Home / Payout methods guide
How AI training platforms pay you: payout methods compared
Getting accepted by a platform is only half of it. You also need a way to receive the money that works where you live. This page lists the payout methods 16 AI training platforms name on their own pages, explains how each method generally works, and shows how often each platform says it pays.
Platform facts come from each platform's public pages. Descriptions of the payout methods are general and written by Earnington. Fees and country rules change, so check them with the provider. Nothing here is financial advice.
Which platforms use which method
Welo Data does not name a payout method we can group here. See its profile for the exact wording.
How each method works
PayPal
A digital wallet. The platform sends money to the email address on your PayPal account, and you keep it there, spend it or withdraw it to a bank account or card.
Check first: Whether you can receive payments, and withdraw them, depends on the PayPal account type offered in your country. Check this on PayPal's site for your country before you rely on it.
Used by Clickworker, CrowdGen by Appen, DataAnnotation, DataForce by TransPerfect, Mindrift, Neevo by Defined.ai, OneForma, Outlier and Stellar AI.
Payoneer
A cross-border payments account used by many freelancers. Payments land in your Payoneer balance, which you can withdraw to a local bank account in your own currency.
Check first: Withdrawals and currency conversion carry fees. Opening an account needs identity checks, so set it up before your first payout is due.
Used by Clickworker, CrowdGen by Appen, Mindrift, OneForma and Rex.zone.
Bank transfer
A direct transfer to your bank account, local or international depending on the platform.
Check first: International transfers can lose money to intermediary bank fees and exchange rates. Ask your bank what it charges to receive one.
Used by Clickworker, CrowdGen by Appen, DataForce by TransPerfect and OpenTrain AI.
Stripe
The platform pays you through Stripe, usually after you connect a bank account during a short sign-up. You do not keep a Stripe balance to spend: money goes to the bank account you added.
Check first: Stripe can only pay out to bank accounts in the countries it supports for payouts. If your country is not supported, this method will not work for you.
Used by AfterQuery Experts, Mercor, OpenTrain AI and Rex.zone.
ACH
A US domestic bank transfer. It needs a US bank account.
Check first: If you do not have a US bank account, use another method the platform offers.
Used by Clickworker and Outlier.
Airtm
A digital dollar wallet used mostly in places where PayPal or international bank transfers are hard to use. You can hold US dollars or move them out through a local bank or other methods offered by peers in your country.
Check first: The rates you get when moving money out depend on the offers available in your country at the time, so compare them before withdrawing.
Used by CrowdGen by Appen and Outlier.
Deel
A contractor payments platform. The company pays you as a contractor through Deel, and you withdraw from Deel to one of the options it offers you.
Check first: Withdrawal options and their fees differ by country, so look at what Deel offers where you live.
Used by micro1 and SME Careers by SuperAnnotate.
Tremendous
A rewards payout service. You get a link and choose how to take the money from the options offered, such as gift cards or prepaid cards.
Check first: The options on offer vary by country. Gift cards are not the same as cash, so check what you can choose before you accept this method.
Used by DataForce by TransPerfect and OneForma.
Wise
A multi-currency account for sending and receiving money internationally. You can receive payments, hold several currencies and convert between them.
Check first: Wise shows its fee before each conversion. The features available, such as local account details, depend on where you live.
Used by Mercor and Rex.zone.
Cheque
A paper cheque sent by post.
Check first: Slow, and banks outside the issuing country may charge to cash it.
Used by DataForce by TransPerfect.
SEPA
A euro bank transfer within the Single Euro Payments Area, which covers the EU and a few nearby countries.
Check first: It needs a bank account in the SEPA area that accepts euro transfers.
Used by Clickworker.
Western Union
A money transfer service that pays out to a bank account or for cash pick-up at an agent.
Check first: Check where your nearest agent is and what identification is needed to collect.
Used by DataForce by TransPerfect.
Airtm or PayPal?
CrowdGen by Appen and Outlier offer both. If you can receive PayPal payments in your country and withdraw them to your bank, PayPal is usually the simpler choice. Airtm is mainly useful where PayPal cannot receive money or cannot withdraw it locally. Either way, set the account up and confirm it is verified before your first payout, so the money is not held while you sort it out.
How often each platform pays
| Platform | Paid out through | How often | Minimum payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| AfterQuery Experts | Stripe | Weekly or faster "Every Friday for the prior week's approved work" | Not stated |
| Clickworker | PayPal, Payoneer, Sepa, ACH, Direct bank transfers for non-EU countries | Weekly or faster "weekly, bill run Wednesday to Friday" | €10 for PayPal, SEPA and ACH ($10); €/$20 for Payoneer; €20 for direct bank transfers for non-EU countries |
| Mercor | Stripe Connect, Wise | Weekly or faster "every Wednesday around 12:00 PM PST" | Not stated |
| OpenTrain AI | bank account, Stripe | Weekly or faster "daily" | Not stated |
| Outlier | PayPal, Airtm, ACH bank transfer | Weekly or faster "Weekly, on Tuesdays" | Not stated |
| SME Careers by SuperAnnotate | Deel | Weekly or faster "weekly" | Not stated |
| Stellar AI | PayPal | Weekly or faster "weekly" | Not stated |
| DataAnnotation | PayPal | When you request it "Deposits delivered within a few days after you request them" | Not stated |
| micro1 | Deel | Twice a month "Twice per month (bi-monthly)" | Not stated |
| Mindrift | Payoneer, Tipalti (PayPal) | Twice a month "Twice per month, on the 5th and 20th of each month (adjusted for weekends and holidays)" | Depends on the payment provider chosen |
| OneForma | PayPal, Payoneer, Tremendous | Twice a month "Weekly or bi-weekly, depending on the project" | Typically USD $10 or equivalent |
| CrowdGen by Appen | local bank transfers, PayPal, Payoneer, Airtm | Monthly "monthly, by the 14th of the following month" | Not stated |
| Rex.zone | Stripe, Payoneer, Wise | Monthly "monthly, though some projects may have shorter payment cycles" | Not stated |
| DataForce by TransPerfect | wire transfer, PayPal, check, Tremendous gift card, Western Union | Not stated | Not stated |
| Neevo by Defined.ai | PayPal | Not stated "After a job is completed or its deadline is reached and validation and quality control are done; partial payments may be made for long jobs" | Not stated |
| Welo Data | secure, verified online payment platforms | Not stated "Paid regularly; exact frequency confirmed during project onboarding" | Not stated |
Before you sign up
- Pick a platform with at least one payout method that works in your country, and open that account first.
- Use the same legal name on the platform and the payout account. A mismatch is a common reason for held payments.
- Expect identity checks and, for some platforms, a tax form before the first payout.
- Count the cost of getting money out: withdrawal fees and exchange rates can differ a lot between methods.
- Check your country on the platform's profile, or see platforms by country.