I work on Mercor as a freelance generalist. This is the process as I went through it, step by step, with the delays I actually saw. Nothing here comes from a press release.
The short version
- You apply with a CV, your LinkedIn profile and an ID document.
- Depending on the role, you take a logic test, a written or spoken language test, and a 15 to 20 minute interview with an AI.
- Expect one to two weeks for an answer. In my experience, every application gets an answer, and rejections are common.
- Once accepted, a background check and your payout setup take about a week.
- Every minute worked is paid, every week, through Stripe. From my first hour to my first payment, count about two weeks.
What does Mercor ask for when you apply?
A CV, your LinkedIn profile and an identity document. The rest depends on the listing. For some roles you take a logic test. For language roles, a written or spoken test in the language you apply for. Almost every listing includes the AI interview.
What is the Mercor AI interview like?
It lasts 15 to 20 minutes, on video, from a computer. The AI has read your CV first, and the questions come straight from it and from the role: what you did on a given assignment, what you did for a given company, whether you have already set up a process to solve a specific problem, and how.
The answers that work are very specific and short. Name the process, the technique, the framework if you used one. Give the context, what you did and what came out of it, with a number or a date when you have one. Say "I", not "we". Mercor itself advises concise answers, and the AI cuts in when an answer runs long.
My advice: before the interview, prepare three detailed examples from your CV. For each one, the problem, the process you used and the result, in under a minute.
Two things few people know:
- Mercor offers a free practice interview. It is not tied to any application and does not count.
- You get up to three attempts per interview, and a passed interview is reused for every listing that asks for the same one.
For the generalist role I applied to, there was no practical test and no paid trial. Some other listings have one.
How long does Mercor take to answer?
One to two weeks in my experience. Every application I sent got an answer, including the rejections, and I had several. Rejections are frequent, so apply to several listings that match your profile rather than waiting on a single one. That is the reason AI Gigs Daily exists: every open listing in one place, with its real requirements, so you can find the ones that fit you.
What happens after you are accepted?
Two administrative steps before any pay:
- A background check. A standard background check, run through secure third-party services.
- Your Stripe payout. Mercor creates the Stripe account for you. You only have to set it up with your bank details so the money reaches your account.
Together they took about a week for me. Do them the day you are accepted.
When do you get your first tasks?
It depends on the project. On mine, tasks were available straight away. Most of the time there is work to pick up, and quiet periods do happen but they are not the norm.
How many hours do you work, and when?
It varies by role. Some projects ask for a minimum of 10 hours a week, which is my case, and you can go up to 40. The hours are yours: you log in when you want and take the tasks on offer. Some people do an hour or two here and there, others make it a full-time income.
How and when does Mercor pay?
By the minute worked, through Stripe, straight to your bank account. The dollars are converted into your own currency, euros in my case.
Your time is tracked with a small desktop app, Insightful. You start the timer when you begin a task and stop it when you finish. It is what lets Mercor pay you for every minute you actually work, not a rounded estimate.
The rhythm I see: the week's hours are counted, the payment is sent on Wednesday and lands on Thursday. Stripe holds the very first payment for seven days, so between your first hour worked and your first money, count about two weeks. After that, if you keep working, you are paid every week. In a few countries where Stripe is not available, Mercor pays through Wise instead. Mercor does not charge you any fee.
Do you have to declare the income?
Yes. How depends entirely on your country and your status. In France I declare it through my own company, with an accountant. Many people handle it themselves with an invoicing or accounting app. Check the rules where you live before your first payment, not after.
Is Mercor legit?
Yes, in my experience. I have been paid every week for the time I logged, and Mercor has never asked me for money. That last point is the one to remember: Mercor never charges talent a fee. Anyone who asks you to pay to get a Mercor job is not Mercor.
Who is it for?
More people than you would think. Mercor recruits students who want a few paid hours a week and generalists, but also musicians, actors and voice actors, people who film everyday household tasks at home, and experts in law, health, finance or code, whose listings often pay above $100 an hour. It works as extra income or as a full-time activity.
Weighing Mercor against micro1? See Mercor vs micro1: pay, hours, hiring and payment compared.
Find open Mercor listings
I list the open Mercor gigs every day on AI Gigs Daily, with the real rate, the countries accepted and the requirements taken from each listing.
See the open Mercor gigsIf you sign up through one of my links, the platform shows Ulysse Chailley as the person who referred you. That's me. The platform pays me a referral fee if you get hired. It costs you nothing and your pay is exactly the same. The platforms listed here do not charge candidates. If anyone asks you to pay for one of these gigs, it is not the platform.