It’s not often that a week goes by without hearing something about a scam designed to dupe the masses into parting with their hard-earned money. At the same time, pinpointing those fraudulent schemes before they take advantage of you can be harder than you think.
Take TesterUp for example. We’re not condemning this app as a scam, but there’s something not quite right about a website that promises new user testers $120 per offer and 50 offers worth $800 or more after signing up.
That’s especially true after a quick look around the developer’s website. Those of us conditioned to spot a fake before we become another victim may not be deterred by the German content at first, but it doesn’t take long to realize this website storefront smells like a phony.
In fact, the FBI has cautioned the public against downloading “play-to-earn” mobile apps willy-nilly. Instead of rewarding you for playing mobile games, these apps instead rob you of millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency.
If you’re not sure TesterUp is on the up-and-up, you’re not alone. We’ve combed through reviews and done the research ourselves to figure out whether or not this app is a scam and share those results with you.
Are you ready to dive into our TesterUp review and find out if TesterUp is legit? Let’s get started!
What is TesterUp
Like many other win-real-money apps, TesterUp offers new users the chance to earn rewards for testing out new apps, games, products, and surveys. This partnership is hardly a new one to hit the gaming market, but for those looking for how to earn money online, TesterUp probably isn’t the best choice.
The app claims it has over 3 million members and is one of Germany’s largest platforms for gaming. But at $120 offered per test and 50 offers or more totaling $800+, alarm bells should be going off in your head loud enough to wake the dead.
TesterUp claims to pay out to PayPal in 24 hours. While all of these specifications may be true, it takes a lot more than a few games to make money online without an investment.
Not quite convinced TesterUp might be a scam? Let’s dig further to see how the app handles cashing out so you can get paid today.
How Does TesterUp Work
If you like playing card games for money or want to get paid to play games, TesterUp is one of many apps available for both Android and iOS smartphones. Earning money with TesterUp includes signing up, playing games, completing missions, and getting paid.
Creating an Account
TesterUp is free to download from the App Store and Google Play Store. You must be 18 years old and a U.S. or Canadian resident to create an account.
With TesterUp, you can sign up via an email address or your Facebook account. You can use the website to sign up as well but you’ll eventually need the app to earn your rewards by playing games and completing offers.
Testing Games
TesterUp requires you to permit it to track your app usage. This gives it the chance to look over your shoulder and reward you accordingly as you play.
Each offer includes the maximum amount of rewards you can earn if you complete a certain task. Unlike apps like JustPlay, TesterUp doesn’t work in points, coins, or any other in-app currency.
Most offers require you to complete a level or task within a game by a specific date. For example, you might need to reach level 20 in a game within two or three days of downloading it.
This arrangement can sound like a great excuse to play that game from dawn until dusk. However, most of these achievements cannot be easily accomplished without requiring some sort of in-game purchase to boost your chances.
Spending money to make money can work in some circumstances, but not with reward apps. If you have to spend money to earn just a bit more, wouldn’t you almost be better off just keeping that money in the first place?
Even then, the offers that are easy to complete only pay pennies compared to what’s advertised. Instead of the $120 per completed offer, you’re lucky if you earn a few dollars at a time.
Completing Premium Missions
Some gamers hold out for the Premium Missions TesterUp offers. These exclusive offers give members the chance to earn more offers that are higher paying, in addition to bonus points and free items.
Becoming a Premium Tester requires completing at least five Premium Missions, which are unique in contrast to regular missions. While not much information is available on how they differ, you’ll need to look for these types of missions if you want to advance your account.
With that said, completing any type of mission can be difficult without opening up your wallet. While you may be tempted to see how it works out after completing these missions and becoming a Premium Tester, there’s not a lot of evidence that the agreement gets any better.
Getting Paid
If the words “I need money now” cross your lips, TesterUp probably isn’t the right app for you. This app claims it will redeem rewards to PayPal within 24 hours, but even getting to that point can be a struggle.
TesterUp requires that you have $70 in rewards to cash out. That’s astronomical considering most apps set the bar below $20 or even $10 and then they may even offer you a sign-up bonus to get you halfway there.
Worse yet, TesterUp typically requires you to spend money to complete the missions that pay enough to cash out. If you pay $30 for a $100 reward that meets that $70 threshold, you’ll only actually get paid $70 for your troubles.
Free offers can allow you to rack up rewards, but progress is extremely slow at that. And with PayPal as the only cashout method, these rewards are extremely limited for being so high.
Can You Actually Earn Money with TesterUp?
As you’ve seen throughout our discussion of TesterUp, we’ve peeled back the layers to determine whether or not TesterUp is legitimate. With the evidence we’ve gathered, it’s easy to see that though TesterUp might be a legitimate company, the advertising they do is way off the mark.
The claims about earning $120 per offer are based on terms that are nearly impossible to achieve. On top of that, cashing out after earning $70 makes it nearly unachievable to get your rewards.
A closer look at TesterUp’s website reveals reviews entirely in German. The German word “empfohlen” mentioned in all the reviews translates to “recommendation,” which is nowhere near “TesterUp,” and in fact doesn’t link to the same app at all.
In addition, the reviews are all recorded on November 23, or 24, 2017. The website may seem sophisticated at first but the math just doesn’t add up.
TesterUp Pros and Cons
At first glance, TesterUp seems to tick all the right boxes. Upon closer inspection, however, it’s clear that this German app may not be all it’s cracked up to be.
Pros:
- Free to download
- Available for iOS and Android
- Website
- Available in many countries
- Seemingly high payouts
- Handfuls of offers available as soon as you sign up
- Quick payments via PayPal
Cons:
- High cash out threshold at $70
- Lack of communication with the developer
- PayPal is the only cashout method
- “Testing” is a misnomer for completing offers
- Customer support and parts of website material are in German only
What to Look For in a User-Testing App
When you’re perusing the Google Play Store or the App Store, it pays to take a minute and research what apps you’re downloading. With so many fraudulent traps and scams out there, taking extra precautions can save you a whole lot of frustration.
Here’s what you should look for in a user-testing app before you download it:
- Reviews: Check out what other people are saying about this app. Check your appropriate app store as well as sites like Reddit to see what’s out there.
- Website and social media accounts: You can also investigate a bit further to see if the app developer has a website or social media accounts. While the lack of these presences isn’t an immediate red flag, further investigation is necessary.
- Google search: You can always plug the name of the app into Google and include “scam” or “legitimate” after to see what comes up.
- Ask around: Talk to your friends, family, and coworkers to see if they’ve had any issues with the app in question. They might have more information for you that helps you decide whether or not the app is worth downloading.
Downloading only those apps that you trust can mean the difference between playing for fun and paying for that fun. Don’t get caught up in a scam because you didn’t do your homework.
Viable TesterUp Alternatives
Some of the best survey apps out there won’t pay nearly as much as $120 per offer, but they can give you the chance to earn more for the things you probably do already every day. Here are a few of our favorites to recommend:
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4.5
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- Rewarded Play: Download and play games through Rewarded Play to track your progress and earn points. This app offers a sign-up bonus of 5,000 free points and lets you earn thousands of points within minutes of signing up. Cash out with gift cards only as this app doesn’t offer a PayPal option. Learn more in our Rewarded Play review.
- Mistplay: Our Mistplay review gives you the skinny on this game-playing app. Like Rewarded Play, you can download games through the app and earn as you complete levels and earn achievements. Check out this popular app to see what games you can play.
- InboxDollars: Within a few minutes of scanning our InboxDollars review, you’ll know exactly how you can use this app to earn rewards to treat yourself. It’s free to sign up and most opportunities to earn rewards don’t require a purchase.
- Swagbucks: Earn $10 for free when you create a new Swagbucks account. With Swagbucks, you can earn points for watching videos, answering survey questions, participating in daily tasks and challenges, reading emails, and more.
You can also take advantage of user-testing apps such as TestingTime, Usertesting, PlaytestCloud, TryMyUI, and Userlytics. These apps may pay more than survey apps but they’re no replacement for a full-time job by any means.
FAQs
TesterUp is a legitimate user-testing app that pays you to test new apps and play new games. However, many users have reported issues earning rewards and cashing out, as the game offers spotty customer service in German.
Most TesterUp games earn you $10 max, while some offers will offer you $100 or more. However, you can only cash out once you reach $70 in rewards, so many players reach this threshold and then delete the app.
TesterUp alternatives that pay you as a tester include TestingTime, TryMyUI, Usertesting, PlaytestCloud, and Userlytics. You can also download and play Mistplay or Rewarded Play to earn points for playing games.
Don’t Test Your Luck with TesterUp
It’s all too easy to get comfortable when it comes to trying new games and downloading apps that advertise themselves as a way to make money while passing the time. After all, the gaming industry didn’t grow as large as it is without a few bumps in the road and shadows here and there.
At the same time, it can often be difficult to spot scams, especially when they’re disguised as harmful apps we’re typically used to. TesterUp seems to be one of those apps.
Through our review, we’ve looked closely at several aspects of this “popular German” app. We hope the conclusions we’ve drawn from the evidence before us helps to inform your decision regarding this get-paid-to-play app.
If you’re researching TesterUp before you download it, the good news is you spent about ten minutes figuring out it’s not all that great. If you’re here because you’re wondering who else might have also determined TesterUp was a scam, we’re sorry to hear that.
Will you research a company the next time you go to download an app? Buyer beware (even if it’s free)!
