What this work involves
A shop runs on small physical routines: pulling items to the front of a shelf, folding a stack of shirts the same way every time, hanging, tagging, rotating stock by date. Researchers are studying whether video of people doing tasks can help train robots, and the results depend on the task and the training method. The guide on how robots learn from human video explains that research. To record your part, you do your usual tasks while a camera on a head strap or cap films them from your point of view.
The category is the work around the products: shelves, racks, the stock room and displays. Serving customers and taking payments are outside it. Recording doesn't change your rota or your targets, and no store is named here. Each project spells out its own tasks before you accept.
What a recording can show
Some examples of what shop-floor footage can cover (none of them describes a current project):
- Pulling products to the front of a shelf and lining them up.
- Folding clothes and stacking them on a table or shelf, the same way each time.
- Putting garments on hangers and attaching tags.
- Opening a delivery and putting each item in its spot.
- Building a small display or rearranging a section.
Good footage keeps the shelf and both hands in view, from the start of the task to its end. The guide on what gets footage accepted explains what reviewers look at and how revisions work.
- Pay is USD 5–15 per hour of accepted footage; it varies by project and is not guaranteed.F1b
- Review usually takes about a week, with a contractual limit of 30 days. Payment usually arrives within 7 days of acceptance, with a contractual limit of 60 days.F8, F7
- Collectors are paid in US dollars (USD) through Wise.F9, F9b
- Rejected footage is not paid.F11
- There is no fee to apply, and no coding or AI background is needed.F2
- No English is needed: instructions and support are in Spanish and Portuguese.F12
- You never pay for equipment: the project provides it, or the task needs no special equipment.F3b
Permission and privacy in a shop
A shop is a commercial setting, so you need written permission from the owner or manager before you record there. Any coworker or customer who can be identified in the footage needs to sign a release.
Keep customers, card terminals, till screens, receipts and any price or sales information out of frame. That's far easier before opening or in the stock room. The guide to privacy and consent at work goes into releases and permissions in more detail.
How to join the pool
- 01
Apply once
Fill in the short form on the collector page, and say that you work in a shop and which tasks you do there.
- 02
Wait for a suitable project
If a project fits what you do, we arrange it with you by email. You see its requirements, equipment and exact rate before you accept.
- 03
Record and send
You record the agreed tasks; people and automated checks then review the footage.
- 04
Get paid
We pay for accepted footage in USD, as described above.
The same steps apply to every kind of footage, and the overview of how recording works covers them.
Other types of recording work
The types of recording work directory has the full list. Here are five more:
- Gameplay: the game screen and your inputs, with no camera.
- Mechanic workshop: inspection, tools and parts in a workshop.
- Construction trades: measuring, tool preparation and materials on a site.
- Hair and beauty salon: tool preparation and salon routines.
- Farm work: plant care, sorting produce and hand tools.
Questions
Is this a shop job?
No. You get paid to record shop tasks you already do. You keep working for the same employer, and the footage is paid on its own.
Can I record while customers are in the store?
Yes, as long as everyone identifiable signs a release and the owner or manager agrees in writing. Most people find it simpler to record away from customers.
What equipment do I need?
You never pay for equipment. Each project lists its requirements and equipment before you accept.