Canonical URL: https://giftcard.news/research-trends/virtual-incentives-puts-reward-choice-and-payment-speed-at-the-centre-d04c28e338d2/ --- description: Virtual Incentives' December 2024 FARE guidance addresses incentive selection, prompt fulfilment, activity variety and accessible research design. title: Virtual Incentives puts reward choice and payment speed at the centre of research participation image: https://giftcard.news/images/social/v1/virtual-incentives-puts-reward-choice-payment-speed-centre-research-participation-a195a3ef4f128908c4d80e24d04c5b2d.jpg --- 1. [Home](https://giftcard.news/) 2. [Research & Trends](https://giftcard.news/research-trends/) # Virtual Incentives puts reward choice and payment speed at the centre of research participation Virtual Incentives' December 2024 FARE guidance addresses incentive selection, prompt fulfilment, activity variety and accessible research design. By [Maya Bennett](https://giftcard.news/author/maya-bennett/) December 3, 2024 2 min read Share [ ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fvirtual-incentives-puts-reward-choice-and-payment-speed-at-the-centre-d04c28e338d2%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dx%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&text=Virtual%20Incentives%20puts%20reward%20choice%20and%20payment%20speed%20at%20the%20centre%20of%20research%20participation "X") [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fvirtual-incentives-puts-reward-choice-and-payment-speed-at-the-centre-d04c28e338d2%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dlinkedin%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "LinkedIn") [ ](https://wa.me/?text=Virtual%20Incentives%20puts%20reward%20choice%20and%20payment%20speed%20at%20the%20centre%20of%20research%20participation%20https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fvirtual-incentives-puts-reward-choice-and-payment-speed-at-the-centre-d04c28e338d2%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dwhatsapp%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "WhatsApp") ![Virtual Incentives source artwork accompanying virtual Incentives puts reward choice and payment speed at the centre of research participation](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/virtual-incentives-puts-reward-choice-payment-speed-centre-research-participation-source-artwork-w1087.webp) Photo: Source: virtualincentives.com [Virtual Incentives](https://giftcard.news/company/virtual-incentives/) set out four priorities for research participant engagement in December 2024: reward choice, payment speed, varied activities and accessibility. The guidance discussed those priorities within the 12-part FARE framework and linked them to the experience of people completing market research. Market research practice lead [Frank Kelly](https://giftcard.news/person/frank-kelly/) said compensation needed to reflect the work requested. A short survey, an in-depth discussion and a video showing a household activity place different demands on a participant. The company argued that offering the same small gift card for each task could undermine willingness to contribute. Payment preferences also differed by country. The guidance contrasted willingness to share bank details for transfers in the UK with preferences for other payment options among US participants. It encouraged research operators to provide meaningful choices rather than assume that a small number of familiar brands would suit every panel member. Kelly said most incentives on Virtual Incentives' platform could be paid in real time or within an hour, while a small number of countries could take a day. He contrasted that capability with research programs that made participants wait several weeks. The timing figures were the provider's description of its own delivery capabilities. The article also recommended giving participants information about a study's duration, reward and general subject before they chose to take part. It discussed ad reviews, forums and mystery shopping as ways to vary the work beyond repeated conventional surveys. Accessibility formed the final operational priority. Virtual Incentives called for screen-reader support, sufficient colour contrast, image descriptions and usable controls for older participants or people with disabilities. The recommendations concerned reward and research design together: prompt compensation would not address an experience that participants could not read or navigate. ## Sources and documents ExpandCollapse * [Exploring Research Participant Engagement with FARE](https://www.virtualincentives.com/research-participant-engagement/?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news) — Virtual Incentives ## In this article ### Companies * [Virtual Incentives](https://giftcard.news/company/virtual-incentives/) ### People * [Frank Kelly](https://giftcard.news/person/frank-kelly/) Share [ ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fvirtual-incentives-puts-reward-choice-and-payment-speed-at-the-centre-d04c28e338d2%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dx%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&text=Virtual%20Incentives%20puts%20reward%20choice%20and%20payment%20speed%20at%20the%20centre%20of%20research%20participation "X") [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fvirtual-incentives-puts-reward-choice-and-payment-speed-at-the-centre-d04c28e338d2%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dlinkedin%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "LinkedIn") [ ](https://wa.me/?text=Virtual%20Incentives%20puts%20reward%20choice%20and%20payment%20speed%20at%20the%20centre%20of%20research%20participation%20https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fresearch-trends%2Fvirtual-incentives-puts-reward-choice-and-payment-speed-at-the-centre-d04c28e338d2%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dwhatsapp%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "WhatsApp") ![Portrait of Maya Bennett](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/maya-bennett-editorial-portrait-w320.webp) About the author ## [Maya Bennett](https://giftcard.news/author/maya-bennett/) Journalist — Rewards & Loyalty Maya Bennett covers customer loyalty, employee rewards and incentive programmes for Gift Card News. 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