You’re Off the Waitlist – What Happens Next?
Congratulations! 🎉 You’ve made it off the waitlist.
You’re just a few steps away from becoming a Prolific participant and starting to take studies and earn money.
To activate your account, you'll need to complete:
You must complete both steps before you can participate in studies.
Identity Verification
Trust and honesty are at the core of Prolific, so we verify your identity against the demographic information you provided when joining the waitlist, including your date of birth, country of residence, and gender.
Please Note: It's important that this information is accurate and matches your identity documents exactly, since inconsistencies between your identity documents and your self-reported details will result in a permanent ban.
Taking a moment to double check everything matches before you proceed ensures your onboarding goes smoothly.
What You'll Need to Become a Prolific Participant
Here's what to have ready, to help you complete verification and onboarding smoothly and avoid a temporary hold on your account.
One Prolific Account Only
You can only have one Prolific account.
If you previously had an account that was closed or deleted, you won't be able to create a new one.
Duplicate accounts will be banned.
A Mobile Phone Number
Your phone number must be registered in your country of residence, and must be a valid mobile number, not a VOIP or landline number.
Accepted Photo ID
Your ID must:
Be valid and not expired
Include a photo
Be issued by your country of residence
Exactly match the name on your Prolific account
Accepted ID types:
Passport
Driving licence
Valid visa with photo
Residence permit card
US state ID card
EU national ID card
Please note: Temporary paper IDs are not accepted — for example, the paper receipt issued by a government licensing office while you wait for your permanent card. You must use the physical permanent card to complete verification.
If you’re an EU or Irish citizen:
EU citizens may verify using an ID from their own EU country, even if they live in another EU country.
Irish citizens living in the UK may verify using Irish ID documents.
A PayPal Account
PayPal is our only supported payment method. Your PayPal account must:
Be registered in your own name, the name on your PayPal account must exactly match the name on your Prolific account and your photo ID. If these don't match, your account will be temporarily placed on hold
Be registered in your country of residence, you can't cash out to a PayPal account registered in a different country.
Be Physically Located in Your Country of Residence
If you signed up to the waitlist while living in one country but are currently abroad, for example on holiday, you'll need to wait until you return to your permanent country of residence before using Prolific. If you attempt to use Prolific while abroad, or use a VPN, your account will be placed on hold.
When verification can't be completed
Verification can't be completed if:
You previously had a Prolific account that was closed or deleted
You don't have a mobile phone number registered in your country of residence
Your phone number is registered in a different country
You don't have accepted photo ID from your country of residence, unless covered by the EU or Irish exceptions above
Your ID is expired or not a supported document type
Your ID doesn't match your country of residence
Your PayPal account is registered in a different country than your country of residence
Your PayPal account is in someone else's name
Your PayPal account isn't registered in the same exact name as your Prolific account
You're currently outside your permanent country of residence
You use a VPN, proxy, or private relay during verification
Your ID is a temporary paper document, for example a paper receipt issued while awaiting your permanent card, you'll need to wait for the physical permanent card
Important: Support cannot resolve these issues. We're unable to override these requirements or make exceptions.
In some cases, you may be able to resolve the issue yourself, for example by renewing an expired ID, turning off a VPN, or updating your PayPal name to match your Prolific account name. However, if you can't meet these requirements, you won't be able to complete verification and participate on Prolific.
How to avoid verification issues
Here are the most common issues that can delay your account activation:
Name Mismatch Between Prolific and PayPal
For example, your Prolific account name is Lisa Smith, but your PayPal account is in your maiden name, Lisa Brown. This mismatch will place your account on temporary hold.
How to fix it: update your PayPal name to match your Prolific account exactly, then re-link your PayPal account.
Using an Unsupported ID
Your verification will fail if your ID is expired, isn't one of our accepted document types, or wasn't issued by your country of residence, unless covered by the EU and Irish exceptions above.
Logging In via Your Invite Email
Once your account is created, don't log in through your invite email link. Instead, log in directly at app.prolific.com
Using a VPN or Proxy
Using a VPN, proxy, or private relay during verification will flag your account.
Please:
Use your home Wi-Fi or mobile data
Disable any browser-based VPNs
Turn off private relay settings
Once you meet these requirements and complete verification successfully, you'll be ready to start taking studies on Prolific.