has a 4.7-star rating on G2 with over 827 reviews, making it one of the most popular market research apps in the market. It’s worth $129.9M and made a revenue of $18.6M in 2023.
Plus, since its inception in 2016, it has paid out millions of dollars in incentives. The average study pays $60 per session. User Interviews launches over 2,500 studies every month, and paid over 90,000 participants in 2023.
Not only this, but on December 7th, 2022, User Interviews raised over $33.4M in funding, raising their total funding to $50.9M.
With numbers and a scale like this, you can rest assured that User Interviews is legit.
What Type of Market Research Does User Interviews Offer?
User Interviews is a leading platform for remote market research, so it will happen via phone or remote video chat apps like Zoom. (If a webcam is required, it will be specified in the description or the screening questions.)
Most interviews seem to be from B2B companies. This means you'll see an abundance of studies related to specialized office software rather than general consumer studies.
Nevertheless, a wide range of studies is available for all types of testers.
There are four primary study types:
1:1 interviews
1:1 interviews are just as the name implies, a phone or video call with the researcher. You will probably be required to share your screen with them, and they will either ask you questions, have you follow instructions, or tell you to find things in their apps intuitively. This helps researchers delve deep into specific topics.
Focus groups
Focus groups are another popular study type for User Interviews. A group of participants are put together into a Zoom meeting (or any other online alternative) with a moderator.
You can voice your opinions, and a moderator will guide the discussion. The people present are left to discuss their ideas and viewpoints on a certain subject. Focus groups help researchers learn about repeating themes and understand group dynamics.
Multi-day studies
Companies opt for multi-day studies when they need continuous feedback over an extended period. This can pay very well depending on the topic but isn't for everyone, as it requires flexibility from your side.
By having the same people interact with the product or service over the development cycle, it's easier to see trends in behavior and get experience feedback from someone who already knows what's wrong – thus they can give better and more aware feedback than someone new.
Self-managed tasks
Self-managed or unmoderated tasks are the easiest finish, as you don't have to work with strict timelines or supervision. You are given a new website or software, and you have to send a recording or provide feedback on the tool's intuitiveness.
This method is helpful when collecting information on user journeys, use patterns, or product testing.
How Do You Use the User Interviews Platform?
Alright, it’s legit and people are using it to make money, but how can you use User Interviews to make money?
If you’re feeling like participating in some studies to make some quick cash, here’s a detailed step-by-step guide on making money using User Interviews.
Signing up to User Interviews
You have to make an account with User Interviews before you can start applying for studies.
- When you click the sign-up button on the home page of User Interviews, you’ll be asked if you want to register as a researcher or a participant.
- You can choose to sign up using your email address. You can use your LinkedIn or Facebook account to register as well. If you use your email address, you’ll need to verify the account with your phone number.
- You must be 16 or older to be eligible to make an account. As of 2024, User Interviews only hires participants from the United States, Canada, Australia, the UK, France, Germany, South Africa, and India.
After registering, you must fill out your profile by adding details about your job and demographics. By doing so, User Interviews can suggest appropriate studies.
Filling out your professional page
On the professional page, you’ll be asked about your employment status.
After you give this information, you’ll be asked for more in-depth professional information such as:
- Job title
- Seniority
- Skills
- Work email
- Company name
- Company size
- Work setting
- Industry
- Type of income
- Contract type
Adding your demographics
They will also ask for demographic information like:
- First and last name
- Date of birth
- City
- Gender
- Race/Ethnicity
- Household income
- Level of education
- Marital status
- Language skills
Outlining your technical resource information
Finally, you need to provide details about your smartphone, tablet, and PC. In certain studies, you might be asked to participate in a video interview with the researcher or have your response recorded while using a new website or online application. So, this helps the platform connect you with appropriate studies.
With this, you’re done setting up your account, and now it’s time to find studies.
Finding paid studies
After you finish setting up your profile, you can check studies on User Interviews to see whether you're eligible for any. There are always plenty of studies available on User Interviews. Studies can be conducted online via a webcam, over the phone, or in person. Most of them are one-on-one, but some also include groups.
On the studies page, a summary of the study objectives, how much they'll be paying, and how much time it will take is also included.
The system allows you to filter by a few popular professions, primarily in the technology sector, such as product manager, data analyst, IT, and software.
The studies are arranged by the date they were added to the platform by default, so scroll down a bit to find the ones you think you could be eligible for and submit an application for them.
Filling out screening surveys
If you find a study you think you're a good fit for, you should apply. They will ask a few standard screener questions to see if you're the right fit or not.
You shouldn't lie to force-qualify yourself for studies. That will end up wasting both the researchers' and your time. On top of that, your account will get flagged.
Look for studies with the "Quick Apply" icon if you're short on time. These will get around some of the standard screening questions by using data from your profile.
Taking part in studies
If you are eligible for a study, you will receive an email from the researchers informing you. Further guidelines about what to do on the day of the interview will also be sent to you.
Since many studies are done remotely, they typically happen over a phone call or an online meeting. In the majority of cases, researchers use popular screen-sharing tools like Microsoft Teams or Zoom. The guidelines also mention whether the study will be conducted in person or virtually. It also mentions the time and date of the interview so you can prepare for it.
The average duration of studies is 1 to 1.5 hours. Shorter studies are also available, although they often pay less than more thorough ones.
Getting paid by User Interviews
After you finish a study, there's nothing left to do but wait. Researchers will check the feedback before declaring the session is over. After that, you can expect to get paid within 2-3 days, sometimes processing payments might take up to 10 days.
The majority of User Interviews participants are paid with either PayPal or digital gift cards. Options from major companies like Amazon, Apple, Starbucks, Target, Best Buy, and Uber Eats are typically available but not limited to them.
How Much Does User Interviews Pay for Studies?
How much you can make from User Interviews studies largely depends on how many studies you complete. You can make nothing in certain months, $100 to $200 in others, or even more if you are eligible for about 2-3 well-paying studies.
While you can make $200 in an hour or two, but this is not a consistent source of money.
Also, applying to these studies is unpaid work. However, earning $1 per minute is a very good hourly compensation for this kind of work. It performs far better than other online survey-only programs.
A general rule of thumb is that the more specialized the participant requirement is, the higher the pay will be in the study. Studies that focus more on general consumers typically pay less.
How to Earn More With User Interviews
Is there any way to make sure you get selected for more studies? Patience and persistence are probably the best way to get selected. But there are tips and tricks to make sure you are chosen more.
Create a detailed profile
- Provide detailed information: Give as much relevant data as you can on your job titles, qualifications, background, hobbies, and demographics. You never know which qualification could make or break the deal.
- Use specific keywords: Use keywords that effectively express your skills to increase your presence in searches. For example, use "College Science Teacher" rather than just "Teacher", or "Freelance Content Marketer" rather than "Freelancer".
- Verify your identity: You can boost your credibility by linking your User Interviews account to social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook.
- Highlight unique experiences: This is very important; highlight any special experiences or abilities in your profile that researchers may find useful.
Regularly check for new opportunities
- Regularly check your email: Make sure the emails you receive from User Interviews don't end up in your spam or junk mail folder. Make it a habit to check daily or weekly.
- Regularly visit User Interviews: Check the site frequently for fresh studies that fit your qualifications.
Respond quickly
- Reply fast: The faster you respond to invitations, the more likely you'll be included in the study. There are many cases where researchers reach out to multiple participants, so replying first could get you a seat.
Make use of the referral program
You can make money from a study even if you aren’t qualified for it yourself.
How?
By referring to someone who is. You can recommend a study to qualified friends, colleagues, and acquaintances who might be interested in participating in studies.
You will earn $30 for each new referral you bring. So User Interviews can easily bring some extra cash to both you and your friend.
Is User Interviews Worth It?
If you have the time to dedicate to online studies then yes, User Interviews is worth it. As far as market research goes, this is one of the most well-paying platforms for making money online by answering questions and surveys.
We’ve already gone over all the pros and cons of User Interviews, now let’s see what actual users have to say about it:
- Ana Laura Vagni (on Trustpilot describing her experience): “It is a good company. They pay when they tell you (sometimes the same day or sometimes you have to wait a few days). I find the different topics I can choose to do interesting. The only disappointing thing is that if I don't answer their email to confirm the interview right away, you don't get chosen, and this can be frustrating.”
- Michael Lawrence (on Trustpilot about how much fun he had): “A lot of fun, taking part in an online study was a lot of fun and very easy to do. I felt taking part in the study rewarding enough, knowing that someone may have found my interaction to be of some use, let alone the amazing gift voucher that I got to spend on Amazon (they have some great reward partners in the United Kingdom).”
- Another user (on Trustpilot about trustworthiness): “I have done several surveys with this platform and all have been great. This is not like other survey platforms that pay you pennies or points. You actually get a prepaid Visa or whatever you choose from a wide selection of awards. It pays very well and I have recommended it to several friends and family, payment is prompt and backed up by the platform. If you ever have a problem with getting paid (which I have not) they will speak to them on your behalf. Just make sure you keep filling out their screeners and you will eventually start getting paid surveys. I really like and appreciate userinterviews.com and will continue to use them in the future.”
- Brian O. (on G2 about how he likes being paid in gift cards): “What's been most helpful to me about User Interviews is that I get paid with gift cards. I love this payment type. I have always chosen the Amazon gift card because I can stockpile it in my Amazon wallet. Doing this really helps out with shopping at Christmas time.”
- Laura R. (on Trustpilot about how not every case wins): “Signed up and applied for multiple studies (after answering a lot of questions for each study) but was never "selected" for a study. In one study, I was actually selected and given a phone number to call. I called twice but never received a call back or information on how to participate. Seems like a waste of time.”
Top User Interviews Alternatives
Although User Interviews is a popular platform for doing market research, several alternative solutions provide similar services.
Here are a few of the best alternatives you can use to make money:
Respondent
Respondent is a market research platform that connects users with researchers and brands. Compared to other paid survey sites, this one is more narrow because it focuses on particular business specialties.
It collaborates with several Fortune 500 companies and sizable research groups, and it boasts over 3 million global participants. It has worked with several well-known companies, such as Microsoft, GoDaddy, Dropbox, Intuit, IBM, and others so you know it's legit.
Respondent offers both online and in-person options, making it a flexible side hustle for you to explore.
Respondent is a global platform; however, it focuses on hiring remote interviewers from mainly English-speaking countries. They focus primarily on Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States out of a total of 242 targetable countries.
Fieldwork
You can participate in Fieldwork's research projects to earn money. These take place in the form of focus groups. You must pass the screening test of the study before you can take part in it. All you have to do is wait for Fieldwork to check your answers once you've submitted them – if they determine that you are qualified, you'll get a call or an email.
If you meet the requirements, you will need to show up at Fieldwork's office at the designated time and day. It’s highly impractical to participate in research that is far away from where you live because the expense of travel may exceed the money you will make from the study. As of the writing of this review, Fieldwork only has 13 offices in various US locations.
Because of this, you should check the study's location before answering the surveys to determine whether it's for you or not.
However, you can complete some of Fieldwork's research online or over the phone, so you won't always need to visit an office – even taste testing, product trials, in-home and shop-along interviews, and web research are available. Since there won't be any trip costs, these are the studies you should focus on.
Rare Patient Voice
On its website, Rare Patient Voice describes itself as a platform that offers opportunities to patients with rare and non-rare diseases and to their family caregivers. You can participate in various research projects and voice your thoughts to corporations and researchers.
You will actually get money to participate in these research studies.
This fact, however, does not imply that it is worthwhile or the best fit for you. You need to understand how this site operates before deciding whether or not to register.
Rare Patient Voice is very different from other platforms that provide the same kind of earning opportunity since it will only invite you to take part in research that is relevant to your disease or the condition of the patient you are caring for. Thus, you can only apply if you meet the criteria. So, in most cases, this is going to be a one-time offer.
Looking to Make Money Online? Look No Further Than Whop
Although you can make some cash in a short amount of time, signing up to User Interviews will not bring you a sustainable flow of income.
However, Whop can bring you a sustainable passive flow of income by helping you sell digital products and services online. Whether you want to sell ebooks, create a paid community, offer sports picks tips, create an online course, or anything else digital, you can do it with Whop.
There are thousands of creators making thousands of dollars a month with Whop. There's no cost to get started, and Whop can be your perfect side hustle. If you only have a few hours a week to spare or you can dedicated several hours a day, you can make money with Whop.
Join Whop, launch your side hustle, and start generating reliable, liveable income.
FAQs
How long does it take for User Interviews to pay?
User Interviews is rather efficient in handling payment. Usually, it only takes 2-3 days to complete a session, and you can expect to get the money almost instantly. This can be via PayPal or your desired gift card.
Remember there can be small differences in the payment schedule based on when researchers declare a study to be finished. So, depending on this, it can take up to 10 days for your payment to process.
Is User Interviews safe?
All things considered, User Interviews is safe. If you feel unsafe giving sensitive financial information, you can get paid using gift cards instead.
However, you have to be comfortable enough to share certain personal information, like your job situation, income, education, race, age, and demographics.
Can you earn a living with online surveys?
While it's great as a side hustle because you can make up to a few hundred dollars by participating in a few studies, you can’t make a living using just User Interviews. Studies can differ in terms of frequency and payment, and they might not be reliable enough to be a main source of income.
On the other hand, User Interviews could make an excellent side gig or income supplement. For many, it's a quick and adaptable method to make some additional cash in very little time.
