skills/usertold-recruit-participants/references/rewards.md

# Rewards

Choose a reward that is proportionate to the participant's time, effort, sensitivity, and inconvenience, then state the fixed promise. Do not calculate a universal “fair rate.”

About $80/hour is marketplace orientation for a human-moderated consumer interview. It is not a universal rate, a minimum, or a UserTold recommendation for every study. AI-moderated or short in-product interviews normally use a smaller fixed reward. For example, show “20 minutes · $25 gift card,” not an hourly conversion.

## Offer forms

| Situation | Canonical kind | Terms to make explicit |
|-|-|-|
| Cash-equivalent or gift card | `gift` | Exact amount/currency, who may receive it, delivery method and timing |
| Product credit | `product` | Exact value, eligible account, expiry or restrictions, delivery timing |
| Community or charity contribution | `community` | Exact amount, recipient/selection method, when the contribution occurs |
| Early access or other access | `access` | What access includes, eligibility, start and end timing, no implied monetary value |
| No reward | Omit `reward` | Say “No reward” in the plan; do not invent a zero-value reward object |

For B2B participants who cannot accept personal gifts, state the alternative before recruitment: no personal reward, eligible product credit, or a community contribution, subject to their employer policy. Do not quietly substitute an offer after completion.

Every rewarded packet must specify:

1. duration;
2. `kind` and participant-readable `label`;
3. `eligibility`, including geography, completion conditions, limits, and organizational gift restrictions;
4. `delivery`, including method and time window.

UserTold stores and presents this promise. It does not calculate, purchase, send, or verify rewards. Flag tax, employment, accessibility, safeguarding, or jurisdiction-specific questions for the responsible human; do not provide legal advice.