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I’m always on the hunt for new ways to earn extra cash. In today’s Validately review, we’re going to cover if it’s a tried and true way to earn extra money.
You can take surveys, shop and earn cashback, sell some stuff, pick up a work from home gig, or offer your services as a freelancer.
Those are all great and vastly different ways to boost your bank account. But it doesn’t hurt to branch out from your go-to methods and try something new.
That’s where something like Validately can step in as an alternate means of making money. It’s different than taking your run of the mill survey and probably a lot more interesting too.
Keep reading to learn about Validately, how you can use it to make money and if it is even a legit way to earn some much needed cash.
Table of Contents
About Validately
“Test Websites. Make Money. It’s That Simple.”
Before I delve into whether or not you can really make money with Validately, we should talk about what Validately is all about.
Validately is a New York based user testing tool. They specialize in User Experience (UX) research for both desktop and mobile app testing.
Validately is a part of the UserZoom Company, a UX Insights Company. They are a global company, with offices in the US, Spain and UK.
Businesses use UserZoom to get qualitative and quantitative UX information for their products. Specifically digital products.
This is the kind of information companies can use to decide whether or not a product is successful or not, and if it isn’t, what changes need to be made.
Userzoom is capitalizing on the ever increasing digitally focused interest of the population. And Validately is one way they are doing that.
Userzoom acquired Validately in June of 2019. This acquisition has helped UserZoom customers collaborate on a broader scale and share insights with important team members and stakeholders.
There’s also been a broader mix of testing capabilities for both moderated and unmoderated testing. Because the digital world is ever evolving, they allow people to sign up as testers.
Several big name companies use Validately such as Google, Allstate, Microsoft and Amazon. Validately gives them a chance to improve their products by going directly to real life people who could be potential product users.
Getting Started With Validately
Getting started with Validately is really easy. Once you have been approved and proven you can meet their requirements of new testers, you can move forward with ease.
Signing Up
To sign up with Validately is completely FREE. This is one thing I always keep an eye out for when it comes to making money through platforms like Validately.
You don’t want to have to pay for anything just to get paid. The first step to signing up is to register an account with Validately.
Here’s what they will ask you upon registering:
- What’s your mobile device? (Can select multiple options)
- What type of computer do you own? (Can select multiple options)
- Gender
- Date of birth
- Education level
- Employment status
- Job title
- Annual Income
- Full name
- PayPal email
- Timezone
All of these questions are asked so that they can determine your demographic for the types of tests they could send your way.
Your timezone could determine the frequency of tests that you get, as some parts of the world are more high volume than others.
A PayPal email is required because that is the way Validately pays their users. If you don’t have a PayPal email, no worries, just input your normal email. PayPal will then send you an email to set up an account.
After all of this, just hit the sign-up button and boom, your set-up is complete. Well mostly complete.
Next you’ll receive an email from Validately to finish the set-up process which requires a screener test.
Getting Tested
The screener test will determine whether or not you are a good fit for working for Validately. This test will take approximately one minute to complete.
There are a few important points that Validately requires you meet in order to take tests. The first thing you need to do is download Google Chrome. This is the only way to take tests with Validately.
Here are the other requirements in order to pass the screener test:
- You will need a microphone
- Need to be in a quiet place
- Absolutely no background noise
- Read every task aloud
- Video camera needed
- Speak thoughts aloud
- Answer follow-up questions
By following all of these steps, you will easily be able to pass the screener test. You will receive a follow-up email informing you if you passed or failed.
If you have passed then you are now ready to start regularly testing websites and apps for Validately.
You will also want to make a point of downloading the Validately Recorder app. This will let you take tests when you’re out and don’t have a computer handy.
Since you will be using your phone, you will want to have a very reliable WIFI connection and you will want to plug in your phone.
As a tester you will use your phone’s microphone and camera for an extended amount of time so that could drain the battery quickly.
Taking Tests
The only way to take tests on Validately is to get an email informing you of a new test. Even though you have set up a Validately account, there isn’t a site or link to sign into to see your account information.
Similar to the survey platform Pinecone Research, you will only receive emails when a new test is available. You will have a certain amount of time to click the link to take the test.
Like many surveys and tests, because these are sent out to several users, a test could get filled up. So act fast to take advantage of earning cash.
Also, you will want to figure out a way to set up an alert when these emails do come in, as they can quickly get buried amidst all the other emails quickly. They also get emailed at random points of time during any given day.
Tests are available daily, but that does not mean you will receive an email every day. But I’d advise you to check your email every day anyway because you never know if something has become available.
You could be that lucky person getting an email everyday.
Though, since tests are sent based on your specific demographic, you may just not get as many emails because the tests aren’t a good fit for you.
Test Specifics: Requirements
Each email from Validately will look much like the first. You will be given a set of bullet points that you have to meet in order to successfully complete the test. These points include:
- MUST use Google Chrome
- Be in a quiet place
- Absolutely no background noise
- Read every task aloud
- Speak thoughts aloud
- Answer follow-up questions
- Answer screener questions honestly
After this list of instructions, you will see a link for the test so you can get started.
One thing to note is that most tests have a screener that you need to complete beforehand before you can begin to move forward with taking a test.
This screener is like a standard survey screener where you confirm your age, sex, income, education, and sometimes even your ethinicity. If you are the kind of tester they are needing, then the full test will launch.
Test Specifics: Talking Aloud
This component of taking tests with Validately is key. They want to pretty much hear you walk through your whole process while taking the test.
When a test is launched, you’ll be given a series of tasks to complete. Read all of this information aloud. This includes the set of instructions. Or saying that you’re searching around for what you need to click on and more.
It will feel a little funny at first, but the more tests you take, the better at this you’ll get. Once you think you have completed a task, select “complete.” You will need to complete the task before you can move on.
Sometimes it helps to use headphones with a microphone so that the reviewer can hear you better. And if taking a test from your phone, disable notifications during the process.
Everything is getting recorded once you launch the exam and that includes any text message you may stop to read.
Making Money with Validately
Earning Money
Every email from Validately will say something like this in the subject line “$10 for 10-15 Minutes of Your Time.”
Right up front you will know how long the test is and how much you can expect to earn. Test amounts can vary and this can be based on the length of time.
I’ve had a few that took ten minutes but only paid $5 and then there are the rarer emails where for 60 minutes of your time you could earn $80. On average, Validately is paying close to a $1 per minute with each test.
To really make money with Validately, you can only hope you are receiving emails regularly. And that you are catching these emails in time before a test is full.
After completing a test, you will get a follow-up email informing you that your responses have been received and will be reviewed within 7 days. Your responses will be rated and if acceptable, you will be paid within 7 days.
You’ll get this automatic message with every test you take, so get used to seeing it.
Getting Paid
To get paid using Validately you must set up or already have a PayPal account. That is where all of your earnings will go.
If you didn’t have a PayPal account when you signed up, an email should have come to you from PayPal regarding creating an account.
Whenever you get paid, you will get an email from PayPal stating you have received a payment from Validately. The amount will be clearly indicated as it was on the test.
As I mentioned earlier most tests are $10 but occasionally $5 or $15, and more rarely you will see tests paying $30, 40 or $100. These higher paying tests are generally live and remotely broadcasted and significantly longer.
You will usually see your money deposited into your account within the 7 day window as stated in your automated submission email from Validately.
On average you can expect to earn anywhere from $20-40 monthly using Validately. Some users have claimed to make closer to $100 a month.
Again it all depends on your screener information. And how often you’re checking emails
Pros and Cons of Validately
This wouldn’t be a complete review without detailing the pros and cons of Validately. Like all money making applications that require giving your opinion, they have their ups and downs.
Pros
- FREE to sign-up
- Easy to get accepted as a tester
- Standardized form of testing
- Decent payout for the amount of time invested
- Tests available daily
- Mobile app is available
- Paid via PayPal
Cons
- A lot of requirements such as needing to use Chrome, needing a video camera and microphone
- No clear customer service or support for testers
- No actual account to log into to check status of payments or tests taken
- Too many screeners
- Tests often closed, even if you just received the email
- PayPal is the only form of payment
- Takes 7 days to get paid
Improvements Needed
I wanted to delve a bit more into the cons as I think they are important for anyone considering becoming a Validately tester.
One thing I don’t like that there isn’t an account that you can sign into to track your test approval progress or even your payments.
And this also means there’s no clear way to opt out of being a tester if you change your mind, other than unsubscribing from emails.
While the Validately website is very well done, it is definitely more focused on test providers than testers. In addition to not having an account to sign into, there is also no clear indication of who you should contact if you have questions or concerns.
It also gets a bit annoying taking the screener every time. This kind of information should be saved somehow and probably would if you had an actual account.
And finally I don’t like that it takes about 7 days until you even see your earnings. That’s a long time to wait for $10. It almost feels like a check could be mailed in that time.
For some, PayPal might be a deal breaker as not everyone has an account or even wants one. I wish Validately offered an additional form of payment, such as a check or even a Visa gift card code or something.
Is Validately Legit or a Scam?
Fortunately Validately is a legit company and you can make money testing websites and apps for them. Like I mentioned before, you can at least expect to earn $10 a week.
For some, this may not seem like much or worth the effort, but $10 in free money off of just one test beats a lot of survey sites out there.
On some of those sites you could be clicking through for twenty or thirty minutes only to earn $2 or $5. Sometimes even less than that.
I think Validately is a nice alternative to add to your list of online money making tools. Especially if you’re just looking to boost your pocket money.
Sure it’s annoying to rely on PayPal, but PayPal is pretty much accepted everywhere. So if you shop online you can just use your PayPal balance. Or transfer to your bank account.
I think Validately has a lot going for it and would be even better if they allowed testers to set up real accounts. Or even better if they had a way for users to go looking for tests versus waiting on emails.
Prefer Surveys? Try These
Validately reminded me a lot of traditional surveys. The main difference is that you’re being recorded. But you are still clicking on boxes with answers and giving your opinion.
This kind of thing may not be for everyone though. For many, the process of getting to a quiet place and setting up your phone or computer can be too time consuming.
Normal surveys you can be taken anywhere and at any time. So if you prefer surveys over something like Validately, I wanted to highlight my top 3.
- Pinecone Research: Like Validately, Pinecone requires you to sign up and get approved before they start sending you emails containing surveys. Every survey pays $3, no matter the length.
- Survey Junkie: They have an almost endless amount of surveys it seems. All are varying lengths and varying payments. Plus you only need to earn $10 to cash out.
- Vindale Research: The surveys aren’t super long and the payout is great. Plus when you sign up, they give you $1.
Final Thoughts
In the end, I like a lot about Validately despite those few cons I mentioned. As of now, the process does work.
The testing is fairly straightforward and other than the initial awkwardness of reading everything aloud, pretty easy too. And to earn $10 in 10-15 minutes, that seems pretty fair.
As one reviewer said, it is “great pay for small work.” I can’t agree more.
For anyone looking to start making some extra money testing apps and websites, then I think Validately would be a perfect fit for you. There is no harm in trying it.
And if you don’t like it, you can always take your first $10 and unsubscribe from receiving future emails.
If you decide to check out Validately or have anything to add to this Validately review, let me know in the comments below. If you are already a regular tester, tell me about your experience! All feedback is appreciated.
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