Is Prolific Survey Legit? An Honest Review

Prolific focuses on surveys for academic studies and research projects. It stands out from competitors by requiring studies to pay a minimum hourly rate, which is £6 per hour (or between $7 – $8 USD, depending on the exchange rate) and allows you to cash out to PayPal once/day.

The Good

• • While there is a minimum hourly rate, most studies exceed it in an effort to get quality data quickly.
  • You will NOT get screened out for any survey.   You only see a study if you fit its target demographic.
  • The payout threshold is low – you can cash out (to PayPal) starting at £5.
  • There’s a Chrome extension that will notify you with a popup and/or an audio alert when new studies are available. 
  • There are bonuses for some studies (though they are not guaranteed and can take a long time to payout).

The Bad

• • There is a waitlist. Go sign up now!
  • There is no mobile app, but the site works extremely well on mobile browsers. 
  • There are a good number of studies that can only be completed on a computer.
  • The first four times you cash out, you have to wait until they process your payment on Tuesday or Friday before you can cash out again.  After the fourth time, you can cash out instantly once a day (provided you are over the £5 threshold).
  • They require you to upload a photo ID for identity verification. 

How I use Prolific

Prolific is my go-to survey site, so it’s always the first tab in my browser.  I sort by “Reward per Hour” (highest to lowest) and work my way down the list.  I will skip a longer study (some surveys can be 1 question or as long as 2+ hours) if I don’t have the time or just don’t feel like it.  I have also started a study and decided the subject matter doesn’t interest me (or there is too much writing required), so I’ll return the study and move on.  While I like to complete them quickly, a good amount of studies will include attention checks. 

Failing these attention checks are a big deal for two main reasons: the first being they can and will reject your submission (meaning you don’t get paid); the second is if you get enough rejections, you will receive fewer studies, and too many rejections gets you permanently banned.

Protip

Make a habit of copying your Prolific ID before you start a study.  Some studies grab it automatically, but many do not, so then you’ll have to go back and copy it. 

Life Protip

The audio alerts can get annoying, so you may want to turn them off for new surveys if you want to preserve your significant other’s sanity. I’m pretty sure my wife hears “New studies available on Prolific!” in her sleep.

How much have I earned from Prolific?

Total 2023: $998.43

Lifetime (Since Nov 2022): $1419.50*

PayPal payments come from Prolific Academic Ltd.