Dscout – Earn by participating in Diary Missions (Similar to Usertesting)

Last Updated on April 19, 2022

Dscout is a great earning platform for mobile users. It’s an app that you can download on iOS or Android or use it through the website on your desktop. It allows you to earn a fairly sustainable amount of money. This app is task-based earning, so each task can be different and have varying pay rates. 

Most of the tasks (or missions, as they call it) pay between 20-150$, and just requires you giving your thoughts and insights on various products.

Dscout is a reputable company that has legitimate paying jobs, they have even worked with various big brands such as Nike, Wrigley, etc. so you can be assured that you’ll get your payments on time.

The sign-up process to make an account is extremely easy, even a child could do it. On the homepage when you sign up you are shown 2 options:

You want to click the “become a scout” option to be eligible to partake in the missions.

After that, you enter your basic information such as name, country, etc and you are all set to explore the missions.

That’s pretty much it for the sign-up.

One thing to note however is this sign up simply makes you eligible to apply in the missions, most missions will require a separate aptitude test to deem if you are a good match for their task.

There is absolutely no fret regarding the payment for Dscout. They only allow for one method of payment, which is Paypal. There is no withdrawal limit on PayPal either. So you could do one study and get paid out instantly.

The pay is one great benefit of this app. Most companies offer ridiculously low amounts for your opinion while the average pay of missions on this app goes from $30 lowest to more than $100 for some. So, although it can start as a way of passive income, it could eventually be a full-time job.

That is given if you get a consistent amount of studies/missions. Your geographic location and other demographics dictate how many studies you will be invited for.

I have participated in 3 studies with them so far. Their acceptance rate is very similar to Usertesting. You won’t get accepted in 90% of the missions you apply for.

Most people have even made videos showing their payment proof from dscout:

The types of tasks that you get on Dscout vary widely depending on the company you’re applying for, however, they generally fall into 2 categories:

1. Diary missions
2. Live missions

Diary missions are as simple as any other microtask, you may be asked to record or capture your daily moments or give your opinion about a certain product. Usually, they can be completed within a few minutes. These tasks are on the low paying end on the spectrum.

To elevate the price a bit, you can opt for continuous missions. This is still a diary mission but it is repeated over a couple of days or is divided into a couple of parts. These are higher paying and can go for upwards of $100 for your time.

Some examples of these surveys are shown above.

The second and most rewarding type of missions is Live missions. These will sometimes have a survey to fill out, but more importantly, it will require a video interview hence the term live. You will give your opinions over a video call or a short video message depending on what the researcher is looking for. These can be extremely profitable for you since it’s not a lot of work and good compensation. The interviews are usually 30 minutes to an hour so it’s not taking up your entire day either.

When it comes to opportunities it can get a little muddy. Although there are tons of researches you can apply for, each of them only has a limited number of participants needed for the actual study. Thus, when thousands of scouts are applying to 20 positions, it can get challenging to get the positions you want. 

The best way to get those coveted spots is to keep an eye on your emails. Often, if you fit their demographic, you will be invited for a study through email. If you act fast you can get a spot in that manner. In the end, it’s the researcher that decides if you get to take part in it or not and there are many options out there so even if you miss out on a couple, it’s not a huge deal.

To summarize, Dscout is a great option to make some extra cash at a much higher rate than other survey websites out there. An important note is that you should be comfortable with making videos and showing your face since most of the projects require photographs and videos. You should also have a verified PayPal account on hand for the payments since there is no other way for payments. So, if you have got those things covered you are well on your way to make some decent cash sharing your opinion.

I recently had the opportunity to participate in several Dscout Missions. So here are the Payment Proofs and Total Earnings through Dscout. You are paid via Paypal after the successful completion of your mission. Usually in less than 15 days.

Diary mission is a different type of usability test. In it, you are supposed to do a task every day, and record your responses regarding it. 

For example, a company might be testing how customers use their social media platform. You will be asked to use their platform daily (for a set number of days) and perform a set of tasks on each day.

After you perform your tasks, you will be asked several questions regarding those tasks, such as:

What frustrated you about the whole experience?

What do you think would help you better achieve this task?

How much time did you take doing the task today?

Your responses will be in the form of text, images or videos depending upon the requirement of the mission. By compiling your responses over several days, the client/company might be able to figure out how users use their platform and the learning curve they experience in the process.

I performed in several Diary missions this year, and they are just simple tasks that you carry over a period of time. This helps the researcher understand user behaviour at a deeper level.

The toughest part in a Dscout mission is clearing it’s initial screener. The mission itself is fairly simple and easy. Here are some tips to get past it:

1. Make sure your mobile app’s notifications are turned on. New missions come regularly, and due to their scarce open slots, disappear quickly as well. Remember to apply for a mission as soon as you see it’s notification.
2. Most screeners require you to do a face recording for them explaining your eligibility for the mission. Make sure you are properly dressed (at least the upper half). Also ensure your environment is silent and face is well-lit and visible.
3. While filling out the survey questions, you will get an idea of the type of candidate they are looking for. Try to focus your selfie video around that idea. If possible, take several retakes and properly script it.
4. Update your profile. Make sure your profile section has correct information about you. You might miss out on a lot of missions due to your profile (especially your country and ethnicity).
5. Check the ‘Promotions’ tab of your email. I have missed a lot of notifications of Dscout missions (for whatever reason), but they send you a mail regarding the opportunity as well. If you read the email and apply for it soon enough you might have a chance.

Even though the aim behind both kinds of usability tests is similar, their execution is very different.

Usertesting tests last between 5-30 minutes, and you are supposed to complete them in one sitting. You will be given an interface and will be asked several questions regarding it. You need to record your voice (and face) while doing the task

Dscout, on the other hand, takes longer “diary missions” that may last a few days. You are supposed to do a task on a daily basis and answer several questions regarding that task. Plus, you might need to record several videos of yourself explaining your decision.

Since the missions in Dscout take place over several days, you are compensated more in comparison to Usertesting.

On the other hand, Usertesting tests take place way more often than Dscout missions. Dscout missions have very limited openings and this makes it hard to get selected for them.

But once you get in, it is easy money.