When do AI training platforms pay? Payout schedules compared
Pay days, payout methods and minimums for 16 active platforms, from each platform's own pages. Last checked October 30, 2026.
The short answer
- Weekly: Outlier processes payments every Tuesday, and Mercor pays hourly contractors every Wednesday around 12:00 PM Pacific. [source] [source]
- Twice a month: Mindrift pays on the 5th and 20th for tasks accepted in the previous half-month. [source]
- On request: DataAnnotation pays through PayPal when you ask, and Prolific lets you cash out once your balance reaches £6 or $6, at most once every 24 hours. [source] [source]
- Your first payout can be slower. Mercor says Stripe holds a contractor's first payout for 7 days. [source]
- Minimums are rare but real: OneForma's is typically $10, and smaller balances roll into the next cycle. [source]
All 16 platforms
From our directory. Each row shows the date we last checked that platform; "Not published" means the platform doesn't say.
| Platform | When it pays | How | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outlier Checked October 18, 2026 | Weekly on Tuesdays (work from previous Tuesday–Monday, UTC) | PayPal, Airtm, ACH bank transfer | Not published |
| DataAnnotation Checked October 18, 2026 | On request; deposits within a few days | PayPal (USD) | Not published |
| Alignerr Checked October 18, 2026 | Weekly: Monday–Sunday work paid by the following Friday | Stripe or PayPal (one provider per country), Upwork (if hired via Upwork) | Not published |
| Mercor Checked October 18, 2026 | Weekly on Wednesdays (~12:00 PM PT) | Stripe Connect (bank), Wise (where Stripe unavailable, e.g. Brazil, Nepal, Turkey, UAE) | Not stated; first Stripe payout has a 7-day hold |
| Mindrift Checked October 18, 2026 | Twice monthly (around the 5th and 20th) | Payoneer, Tipalti (bank transfer or PayPal) | Depends on payment provider |
| Handshake AI Fellowship Checked October 18, 2026 | Weekly | Paid directly by Handshake (method not stated on the FAQ) | Not published |
| Prolific Checked October 18, 2026 | Cash out on demand (once per 24 hours; 72 hours for new accounts) | PayPal (via Hyperwallet) | £6 / $6 combined balance |
| Clickworker Checked October 18, 2026 | Weekly bill run (Wednesday–Friday) | PayPal, Payoneer, SEPA, ACH (US), Direct bank transfer (non-EU), eWallet, Airtm | €10 PayPal/SEPA, $10 ACH, €/$20 Payoneer and non-EU bank |
| OneForma Checked October 18, 2026 | Weekly or bi-weekly by project; arrives 2–3 business days after cycle | Payoneer, PayPal (capped at $300/year), Tipalti, Bank transfer (China only) | $10 |
| TELUS Digital AI Community Checked October 18, 2026 | Not published | Hyperwallet (bank transfer or PayPal where supported) | Not published |
| micro1 Checked October 18, 2026 | Semi-monthly (around the 5th and 20th) | Deel (USD) | Not published |
| Meridial (by Invisible) Checked October 18, 2026 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Turing Checked October 18, 2026 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Welo Data Checked October 18, 2026 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| RWS TrainAI Checked October 18, 2026 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Snorkel Expert Community Checked October 18, 2026 | Weekly for accepted work (aim: within two weeks of acceptance) | Via Agent of Record (HireArt) | Not published |
Before you count on a pay day
- Check what gets paid. On per-task projects, work has to be accepted first; Mindrift says its cycles cover completed and accepted tasks. [source]
- Note the cutoff. Mercor's weekly payout covers the previous work week, so there is a lag of about five days between your last hour and the money. [source]
- Set up the payout method before you start. Some platforms pick the provider by country rather than letting you choose; see each platform's profile.
- Workers compare payout speed often, for example in this r/AiTraining_Annotation thread. Individual posts are anecdotal, not data. [source]
Comparing two platforms? See Mercor vs Outlier and Outlier vs DataAnnotation. Getting in first: How to get accepted.
Try Mercor
Weekly pay to your bank through Stripe or Wise. See Mercor (affiliate link: we may earn a fee if you sign up, at no cost to you).
Sources
- Outlier FAQ (checked Oct 30, 2026) outlier.ai/faq
- Mercor, Payments (checked Oct 30, 2026) talent.docs.mercor.com
- Mindrift, How Mindrift pays (checked Oct 30, 2026) mindrift.ai
- Prolific, How do I cash out (checked Oct 30, 2026) participant-help.prolific.com
- OneForma, How payments work (checked Oct 30, 2026) oneforma.com
- DataAnnotation FAQ dataannotation.tech
- Table: each platform's own sources, listed on its profile page in our directory.