Respondent reviews · researched 10 Oct 2026
Is Respondent legit?
Yes. Respondent, Inc. is a real research-recruiting marketplace where companies pay you for interviews, focus groups and studies, sent as a Tremendous gift card or virtual Visa after the researcher confirms you took part. Most screeners are unpaid and lead nowhere, and once you take part your pay rests on the researcher: Respondent's terms say it has no obligation of its own to pay, and recent reviewers report sessions left unpaid for months.
- Trustpilot3.9/51,463 reviews
- Read 10 Oct 2026
The Respondent review
Researched October 2026 · 21 sourcesIt pays $50–$400+/study (platform-stated).
Joined through its own application (it publishes no job postings)
Jack Pratten (CEO) started Respondent in New York with a developer and a researcher, first recruiting participants on the street. Tracxn dates it to 2015 and CB Insights to 2016; both name Alium Capital as its investor. Respondent, Inc. runs the participant service, its site names Respondent Australia Pty Ltd in Sydney as responsible, and it claims 4.3M+ verified participants in 150+ countries, naming Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and OpenAI as panel users.
Researchers fund each incentive. After a researcher marks you attended, Respondent issues it in USD as a Tremendous email you redeem for a virtual Visa or gift card, typically 7 to 10 business days later, minus a 5% fee (minimum $1). It began replacing PayPal with Tremendous on May 28, 2025.
Trustpilot 3.9/5 (1,463 reviews). Read October 2026.
Worldwide (150+ countries); dedicated panels for US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Australia.
Respondent's red flags: requests to pay to join, take payment off the platform, buy gift cards, install remote-access software or upload ID outside it. In August 2026 a reviewer said 'financial projects' wanted participants to film themselves logging in and linking their bank account. Real studies and pay run only through app.respondent.io; respond.io is an unrelated company.
What people praise
- Joining is free, and Respondent's terms cap its cut at 5% or $1, whichever is higher, with the gross incentive, the fee and your net amount shown before you take part.
- If a researcher does not show up for a booked session, Respondent's help center says they are still obligated to pay you, and support will follow up if they do not.
- Satisfied reviewers mention quick payment, and one says to keep applying because 'they pay and you can make some good extra cash'.
What people complain about
- Screeners are unpaid, and recent 1-star reviewers say they answered dozens, some long and detailed, only to be rejected at the end or never selected.
- The terms say Respondent has no obligation of its own to pay incentives, that the researcher alone judges whether you completed a session, and that it can forfeit your pay for breaches.
- Reviewers say support is 'pretty much just bots' with no way to reach a person, and describe chasing missing incentives for weeks.
- Some reviewers object that verification asks for sensitive personal information such as a driver's license or government ID.
What has gone wrong
- May 2025. On May 28, 2025 Respondent began paying incentives as Tremendous virtual gift cards instead of PayPal, calling it a significant change for many participants. Through 2026 Trustpilot reviewers said they missed PayPal; one in Romania said the virtual Visa is not accepted there, and one in Kenya said gift cards and virtual Visas do not really work in some countries.
- July 2026. Trustpilot's two most recent pages of 1-star reviews, posted July 13 to October 9, 2026, describe researchers cancelling or marking completed sessions incomplete, an advertised incentive cut afterwards as 'a mistake', and a payment still missing nearly five months later. Trustpilot notes Respondent has not replied to negative reviews.
Best for: Professionals who can verify a work email and keep a consistent LinkedIn, and consumers in Respondent's main markets, who want occasional well-paid interviews and accept that most screeners lead nowhere. Not for: Anyone who needs steady income or PayPal or bank payouts, people whose phone or country blocks SMS checks or gift cards, and anyone unwilling to share a phone number, work email or, if asked, an ID.
Honest catches
- Pay here is platform-stated, not measured live from a job feed, so treat it as a benchmark rather than a guaranteed rate.
Sources for this review
- Respondent: Become a participant (read Oct 10, 2026)
- Respondent: homepage (panel size, countries, named customers)
- Respondent: Participant Terms and Conditions
- Respondent: Impressum and Company Information (updated Sep 9, 2025)
- Respondent: Fraud prevention (identity checks)
- Respondent blog: An Interview With Respondent's CEO and Co-Founder, Jack Pratten (Jul 27, 2022)
- Respondent Help Center: Is Respondent legit and safe? (Jul 15, 2026)
- Respondent Help Center: Getting paid on Respondent (timeline, currencies and how to redeem)
- Respondent Help Center: I Have Participated in a Paid Interview, but Have Not Received My Incentive
- Respondent Help Center: Payment Options for Participants, Tremendous
- Respondent Help Center: What Happens if the Researcher Cancels or No Shows?
- Respondent Help Center: Earning with Respondent, What to Expect (Jul 15, 2026)
- Respondent Help Center: Support Team hours for participants
- Tracxn: Respondent company profile (founded 2015, Alium Capital)
- CB Insights: Respondent company profile (founded 2016, Alium Capital)
- Trustpilot: Respondent reviews
- Trustpilot: Respondent 1-star reviews
- Trustpilot: Respondent 1-star reviews, page 2
- Trustpilot: Respondent 5-star reviews
- Trustpilot: Respondent reviews mentioning PayPal
- respond.io: an unrelated customer-messaging company (checked Oct 10, 2026)
Got a message from Respondent?
Its real sites: respondent.io. Paste the message to check the links, the sender and the pay.
Respondent publishes no public job board, so this review rests on the sources listed with it, not on a measurement of its listings.
Respondent reviews: questions
Is Respondent legit?
Yes. Respondent, Inc. is a real research-recruiting marketplace where companies pay you for interviews, focus groups and studies, sent as a Tremendous gift card or virtual Visa after the researcher confirms you took part. Most screeners are unpaid and lead nowhere, and once you take part your pay rests on the researcher: Respondent's terms say it has no obligation of its own to pay, and recent reviewers report sessions left unpaid for months.
Is Respondent a scam?
No. Respondent is a real company. Respondent's red flags: requests to pay to join, take payment off the platform, buy gift cards, install remote-access software or upload ID outside it. In August 2026 a reviewer said 'financial projects' wanted participants to film themselves logging in and linking their bank account. Real studies and pay run only through app.respondent.io; respond.io is an unrelated company.
Does Respondent pay?
Yes. Legitimate, founded 2015; states a 3–4M participant panel and $35M paid. Pays real money for genuine studies; the dominant complaint is a low (~5%) acceptance rate, plus the 2025 shift off PayPal. Payouts: Tremendous virtual Visa or gift card only (PayPal retired May 2025); ~7–10 business days after attendance. 5% fee per incentive ($1 minimum). Researchers fund each incentive. After a researcher marks you attended, Respondent issues it in USD as a Tremendous email you redeem for a virtual Visa or gift card, typically 7 to 10 business days later, minus a 5% fee (minimum $1). It began replacing PayPal with Tremendous on May 28, 2025.
What do workers say about Respondent?
Trustpilot 3.9/5 (1,463 reviews), read October 2026. Praise: Joining is free, and Respondent's terms cap its cut at 5% or $1, whichever is higher, with the gross incentive, the fee and your net amount shown before you take part. Complaints: Screeners are unpaid, and recent 1-star reviewers say they answered dozens, some long and detailed, only to be rejected at the end or never selected.
Has anything gone wrong at Respondent?
May 2025: On May 28, 2025 Respondent began paying incentives as Tremendous virtual gift cards instead of PayPal, calling it a significant change for many participants. Through 2026 Trustpilot reviewers said they missed PayPal; one in Romania said the virtual Visa is not accepted there, and one in Kenya said gift cards and virtual Visas do not really work in some countries. July 2026: Trustpilot's two most recent pages of 1-star reviews, posted July 13 to October 9, 2026, describe researchers cancelling or marking completed sessions incomplete, an advertised incentive cut afterwards as 'a mistake', and a payment still missing nearly five months later. Trustpilot notes Respondent has not replied to negative reviews.
How do I spot a fake Respondent recruiter?
Respondent's red flags: requests to pay to join, take payment off the platform, buy gift cards, install remote-access software or upload ID outside it. In August 2026 a reviewer said 'financial projects' wanted participants to film themselves logging in and linking their bank account. Real studies and pay run only through app.respondent.io; respond.io is an unrelated company.
Who is Respondent for?
Best for: Professionals who can verify a work email and keep a consistent LinkedIn, and consumers in Respondent's main markets, who want occasional well-paid interviews and accept that most screeners lead nowhere. Not for: Anyone who needs steady income or PayPal or bank payouts, people whose phone or country blocks SMS checks or gift cards, and anyone unwilling to share a phone number, work email or, if asked, an ID.