Welcome to my Test IO review!
Test IO is helping a lot of businesses since its inception in 2011.
They’re providing bug tracking services that help companies improve the user experience in their platform.
This service, however, is mostly outsourced to freelancers.
And you may be here because you’ve heard of this opportunity and wanted to know if they’re a legitimate source of income or is Test IO a scam.
To give you an overview, Test IO is definitely not a scam, but the potential of earning income is really low, and you may be wasting a lot of time.
For you to better understand what I mean, let’s begin…
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- Product name: Test.io
- Founder: Jan Schwenzien and Thomas Gruederich
- Price: Membership for testers are free
- Product/Service type: Bug tracking solutions
- Recommended?: Suitable as a side gig only
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What is Test IO? And how does it work?
Test.io is an online service that offers businesses a solution to bugs in their website or applications.
It was founded in 2011 by Jan Schwenzien and Thomas Gruederich in Berlin, Germany. They also have a base of operation in San Francisco, California.
Since its foundation, Test IO has become one of the most trusted bug tracking solutions around the globe.
Some of their prominent clients include Lacoste, Lonely Planet, Carnival Cruise Lines, Headspace, and Sound Cloud.
Because of the nature of the service, I like to imagine them like the bug exterminator of the virtual world.
It basically works by Test IO evaluating the platform and running it through a series of tests to find the bug.
There are also different types of test services that a client can avail of. It is as follows:
- User acceptance
- Regression
- Custom checks
- Usability
- Sanity check
If you’re considering Test IO, then your main duty as a tester is to look for glitches or issues within the application or software.
And these issues are what we call bugs—they are simply errors that cause the platform to malfunction.
Also, there are different types of bugs that you’re going to identify:
- Visual
- Functional
- Usability
- Content
How to Become a Tester for Test IO?
We will not be reviewing their services extensively. Our main objective for this review is to provide you necessary information if this company is a legit way to earn money. Or, is Test IO a scam?
Before we start this section, I’d like to point out that you are not an employee of Test IO once you’re accepted. You are a contractor or freelancer of their company.
Some of the basic requirements in joining Test IO are as follows:
- Must be 18 years old and above
- Have a laptop or desktop computer
If you pass these basic requirements, then you can now move forward to the next process.
Register online
The online application is pretty basic—full name, email address, and you have to create your password.
And then, you have to verify your email address. That’s it!
But before you can start testing, you have to provide the following first:
- Your language.
- Educational background.
- QA testing experience.
- Contact information.
- How many devices do you own where you can do the test?
After you’ve provided the following information, you will just have to wait for your first invitation.
Pass the qualification phase
Before you can become an official Test IO tester, you must pass the qualifying stage first.
It involves examinations that will put your bug detecting skills into the test.
All aspiring tester are also required to report at least three bugs during the duration of this phase.
Fortunately, you don’t have to do it all at once, because they will give you two days to complete the tasks.
Also, you can earn during your training, so it’s okay, I guess.
After your training phase, you are now officially a virtual bug exterminator, as I like to call it.
Testing
Once you received your first invitation, you can now begin testing software or applications.
Before you accept invitations, you’ll be given an overview, such as instruction, features, known bugs, and how much is the payout.
But you have the choice to decline any invitation without demerits.
If you found any bugs, you have to report them. However, the team and client have to review your findings first before you get paid.
How do I get paid?
It is through PayPal, personal bank account, Skrill, or Payoneer.
However, you have to wait for a few days (typically 48 hours) before you can actually transfer your money to the abovementioned platforms.
A digital invoice will be provided at the time of your requisition for transfer.
How do I get invites?
There are no particular requirements when Test IO searches for a suited tester. Searching for testers depends on a specific set of algorithms.
It’s based on factors that include devices, information, and performance ratings.
It means that you can receive multiple invitations at once.
You can accept all of them if you want. But be sure to finish all of them because unfinished tasks can hurt your personal ratings.
The earning potential of Test IO
Your earnings do not depend on working hours. It’s based on the number and severity of the bugs you’ve found.
You’ll earn about $5 to $50 on each bug you find and depending on its severity.
For example, low severity bug pays you as low as $5 (sometimes $ 0.5), while serious bug issues give you $50.
Also, you need at least to have a minimum of $25 in your account before you can withdraw.
Test IO claims that their top testers are earning about $1,100 per month. But you’re going to struggle for you to reach this level.
What if I don’t find any bugs?
According to Test IO, you’re still going to receive compensation by rating or commenting on the application or software, or by completing the entire test.
It seems like a good source of income, but remember that you aren’t automatically paid when you find bugs.
Both the client and team leader must review and accept your findings first before you earn any money.
It means that there are chances when your findings still get rejected even though what you’ve found are legitimate bugs.
Also, as mentioned, you won’t get to choose who you’ll work for. The system chooses automatically when you should get an invite and for whom.
Take note that there are other testers in the platform that has a rating than you. It means that the system will favor them over you.
I’m not saying it’s impossible, but it’s going to be really tough, and you may have to work your butt off to be able to compete with higher-level testers.
Can you make a reliable income from Test IO?
At first sight, it seems that Test IO is a good source of income.
But if you’re thinking quitting your day job and become a full-time tester—I suggest that you’d better think twice.
I think Test IO is suitable as a side hustle and not full-time.
Although the money is there, the potential for earning a high income is low. You have to bear in mind that your findings won’t get automatically accepted. And you have a lot of competition to deal with.
You also have to consider the reviews received by Test IO. Client reviews are the window of how is it really like working with the company.
Although Test IO receives positive feedbacks, most of the reviews are overwhelmingly bad experiences.
Here some of the comments in Glassdoor.com.
You can check the entire reviews here.
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Is Test IO a scam?
No. Test IO is not a scam. They are a legitimate business that pays you for your bug tracking skills.
But if you value time, then I do not recommend this platform at all because you could waste a lot of time.
Although the bugs you find are a legitimate error, it’s no assurance that the client and team leader would accept it.
There are a lot of ways you can earn income online, check out my best work-at-home recommendation to know more information.
Negative Notes
Possibility of findings being rejected
As mentioned earlier, even though you find legitimate bugs in the platform, there’s still a possibility that your report would be rejected by both client and team leader.
You may even experience testing on various platforms, but only a few get accepted, such as in the case of these testers:
Check out the rest of the reviews here.
You have to pass the qualification first
Before you can fully contribute to the platform, you must pass the qualifying stage first.
Although it may seem reasonable, because they have to maintain standards, it may be inconvenient to qualified bug tester if they fail their first time.
Cashouts can only be made once a month
Another inconvenience you may experience with the company is that you can only transfer cash into your PayPal or Bank account once a month.
Not accredited by the BBB
The Better Business Bureau is one way to check the credibility of a company we want to invest in. Although we shouldn’t entirely rely on them for the majority of our decision-making, a company that’s BBB-rated with positive ratings somehow indicates that they’re doing something right.
Positive Notes
It is open to any countries worldwide
Unlike other GPT sites, Test IO is available to any country.
The only important things that you’ll need are your devices, internet connection, and you must qualify first.
No specific credential is required
Another positive note for Test IO is that anybody can join. You don’t have to be a professional to get qualified. As long as you can do what you’re supposed to do, then it’s all good.
Membership for testers is free
There’s no membership or monthly fees. You can freely test software or application as soon as you get qualified.
Final verdict
The question of whether you should try Test IO or not are a matter of personal choice, but if you ask me if I’ll join them, the answer is no.
I believe they’re a good side hustle if you’re good at tracking bugs. But if you’re inexperienced, I’m sure that you’ll find this task very difficult on your first try.
Test IO seems to be very particular with details, which may be the reason for numerous cases of rejections. Thus, it’s unlikely that you’ll earn a significant income by doing bug tracking.
For this reason, is Test IO a scam? Are they using us so they could profit? Again, the answer is no.
When we say scam, it is intentionally misleading a person for them to gain profits.
I see no ill intentions here—it is just low paying.
Test IO is a legitimate way to make some extra cash, but the potential of earning sufficient income that would help you pay your monthly expenses is unlikely.
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There are better alternatives than working with GPT platforms.
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