Is UserTesting legit? Before I get deep into this review, I like you to understand that UserTesting is 100% legit. I give you my word. This is one of those platforms that you don’t find too many negative reviews about—like, what you put in is what you get. It does not mean that they don’t have their own headache, though. So, before this review, I only recently signed up for UserTesting again. I’ve been using them in the past, and my best month was like $520. However, I gave up due to other serious engagements. But now, I returned to it with a new account just so you know whether it’s worth it or not.
So, before setting up this article, I have spent the past few hours taking online surveys to make some extra bucks as a side hustle with UserTesting. Note that this isn’t some sponsored post. UserTesting is just one of the sites I can tell is worth it. I have done other survey sites like Freecash, Sproutgigs, Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, etc. The problem with some of those is that they give you little cents per survey, and it takes really long to accumulate something reasonable. Other sites even reward you with points you can redeem for a gift card or like $5 before you can withdraw. Takes a lot of time. On UserTesting, however, you sign up, you fill in your honest information (salary range, industry, age, etc.), researchers get an idea of the demographic to target here, provide you with tasks, and you get paid reasonably.
I’ve noticed two strange things about UserTesting.com—(1) PayPal is the only payment method and (2) for some reason, they don’t recommend using Xiaomi devices with the UserTesting App for Android due to “issues with these devices.” Otherwise, that’s just that.
Is UserTesting Legit?
UserTesting is legit. Wake me up from the deepest sleep and I’d say the same thing, UserTesting is legit, like 100% with a couple of curve balls though, and closing users’ accounts without providing a reason. Not had mine closed, so can’t really say. You will get to understand this as we progress in this honest review. But before I say any other thing, if you don’t have time enough to spare for some side bucks, this isn’t for you. You can make this like your filler side hustle but make a living with it? No, UserTesting won’t pay the bills, except if you are lucky enough to qualify for most of the tests. You will get to understand this better.
Ps. They have a 3.9 TrustPilot score—not bad. The major complaint I’ve noticed here is that they closed accounts without giving any reason. But I’ll also be honest, some of those 5-start TrustPilot reviews look fake to me. Maybe just generated to counter the 1-star reviews as they don’t read naturally. Just saying my observation.
So, I’ll be getting into the flesh of this UserTesting review soon. First, I thought you needed to know this about my UserTime journey.
Starting date: 11/23. My first test on UserTesting was reviewed, and approved, and I became a tester.
Ending date: 12/23. Counting both completed and pending transactions.
UserTesting generated around $200-300. The reason this worked out so well is that I dedicated a lot of time in front of the computer. So, I was always available to accept a test. I didn’t qualify for all but did successfully complete the few I qualified for.
Note that UserTesting can become frustrating, so take care of yourself and don’t overthink it. Go about your daily routine as you normally would. I recommend you don’t force yourself to be on your computer all day. And most importantly, you are going to need your phone or PC charged. It should also have enough storage, otherwise, you will ruin a few tests because of it.
Does UserTesting Actually Pay?
Yes, yes, and yes, UserTesting actually pays, as long as you find a test that you qualify for and complete it. Throughout this review, I keep ranting that my major problem with UserTesting is that you don’t get to qualify for most of the tests. That’s not actually a UserTesting problem but the fact that the advertising brands are interested in a specific demographic that matches their interest. So, if your demo is different, sorry, no dollars for you. You have to keep checking, and hopefully, you find one because new tests keep coming. You will also find duplicates too, sadly.
It seems you can beat the system by lying about your information. For example, you can get a screener about Mexico from a company looking for someone born in Mexico, trying to set up some loans or insurance. It asks like “Were you born in Mexico?” Let’s say you were born in the US. If you select that you were born in Mexico, that’s not being honest. You will probably qualify but along the line, you might get hooked and probably lose your account.
If you want to beat the system, you better make sure you can deliver on it because if your feedback does not match with what they’re looking for, you’re not going to get paid, and your account might get suspended. So, what? Proceed at your own risk—I have warned you to be honest.
How Long Does UserTesting Take to Pay?
UserTesting takes 14 days to pay. The amount you get paid depends on the type of test you complete, and you will see the amount in your test feed for each test.
How Does UserTesting Work?
The general idea of UserTesting is just for you to influence top brands, latest technologies, and innovative companies and make money through your surveys. How UserTesting works is quite simple, so let me, like, summarize the situation here.
First, Apply
You will submit your email, and ZIP, and then complete a 7-minute practice test to join UserTesting and qualify for tasks like other contributors.
Browse the Screeners
You have to answer the screening questions to match with test opportunities. New tests come in frequently but you won’t qualify for most of them. Some days are great and you’ll qualify for a few while other days you won’t qualify for a single test. It’s all random.
Take a Test You Qualify for
You know, like I have mentioned before, you don’t actually get to qualify for many of these tests. You qualify for like 1 in 5, or even less in my experience. The issue with UserTesting is that it’s very variable; sometimes you can go a month without getting to do a test, and sometimes you’ll make $70 in a single day. So, I finally qualified for just two, which I completed. Here is a screenshot of the first one, in which I have blurred some information.
Now, we have to share our perspectives via the tests we match with. This should help the specific brand improve their products and services. I won’t share another screenshot of the actual research project due to the terms of service. However, I will just describe what goes on to give you an idea of what you’ll be doing in this research. So, here is a description of the project task I shared above in the screenshot.
Scenario: You have just moved to [name of location] and started a new career. You were very involved in your previous community, and want to learn about what resources and coalitions […] has to offer. A colleague has told you about the … and you’ve decided to investigate the […] website for yourself.
Please click Open Test Page to navigate to the website and answer the following questions.
So, we are just going to click Accept. You can click Decline if you wish. So, accepting this task means we accept the video response requirement.
The task is basically asking:
- What do you think this website is for?
- What are your thoughts on the look and feel of this page?
- What kind of information do you expect to see on this site?
- To whom is this site targeted?
So this particular test required me to visit the website and just look for sign-up stuff, look at how the design was, and that is that. At the end, it asked whether I had any other feedback or thoughts about the website.
So this is the first of the two projects I qualified for. Now, this one took just over 10 minutes.
And then, it paid the pending $10 right there.
Remember, I qualified for two tests. Let’s get into the second.
This particular one does not require face recording like the other. So, it’s just the audio and the screen recording. The scenario for this one is, “You are researching organizations to donate to.” So, we accept this task.
It just asked questions similar to the first one, like find the pricing, and do you think there are enough pricing options? Do you think it’s easy to sign up? Etc. And also, “Does it encourage you to donate?”
This one was all audio, and, like the first one, it is just responding to a few questions on a website, but with no face recording like the first one. I completed this task in 30 minutes and 30 seconds for $10.
So, for both task, I got $20 in 13 minutes and 30 seconds combined. Not a lot of time at all to get 20 bucks. The problem is that you spend even more time looking for one that you qualify for. But that’s not the curveball—the actual curveball is that you can run out of surveys to qualify for.
Get Paid Via PayPal
When you have completed the available tests, you get rewarded. You can see the amount you will be paid for each test in your test feed. You will get paid via PayPal, which is currently the only payment option UserTesting offers. Once in a ‘blue moon’, someone may say in their screener that they can pay you an extra if they like your test. This tip, for $10 tests, is usually about a $5 or $10 bonus.
Now, what if you fail a test? Often, this is a hit and miss—sometimes you get confirmation emails, and sometimes you won’t. Sometimes, you can get compensation and sometimes you don’t. There is no pattern as to if and when the report gets registered. UserTesting’s FAQ does say that you ‘may receive compensation’. So, depending on how much time you have devoted, there is still no guarantee you will get paid anything.
Cons of UserTesting
Here is how I have structured this review. You are not going to find any section where I discuss the pros because I have already explained them in the section where I talk about How UserTesting works. Now, the cons I have identified here are the commonest you will experience when you use UserTesting. I am also being really honest with you because you don’t need to waste your time if, at the end of this article, you decide that it isn’t worth it for you.
Practice Test
Unlike other survey apps like Survey Junkie, Userlytics, etc., UserTesting requires you to qualify. You have to go through a qualification screening, which is more academic and corporate to research. It will take about 7 minutes of your time and you will wait for some admin to review and approve it before you can start getting tasks.
So, it’s actually for researchers targeting a certain demographic, and you have to qualify. The test will ask for random information such as your work industry, the products you purchase, and whether you have hired a financial planner before. Make sure you select the option with the primary industry you are currently employed.
You Don’t Qualify for Many of the Tests
On YouTube, you will come across claims that you can make $1k easy but it isn’t that easy at all. Many of the tests you will see, you won’t actually qualify for them. The trick is that you can modify your profile so that it opens you up to new opportunities that you may qualify for. However, you might have to wait until the next day before something you qualify for comes up. Still, there are no guarantees. So, considering that you won’t qualify for all the tests, you can’t really make a living off UserTesting but it makes a really good side hustle platform.
Too Many Duplicate Tests
A major con I think you should know about UserTesting is that there is only one page, the homepage, which constantly refreshes with actual screeners. However, I have noticed duplicate tests! I also saw many tests I could tell I didn’t qualify for. You can click ‘Decline’ if you don’t even want to try a screener, but it was a lot of repetition, and not qualified.
Support for Xiaomi Devices
UserTesting says that Xiaomi devices have a bit of compatibility issues with their app. They aren’t really specific about it but I guess it’s just its background activity killing ability of these devices. In fact, I had to use a Xiaomi device for hours, precisely the Xiaomi Civi 1.
I didn’t face any issues. So, I guess it has to do with the older Android and MIUI versions.
Not Non-English Speaker Friendly
You won’t really get testing opportunities as a non-English speaker, even though UserTesting.com is a global service. Yes, you can become a paid usability tester without speaking English but you need a lot of patience and luck to find one that you actually qualify for.
What’s the Average Day on UserTesting Like?
I’ll be honest; it is not a lot. Initially, you will be staring at a blank page for a while, waiting for a test to drop. Finally, one drops and you excitedly click it, and then you won’t qualify for it. Disappointing.
How I use UserTesting is that I open up the app on my laptop and keep my notification sound on. When I get a beep will sound, I check to see if I can take the qualifier. Well, a lot of time, I don’t qualify due to not having the required skills for the test. It could be something like not speaking the required language.
Sometimes, when I qualify, I get to talk for 10-20 minutes during the test. When the upload is complete, I reload UserTesting and hopefully wait for more tests. This is the nature of the average UserTester out there.
If you want to make more money at once, take longer tests, even if it takes 40minutes. Also, you are more likely to get a positive review and increase your overall performance.
Prepare for some technical issues. Don’t let that get to you because I have ruined like 5 tests due to some random technical errors.
Is UserTesting a Good Side Hustle?
Well, UserTesting isn’t a full-time job. Usually, you take several screening tests to actually qualify to take a test. The companies require specific demographics for each test so you will earn like a few bucks here and there, but not a lot unless you can put in many hours a day. Putting in these many hours is not the problem—the problem is: you will not find many tasks you qualify for.
There are two things you want to consider here. First, the screeners, as someone who has done this survey, you won’t qualify for many surveys. Even UserTesting estimates like 1 in 5 tasks, and I can tell you that it is even less than this. So, no, you can’t make a living off UserTesting.
The positive is that you can complete the tasks right from your comfort zone. You don’t have to be on the road before you can ace any task and get paid the $$$.
While you may not qualify for a lot of these surveys, you will qualify for some. Now, when you do qualify for a survey, you will provide audio and or video feedback to the researchers. So, no one is going to be like, “Nah, that user didn’t do this stuff.”
Here is a glimpse of what you get paid like:
- $4 for a 5-minute test
- $10 for 15-20 minutes
- $30 for live conversation (about 30 minutes)
- $60 for live conversation (60 minutes)
- $90 for live conversation (90 minutes)
- $120 for live conversation (120 minutes)
UserTesting used to have this information on their website but I couldn’t find it anymore. Also, you can report someone when they take longer than the estimated time.
Conclusion—Is UserTesting Legit?
Legit? Yes. Full-time income? Nope. UserTesting is only a filler side hustle for anyone who has some time on their hands. So, the pro of UserTesting, aside from being legit, is that there are unlimited screeners. Unfortunately, the biggest con is that you won’t qualify for a good amount.
UserTesting pays decently, and the test format is cool. Like, you just talk, and no need to type things repeatedly. It is basically verbal feedback, and there’s a screen recording of the the tests, so it is very easy for anyone to make $10+ within minutes. The only time you will waste a lot of your time is with the screeners with the things you don’t qualify for.
Read also: How to Join Hustlers University Without Paying $50
