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I know survey sites aren’t a huge money maker – but dang I love them so much!
They’re easy to do, you can usually take surveys from almost any device (phone, computer, etc), and they don’t require anything to get started.
Seriously surveys are like the perfect starter side hustle!
I’ve tried quite a few survey websites over the years, and one of the ones I keep coming back to is Prolific Surveys. This is also the website I recommend everyone try first if they want to start taking surveys for money.
If you’re interested in hearing more about
What is Prolific?
For the researcher side, Prolific is a UK-based company that has helped over 10,000 researchers from 1,500+ companies and institutions find qualified participants for their surveys and other types of research.
For the participant side, Prolific connects participants to high-paying surveys (I’m talking $6/hr+).
Prolific is also backed by Y Combinator and Oxford University Innovation (neat!).
***You might see Prolific be called Prolific Surveys or Prolific Academic (these are all the same things).
Company Info
- Founded: 2014
- Name: Prolific (also known as Prolific Academic an Prolific Surveys).
- Located: London, United Kingdom
- Founder: Ekaterina Damer (CEO & Co-Founder)
- Socials: Twitter | Facebook
How Does Prolific Work?
Since this site is all about making money, we’re going to focus on how Prolific works from the participant side. If you’re interested in becoming a researcher and setting up surveys on Prolific, you can visit the Researcher Help Page.
Researchers sign up on Prolific, sets up the surveys, and creates a filter to find qualified participants.
If your profile fits what the researchers are looking for, the survey will appear in the “studies” section of your Prolific dashboard, and you will have a chance to take the survey (until the survey has reached the maximum number of participants).
Once you accept the survey, you will be given a time limit to complete the survey (based on how long the survey should take). After finishing the survey you will submit your completion code, and it will be sent to the researcher for approval.
After approval, the money will be added to your account, and you can withdraw your earnings once you reach the threshold.
What is the Prolific Sign Up Process?
If you’re interested in signing up to take surveys, you go here to create an account.
After creating your account, you will have a chance to fill out the “About You” section of your profile which contains things like demographics, education, beliefs, etc.
**It’s important that you always keep the “About You” section of your profile up to date, because this is how you qualify for surveys.
Because you’re already prequalified based on the “About You” section of your profile, you will usually NEVER be screened out of surveys, and the surveys available to you are ones that you can actually take.
Who Can Join Prolific?
- Age Requirments: I couldn’t find an age range for Prolific, but it seems that most surveys are aimed at adults.
- Country Requirements: Prolific currently accepts participants from the following countries: AT, AU, BE, CA, CH, CL, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LU, LV, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PL, PT, SE, SI, US and ZA (source: Participant Help Centre).
- Device Requirements: Phone, Laptop, or Desktop (some surveys have specific device requirements).
- Payout Requirements: Paypal
How Much Can You Make From Prolific Surveys?
Prolific Surveys tries to make sure payments are fair, which means they try to have surveys pay at least £6 per hour. Some surveys pay a lot more than this, some surveys pay a bit less, but one of the best things about Prolific is that you can see the hourly pay rate before you accept a survey.
In my experience, I’d say most surveys pay at the £6+ per hour rate.
Overall, I’d say making a consistent $50+ per month on Prolific Surveys is attainable!
How Do Payments Work?
First, you need to get your account to £5 (yes £5, not $5). Because Prolific is based in the UK, they only pay in £ (British Pounds), but don’t worry, you can exchange it for your preferred currency through PayPal.
Secondly, you need to make sure your PayPal account is verified and you have the right email attached to your account on Prolific Surveys. **Your PayPal email can be different from your Prolific Surveys account email.
After you reach the threshold, you can press the “cash out” button in your account, and the next Tuesday or Friday, you will get the money in your PayPal account.
After you cash out 4 times, you will be eligible for instant payouts, which means you will start getting the money immediately in your account.
(source: Participant Help Centre).
Prolific Tips For Earning More Money
If you want to make more money with Prolific, here are a few tips you can use:
Use Prolific Assistant
The best tip I have for you is to use the Prolific Assistant extension! It is an extension that you can use to notify you of new surveys (without you having to check Prolific Surveys manually).
The extension gives you a desktop notification and it can play a sound if you like. The extension is available on Chrome and Firefox, and it’s totally free to use.
Keep Your Profile Up to Date
The “About You” section is one of the most important things in your account. That section is how Prolific will match you to surveys that you’re qualified for.
Every so often they add new questions, so check this section at least once a week to make sure you’ve answered all the questions.
Be Honest, Consistent, and Careful
Some surveys have attention checks, so make sure you read every question carefully. Also, some surveys may stop you if they find that some of your answers don’t match – so make sure everything is consistent.
And of course, always answer honestly.
Not doing some of these things may get your submissions rejected, which may limit the number of surveys that will be available to you.
Check the Subreddit
There is a subreddit for Prolific that can be helpful! (r/ProlificAc) It’s not super active, but there seems to be members of the Prolific support team that are part of the subreddit who can help you if you run into any serious issues.
You can also stay up to date with any updates or changes by joining the subreddit.
What are the Prolific Pros and Cons?
Here are the pros and cons of using Prolific Surveys:
Pros
- Surveys pay at least $6/hr!
- You can take surveys on your phone, tablet, or computer
- You’re already pre-qualified for surveys, so there’s almost no chance that you will be screened out
- Small threshold of $5 before you get paid
- Instant cash outs are possible (after 4 regular cash outs).
Cons
- May not be available in every country
- They only pay in GBP (British Pounds).
My Experience With Prolific
I’ve been using Prolific Surveys since last year, and I have nothing but good things to say about it!
I’ve made over $950+ (USD).
This survey website is one of my favorite side hustle websites! There are almost always surveys available, I’ve never had an issue with payments, and whenever I’ve had to contact customer service, they resolved the issue quickly and easily.
I love me some Prolific, ok?
Payment Proof
As you can see, I’ve cashed out several times over the last few months on Prolific.
Prolific Reviews From Other Users
If you’re interested in seeing other people’s experience with Prolific Surveys, I’ve added a few reviews from Trust Pilot that I was able to find.
When I read through the reviews on Trust Pilot and Facebook, there seems to be some issues with people not getting their accounts approved, or having their accounts shut down after some time.
This hasn’t been my experience, but it should be something you’re aware of.
Negative Reviews
“Terrible.
They removed my access and won’t tell me why and won’t restore it!
All my info is right and they are using a vague reason to get rid of legitimate people!!
This is to someone who answered honestly every time. Now I get removed for being legitimate?” – MissH (Trust Pilot)
Neutral Reviews
“…The reason that I have dropped 2 stars is it appears there is a problem with auto join bots on the site. This means studies are filled within a matter of seconds from when they appear to you. Not only does this make it difficult to join studies, but it can’t mean that researchers are getting the best quality subjects. It would be nice if prolific could address this apparent auto join bot issue, and somehow prioritise people who are genuinely attempting to participate and fully engage with studies, rather than those who are solely interested in money. If this could be addressed it would be a perfect site…” – Nic M. (Trust Pilot)
Positive Reviews
“One of the best survey sites out there. And the best part is these surveys are actually interesting. You don’t even realise the time spent. I actually get excited when a new survey pops up. I have had no problems with the customer service or payouts.” – Rasna (Trust Pilot)
Final Thoughts (Is Prolific Worth It? Is Prolific Legit?)
Prolific is completely legit, and definitely worth it! If you’re looking for a good website to start making extra money, I highly recommend Prolific!
Prolific Survey Alternatives
If you’re looking for other high-paying survey websites, here are my recommendations:
- Paidviewpoint (read our review)
- Survey Junkie
- American Consumer Opinion
- Vindale Research
- Pinecone Research