Is User Interviews legit? Yes. User Interviews (userinterviews.com) is a New York research-recruiting company, founded around 2015, that pays people to take part in interviews, surveys and product tests. It says participants have earned $60 million, and since January 2026 it belongs to UserTesting, whose parent company is now called Auros. Joining is free and single studies can pay well. The catches are the ones most reviews skip: you are usually paid in gift cards, the researcher decides whether you get paid at all, and only a small share of members get picked in a given year. This User Interviews review covers all of it, with sources.
Verdict in 20 seconds
User Interviews is a real, well-funded platform that pays: the average study pays over $45, mostly as digital gift cards or a prepaid Visa within a few days. It is not a scam, but it is not dependable income either. Its own figures suggest roughly 94,000 people were paid last year out of more than 6 million sign-ups. Apply only to studies you truly fit, and keep screenshots of every session.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- UserTesting bought User Interviews on January 7, 2026; since September 29, 2026 the parent company is called Auros, and User Interviews continues as a product brand (UserTesting, Thoma Bravo).
- User Interviews says participants have earned $60 million and that “the average study pays over $45” (User Interviews, User Interviews).
- When User Interviews pays you, it’s via Tremendous: a choice of gift cards, a prepaid virtual Visa or a charity donation. PayPal isn’t one of its own options (User Interviews, User Interviews help).
- You are paid only after the researcher confirms you attended; researchers have up to 10 business days (Participant terms, User Interviews help).
- “Over 94,000 participants paid in the last year” against 6 million+ registered: selection is the real bottleneck (User Interviews, User Interviews).
- The help center still cites a $600 tax-reporting threshold; for payments made in 2026 the IRS threshold for 1099-NEC/MISC forms is $2,000 (User Interviews, IRS).
1What is User Interviews, and who owns it now?
User Interviews is a recruiting marketplace: companies post research studies, and the platform finds people who match. It was co-founded by Basel Fakhoury, Dennis Meng and Bob Saris, grew out of a New York accelerator, and raised a $27.5 million Series B in 2022 (User Interviews, TechCrunch). The legal entity is User Interviews, Inc., a Delaware company with a New York mailing address; the team has been fully remote since 2018 (Participant terms, User Interviews).
The ownership changed this year. UserTesting announced it had acquired User Interviews on January 7, 2026, and on September 29, 2026 UserTesting’s parent company renamed itself Auros, saying “UserTesting and User Interviews will continue as product brands” (UserTesting, Thoma Bravo). That is why the site’s logo now reads “user interviews by auros” and the footer says it is “now part of UserTesting, Inc.” (User Interviews). If you already use UserTesting, you are now dealing with the same owner, and User Interviews members can receive UserTesting studies, which UserTesting pays 14 days after completion (User Interviews help).
2How User Interviews works for participants
Joining is free. You create a profile, answer short screener questions for studies that interest you, and book a time if a researcher picks you (User Interviews). The terms allow sign-ups from age 18, or 16 with a parent’s consent (Participant terms). Recruiting has expanded to “34 new countries” beyond the US (User Interviews).
- Selection: the researcher approves or rejects each applicant after the screener, and some add a second check such as a short call or an NDA (TechCrunch). The help center admits “it can take some time before you’re selected for your first study” (User Interviews help).
- LinkedIn: connecting it is optional, but User Interviews says verified professional details “boost your chances of being selected” (User Interviews).
- Fraud filters: the company documents fake identities and proxy IPs on the participant side and removes accounts it suspects, including for AI-written screener answers (User Interviews blog).
- Confidentiality: study details and your feedback are confidential, and a researcher can ask you to sign a separate NDA. You may also have to give the researcher rights to what you say in a session (Participant terms).
- Cancelling: give at least 24 hours’ notice through the study messages (User Interviews help).
3How much does User Interviews pay?
Each study shows its incentive before you apply. User Interviews says “the average study pays over $45” and lists these typical ranges on its participant page (User Interviews):
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1-on-1 interview | $20–$300+ | User Interviews |
| Focus group | $40–$200+ | User Interviews |
| Survey or user test | $20–$300+ | User Interviews |
| Diary study | $55–$400+ | User Interviews |
| In-person study | $40–$1,000+ | User Interviews |
Ranges from User Interviews’ participant page, checked November 14, 2026. These are marketing ranges, not guarantees.
How many members actually get paid (company figures)
From userinterviews.com/about and /hello. Our calculation: roughly 1.5% of registered members were paid in a year. Many sign-ups are inactive, so the odds for active applicants are better, but selection is the bottleneck.
We found no participant fee in the terms, unlike Respondent, which deducts 5% from every incentive (Participant terms). Compare hourly rates across platforms in our survey and user-testing pay-per-hour data.
4How you get paid, and why some people don’t
There are two kinds of payer. If a study says it pays “via choice of dozens of digital gift cards”, User Interviews pays you through Tremendous: you pick a gift card, a prepaid virtual Visa or a charity donation, and the email comes from compensation@userinterviews.com (User Interviews help, User Interviews). Any other incentive type means the researcher pays you directly, by cash, PayPal, check or something else, and User Interviews has no tracking of that payment (User Interviews help).
Most incentives arrive “within a day or two” of the session, but researchers have up to 10 business days (User Interviews help). The key point is in the terms: User Interviews releases the incentive “upon the Researcher’s confirmation of your completion”, it has “no independent obligation to provide any Incentives”, and you can forfeit pay if the researcher decides, “in its sole discretion”, that you didn’t complete the session satisfactorily (Participant terms). That one clause explains most of the angry reviews.
10
business days is how long a researcher can take to release your incentive. If it is late, message the researcher first, then contact support (User Interviews help). For faster money, see our side hustles that pay daily or weekly.
5Complaints, ratings and the BBB F
- Unpaid or “incomplete” sessions. Reddit threads such as “Has anyone been successful in UserInterviews.com?” describe weeks of applying without a study, while others report “a few studies in a year” and always being paid (r/beermoney, r/usertesting).
- Support. Trustpilot reviewers complain about an AI support bot and slow human follow-up when a researcher won’t pay (Trustpilot).
- Account termination. The terms let User Interviews suspend or close an account “for any or no reason without prior notice”; disputes go to individual arbitration with a class-action waiver, and liability is capped at $100 or six months of incentives (Participant terms).
- No vetting of researchers. The terms call researchers “independent third parties over whom UI has no control” (Participant terms).
Ratings are mixed. Google’s listing for the Trustpilot page showed 3.2 out of 5 from about 1,270 reviews in November 2026 (Trustpilot), and search results show the Better Business Bureau rating User Interviews Inc. F, not accredited (BBB). Both sites blocked our direct check, so treat these figures as approximate and the reason for the BBB grade as unknown. On the business side, User Interviews claims SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certification (User Interviews).
6How to spot a fake User Interviews study
- The terms forbid sharing bank details, Social Security, passport or driver’s licence numbers or passwords through the platform, “even if requested by a Researcher”. The only exception is the W-9 that User Interviews itself asks for inside your account (Participant terms).
- Researchers may not contact applicants outside the platform, and joining a session off-platform is “entirely at your own risk” (Participant terms).
- User Interviews’ own payouts only come from compensation@userinterviews.com through Tremendous (User Interviews help). You never pay to join or to take part.
7Taxes for US participants
Incentives are taxable income. User Interviews asks US participants for a W-9 and files 1099 forms once payments reach its reporting threshold; non-US redeemers get a W-8BEN request (User Interviews, User Interviews). Its help center still says $600, but the IRS says the threshold for 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC is $2,000 for payments made in 2026 (IRS). If a researcher pays you through PayPal or another app, a 1099-K only applies above $20,000 and 200 transactions (IRS). Either way, report the income.
8Is User Interviews worth it in 2026?
Yes, as an occasional bonus. One accepted interview can pay more than hours of surveys, and gift-card payouts arrive quickly once the researcher confirms you. It is less worth it if you need cash in your bank account, steady weekly income, or if your profile is generic. Answer screeners honestly: inconsistent answers are a common reason people are removed.
Use it alongside other research panels to raise your odds: Respondent for professional interviews (minus a 5% fee), Dscout for diary studies paid by PayPal, Prolific for steady academic surveys and UserTesting, now a sister brand. If you have a degree or specialist skill, compare the rates in our guide to getting paid to train AI.
User Interviews FAQ
Is User Interviews legit or a scam?
User Interviews is legit. It is a US research-recruiting company that says participants have earned $60 million, and UserTesting bought it in January 2026. It is free to join. Ratings are mixed because researchers, not User Interviews, decide whether a session is paid.
How much does User Interviews pay?
User Interviews says the average study pays over $45. Its participant page lists $20–$300+ for 1-on-1 interviews, $40–$200+ for focus groups and $55–$400+ for diary studies.
How does User Interviews pay you?
When User Interviews pays, it sends a Tremendous reward: your choice of digital gift cards, a prepaid virtual Visa or a charity donation. Studies paid by the researcher can use other methods such as PayPal or cash.
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 to confirm attendance and release payment. UserTesting-run studies pay after 14 days.
Who owns User Interviews?
UserTesting acquired User Interviews on January 7, 2026. In September 2026 the parent company renamed itself Auros; User Interviews and UserTesting continue as product brands.
Does User Interviews send a 1099?
Yes, for US participants whose payments reach the reporting threshold it requests a W-9 and files a 1099. Its help center cites $600, but for payments made in 2026 the IRS threshold is $2,000. The income is taxable either way.
Sources
- User Interviews, participant page
- User Interviews, homepage
- User Interviews, About
- User Interviews, Participant terms and conditions
- User Interviews, Incentives
- User Interviews, Redeem your incentive (help topic)
- User Interviews, Security
- UserTesting, acquires User Interviews (Jan 2026)
- User Interviews blog, UserTesting acquisition
- Thoma Bravo, UserTesting rebrands as Auros (Sep 2026)
- TechCrunch, User Interviews raises $27.5M (2022)
- TechCrunch, User Interviews raises $5M (2019)
- User Interviews help, When you receive your incentive
- User Interviews help, Missing incentive
- User Interviews help, UserTesting studies FAQ
- User Interviews help, Getting selected
- User Interviews help, Cancel or reschedule
- User Interviews, Participant resources
- User Interviews blog, research fraud prevention
- IRS, Am I required to file a Form 1099?
- IRS, Form 1099-K threshold reverts to $20,000
- Trustpilot, User Interviews reviews
- BBB, User Interviews Inc.
- Reddit r/beermoney thread
- Reddit r/usertesting thread
This review is based on User Interviews’ participant pages, terms, help center, security page and blog, UserTesting and Thoma Bravo press releases, TechCrunch, IRS guidance and public Trustpilot, BBB and Reddit listings, all linked in the text and checked on November 14, 2026 — see how we review. There are no affiliate links in this article. Rates, payout rules and terms change; check the linked sources for current details. Research and drafting were AI-assisted; all facts and the final judgment are the author’s.