Can You Make Money With Palfish App?

 

Welcome to our review of Palfish!  There is huge demand from students wanting to learn the English Language and because of this tech companies have developed apps which unites student and teacher.  Palfish will pay you to teach via their app even if you have no teaching background.

So, how good is it and how much money can you earn?

 

What Is Palfish?

Technology has made our lives easier than ever before, It has allowed us to switch our offices for working from anywhere we please. All that is required is an internet connection. One company that has embraced this change is Palfish. They have developed an application for English teachers to conduct classes using just their mobile devices.

Recently, teachers relocating to the East, to teach English has become a popular site. The daunting task of moving abroad is not for the faint of heart, and is simply not an option for most.

However, teaching English in an English speaking country does not come with as much monetary reward, which it does in a foreign land.   Before this new technology was available, and up to the mark, you needed to decide whether you wanted to earn more money by moving away from your family, and everything you knew, or earn less and enjoy the comfort of home. That was a life-changing decision and it must have caused individuals an enormous amount of stress trying to decide what was right for them and their families.

Palfish has a solution.  Their app enables English teachers to teach foreigners from the comfort of their own home. Your skills are valuable, earning potential is high and you don’t need to leave the house, there are no apparent downsides.

Palfish is available for download on the iStore and Google Playstore.  They were founded in 2015 and are based in Beijing, China.   

What does Palfish offer?

In principle, the student rings you as their teacher and you help correct their grammar, pronunciation and this is called Free Talk. You will have a general conversation with 1 kid and it is not a traditional class-based learning environment. With Palfish you can perform two roles.  You can be a teacher or a Palfish Official Course Instructor.  Everyone who signs up with Palfish is a teacher but, to work on their Official Kids Course you will be an Official Course Instructor.  This course is targetting kids aged between 3 to 12, so it’s really broad.

However, before you get started, let us see what it has to offer teachers.

 

What is the Palfish app like?

For more information on Palfish, head over to Google Play or iOS Store and type in Palfish.  Make sure you download the Teacher version. Don’t be alarmed as the language you see is Chinese but click Translate and Google will automatically translate it to English. It is very highly rated with an overall score of 4.9 out of 5 from nearly 1500 reviews.  It’s a popular app!  What we like is the reviews are in date order and they are detailed, descriptive, and very good.  

Their website is ipalfish.com and it is easy to navigate and you can also sign up from there.  Unfortunately, the website fails to give much information about what either courses are about, your hours, etc., instead there’s a load of testimonials from teachers and students!

 

What are the requirements to teach?

Teachers can choose to teach one of two courses. The easiest course to teach is the Free Talk option. The course which requires the most experienced candidates, from a teacher’s perspective, is the Official Kid’s Course. Each course has different requirements, which you need to meet before you can begin earning money on the platform.

 

Regular Teacher – Free /Talk Live Stream Classes

•  Fluent English
• Excellent communication 
• Energetic and creative
• Passionate for teaching English
• Experience in teaching English
• Qualified English teacher (TEFL)
• Native English speaking

The only qualification you need is the Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).  Unlike in other countries, there’s no requirement to have a degree, in fact, Palfish doesn’t specify any qualifications, nor do they expand on how much experience of English teaching you need. This is a program created for learners of all ages and levels. This course has no syllabus, nor structure and you can enjoy general conversations with your students, on any topic. 

To make the cut, and be able to teach this course, you must be fluent in English. There isn’t any restriction on where you come from, though. These courses require outgoing, energetic people.

 

Palfish Official Course Instructor:

• Native speakers with neutral accent
• Experience in teaching kids
• Teaching certificate required (TEFL, TESOL, CELTA)
• Work 10 hours a week between 6 pm-9 pm Beijing time
• Come from USA, Canada, UK, New Zealand, Australia or Ireland

There’s a little bit of difference in this course.  It seems they want experienced teachers, some time commitment from you and they have stipulated which country you come from. To teach the Official Kids Course, you need to adhere to stricter requirements. This is because it is more structured than the Free Talk classes, and your students are largely younger than 12.

 

How to sign up to Palfish

On the Palfish website, there are visible links that will redirect you to the iStore or Playstore to download the app. Once you have downloaded the application, complete the following steps to get signed up:

1. Enter in your phone number, and a verification code will be text to you.
2. Enter the verification code and click next.
3. Add a profile image and complete the fields required to populate your profile.
4. Choose which course you would like to teach. 

 

What devices are compatible?

As well as having the right teacher qualifications and adhering to their entry requirements, you must also have the following technical equipment to run a class:

• iOS or Android mobile or tablet
• Palfish App installed
• Decent WIFI

 

Installing the Palfish App

To start your lessons, simply download the app. It is a simple procedure and no different from any other app. Open the app store on your phone and search for Palfish. 

 

 

Alternatively, you could go to www.ipalfish.com/, and find the link which will enable you to download the application. Palfish will send you a verification text and once verified you will need to complete your profile details to include:

• Profile picture
• Gender
• Username and password

 

Text intro

You can then write a short introduction of yourself, your background, and what you want to achieve with Palfish.  

 

Voice intro

Palfish wants you to record a short voice introduction as well.  Again, this is an opportunity to introduce yourself and to state how excited you are to help others improve their English skills.  Make sure you are on your own and in a quiet place so it leaves a good impression!

 

Nationality

Simply make a selection

 

Salary

Add in your bank details for payment.

 

Auto-reply message

This is what the student will hear when they make contact with you for the first time.  Try and come across as enthusiastic and passionate here.

 

You can only do this once! So make sure all the details are correct as once you hit that submit button you can’t amend anything!

 

How long will it take to be verified?

Palfish advise it can take up to 2 working days for your account to be set up and they will contact you once it’s completed. Once successful you can teach straight away but to become an Official Kids Course teacher you will need to pass an interview.

 

How much does Palfish Pay?

If you opt to teach students during live streams, then you can set your preferred rate. The average hourly rate for teachers, per hour, is $10-$18, however, some charge $30 for an hour of work. Palfish will decide on your hourly pay if you opt to teach the Official Course. Teachers who participate in this course earn more consistently and these teachers earn generate an average of $22 per hour, without bonuses.

The bonuses are:

• $0.75 for showing up on time
• $30 if a student of yours buys a Palfish package
• $30 for 100% attendance
• $15 for purchases to help you teach

The company makes its revenue by charging a 20% commission fee when a student pays for a lesson. These days it is common practice for freemium model businesses to charge a 20% fee.  The same practices are observed on the bigger freelancing platforms such as Upwork and People Per Hour.

 

How do you get paid?

Funds that are owed to teachers are paid monthly into a Chinese bank account. If you do not have an account over there, then you can receive your salary through Payoneer. There is a catch however, you must earn more than 200 RMB in a month, to be eligible to be paid. If you can’t break the threshold, you will need to wait for another month to earn your money. In reality, 200 RMB is not a lot of money, approximately $30 or 2 hours of work.

Payoneer will charge a fee of $3 per transaction, which is how much PayPal charges.  You will then be able to deposit the funds directly into your bank account.

 

What about penalties and taxes?

As you’d expect Palfish will penalize you if you don’t hold up your end of the bargain.  After all, their reputation is on the line and this industry is getting more and more competitive so they want their teachers to do what they sign up for.

You will be in trouble if:

• You don’t turn up for a lesson
• Cancel a lesson within 3 hours (Free Talk)
• Cancel an Official Kids Course lesson  within 24 hours

With regards to tax, working for Palfish means you are not their employee but rather an independent contractor.  This means you are responsible for declaring all your income and dealing with your tax affairs yourself.

 

How many hours do I have to work on Palfish?

This is flexible!  The only stipulation for hours is with the Official Kids Course, but for the Free Talk sessions, you can work as much or as little as you like. Unlike other online tutor firms, Palfish doesn’t set your times or hours and they have no minimum number to work either.  Just remember though that you have to earn at least $30 to be paid out, so we reckon that’s 2 hours a month.

The Palfish app tracks everything you have worked.  You can follow other teachers and students, check your rankings and allows you and others to post messages.

 

Palfish teacher reviews

Teachers using Palfish say that they have the closest relationships to their students than on other platforms. The engagement on the platform assists teachers in improving their lesson plans, as they receive feedback from their students, and the parents. Furthermore, the convenience of being able to teach from a tablet or mobile phone makes Palfish the best way to teach and make money. Without leaving the comfort of your home, you can interact with a variety of students from across Asia.

Glassdoor users have reviewed Palfish and it has an overall score of 3.2 out of 5 with 59% recommending it.  

Reddit is another source of independent reviews and comments.  We found a Palfish Teachers group with over 150 active members. 

 

Is Palfish legit?

Based on the positive comments from teachers and students, there is no doubt that Palfish is legitimate. Of course, some people’s experiences will be better than others. It is a convenient way to earn money and contribute towards the growth of the English language across Asia. 

To make sufficient money on the platform, you need to put in the hours and be patient. The more you work, the more your services will be recognized, and the higher you will be in demand.

As your presence on the platform grows, so to will your students, and ultimately your income. The fact that you do not need to leave your home to use the app, makes Palfish one of the fastest-growing platforms in the world, for English teachers and students alike. 

 

Conclusion

If you fit the criteria and have a passion to help kids learn then Palfish is the ideal fit for you.  It’s a great side hustle! One of the biggest pluses is the flexibility with Palfish as they don’t require you to do this or that and the penalties are just common sense.  Play by their small rules and you can earn some decent money on the side.

The app is really easy to use and you shouldn’t need to buy any additional devices to get started.  It does appear that to earn really good money you need to put the hours in and grow your following, both with teachers and students. We recommend taking some time to think about what to write and say in your profile before clicking that Submit button, as you can’t amend it!  First impressions count.

To build up your reputation, and self-promote, you’ll need to be active in the Palfish community.  Over time you will be more established and you should have regular clients and therefore your earning potential is higher.

 

 

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