Researchers can generate a quote for any study created on Prolific. Quotes are commonly used for internal approvals, grant applications, and institutional procurement processes. This article explains how to generate a quote, and what costs are included.
What a Prolific quote includes
All Prolific quotes provide a clear cost breakdown, including:
Participant rewards - Total rewards paid to participants based on your study settings
Prolific platform fees - Calculated automatically based on your study design
VAT (if applicable) - Shown separately depending on your organisation’s VAT status and location
Quotes are estimates, not binding agreements. Your final study cost may be higher than the quoted amount if:
Your study becomes underpaying and requires adjustment payments
You manually approve returned or timed‑out submissions, resulting in more approved participants than planned
You award bonus payments (bonuses are not included in the initial quote)
How to get a quote
1. Quick Cost Estimate
If you only need a high‑level estimate for early budgeting or planning, you can use Prolific’s cost calculator.
The calculator estimates total study cost based on:
Number of participants
Estimated completion time
Participant reward per study
This option is best for rough budgeting and does not generate a downloadable quote document.
2. Study‑Specific Quote (Downloadable Document)
If you need a quote document that includes study details, you can generate one directly from a draft study in your researcher account.
This is the recommended option for:
Institutional approvals or purchase orders
Grant or funding applications
Procurement or finance teams
How to generate a study‑specific quote (downloadable document)
Log in to your Prolific researcher account.
Navigate to the correct workspace and project where you want to create the study.
Studies cannot be moved between workspaces or projects after creation.
Select New study.
Complete the study creation form (a more detailed overview of the study set up page can be found here: Setting up a study on Prolific).
For the quote to be accurate, ensure the Study cost section is completed correctly.
The quote only reflects cost-related details (such as participant reward, fees, and total cost).
All other study details do not appear on the quote. You can add placeholder information (such as title, description, URL, and prescreeners) and update these later if needed.
Save the study as a draft.
Open the study’s action menu and select Download quote.
The downloaded quote includes a detailed cost breakdown (participant rewards, fees, and taxes) and basic quote information. It does not include study setup details.
Using quotes for budgets and approvals
You can use Prolific quotes to support both budgeting and institutional processes:
Estimate total study costs based on your sample size and reward rate
Plan budgets for different sample sizes (e.g. minimum and maximum scenarios)
Support funding or grant applications
Provide documentation for purchase orders or invoicing workflows
Quotes reflect the pricing of your account type, which may differ between academic and commercial accounts.
Some institutions require a quote before funds can be added to a Prolific account. If your organisation uses a national or institutional procurement portal, check with your finance team for specific submission requirements.
If you need additional documentation or clarification to meet institutional processes, contact Prolific Support using the icon at the bottom right of this page with details of your requirements.