Amazon Mechanical Turk Reviews: Is Amazon Mechanical Turk Legit or Scam? Find Out

Amazon Mechanical Turk, or MTurk, is a platform that allows people to perform small tasks online for money. These tasks, also known as Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs), can range from data entry, transcription, image annotation, surveys, to more complex and creative ones. MTurk is operated by Amazon Web Services, and has been around since 2005. But is MTurk a legitimate way to earn money online, or is it a scam? In this blog post, we will explore the pros and cons of MTurk, and answer some of the most frequently asked questions about it.

Overview of Amazon Mechanical Turk

MTurk is a crowdsourcing marketplace that connects requesters and workers. Requesters are individuals or organizations that need human input for their projects, such as researchers, businesses, or developers. Workers are people who want to make money by completing HITs. Requesters post HITs on MTurk, and workers can browse and accept them. Workers get paid for each HIT they complete, and requesters can approve or reject their work.

MTurk is open to anyone who is at least 18 years old and has an Amazon account. However, not all countries are eligible to participate in MTurk. Currently, only workers from the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, and the United Kingdom can register as MTurk workers. Additionally, workers from countries other than the United States can only transfer their earnings to their Amazon gift card balance, and not to their bank account.

Is Amazon Mechanical Turk Legit?

MTurk is a legitimate platform that has been operating for over 15 years. It is not a scam, and it does pay workers for their work. However, that does not mean that MTurk is without flaws or risks. There are some drawbacks and challenges that workers should be aware of before joining MTurk. Here are some of them:

• Low pay: The biggest complaint that workers have about MTurk is the low pay. Many HITs pay only a few cents, and some even less than a cent. The average hourly wage for MTurk workers is estimated to be around $2, which is far below the minimum wage in most countries. To make a decent income on MTurk, workers have to complete a large number of HITs, and also look for higher-paying ones. However, finding good HITs can be difficult and time-consuming, as there are thousands of HITs available at any given time, and many of them are low-quality, spammy, or unethical.
• Rejection: Another challenge that workers face on MTurk is the risk of rejection. Requesters have the power to approve or reject workers’ submissions, and they do not have to provide any feedback or explanation for their decision. Rejection not only means that workers do not get paid for their work, but also affects their approval rating, which is a measure of their reputation and quality on MTurk. Having a high approval rating is important, as many requesters set minimum approval rating requirements for their HITs, and some even block workers with low ratings. Therefore, workers have to be careful and diligent when completing HITs, and avoid requesters who have a history of rejecting work unfairly or arbitrarily.
• Competition: MTurk is a competitive platform, where workers have to compete with each other for the best HITs. According to Amazon, there are over 500,000 workers on MTurk, and the number is growing. This means that there is a high demand for HITs, and a low supply of good ones. Workers have to be fast and alert, as the best HITs get snatched up quickly. Some workers use scripts or tools to automate or enhance their MTurk experience, such as finding, accepting, or tracking HITs. However, these tools may violate MTurk’s terms of service, and may also give some workers an unfair advantage over others.

Amazon Mechanical Turk Reviews

MTurk has mixed reviews from workers, as some are satisfied with their experience, while others are frustrated or disappointed. Here are some examples of MTurk reviews from different sources:

• Trustpilot: MTurk has a rating of 2.4 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot, based on 36 reviews. Some of the positive reviews praise MTurk for being a flexible and convenient way to earn extra money, while some of the negative reviews criticize MTurk for being a waste of time, a rip-off, or a scam.
• Glassdoor: MTurk has a rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor, based on 224 reviews. Some of the pros that workers mention are the variety of tasks, the freedom of schedule, and the learning opportunities, while some of the cons that workers mention are the low pay, the lack of support, and the unfair rejections.
• Reddit: MTurk has a dedicated subreddit, r/mturk, where workers can discuss, share, and seek advice about MTurk. The subreddit has over 80,000 members, and is active and supportive. However, the subreddit also reflects the diversity of opinions and experiences that workers have on MTurk, as some posts are positive and encouraging, while others are negative and discouraging.

Is Amazon Mechanical Turk Scam?

MTurk is not a scam, as it is a legitimate platform that is operated by Amazon, a reputable and trusted company. However, that does not mean that MTurk is free from scams or frauds. There are some requesters who may try to scam or exploit workers, by posting fake or malicious HITs, or by rejecting work without a valid reason. There are also some workers who may try to scam or cheat requesters, by submitting low-quality or plagiarized work, or by using bots or scripts to complete HITs. Therefore, both requesters and workers have to be vigilant and cautious when using MTurk, and report any suspicious or abusive behavior to Amazon.

How Does Amazon Mechanical Turk Work?

To start working on MTurk, workers have to register and create an account on the MTurk website. After completing a short profile and agreeing to the terms and conditions, workers can access the MTurk dashboard, where they can view and accept HITs. Workers can also use filters and search tools to find HITs that match their skills, interests, and preferences. Workers can see the title, description, reward, time limit, and qualifications of each HIT, and decide whether to accept it or not. Once workers accept a HIT, they have to complete it within the specified time limit, and submit it for approval. Workers can track their progress and earnings on the dashboard, and also contact requesters if they have any questions or issues.

Workers get paid for each HIT they complete, after the requester approves their work. The payment amount depends on the reward set by the requester, and the fees charged by Amazon. Amazon charges a 20% fee on the reward amount, plus a 5% fee on any bonus or tip. For example, if a worker completes a HIT that pays $1, Amazon will deduct $0.25 as fees, and the worker will receive $0.75. Workers can transfer their earnings to their Amazon Payments account, and from there to their bank account or Amazon gift card balance. However, workers from countries other than the United States can only transfer their earnings to their Amazon gift card balance.

Final Verdict

MTurk is a platform that offers workers the opportunity to earn money online by completing small tasks. However, MTurk is not a get-rich-quick scheme, nor a reliable source of income. MTurk has many advantages and disadvantages, and workers have to weigh them carefully before joining. Here is a summary of the pros and cons of MTurk:

Pros	Cons
– Flexible and convenient	– Low pay
– Variety of tasks	– Rejection
– Learning opportunities	– Competition
– Legitimate and secure	– Scams and frauds

Conclusion

MTurk is a platform that can be rewarding or frustrating, depending on how workers use it. Workers who are looking for a fun and easy way to make some extra cash, and who are willing to accept the challenges and risks of MTurk, may find it enjoyable and worthwhile. Workers who are looking for a stable and substantial income, and who are not willing to deal with the drawbacks and difficulties of MTurk, may find it disappointing and wasteful. Ultimately, workers have to decide for themselves whether MTurk is worth their time and effort, and whether it meets their expectations and goals.

Summary

This blog post is about Amazon Mechanical Turk, or MTurk, a platform that allows people to perform small tasks online for money. The post covers the following topics:

• • Overview of Amazon Mechanical Turk: MTurk is a crowdsourcing marketplace that connects requesters and workers. Requesters post Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs), and workers complete them for money.
  • Is Amazon Mechanical Turk Legit?: MTurk is a legitimate platform that is operated by Amazon, but it has some drawbacks and challenges, such as low pay, rejection, and competition.
  • Amazon Mechanical Turk Reviews: MTurk has mixed reviews from workers, as some are satisfied with their experience, while others are frustrated or disappointed.

Frequently asked questions and answers about Amazon Mechanical Turk

 

Amazon Mechanical Turk, or MTurk, is a platform that allows people to perform small tasks online for money. However, there are many questions and answers that workers and requesters may have about MTurk. Here are some of the frequently asked questions and answers about MTurk, based on the web search results:

• What is Amazon Mechanical Turk? MTurk is a crowdsourcing marketplace that connects requesters and workers. Requesters are individuals or organizations that need human input for their projects, such as researchers, businesses, or developers. Workers are people who want to make money by completing HITs, or Human Intelligence Tasks, that range from data entry, transcription, image annotation, surveys, to more complex and creative ones.
• What problem does Amazon Mechanical Turk solve? MTurk solves the problem of finding and hiring people who can perform tasks that require human intelligence, judgment, or creativity, that are difficult or impossible for computers to do. MTurk also enables workers to find and complete tasks that match their skills, interests, and preferences, and earn money in their spare time.
• How do Requesters ensure their tasks are completed in a high-quality manner? Requesters can ensure the quality of their tasks by using various methods, such as setting qualification requirements, providing clear instructions and examples, offering fair rewards and bonuses, giving feedback and ratings, and using multiple workers for each task.
• Who completes the tasks on Amazon Mechanical Turk and how do they complete them? Workers who complete the tasks on MTurk are people from all over the world, who have different backgrounds, skills, and motivations. Workers can complete the tasks on MTurk by browsing and accepting HITs on the MTurk website, or by using scripts or tools to automate or enhance their MTurk experience. Workers get paid for each HIT they complete, after the requester approves their work.
• What kind of work can be done using Amazon Mechanical Turk? The kind of work that can be done using MTurk is limited only by the imagination and creativity of the requesters and workers. Some examples of work that can be done using MTurk are: data collection, data processing, data analysis, data validation, content creation, content moderation, content evaluation, market research, user testing, sentiment analysis, transcription, translation, annotation, classification, categorization, tagging, labeling, mapping, transcription, summarization, and more.
• How do Workers collect money for the tasks they complete? Workers collect money for the tasks they complete by transferring their earnings to their Amazon Payments account, and from there to their bank account or Amazon gift card balance. However, workers from countries other than the United States can only transfer their earnings to their Amazon gift card balance.
• Can any business use Amazon Mechanical Turk or do they need to understand how to use web services and APIs? Any business can use MTurk to get tasks completed, without needing to understand how to use web services and APIs. MTurk provides a user-friendly interface for creating, publishing, and managing HITs, as well as tools and templates for designing and testing task interfaces. However, businesses that want to have more control and flexibility over their tasks can also use MTurk’s web services and APIs to programmatically create and manage HITs.
• Can Requesters outside of the US use Amazon Mechanical Turk to get tasks completed? Yes, requesters outside of the US can use MTurk to get tasks completed, as long as they have an Amazon account and a credit card. Requesters can post HITs in any language and currency, and access workers from over 190 countries.
• Where can I view and edit my name, email address, password, and payment method? You can view and edit your name, email address, password, and payment method on the Amazon website, under Your Account > Login & Security and Your Account > Payment Options.
• Where can I view and edit my contact address information? You can view and edit your contact address information on the Amazon website, under Your Account > Your Addresses.
• How are the fees calculated? The fees are calculated based on the reward amount, the number of assignments, and the type of HIT. Amazon charges a 20% fee on the reward amount, plus a 5% fee on any bonus or tip. For HITs with 10 or more assignments, Amazon charges an additional 20% fee on the reward amount. For HITs that use Masters, Amazon charges an additional 5% fee on the reward amount.
• What rounding rules are applied when calculating fees? The rounding rules are applied as follows: the reward amount is rounded up to the nearest cent, the fee amount is rounded down to the nearest cent, and the total amount is rounded up to the nearest cent.
• How are Workers paid? Workers are paid for each HIT they complete, after the requester approves their work. The payment amount depends on the reward set by the requester, and the fees charged by Amazon. Workers can transfer their earnings to their Amazon Payments account, and from there to their bank account or Amazon gift card balance. However, workers from countries other than the United States can only transfer their earnings to their Amazon gift card balance.
• How do I receive a receipt for HITs? You can receive a receipt for HITs by downloading a CSV file that contains the details of your HITs, such as the HIT ID, the reward amount, the fee amount, and the total amount. You can download the CSV file from the Manage tab on the MTurk website, under Results > Download > Download CSV.
• Who are Amazon Mechanical Turk Masters? Amazon Mechanical Turk Masters are workers who have demonstrated a high level of accuracy and quality on specific types of HITs. There are two types of Masters: Photo Moderation Masters and Categorization Masters. Requesters can use Masters to get their tasks completed by the most skilled and experienced workers on MTurk, but they have to pay an additional fee for using Masters.
• Do you collect tax reporting information from non-US based Workers? No, Amazon does not collect tax reporting information from non-US based workers. However, workers are responsible for complying with their own tax laws and regulations in their country of residence.
• How does AWS Billing for MTurk work? AWS Billing for MTurk is a new billing model that allows requesters to use their AWS account to pay for their MTurk usage. This enables requesters to benefit from the features and services of AWS, such as AWS Organizations, AWS Budgets, AWS Cost Explorer, and AWS Billing and Cost Management. Requesters can also use their existing payment methods, such as credit cards, debit cards, or bank transfers, to pay for their MTurk usage.
• How do I set up an AWS Organizational account? You can set up an AWS Organizational account by following the steps on the AWS website, under AWS Organizations > Getting Started. You can create an organization, invite other AWS accounts to join your organization, and manage your organization’s policies and permissions.
• How do I approve, reject, or bonus work submitted by Workers in the AWS billing model? You can approve, reject, or bonus work submitted by workers in the AWS billing model by using the same methods as before, such as the MTurk website, the MTurk APIs, or the MTurk Command Line Tools. However, you have to use your AWS credentials, instead of your MTurk credentials, to access the MTurk APIs or the MTurk Command Line Tools.
• I’m an MTurk Worker, will my payments get affected with this change? No, your payments will not get affected with this change. You will still get paid for the HITs you complete, after the requester approves your work. You can still transfer your earnings to your Amazon Payments account, and from there to your bank account or Amazon gift card balance.
• How will the MTurk usage show up on my AWS bill? Your MTurk usage will show up on your AWS bill as a separate line item, under the service name Amazon Mechanical Turk. You can view the details of your MTurk usage, such as the number of HITs, the reward amount, the fee amount, and the total amount, on the AWS Billing and Cost Management console, under Bills > Amazon Mechanical Turk.
• How do I create a HIT? You can create a HIT by using one of the following methods: the MTurk website, the MTurk APIs, or the MTurk Command Line Tools. On the MTurk website, you can use the Create tab to create a HIT, either by using a predefined template, or by designing your own task interface. On the MTurk APIs or the MTurk Command Line Tools, you can use the CreateHIT operation to create a HIT, by specifying the parameters, such as the title, description, reward, time limit, and qualifications, of the HIT.
• What do I need to know about creating surveys on MTurk? Creating surveys on MTurk is a common and popular way to collect data from a large and diverse pool of respondents. However, there are some things that you need to know about creating surveys on MTurk, such as the following:
  • You should use a survey platform, such as Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, or Google Forms, to create and host your survey, and then embed or link your survey on MTurk. This way, you can take advantage of the features and functionalities of the survey platform, such as randomization, branching, validation, and data analysis.

You should set appropriate qualification requirements, reward amounts, and time limits for your survey, to ensure that you attract and retain qualified and motivated