Data licensing guide
Data licensing guide

Is this data licensing offer legitimate? Red flags and checks

By Ade Molajo · Updated · How we check figures

Quick answer

A legitimate programme pays you, never the other way round. It publishes its terms on its own website, can tell you who it is and what the data is for, agrees the scope in a written contract before anything moves, and never asks for passwords by email. Be wary of upfront fees, guaranteed figures before anyone has seen your records, and pressure to decide fast.

You're paid
a real programme never charges you to take part
6
red flags to watch for
3
questions for any broker, including us
Contract first
nothing moves before a written agreement

AI companies are paying for company data, and wherever money flows, scams and bad deals follow. Most offers are genuine, but the checks below take ten minutes and protect you either way.

01Six red flags

Red flags in a company data offer: an upfront fee, a guaranteed figure before anyone has seen your records, pressure to decide fast, asking for passwords, a buyer you can’t identify, and no written contract.Red flags in a data offerYou’re asked to pay a fee to join, register or “unlock” an offerA guaranteed figure before anyone has seen your recordsPressure to decide this week, or the offer disappearsA request for passwords or logins by emailYou can’t tell who the buyer is, or what the data is forNo written agreement setting scope, use and deletionTrackImpact · trackimpact.io/data-licensing
Any one of these is a reason to stop and check.

02The checks that matter

1. Who pays whom

Who pays whom: the programme pays your company a licence fee for the data, and pays TrackImpact a separate referral fee. Nothing comes out of your payout.Your companyProgrammeTrackImpactData, under licenceLicence feeReferral fee, paid separatelyNever from your payout
The referral fee is paid by the programme, separately. It never comes out of your payout.

In every genuine programme we track, the programme pays the company. micro1, Mode and Mercor all pay companies, and none publishes any charge to companies for taking part. Mode says it charges "no broker fee"; Mercor says "no upfront costs, setup fees, or deductions". If you're asked to pay anything to take part, stop.

2. Published terms on their own site

A real programme publishes its ranges, eligibility and process on its own website, where anyone can read them. If the only place the terms exist is an email or a call, ask where they're published.

3. A buyer you can identify

You should be able to find out who is licensing the data, what it's for, and who it may be passed on to. Programmes describe this differently, but all three we track publish what they do with data.

4. A contract before anything moves

Scope, use, exclusivity, retention, deletion and payment terms belong in a written agreement, signed before any data is transferred. Have your own lawyer read it. See is it legal?

5. No passwords by email

Genuine programmes give you a secure way to connect systems or transfer data. Mode, for example, says your team signs in to approved systems and "no passwords are handed over". Never email a password or login to anyone.

6. Real contact details

Check that emails come from the programme's own domain, and apply through its own website or a link that lands there. Scammers copy names and logos.

03Checking a broker or introducer

Brokers and introducers, us included, can be useful, but ask them three questions:

Checking a broker or introducer: if they charge you, walk away; if their fee comes out of your payout, ask how much; if they share your data before you’ve signed, stop; otherwise, ask who pays them and get it in writing.YesNoYesNoDo they charge you?Walk awayData shared beforeyou sign?Stop: nothing before acontractAsk who pays them; getit in writing
Three questions for any broker or introducer, including us.
  1. Who pays you, and how much?
  2. Does your fee come out of my payout?
  3. Will you share my data with a buyer before I've signed anything?

Our answers: the programme pays TrackImpact a referral fee if it accepts your company; the fee never comes out of your payout; and we never see or handle your data. See how we verify figures.

04Checking a specific programme

We've run these checks on micro1 in detail: see is micro1 legit?. For every programme's published terms side by side, see the programmes comparison.

05Check whether you're likely to match

Our free fit check shows which genuine programmes you're likely to match, with links to apply on their own sites. The programme decides.

06Questions people ask

How do I know if a data licensing offer is a scam?

Check who's paying whom (you should be paid), whether the terms are published on the company's own site, and whether you're being asked for fees, passwords or a fast decision. Any of those is a reason to stop.

Should I pay a broker to get into a programme?

No. Legitimate brokers and introducers are paid by the programme, not by you. Ask any broker who pays them and whether it comes out of your payout.

Is it safe to share samples before signing?

Agree in writing what a sample is for, who sees it and when it's deleted. Never share data with anyone before you know who the buyer is.

Sources

Check which programmes you’re likely to matchA few short questions, about a minute. Free, no sign-up. The programme decides who qualifies.trackimpact.io/data →