How to Use Mechanical Turk
Click the sign-in link., Register with Amazon Payments., Browse available HITs., Complete your probationary period., Take qualification tests., Follow up on your completed HITs., Disperse your earnings.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Click the sign-in link.
If you have an Amazon account, you can use it to register as a Mechanical Turk worker.
You'll still have to provide some basic information beyond what Amazon already has.If you don't have an Amazon account, you'll be prompted to create one.
Because you are paid for your work through the Amazon Payments program, you must have an Amazon account.
You will have the opportunity to read the participation agreement.
You must agree to this before you can be registered as a worker.
Enter the required information and follow the prompts to create your worker account.
You will receive an email verification that your account has been created. -
Step 2: Register with Amazon Payments.
If you are a U.S. resident, you must complete taxpayer identification information and create an Amazon Payments account so that you can collect and disperse the income you earn on Mechanical Turk.In the U.S. and most other countries, the money you earn on Mechanical Turk is considered taxable income.
Keep this in mind particularly if you decide to get Amazon gift cards with your earnings.
It can take up to 48 hours for Amazon Payments to verify the information you provided.
You can't start working on Mechanical Turk until the verification process is complete. , Once you're cleared to start working, take some time to familiarize yourself with the worker site and how to access available HITs.
Play around with the way available HITs are ordered until you find something that interests you.When you see a HIT you think you might want to do, click "View a HIT in this group." You can preview the HIT and decide whether you want to do it.
If you decide to complete the task, click the "Accept HIT" button and follow the instructions to submit your work. , Once you are registered with Mechanical Turk, you will be placed on probation initially.
During this 10-day period, you cannot disperse any of your earnings and you have to complete at least one HIT a day.During this period, you also are limited to performing a maximum of 100 HITs.
Use this period to experiment and decide which HITs you like the best. , A good use of your time during your probationary period is building your qualifications so you can work on better-paying HITs.
Since you can only perform a limited number of HITs during probation, you can afford to spend the time.Ultimately, you also may be able to get premium qualifications or master qualifications after completing HITs consistently and accurately over time.
These qualifications are based on your performance. , Once you submit your work, the requester has 30 days to approve it and pay you.
If they think your answer is wrong or that their instructions weren't followed correctly, they may reject your HIT.If your work is rejected, you do have the option of contacting the requester and finding out why it was rejected or if there's anything you can do to have it accepted.
Keep in mind that you lose your anonymity by doing this – the requester will be given your name and email address.
In general, think about the reward for the HIT before you protest a rejection.
If a HIT was rejected that only would have paid you a few cents, it's probably not worth the time it would take you to send a message about it. , Once you have been an active worker on Mechanical Turk for 10 days, you can access your account and earnings.
There is no minimum amount required to disperse your earnings, but you are limited to one withdrawal per day.If you are a U.S. worker, you can transfer your money to your Amazon Payments account or to an Amazon gift card.
From your Amazon Payments account, you can transfer the money to your bank.
All other international workers must transfer their money to an Amazon gift card.
Some workers in India may have the ability to transfer their money to a local bank account. -
Step 3: Browse available HITs.
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Step 4: Complete your probationary period.
-
Step 5: Take qualification tests.
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Step 6: Follow up on your completed HITs.
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Step 7: Disperse your earnings.
Detailed Guide
If you have an Amazon account, you can use it to register as a Mechanical Turk worker.
You'll still have to provide some basic information beyond what Amazon already has.If you don't have an Amazon account, you'll be prompted to create one.
Because you are paid for your work through the Amazon Payments program, you must have an Amazon account.
You will have the opportunity to read the participation agreement.
You must agree to this before you can be registered as a worker.
Enter the required information and follow the prompts to create your worker account.
You will receive an email verification that your account has been created.
If you are a U.S. resident, you must complete taxpayer identification information and create an Amazon Payments account so that you can collect and disperse the income you earn on Mechanical Turk.In the U.S. and most other countries, the money you earn on Mechanical Turk is considered taxable income.
Keep this in mind particularly if you decide to get Amazon gift cards with your earnings.
It can take up to 48 hours for Amazon Payments to verify the information you provided.
You can't start working on Mechanical Turk until the verification process is complete. , Once you're cleared to start working, take some time to familiarize yourself with the worker site and how to access available HITs.
Play around with the way available HITs are ordered until you find something that interests you.When you see a HIT you think you might want to do, click "View a HIT in this group." You can preview the HIT and decide whether you want to do it.
If you decide to complete the task, click the "Accept HIT" button and follow the instructions to submit your work. , Once you are registered with Mechanical Turk, you will be placed on probation initially.
During this 10-day period, you cannot disperse any of your earnings and you have to complete at least one HIT a day.During this period, you also are limited to performing a maximum of 100 HITs.
Use this period to experiment and decide which HITs you like the best. , A good use of your time during your probationary period is building your qualifications so you can work on better-paying HITs.
Since you can only perform a limited number of HITs during probation, you can afford to spend the time.Ultimately, you also may be able to get premium qualifications or master qualifications after completing HITs consistently and accurately over time.
These qualifications are based on your performance. , Once you submit your work, the requester has 30 days to approve it and pay you.
If they think your answer is wrong or that their instructions weren't followed correctly, they may reject your HIT.If your work is rejected, you do have the option of contacting the requester and finding out why it was rejected or if there's anything you can do to have it accepted.
Keep in mind that you lose your anonymity by doing this – the requester will be given your name and email address.
In general, think about the reward for the HIT before you protest a rejection.
If a HIT was rejected that only would have paid you a few cents, it's probably not worth the time it would take you to send a message about it. , Once you have been an active worker on Mechanical Turk for 10 days, you can access your account and earnings.
There is no minimum amount required to disperse your earnings, but you are limited to one withdrawal per day.If you are a U.S. worker, you can transfer your money to your Amazon Payments account or to an Amazon gift card.
From your Amazon Payments account, you can transfer the money to your bank.
All other international workers must transfer their money to an Amazon gift card.
Some workers in India may have the ability to transfer their money to a local bank account.
About the Author
Natalie Diaz
Brings years of experience writing about organization and related subjects.
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