Payments and Credits
Recruiting through Testable Minds costs a participant fee plus a platform commission. This page explains how pricing works and how to plan your budget.
Pricing structure
Section titled “Pricing structure”| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Participant fee (Regular Minds) | Minimum $8/hr equivalent |
| Participant fee (Verified Minds) | Minimum $12/hr equivalent |
| Platform commission | 10% to 30% of the participant fee, depending on your plan |
The commission is 30% on the Basic plan, 25% on Plus, 20% on Pro and 10% on department licenses. The pricing page has the current rates.
Example:
A 15-minute study using Regular Minds at the minimum rate, on the Basic plan:
- Participant fee: $8 × (15/60) = $2.00 per participant
- Commission: $2.00 × 0.30 = $0.60 per participant
- Total cost per participant: $2.60
For 50 participants: $130
Budget calculator
Section titled “Budget calculator”Use the interactive budget calculator on the Testable website to estimate the total cost for your study based on your target N, expected duration, and chosen rate.
Credits
Section titled “Credits”Testable Minds operates on a prepaid credit system. You purchase credits before running a study, and credits are deducted as participants are approved.
- Commission is deducted when credits are added to your account, not when a study is posted. Your balance shows only the funds available for participant fees.
- Screened-out participants are not charged.
- Rejected participants (within 48 hours) are not charged.
- Approved participants (or auto-approved after 48 hours) are charged.
Adding credits
Section titled “Adding credits”Purchase credits from your account billing page. Credits do not expire.
Onsite and hybrid sessions
Section titled “Onsite and hybrid sessions”Participants who take part in person are paid through Testable Minds too, with the same fee and commission. The difference is the approval: onsite and hybrid sessions are never approved automatically, so a participant is charged only when you approve them. See Paying participants for the full flow.
Next steps
Section titled “Next steps”- Set Up Your Study: submit a study once credits are loaded
- Launch and Manage: approve participants and track spend
- FAQ: common billing questions