Marketing Research and Insight Glossary

Definitions, common uses and explanations of 1,500+ key market research terms and phrases.

What is a Co-Op Payment?

Research Topics:
Qualitative Research | Quantitative Research | Recruiting-Qualitative | Recruiting-Quantitative | Respondent Cooperation/Satisfaction
Content Type:
Glossary
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Co-Op Payment Definition

The payment provided to participants as an incentive to come to the focus groups or answer surveys. The amount varies dramatically, based on the difficulty of recruiting the participants. Also called the honorarium, incentive or respondent fee.

In terms of marketing research, co-op payments (also known as incentives or honoraria) are provided to marketing research study participants as payment or compensation for their time and input in participating in surveys, focus groups, interviews or other data collection methods. The amount varies dramatically, based on the difficulty of recruiting the participants. A co-op payment is also called an honorarium or incentive. Paying honoraria for research participation enhances the quality of data collected. Adequate compensation increases the likelihood of attracting a diverse and representative group of participants, which can lead to more accurate insights. What’s more, paying fair co-op payments upholds ethical standards by valuing the time and expertise of participants.

Who relies on co-op payments?

Researchers and organizations conducting marketing research pay co-op payments to incentivize individuals to participate in studies. Participants could be customers, target audience members or individuals with specific characteristics relevant to the research objectives.

Why should I care about co-op payments?

Researchers who offer appropriate co-op payments can significantly improve participation rates, thus leading to more reliable and comprehensive data. For participants, an honorarium or co-op payment acknowledges their time and insights, making them more likely to engage in future research studies.