How to Become a Tutor on Preply

One-to-one learning has become increasingly popular these days. Many people study a new language, some prepare for an exam, and others work on a specific skill, — all of them are looking for expert assistance. If you’re a teacher and have ever dreamed of an online career, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to become a tutor on Preply.

Quick Look at the Preply Platform

Preply offers a modern learning solution, an interactive system, where learners and tutors can connect with each other. It could be useful for both self-improvement and career advancement. Not only users can have the possibility to learn a new language and refine their existing skills, but they also pursue a career as a tutor.

By offering an impressive range of languages to teach or study, Preply is suitable for learners of all levels. Students can find their tutors by searching through a list, where detailed profile pages with key information such as rates per hour, availability, ratings, and even short intro videos are available. These videos allow teachers to explain their approach to educating and showcase industry knowledge, helping learners make knowledgeable choices when choosing the right match.

Preply gives those who want to become tutors the freedom to take full control of their work. You set your rates, manage your timings, and decide the way you prefer to structure your lessons. This truly lets you be your own boss, and aligns with your goals and lifestyle. This is why so many people find the freedom and possibilities it offers to be truly fulfilling.

Benefits of Working as an Online Tutor

1. Flexible Work Schedule

By working as an online teacher you will have many advantages. The ability to create and manage your timings is one of them, allowing you to teach when you want. That’s why Preply is ideal for those seeking a side hustle or a remote career that suits their needs.

2. Opportunity to Earn Remotely

Regarding financial aspects, Preply lets teachers define competitive rates per hour themselves. Despite the online resource does take a commission, you still will be able to build a sustainable income. 

This is because you will have an opportunity to manage your bookings and attract new students. 

3. Reaching a Global Student Base

Another exciting aspect of being a Preply tutor is the opportunity to communicate with a global audience. Having become an online teacher, you’ll encounter students from various countries and cultures. 

Being an online tutor means dealing with the constant challenge of finding regular students to teach. Preply offers tutors an enormous student base, helping them reach their income goals.

4. Creating a Scalable Income Stream

By teaching online, your potential earnings aren’t limited to a fixed salary. As soon as you build trust and have more students, you can raise your lesson prices, offer group lessons, or create additional learning materials for passive income. Compared to traditional tutor jobs, Preply tutoring can lead to a scalable income over time.

5. Extras from Preply

Additionally, Preply offers its online educators free access to tools for career growth.

• Tutors can find numerous courses on the website for improving their teaching techniques at no cost. 
• Teachers can take part in live webinars with experts and industry leaders every week. 
• Preply hosts its Tutors Conference every year, where educators can attend webinars led by experienced tutors, gain fresh insights, and even become speakers.

How to Register as a Tutor on Preply: Step-By-Step Guide

After familiarizing yourself with the pros of the online platform, you will probably ask yourself: “How do I become a tutor on Preply?” Here’s what you should do:

1. Registration

Visit preply.com and select the option to Become a tutor.

Type your email address and set up a password to create your account. Alternatively, you can sign up using your Facebook or Google profile for your convenience.

As it is said on the official website, Preply tutor registration is currently available exclusively through the desktop version.

2. Filling in Personal Information

As soon as you are registered, you will be redirected to the tutor application form. There you should fill in all the necessary fields, including your country of birth, the subject you teach on Preply, the languages you speak, and your phone number. You should check the age checkbox and click the Save and Continue button to proceed.

3. Adding Professional Experience and Education

The next forms you’ll need to fill out are focused on your teaching certifications and educational background. We recommend providing all relevant certificates and academic credentials to strengthen your profile page.

4. Profile’s Description

The next step is to create a compelling overview of your personality for your public profile. This section should include:

• A brief story about who you are,
• Facts about your experience as a teacher, such as credentials, methodology, and spheres of expertise,
• An inspiring message for potential students of yours should highlight the benefits of learning with you, and
• A catchy title that grabs attention and reflects your teaching style.

Please ensure your answers are written in the language you plan to teach on Preply and meet the minimum requirement of 400 characters in total to submit your profile successfully. Additionally, avoid mentioning free trial lessons, discounts, or any details for reaching you, to comply with the guidelines and complete this step successfully.

5. Recording an Engaging Video

If you’re going to make a great first impression on potential learners, you need to create a competent video about strengths. 

First, we recommend to keep your video less than 2 minutes. In the video, you should introduce yourself, share your background as a teacher, and explain what makes you the ideal tutor.

We also advise using a confident tone and speaking slowly. All students should be able to easily understand you. If you use complex phrases, not all learners will be able to catch your sense of speech.

It is wise to share your academic credentials (for example, diplomas or certificates), approach to the learning process, and the subjects or languages you specialize in. 

Additionally, tutors must explain how they adapt lessons to suit each student’s goals and learning environment.

Adding a personal touch is also a good idea. This is what helps students connect with you on a personal level: a fun fact, your hobbies, or something memorable about yourself.

If you dress neatly and choose a well-lit space for recording, and use a friendly smile as well, it will help students feel at ease and more likely to book lessons with you.

Do not forget to follow technical guidelines:

• Record in horizontal (landscape) orientation for better visibility.
• Ensure your face is well-lit—natural light or a bright lamp works best.
• The use of a quiet location and a good-quality microphone will minimize background noise.

Finally, you should never mention free trials, sales, or any private contact details in your video. This ensures your record meets the standards and gets approved.

If you follow these steps, your compelling video not only showcases your skills but also attracts students who are excited to learn with you.

6. Setting Up Availability

Organizing your timings on Preply is a simple yet important step in profile page setup. Follow these key points to define your work hours:

• Go to the Availability page and select time slots when you’re available to teach. Simply click on a time slot and drag it to the needed spot to create it.
• Before setting up your work hours on the platform, you should remember to keep in mind that in-demand times of the day are always highlighted in green. It’s recommended to be available during these hours. This will increase your chances of having more booked lessons.
• Some students prefer to book sessions at the same time every week. You should follow this flow. Being available during certain hours doesn’t mean you must teach during all of them. It just means that you’re open to schedule sessions with them at those times.

7. Setting Lesson Rates

As a Preply tutor, you own the flexibility to set your rate per hour, providing control over your income. You can change your prices in the future based on your experience, positive feedback, or changes in demand. However, it’s important to note that existing students will continue to pay the original rate you agreed upon unless they approve the new prices. This can sometimes lead to challenging communication with some students, so it’s essential to report any changes clearly and professionally.

Before deciding on your initial rate, take the time to conduct thorough market research. Explore profiles of active tutors on the platform who offer similar subjects, languages, or expertise. Research their lesson prices, credentials, and feedback. If you concentrate more on your experience as a teacher, your certificates, and some distinguished skills you might bring to students, you will have success. Setting a thoughtful rate from the beginning can help you attract more students.

When you define your hourly price as a Preply tutor, it’s important to understand how the platform’s commission works.

Preply Commission Fees

Here’s a simple breakdown of how it works:

1. Trial lessons
   Remember that trial lessons come with a full earnings rate. This means tutors do not receive payment for these sessions. It is evident that trials are made to help teachers attract new students.
2. Regular lessons
   If a regular lesson is confirmed, you’ll receive your chosen payment per hour minus the platform’s commission. The good news is that the commission rate decreases as you teach more hours on Preply. So the more you teach, the lower the commission you’ll pay over time.

If you completely understand the rules of this system, you can decide on competitive prices and follow the goals.

Profile Optimization

As soon as you finish the profile setup, and submit your application on Preply, a tutor profile will be examined by the website team. After a tutor application is evaluated, you’ll receive an email notification about its status usually in 5 work days. You will increase your chances of approval if your profile meets the platform’s criteria.  

It’s important to remember about certain policies and restrictions as they could impact the outcome. Profiles must meet specific teaching requirements to gain approval, including: 

• You should provide detailed information about your diplomas and certificates, experience as a teacher, and methods you use in your work. 
• You should be at least 18 years old to join the learning solution. 
• If the subject or language you’ve applied to teach is currently in low demand among learners, your application may be rejected. 
• Location restrictions may also apply. It depends on your region and its alignment with the platform’s operational guidelines. 

If you understand the requirements for teachers upfront, you can improve a Preply tutor application form to maximize your chances of success.

How to Improve Your Search Position on Preply

Once you start using the platform, pay attention to your profile optimization. Preply uses a complex algorithm to determine how tutors are shown in search results. Students are provided with tutors who are reliable, active, and highly recommended. If you focus on these key elements, you can boost your tutor profile’s visibility in search results and attract additional clients. Let’s explain the way how you can optimize your presence on Preply and boost your ranking.

Here are the most important factors the algorithm considers:

1. Availability: Tutors who provide high availability over the next two weeks have priority in search results. Students usually choose tutors who can accommodate their timings quickly. You can use the Preply Learn Languages app, which notifies you about upcoming classes if notifications are enabled.
2. Student retention: The algorithm considers how many trial students convert into regular learners and how many hours they spend with you. By delivering engaging lessons, you will retain students and improve your position over time.
3. Quality of your profile: What else can make a strong first impression on potential students? A professional-looking photo, a captivating video story and a detailed, well-written description are all important. If you miss or cancel trial lessons, it will negatively affect your ranking. Being late or frequently rescheduling sessions also lowers your page quality. To monitor your performance, visit the statistics page on Preply. You can compare your data with other tutors and find some areas for improvement.
4. Reviews: The algorithm rewards tutors with positive feedback. That is why you should ask satisfied students to leave reviews. Still, do not forget to provide exceptional learning experiences through your classes. 

By focusing on these strategies, you’ll improve the ranks and reach more students.

Rating and Review System on Preply Explained

Reviews on Preply play an essential role not only in creating your reputation as a tutor but also in boosting your page visibility. Users usually leave reviews after their very first lesson. However, the information they provide at this stage may be incomplete. As they continue having lessons with you, their reviews become more detailed. We recommend to encourage your regular students to leave feedback about your classes.

The quality of your reviews directly impacts your success on the online resource. Constructive feedback not only builds trust with students but also signals to the platform’s algorithm that you’re a reliable and effective tutor. This might improve your position in search results and increase the chance of new bookings.

If you’re an exceptional tutor, Preply offers a special insignia which is known as the Super Tutor badge. Only teachers with high ratings, positive reviews, and exceptional performance during sessions are awarded with this prestigious label. The Super Tutor sign sets you apart from other tutors, and attracts more students to your page.

Using Trial Lessons

Preply trial lessons are an essential tool for attracting new language learners. Still,  it’s important to understand how they work, including the commissions and the influence of cancellations. Trial lessons come with a 100% commission rate, consequently, you won’t earn any payment for these sessions. It might seem like a drawback, but trial lessons are an investment in growing your student base. They provide an opportunity to demonstrate a teaching style and build rapport with potential clients. 

As many students use trial sessions to estimate teachers and understand if they are suitable for them, canceling a trial lesson can have a negative effect on the tutor’s reputation. A well-performed trial session not only increases the probability of the student booking regular lessons but also boosts the tutor’s visibility on the website and helps them reach even more users. 

How Tutor Earnings Are Calculated on Preply

What you earn on the website is based on the lesson price per hour, with a deduction for the platform’s fee. Its amount depends on the completed teaching hours. For example, tutors with less than or equal to 20 completed hours are charged a 33% fee. However, tutors with 21–50 hours pay a reduced price of 28%. By teaching more, you decrease the fee. The lowest rate is 18% and it is for tutors who have completed over 400 lessons. 

It’s important to note that trial sessions are unpaid, educators do not receive payment for them. 

Let’s go through the following example to understand how rates work. If your hourly rate is $20 and you’ve completed only less than 20 hours, you’ll earn $13.40 per hour after the 33% fee deduction. However, as a teacher completes from 21 to 50 or more than 400 lessons, the commission is 28% or 18%, accordingly.

This system is rewarding for those teachers who show consistent activity and long-term commitment to the platform. 

Withdrawal Methods on Preply

When you consider registering as a tutor on Preply, you probably wonder when and how you will get paid for lessons. You will find a brief explanation of how tutors receive payments for their sessions below.

As soon as a lesson is completed, the user must verify it, and you will receive the transfer to your internal wallet. From that point on, you can complete withdrawing funds to your account.

There are numerous billing methods available on the platform, such as:

• Wise
• Payoneer
• PayPal
• Skrill

How to Withdraw Your Money from Preply

In order to move funds earned as a tutor from your Preply wallet to your personal accounts:

1. Click the wallet icon (it is located on the top right side of the website). Your current balance will be displayed.
2. Press the Withdraw money button to proceed.
3. Select one of the payment methods: Wise, Payoneer, PayPal, or Skrill.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your withdrawal.

We recommend checking the limits and fees before submitting your transfer. Withdrawal fees may vary depending on the currency you choose. Limits can also differ based on your selected payment method. Typically, funds are received within 1–3 business days, depending on your chosen withdrawal method.

Conclusion

Being a tutor on Preply is a fantastic opportunity for those looking to teach and make an income online, as well as connect with students worldwide. Among the online resource benefits are flexible work timings, the ability to define your lesson prices, and a worldwide database of learners.

By carefully setting up and refining your profile page, using the pros of the rating and review system, you can attract more students and earn a steady income online.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a professional educator or just starting a tutoring journey – Preply offers the tools and system to help you reach your goals.

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