Sometimes, and it depends on the kind of study. Healthy volunteer studies usually offer a payment for your time and inconvenience. Patient trials usually reimburse your costs, such as travel and parking, rather than paying you. In both cases the details are set out in the consent form before you agree to anything.
One rule holds everywhere: you should never be asked to pay to take part in a clinical trial. Money flows to you or not at all, never from you.
Reimbursement vs payment: what's the difference?
The two get lumped together, but they're different things with different rules:
| Type | What it covers | Where you'll see it |
|---|---|---|
| Reimbursement | Out-of-pocket costs you actually incur: travel, parking, sometimes meals or accommodation | Most trials, including patient trials |
| Payment for time and inconvenience | The burden of taking part: hours at the clinic, procedures, residential stays, restrictions | Common in healthy volunteer studies, less common in patient trials |
| A fee to join | Nothing, ever. Being asked to pay is the mark of a scam, not a trial | Nowhere legitimate |
The study treatment itself and the tests required by the protocol are provided at no cost to you in either kind of study. That's separate from payment, and it's standard.
How much do clinical trials pay?
There's no single figure, and any site quoting one without knowing the study is guessing. The amount reflects the burden of the specific protocol: how many visits, how long each one runs, what procedures are involved, whether there are overnight or residential stays, and what restrictions you're agreeing to live with.
A short bioequivalence study with two visits sits at one end. A multi-week residential Phase 1 study sits at the other. A patient trial for a chronic condition may involve no payment at all beyond reimbursed expenses.
The exact amount, and the schedule it's paid on, must be written into the Participant Information and Consent Form before you agree. If you can't find it there, ask. If the answer is vague, that tells you something.
Why payments are capped
Ethics committees review payment amounts before a trial opens, and they're checking one thing in particular: that the money isn't large enough to work as an inducement. Payment is meant to compensate you for burden, not to persuade you to accept a risk you'd otherwise decline.
That's also a useful personal test. If the payment is the thing tipping you from "not comfortable" to "fine, I'll do it", treat that as your answer and walk away. The NHMRC National Statement exists to keep recruitment on the right side of that line, and so should you.
When and how are you paid?
Usually per completed visit or in staged amounts across the study, rather than one sum upfront. Ask the site four things before you consent:
- What's the total amount, and what's the payment schedule?
- How is it paid: bank transfer, and how long after each visit?
- What documentation will I get?
- Are travel costs reimbursed separately, and do I need receipts?
What if I withdraw partway through?
You're generally paid for the parts you completed, on a pro-rata basis, and a legitimate study won't withhold payment to pressure you into staying. The exact arrangement is in the consent form, so read that clause before you sign. Your right to withdraw at any time doesn't change because money is involved.
Is clinical trial payment taxable?
It can depend on your circumstances, and this page isn't tax advice. Ask the site how payments are documented, keep your own records, and check with the ATO or an accountant if you're unsure, particularly if you take part in more than one study in a year.
Patient trials vs healthy volunteer studies
If you're living with the condition being studied, expect reimbursement of costs and possibly a modest payment for time. The main reasons to join a patient trial sit elsewhere: weigh the benefits and risks rather than the payment.
If you're healthy, payment for your time is standard because the study offers you no prospect of treatment benefit at all. The full picture, including who qualifies and what residential stays involve, is in our guide to healthy volunteer clinical trials in Australia.
The one red flag that overrides everything
Any request for payment from you, for enrolment, for "priority screening", for the treatment itself, is disqualifying. No legitimate Australian trial charges participants. If you've been asked to pay, stop and run the checks in how to verify a trial is legitimate.
Payment is one line in the consent form. The visit schedule, the procedures and what actually happens at each stage are the pages worth reading before you decide.
View our currently recruiting clinical trials →
Sources
- National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research.
Related reading: Healthy volunteer trials · Benefits and risks · Withdrawing from a trial · Your rights as a participant