Applying to User Interviews · researched 12 Nov 2026

How to apply to User Interviews

Create a participant account on userinterviews.com, fill in your whole profile and verify a mobile number by text, then apply to studies by answering each study's screener; if a researcher approves you, book a session straight away, take part on time, and redeem your incentive once the researcher marks you complete.

Start your User Interviews application

Applying to User Interviews, step by step

Researched Nov 2026

Who can join

Be 18 or older, or 16 or older with the consent of a parent or guardian.
Live in one of the 34 countries it accepts: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States; Australia, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore; and Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It says people elsewhere cannot join yet.
A mobile phone number that receives texts, to activate the account. Landline, WiFi and VOIP numbers are not supported, and you cannot verify with an email address.
Sharing your email and phone number with researchers. Both are required, researchers see them once you confirm a session (or as soon as you apply to a study with Premium Screening), and they cannot be hidden.
Your own account only, with true details. The Participant Terms bar using another person's account, misrepresenting your identity or qualifications, and holding an account after User Interviews has removed or banned you.
For online research studies and online focus groups, a computer with a webcam and a strong internet connection; surveys and user tests need only a device with an internet connection.
For some UserTesting studies, the UserTesting Browser Recorder extension for Chrome on a computer, or the UserTesting app on a phone or tablet, which record your screen and voice and sometimes your camera.

Step by step

1
Create a participant account
Sign up as a participant on userinterviews.com and complete your profile fully: User Interviews uses it to match you with studies, and missing required fields can stop you verifying your account.
2
Verify your mobile number
Follow the prompts to verify your number by text; the account is not active until you do, because study alerts and reminders come by text. If no code arrives, wait a few minutes, text START to 617-202-2503 and request a new code. A message that the number is already in use usually means you already have an account under another email.
3
Connect LinkedIn or Facebook (optional)
From the Browse studies page or your profile you can link LinkedIn and Facebook. Researchers then see an icon by your name, and User Interviews says a verified profile can make your application more trustworthy and raise your chances of being selected.
4
Find studies by email and on the studies page
New studies arrive as email invitations, and an invitation means you are likely a good fit. The studies page updates once a day and, when you are signed in, shows every study that matches your location and demographics.
5
Apply through the study's screener
Answer the researcher's screener questions honestly. If no answer is true for you, do not pick one anyway: untrue answers can lead to a withheld incentive or disqualification from future studies. Tell Support which question is missing an answer instead. Your answers are saved page by page once you are past the first page.
6
Record a video answer if a study asks
Some studies end the screener with a video question: one answer of up to 90 seconds, which you can play back and re-record as often as you like before submitting. If you cannot record right away, the application link takes you back to the prompt.
7
Expect a screening call on some studies
Most studies (about 70%) do not use Premium Screening. Those that do give the researcher your email and phone number as soon as you apply, so they can check your answers or ask more questions; these calls average about 10 minutes and are not paid. A note at the bottom of the study details page tells you before you apply.
8
Book a time as soon as you are approved
Approval comes as a scheduling email, sent to all approved candidates at once, and it does not reserve a spot: many studies approve more people than they have places, and the places go to whoever books first. If the study fills first you may get a waitlist message.
9
Sign any NDA or release form
Some researchers ask you to sign an NDA or release form while you book, or by email afterwards. The signature is legally binding, and if you do not sign before the session the researcher may cancel your booking.
10
Take part on time and finish every task
Arrive on time, follow the researcher's instructions and complete every required part. The researcher may withhold pay or cancel your session if you are late, may withhold or part-pay an unfinished session, and missing a session without 24 hours' notice may bar you from future studies.
11
Redeem your incentive
When User Interviews pays, select Redeem incentive in the email from compensation@userinterviews.com or under My Studies, then pick the correct currency and choose your reward on Tremendous; a virtual Visa also asks for your name and address. A researcher who pays directly sends the type listed for the study, within 10 business days.

Each study's screener survey (and for some, a video answer or a screening call)

There is no single entrance test. Each study has its own screener, written by the researcher, who reviews the applications. Because researchers look for specific demographics and screener answers, User Interviews says not every study will be a match for everyone.

Format

Online screener questions for each study, many of which take under a minute, its participant page says. Some studies add a video answer of up to 90 seconds, and studies with Premium Screening may add an unpaid call or emails from the researcher, about 10 minutes on average.

How to prepare

Keep your profile current, especially your job title and location: location, job title and demographics decide which studies you qualify for.
Apply only to studies that feel like a strong fit for you and your experience.
Answer honestly: User Interviews says your most honest answer is always your best, and falsified answers risk being flagged or suspended.
Write your own answers: it advises against ChatGPT or other AI tools for screeners, since researchers can usually tell and AI-written answers reduce your chances.
For a video answer, read the prompt carefully, find a quiet, well-lit place, speak clearly, keep within 90 seconds, and never share account numbers, addresses or passwords.
Link LinkedIn if your work fits the studies you apply to: researchers may be more likely to pick a profile that matches their criteria.

Why people get rejected

Not matching the specific demographics or screener answers the researcher wants, which User Interviews names as the reason not every study fits everyone.
Conflicting answers or poor feedback, which bring penalties and, if repeated, a block from future studies.
Misrepresenting yourself, which User Interviews says leads to automatic disqualification from future studies.
Booking too late: an approved candidate who does not book before the places run out does not get in.
An out-of-date profile that gets you picked for a study you do not actually qualify for.

How long it takes

Verifying your mobile number activates the account, and you can then apply to studies. Being picked is the slow part: User Interviews says it is typical to be approved for 1 to 2 studies a year, every selection is made by the researcher, and each study needs its own application.

When you get paid

Who pays decides how you are paid. When User Interviews pays (shown as a choice of dozens of digital gift cards), you redeem the incentive through Tremendous as a digital gift card, a virtual prepaid Visa or a donation; PayPal, Venmo, bank transfer and the physical prepaid Visa are not offered. When the researcher pays, the type is theirs (cash, PayPal, direct deposit, a gift card, a check, a product or a subscription) and is shown before you apply. Most incentives are issued within a day or two of the session, researchers have up to 10 business days, and UserTesting studies are paid by UserTesting 14 days after the study. Contact Support after 10 business days: it cannot follow up on studies more than 3 months old. How often other platforms pay

Tips to get accepted

Add schedule@userinterviews.com and compensation@userinterviews.com to your contacts so study invitations and payment emails do not land in spam.
Update your profile whenever your life changes (a move, a new job or employment status, a child, a new phone type or browser): User Interviews matches studies on these details.
Pick the right currency and reward before you redeem: User Interviews cannot reissue an incentive redeemed by mistake, nor a gift card code that was shared or already used, so keep codes private.
Redeem every incentive before you delete your account: the Participant Terms say deleting it first can forfeit the incentive.
To cancel, give at least 24 hours' notice by messaging the researcher the word UNAVAILABLE (in capitals), and plan to arrive 10 minutes early: researchers need not accept late arrivals and may pay a late arrival in part or not at all.
Know when your 10 business days start: on the session date for a live session, when the task link expires for an unmoderated task with a task window, or on the deadline for one with a fixed deadline. Submitting early does not move your payment date.
If a researcher-paid incentive is late, message the researcher first through the Messages tool; if they have not replied after 48 hours, or the incentive is still missing after 10 business days, chat with Edison after signing in.
In the US, fill in the W-9 when Tremendous asks for it after $600 in incentives in a year: you cannot redeem further incentives until you do, and not submitting it blocks the account from future studies.

What isn't public

User Interviews publishes no acceptance rate. Its help center gives two different norms: 'It's typical to be approved for 1 to 2 studies per year' (Create a participant account, updated 14 Oct 2026) and 'most participants can expect to be invited to 1 to 2 studies every 6 months' (Best practices for getting selected, updated 21 May 2026); the second may count invitations to apply rather than approvals.
The pay figures are its own: an average of over $45 a study and ranges by format ($20 to $1,500+ online, $40 to $1,000+ in person) on its participant page. It publishes no median, and the studies list with each incentive is shown only to signed-in participants, so we could not read live incentives.
Incentives are shown in US dollars. For its Recruit studies, an incentive User Interviews pays can be redeemed in the local currency of only 8 countries (the US, UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, South Africa and India); the participant help center does not say what currency someone in the other 26 accepted countries receives.
User Interviews has no tracking on incentives that researchers pay themselves, so a missing researcher payment depends on the researcher answering; support is reached only through its Edison chatbot after signing in, with replies by email, and no response time is published.
Its tax page (updated 8 Sep 2026) still sends a 1099 and asks for a W-9 at $600 a year; the IRS instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (revised December 2026) put the reporting threshold for other income at $2,000 for tax years beginning after 2025, so the page may be out of date.
It does not say whether its owner renaming itself Auros (29 Sep 2026) changes anything for participants; the help center describes only the UserTesting studies now offered to them. We could not read Reddit or Glassdoor directly and found no User Interviews participant app in the App Store, so participant experience here rests on Trustpilot and Better Business Bureau reviews.

Sources (28)

User Interviews Help Center: Create a participant account (profile, mobile number, typical 1 to 2 approved studies a year; updated October 14, 2026)
User Interviews Help Center: Countries where you can participate in studies (34 countries; updated October 5, 2026)
User Interviews: Participant Terms and Conditions (age, usage restrictions, incentives; effective January 9, 2023; read November 12, 2026)
User Interviews: Get paid for surveys, focus groups, and studies (participant page: average over $45, ranges by format, equipment; read November 12, 2026)
User Interviews Help Center: Why am I receiving calls, emails, or messages from a researcher? (Premium Screening, unpaid screening calls; updated October 14, 2026)
User Interviews Help Center: How do I connect my LinkedIn and Facebook profiles to my participant profile? (updated September 4, 2026)
User Interviews Help Center: Browse upcoming studies (email invitations, studies page updated daily)
User Interviews Help Center: What if no screener answer fits me? (updated October 30, 2026)
User Interviews Help Center: Video screening tips and what to expect (90-second video answers)
User Interviews Help Center: I was approved for a study, but was told it's full (updated October 2, 2026)
User Interviews Help Center: How do I sign an NDA or release form for a study?
User Interviews Help Center: What policies should I be aware of as a participant? (incentive, cancellation, late arrival, no-show and completion policies; updated October 14, 2026)
User Interviews Help Center: Redeem your incentive (Tremendous, currencies, prepaid Visa; updated October 14, 2026)
User Interviews Help Center: Best practices for getting selected to participate in studies (invited to 1 to 2 studies every 6 months; updated May 21, 2026)
User Interviews Help Center: Will anything affect my account or ability to participate in future studies? (updated November 3, 2026)
User Interviews Help Center: Learn how and when you'll receive your incentive payment (who pays, types, 10 business days, UserTesting 14 days, 3-month limit; updated October 14, 2026)
User Interviews Help Center: What date determines when I receive my incentive? (updated October 14, 2026)
User Interviews Help Center: How can I make sure I'm receiving all recruitment notifications?
User Interviews Help Center: I'm not interested in these studies, how can I find studies that fit me? (profile details that decide matching)
User Interviews Help Center: Cancel or reschedule your session (24 hours' notice, UNAVAILABLE, late arrivals; updated September 4, 2026)
User Interviews Help Center: How do I contact Support? (Edison chatbot, replies by email; updated November 3, 2026)
User Interviews Help Center: Are study incentives taxable income? ($600, W-9, 1099, W-8BEN; updated September 8, 2026)
User Interviews Help Center: FAQ, UserTesting studies for User Interviews participants (updated November 4, 2026)
User Interviews Help Center: Tools for sharing feedback during UserTesting studies (UserTesting browser extension and app)
User Interviews Help Center: Is this email really from User Interviews? (updated October 14, 2026)
UserTesting Help Center (for User Interviews researchers): Choose from dozens of currencies and incentive types (shown in USD, 8 local currencies for Recruit projects; updated July 13, 2026)
Thoma Bravo: UserTesting announces rebranding as Auros (press release, September 29, 2026)
IRS: Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (revised December 2026; $2,000 threshold for tax years beginning after 2025)

Applying to User Interviews: questions

How do I join User Interviews as a participant?

Create a participant account, complete your profile fully, and verify a mobile phone number by text to activate it. Then apply to studies from your email invitations or the studies page by answering each study's screener.

Which countries can join User Interviews?

34: the US, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Argentina and Chile; Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore; and the UK, Ireland, South Africa and 18 countries of continental Europe. It says it cannot guarantee studies elsewhere, so people in other countries cannot join yet.

How old do you have to be for User Interviews?

18 or older, or 16 or older with the consent of a parent or guardian.

How much does User Interviews pay?

User Interviews says the average study pays over $45, with ranges by format: online studies $20 to $1,500+, in-person studies $40 to $1,000+, 1-on-1 interviews $20 to $300+, diary studies $55 to $400+, online focus groups $40 to $200+, and surveys and user tests $20 to $300+.

How does User Interviews pay, and can I get PayPal?

When User Interviews pays, you choose a digital gift card, a virtual prepaid Visa or a donation through Tremendous; it does not offer PayPal, Venmo, bank transfer, cash or the physical prepaid Visa. When the researcher pays, they choose the type, which can be PayPal, cash, direct deposit or a check, and it is shown on the study details page before you apply.

How long does User Interviews take to pay?

Most incentives are issued within a day or two of the session, but researchers have up to 10 business days after it to release payment, and some state a longer timeline in the study details. UserTesting studies are paid by UserTesting 14 days after the study.

How many studies will I get on User Interviews?

Few: its help center says it is typical to be approved for 1 to 2 studies a year. Keeping your profile up to date and applying only to studies you fit improves your chances.

Am I paid for screening calls with a researcher?

No. In studies with Premium Screening, the researcher may call or email you after you apply to check your answers; User Interviews treats that as part of selection, not paid time. Calls average about 10 minutes.

Why was I approved but told the study is full?

Many studies approve more candidates than they have places, and the scheduling email goes to all of them at once, so the places go to whoever books first. Book as soon as the email arrives.

What are UserTesting studies on User Interviews?

User Interviews and UserTesting have partnered, so participants may now get studies from UserTesting customers, with no UserTesting account needed. Some need the UserTesting browser extension or app, and the incentive, shown before you apply, is processed within 14 days.

Can a researcher refuse to pay me?

Yes. Researchers can withhold payment for suspected untruthful answers, suspected fraud, unfinished tasks, arriving late or behavior that disrupted the session, and User Interviews cannot change the incentive type a researcher chose.

Are User Interviews incentives taxable?

For US residents, User Interviews says payments totaling $600 or more in a year must be reported: at that point Tremendous asks you for a W-9, and you receive a 1099 by 31 January. Incentives paid by researchers are not counted. Participants outside the US are asked for a W-8BEN instead.

Is an email really from User Interviews?

Its study mail comes from schedule@userinterviews.com, incentive mail from compensation@userinterviews.com and researcher outreach from projects@userinterviews.com. For any other sender, do not click links or share details; sign in and ask Support through Edison.

How long does it take to hear back from User Interviews?

Does User Interviews have an assessment?

Yes: Each study's screener survey (and for some, a video answer or a screening call). There is no single entrance test. Each study has its own screener, written by the researcher, who reviews the applications. Because researchers look for specific demographics and screener answers, User Interviews says not every study will be a match for everyone.

Does User Interviews have an interview?

On some roles or projects only. How it screens: Each study's screener survey (and for some, a video answer or a screening call). How other platforms screen.