Contents:
1. How do currencies work on Prolific?
2. Do I need to configure my PayPal account to receive USD or GBP payments?
3. How do I accept payments without a multi-currency setup?

Relevant topics:
• How do I connect my PayPal to my Prolific account?
• How do I cash out?

How do currencies work on Prolific?

Researchers can offer payment in either US dollars (USD) or British pounds (GBP). When publishing a study, researchers set the currency and must meet a minimum hourly payment rate of £6.00/$8.00. These are the only two currencies available for participant payments on Prolific. The payment currency displays as either USD or GBP for all participants and cannot be changed in settings.

💡 You can participate in either of these types of studies, regardless of your location!

Do I need to configure my PayPal account to receive USD or GBP payments?

Once you've connected your PayPal to your Prolific account, you’ll need to make sure that your PayPal account is set up to receive both USD and GBP payments if you plan to cash out either of these currencies. If it’s not set up, the payment may be returned to your Prolific account.

PayPal have guidance on how to set up your account to be able to receive multiple currencies in their Help Centre: How do I manage my currencies with PayPal?

When your PayPal account is set up to receive both USD and GBP payments, each cash out from Prolific will automatically go into the appropriate currency wallet in your PayPal account. If your cash out appears lower than expected in PayPal, remember to check both your USD and GBP balances.

Accepting payments without a multi-currency setup

If your PayPal account isn’t configured for both USD and GBP payments, you'll receive an email from PayPal asking you to accept each payment before it appears in your account. Simply follow the instructions in PayPal's email to claim your cashout. When accepting the payment, you can choose to keep it in its original currency or convert it to your PayPal wallet's default currency.

Example: If your PayPal account is set up for GBP payments only and we send you a cashout of £4 and $10, the £4 will automatically go to your GBP PayPal wallet, while PayPal will email you to accept the $10 transfer separately.

If you don’t accept the payment within 30 days, it’ll be returned to Prolific. We’ll add this back onto your Prolific account within 5 days of us receiving it.

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