How Mercor, micro1 and AfterQuery pay you, and in which countries

Updated 2 November 2026

All three platforms pay in US dollars, to a bank account in your own name. Mercor pays every Wednesday, through Stripe or Wise, in 107 countries. AfterQuery pays every Friday, through Stripe only, in about 95 countries. micro1 pays twice a month through Deel. Between Mercor and AfterQuery, most countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia have at least one platform that can pay them. The checks that matter are simple: your own legal name everywhere, and a bank in the country on your profile.

I have worked on Mercor since August 2026. The money is real, and it comes on the Wednesday rhythm its help pages describe. I have been under contract with micro1 since September 2026, and I applied to AfterQuery in November. The rules below come from each platform’s own help pages, as they read on 2 November 2026.

The three platforms at a glance

	Mercor	micro1	AfterQuery
Pays through	Stripe Connect, or Wise in some countries	Deel	Stripe only
Pay rhythm	Every Wednesday	Twice a month, around the 20th and the 5th	Every Friday
Period covered	Saturday to Friday, India time	The 1st to the 15th, and the 16th to the end of the month	Monday to Sunday
First payout	Stripe holds it for seven days	Comes after Deel’s identity check clears	Stripe holds it for seven days
Currency	US dollars, converted at payout	US dollars	US dollars, converted at payout
Identity checks	Persona, then Stripe’s own	Deel’s KYC check	Persona, then Stripe’s own
Countries	Hires globally, and pays in 107 countries	People from all over the world, in my experience	About 95, listed on its help pages

Who pays where

Here is what Mercor’s and AfterQuery’s own country lists say for the countries my readers ask about most. Every country in this table has at least one of the two.

Country	Mercor	AfterQuery
Egypt	Yes	Not yet
Saudi Arabia	Yes	Not yet
United Arab Emirates	Yes, through Wise	Yes
Jordan	Yes	Yes
Morocco	Yes	Yes
Tunisia	Yes	Yes
Algeria	Yes	Yes
Nigeria	Yes	Not yet
Ghana	Yes	Not yet
South Africa	Yes	Yes
India	Yes	Yes
Bangladesh	Yes	Not yet
Philippines	Yes	Yes
Vietnam	Yes	Yes
Indonesia	Yes	Yes
Brazil	Yes, through Wise	Not yet
Mexico	Yes	Yes
Turkey	Yes, through Wise	Yes

The two lists complement each other. Mercor covers Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Ghana and Bangladesh, where AfterQuery cannot pay yet. AfterQuery also pays Kenya, Ethiopia and Pakistan. Both say their lists grow as Stripe and Wise reach more countries.

micro1 pays through Deel. Like Mercor, it takes people from all over the world: I know people from many countries who got in on both.

Mercor’s list reaches far beyond this table. In Africa it also names Angola, Benin, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal and Tanzania. In the Gulf it names Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. In Asia it adds Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Mongolia, Laos and Uzbekistan, among others.

Three names come up again and again. Stripe is a payments company: on Mercor and AfterQuery it opens an account for you that passes your pay to your bank. Wise is a money-transfer service, which Mercor uses where Stripe cannot pay. Deel is a contractor-payroll platform, which micro1 uses for your contract and your pay.

What to have ready before you set up payment

• A bank account in your own legal name, in the country you live in and put on your profile. All three platforms check the name, and Stripe checks the country.
• A valid ID for the identity checks: Persona on Mercor and AfterQuery, Deel’s KYC on micro1, and Stripe’s own check. On Mercor, Persona runs on a phone with iOS 17.6 or later, or Android 9 or later.
• Your tax details. Stripe asks for tax information during setup, and US contractors give their Social Security number.
• A phone that receives text messages, for AfterQuery’s two-step login.
• On Mercor’s Wise route, access to the email on your Mercor account, because Wise sends every payout there.
• On micro1, the documents Deel asks for, and your company details if you invoice through one.

Mercor: weekly, through Stripe or Wise

Mercor pays hourly contractors every Wednesday, around noon Pacific time. Each payout covers the previous work week, which runs from Saturday at midnight to Friday at 11:59 PM, India time. That leaves about five days between your last day of work and the payout. Bonuses, work-trial pay and referral payouts follow a separate schedule, with two release windows a week, on Wednesday and Friday.

Your contract is in US dollars. Stripe or Wise converts the money to your local currency when it pays you out. Mercor’s help page has a calculator that turns the India-time week into your local time and shows the date of your payout.

Stripe Connect is the main method, for bank accounts in countries Stripe supports. You set it up when you accept your first offer, through “Setup Payments”, which opens Stripe’s own onboarding. Stripe asks for your identity, your bank details and your tax information. You cannot reuse a Stripe account you already have: Mercor needs a new Stripe Connect account created from its own setup.

Stripe holds your very first payout for seven days, and Mercor cannot change that rule. After that, you choose how money moves from Stripe to your bank. The standard option is free and takes up to five business days. The instant option costs 1% and takes about 30 minutes, if your bank supports it. You change it in your Mercor profile, under payout preferences. Mercor’s help page adds that a standard Stripe transfer usually takes two to three business days, and up to five around holidays.

Stripe pays to bank accounts only, never to debit cards, prepaid cards or digital wallets. The account has to be in your own legal name. Joint accounts, business accounts and accounts in a family member’s name fail Stripe’s identity checks. You can follow every payout in your Stripe Express dashboard, with its status and a trace number.

Wise covers the countries Stripe Connect does not support yet, such as Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Nepal. Wise works differently. After each payout, Wise emails you, and you have to accept the transfer before the money reaches your bank. Wise only sends to the email address on your Mercor account. It cannot pay into a Wise balance, a Wise tag or a Wise card.

Mercor pays the time its tracker records. Insightful tracks active work, and meetings and mandatory training count too. Mercor forbids leaving the timer running while you sit idle or do unrelated tasks, and it discourages manual time entries. If you forget to log time, you contact your project lead, who decides case by case and asks for proof. Your offer shows your hourly rate, your weekly cap and the payout schedule. Hours above the cap go unpaid unless someone approves them.

Mercor’s pay week closes on Friday at 11:59 PM India time. In winter time, from November, that is 8:29 PM in Cairo and 7:29 PM in Lagos and Paris. It is 9:29 PM in Riyadh, 10:29 PM in Dubai and 1:29 PM in New York. In Manila it is already 2:29 AM on Saturday. Work you do after that moment counts for the next week. Mercor’s calculator does the conversion for you, summer time included.

Your Earnings page in Mercor shows every payment in one place: wages, bonuses, work trials and referrals. You can set up Stripe or Wise from there too, and reset your Stripe setup if you need to. The Earnings page replaced Mercor’s older view of contract payments, so older guides may describe screens that no longer exist.

micro1: twice a month, through Deel

micro1 signs your contract through Deel, and Deel pays you, through micro1’s payroll platform at payroll.micro1.ai. The email that starts it carries the subject line “it’s time to sign your contract”. Deel also runs a KYC identity check, and micro1 cannot pay you until it clears.

micro1 pays twice a month, in US dollars. Work from the 1st to the 15th arrives around the 20th. Work from the 16th to the end of the month arrives around the 5th of the next month. micro1 says approvals usually come a few days earlier, around the 3rd and the 18th. It runs payroll on Pacific time and adds a business day for US contractors. A payment due on a weekend or a US bank holiday moves to the next business day.

Your pay type sits in your contract. Hourly projects pay the tracked hours the project team approves. Pay-per-task projects pay your hourly rate times a set multiple for each approved task, whatever time it took. Flat-fee projects pay a fixed amount per approved task. On those last two, a rejected or unapproved task earns nothing.

Your Hubstaff hours do not show in Deel while you work. micro1 exports them at the end of each pay cycle, and your Deel invoice then shows your total. Before your first pay, upload every document Deel asks for and select your real country of residence. If you invoice through your own company, you can add it in Deel. If you already have a Deel account from an earlier micro1 project, sign with the same email address. If a payment runs late past the usual shifts, micro1 tells you to contact your pipeline lead.

AfterQuery: every Friday, through Stripe only

AfterQuery pays everyone through Stripe, to a bank account in your own legal name, in a country Stripe supports. There are no cards and no PayPal, and AfterQuery charges no fees. Payouts go out every Friday by 11:59 PM Pacific time, for the previous Monday to Sunday of approved work. Your bank then decides the arrival date.

Only approved work counts, so unapproved hours can slide to a later week. Stripe holds your very first payout for seven days. Rates are in US dollars, and Stripe converts them at payout outside the US. AfterQuery’s payments page has an estimator that shows the Friday your pay goes out. The week closes on Sunday, and the estimator turns that cutoff into your local time, because late-night work can land in the next week.

AfterQuery verifies your identity twice. Persona checks it for AfterQuery, and Stripe runs its own check, because Stripe is a regulated payments provider. Both have to clear. Afterwards, you can follow each payout in your Stripe dashboard or in your AfterQuery Earnings dashboard.

You set up Stripe when you accept your first offer, or later from your Earnings dashboard. Have a government ID ready, plus your Social Security number if you are in the US. You also need a phone that receives text messages for two-step login. Most contractors register as an individual. AfterQuery says to choose business only if you have a registered business with its own bank account.

Choose your country with care. A Stripe account stays tied to the country you pick, and a mistake means a new account. Your bank account also has to be in the same country as the location on your profile. If the two differ, Stripe holds your payout for a manual review. Finish Stripe’s setup to the end, because a half-finished setup leaves you unable to receive pay.

AfterQuery plans to add Wise, so it can pay countries Stripe does not reach. Wise is not available yet.

When the money arrives, compared

All three pay about five days after a period closes. Mercor’s week closes on Friday, India time, and the payout comes the next Wednesday. AfterQuery’s week closes on Sunday, and the payout comes that Friday. micro1’s half-month closes on the 15th or the last day of the month. Payroll runs within five days, around the 20th or the 5th.

The real difference is the length of the period: a week on Mercor and AfterQuery, half a month on micro1. With weekly pay, money comes in smaller amounts, more often.

Pay that is not hourly

Mercor releases bonuses, work-trial pay and referral payouts in two windows a week, on Wednesday and Friday, Pacific time. It describes bonuses as extra payments from referrals or project incentives. Work trials, the paid assessments some projects use, pay within one to two weeks after you submit, according to Mercor’s support page.

On micro1, pay-per-task and flat-fee projects pay by approved task. So your speed and your approval rate shape your pay more than your hours do. On AfterQuery, each offer sets its own rate, in US dollars.

The seven-day hold on your first payout

The hold on a first Stripe payout surprises people every time. It is Stripe’s rule, not the platform’s, and it applies once. Mercor says it cannot override it, and AfterQuery applies the same hold. Plan for it: your first money arrives about a week later than the weekly rhythm suggests.

If a payout is late

On Mercor, start with your Stripe dashboard, which shows each payout’s status and trace number. If you are on Wise, look for the Wise email, spam folder included, because the money waits for you to accept it. If hours are missing, your project lead handles it, and Mercor support answers at support@mercor.com.

On micro1, payment dates can move by a day or two around weekends and US holidays. If a payment runs later than that, micro1 tells you to contact your pipeline lead.

On AfterQuery, check your Stripe dashboard and your Earnings dashboard first. Only approved work pays, so hours still under review move to a later Friday. For anything else, write to support@afterquery.com. For a problem during setup, AfterQuery asks for the email you log in with, the step you are stuck on and what you see. It asks you not to send a photo of your ID.

Your first payout, step by step

On Mercor, you pass the Persona identity check, then set up Stripe or Wise while you accept your offer. You start work once your project gives you access. Your first full week closes on a Friday, India time, and Mercor releases that pay the next Wednesday. On Stripe, the seven-day hold applies to that first payout, and the transfer to your bank takes a few business days after it. On Wise, you accept the transfer from the Wise email.

On micro1, you sign your contract on Deel and pass Deel’s identity check. You work through the pay period, and the project team approves your hours or tasks, around the 3rd or the 18th. Deel then pays you around the 20th or the 5th.

On AfterQuery, you set up Stripe when you accept your offer, with the same name and country as your bank. Your work week closes on Sunday, and AfterQuery releases pay for your approved work on the Friday that follows. Stripe holds that first payout for seven days.

Notes for readers in Africa, the Middle East and Asia

If you live in Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, Saudi Arabia or Bangladesh, Mercor is the platform that can pay you today. It pays through Stripe Connect, to a local bank account in your own name. AfterQuery cannot pay those countries yet.

If you live in Kenya, Ethiopia or Pakistan, AfterQuery pays you through Stripe. In Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Jordan, India, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and South Africa, both platforms can pay you.

In the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, Mercor pays through Wise and AfterQuery through Stripe. In Brazil, Mercor pays through Wise, and AfterQuery cannot pay yet. Wherever you are, open the bank account in your own name, in the country you live in and put on your profile.

Further afield, the two lists overlap more. Mercor and AfterQuery both pay Tanzania, Rwanda and Senegal, and both pay Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Mercor also pays Nepal through Wise, which AfterQuery does not list. In Latin America, Mercor pays Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Mexico, while AfterQuery pays Mexico and Peru but not Argentina, Chile or Colombia yet.

What blocks a payout, on any platform

Most payout problems come from a handful of mismatches, and all three platforms warn about the same ones.

• A different name. Use your exact legal name on your profile, your offer, your Stripe, Wise or Deel account and your bank account.
• A bank in another country than the one on your profile. On Stripe, that triggers a hold and a manual review.
• Someone else’s account. Joint accounts, a family member’s account or a business account you do not own fail the identity checks.
• An unfinished check. Persona on Mercor, Deel’s KYC on micro1 and Stripe’s own check on AfterQuery all have to clear first.
• An unaccepted Wise transfer. On Mercor’s Wise route, the money waits until you accept the Wise email.
• Unapproved work. Mercor pays hours up to your weekly cap, micro1 pays approved hours or tasks, and AfterQuery pays approved work only.
• A half-finished Stripe setup. AfterQuery warns that you cannot receive pay until you complete Stripe’s steps to the end.

Taxes and currency

On all three, you work as an independent contractor, so your taxes are your own business. Contracts are in US dollars, and your payout provider converts the money at its own rate when it pays you. Mercor, a US company, notes that people outside the US receive their pay after conversion. US contractors give their Social Security number to Stripe. AfterQuery’s tax guide mentions the 1099-NEC in the US, for $600 or more in payments, and the T4A in Canada. Outside the US, your own country’s rules apply, so ask a local accountant if you are unsure.

If AfterQuery cannot pay your country

AfterQuery asks people whose bank sits in a country it cannot pay yet not to begin onboarding. That is no reason to stop. Mercor and micro1 take people from all over the world, and I know people from many countries who got in on both. AfterQuery reviews its own list as Stripe expands, and it plans to add Wise.

Do not borrow someone else’s bank account to get around it. The account has to be in your own name and in the country on your profile, and the identity checks catch the difference. The rule protects your pay on every platform.

Frequently asked questions

How does Mercor pay?

Every Wednesday, around noon Pacific time, through Stripe Connect or, in some countries, Wise. Each payout covers the previous Saturday to Friday, India time. Stripe holds your first payout for seven days.

Does Mercor pay in Egypt?

Yes. Egypt is on Mercor’s list of 107 payment countries, through Stripe Connect. Nigeria, Ghana, Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh are on it too.

Does Mercor pay in Nigeria or Ghana?

Yes, both, through Stripe Connect to a bank account in your own name. AfterQuery cannot pay either country yet.

Which platform pays in Brazil?

Mercor, through Wise, where you accept each transfer from the Wise email. AfterQuery cannot pay Brazil yet.

Does Mercor take people from my country?

Mercor says it hires globally, and I know people from all over the world who got in. Its help pages list the 107 countries it pays, from Algeria to Vietnam.

Does AfterQuery pay in Kenya or Pakistan?

Yes, both, through Stripe, to a bank account in your own name.

How does micro1 pay?

Twice a month in US dollars, through Deel at payroll.micro1.ai. Work from the 1st to the 15th arrives around the 20th, and the rest around the 5th of the next month.

How does AfterQuery pay?

Every Friday by 11:59 PM Pacific time, through Stripe only, for the previous Monday to Sunday of approved work. There are no fees, no cards and no PayPal.

Which AI training platforms pay people in Egypt?

Mercor does, through Stripe Connect. AfterQuery cannot pay a bank account in Egypt yet. micro1 pays through Deel, and I know people from all over the world who got in there.

Can I use PayPal or a card?

Not on these three. Mercor and AfterQuery pay to bank accounts through Stripe, or Wise on Mercor in some countries. micro1 pays through Deel.

Can I use a bank account in another country?

Only if that country matches the location on your profile. Otherwise Stripe holds the payout for a manual review, which delays your pay.

Why is my first payout late?

Stripe holds every first payout for seven days, on Mercor and on AfterQuery alike. The platforms cannot change that rule. Later payouts follow the normal weekly schedule.

Do these platforms charge fees?

AfterQuery says it charges none. On Mercor, the standard Stripe payout is free, and only the instant option costs 1%. Your payout provider converts dollars to your currency at its own rate.

My Mercor payout is on Wise. Why has it not arrived?

Wise emails you after each payout, and the money waits until you accept the transfer. Check your inbox and your spam folder for the Wise email.

When does Mercor’s pay week end in my time zone?

On Friday at 11:59 PM India time. In winter time, that is 8:29 PM in Cairo, 7:29 PM in Lagos and 9:29 PM in Riyadh. Mercor’s calculator converts it for you.

Can I change my payout country later?

On AfterQuery, a Stripe account stays tied to the country you chose, so a change means a new account. On Mercor, you can reset your Stripe setup from your Earnings page.

Does micro1 pay for rejected tasks?

Not on pay-per-task or flat-fee projects, where only approved tasks pay. On hourly projects, micro1 pays the tracked hours the project team approves.

Does Mercor pay for work trials?

Yes. Mercor describes work trials as paid assessments for a specific project. Its support page says the pay arrives within one to two weeks after you submit.

Can I follow my payouts as they move?

Yes. Mercor and AfterQuery payouts show in your Stripe dashboard, and Mercor’s carry a trace number. AfterQuery also shows them in its Earnings dashboard, and Mercor on its Earnings page.

Does Mercor pay through PayPal or Payoneer?

No. Mercor pays through Stripe Connect or Wise, to bank accounts only. Stripe does not pay to cards or digital wallets, and Wise cannot pay into a Wise balance or a Wise card.

Can my payout go to a family member’s account?

No. All three platforms pay only into an account in your own legal name. Accounts in a family member’s name fail the identity checks.

Do I need a registered business?

No. AfterQuery says most contractors register on Stripe as individuals, and only people with a registered business and its own bank account should choose business. On micro1, you can add your company in Deel if you invoice through one.

How long until my first Mercor payout reaches my bank?

Your first full week closes on a Friday, India time, and Mercor releases it the next Wednesday. Stripe then holds that first payout for seven days, and the standard transfer to your bank takes a few business days more.

Can I use my existing Stripe account with Mercor?

No. Mercor needs a new Stripe Connect account, created through its own payment setup. If something goes wrong, you can reset that setup from your Earnings page.

Does micro1 pay on weekends?

No. A payment due on a weekend or a US bank holiday moves to the next business day.

Is the seven-day hold every week?

No. It applies to your first Stripe payout only. After that, payouts follow the normal weekly schedule.

Does AfterQuery pay for work under review?

Not until AfterQuery approves it. Unapproved hours can slide to a later Friday.

Can I receive my pay in my own currency?

Your contract stays in US dollars. On Mercor and AfterQuery, Stripe or Wise converts the money to your local currency when it pays you out.

Do I pay taxes on this income?

You work as an independent contractor, so your taxes are your own responsibility. US contractors give their Social Security number to Stripe. Elsewhere, your own country’s rules apply.

Read next

• Mercor vs micro1 vs AfterQuery: which one first, by profession
• AfterQuery: what it is, how to apply, how it pays, what I have seen so far
• How long the Mercor background check takes, and what happens after it