How Much Do You Get for Donating Plasma? An Updated Guide for 2020

Most blood donations are ones you do for free, but did you know that there are places that pay for blood donations?

That is, if you’re donating blood plasma rather than just donating blood.

It’s a bit of a different process – one that’s more involved – than donating blood, which is why centers will pay you for it.

It’s totally possible to get paid $200 or more each month just from donating blood plasma, depending on the center and how often you choose to donate.

If you want to learn more about this simple side gig that can give you a little extra cash to spare each month, then continue reading this article for pointers on where and how to get started.

What is Plasma Donation and How Much Do You Get for Donating Plasma?

Blood plasma donation is the process of donating blood plasma rather than your full blood to a center.

Plasma is a substance that makes up your blood and is helpful apart from the rest of your blood to use in various medical treatments and therapies.

When you donate blood plasma, the center will need to separate your plasma from your blood, which is why the process can take longer than regular blood donations.

That’s also why it pays, while blood donation doesn’t.

Each center has its own requirements and payments for donors.

Some pay about $10 per donation and may only let you donate up to once per week.

Others allow you to donate twice per week and pay as much as $50 per visit, netting you as much as $400 per month.

In most cases, new donors will be compensated more than those who have already donated at a center before, simply because the process to get accepted can take a bit.

Once you’re already approved as a donor, you’ll still need to complete regular screenings, but you won’t need to keep going through all the initial paperwork and processes for each visit.

What are the General Donation Requirements?

Again, each center will outline its requirements for donors.

However, most of them have similar requirements that detail the general health a donor should be in before they’re accepted as a donor, such as:

• You must be at least 18 years old (or of legal age to donate in your state) and not go above the maximum age limit as decided by the center
• You must be able to show photo proof of your ID
• You need to weigh at least 100-120 pounds (this varies by center)
• You can’t have HIV or other diseases that could transfer by blood
• You need to be feeling and acting healthy on and before the day of donation
• You can’t have gotten a tattoo or body piercing within the last year
• You may not be able to donate if you’ve traveled outside the country recently
• You’ll need to provide information about your sexual health history and partners
• Many donation centers won’t allow you to donate plasma if you’ve recently donated whole blood within the last several weeks

Are There Any Risks?

Donating blood plasma is generally a very safe practice.

The centers that do it have trained staff who know how to handle anything that might go wrong or any side effects you might have.

However, as with any procedure, there are some risks involved.

The most common side effect is dizziness.

This can come from dehydration because plasma contains a lot of water held in the body, but it may also come from the salt and nutrients that leave your body along with your plasma during donation.

In most cases, a center will have you wait for a few minutes after donating just to monitor you and check for signs of dizziness or other side effects.

You may also feel very tired after donating, which is normal.

More rare risks of donation include infection from a tainted needle used during donation and a citrate reaction, which is the body’s reaction to the substance added to the plasma separation machine to prevent blood clots.

You may not know you have an aversion to this substance until you try to donate for the first time.

Signs of a reaction include intense dizziness, numbness, chills, and shortness of breath.

The staff at the donation center should be aware of these symptoms to recognize them before they become severe.

Donating Plasma at a BioLife Center

BioLife is known for being one of the best paying plasma centers in the industry, and it’s often a go-to for many who want to donate plasma.

Therefore, I wanted to give you some helpful background information on this center in particular to let you know how it all works and what to expect when you go.

Requirements for Donors

BioLife meets many of the general donor rules.

You must be at least 18 to donate and weigh at least 110 pounds.

BioLife further requires its donors to have an overall healthy lifestyle and diet, mostly because of the side effects that donating could have on your body.

With a healthy diet, you may be less likely to experience some adverse effects of donating, like dizziness.

When you arrive to donate, you’ll need to prove your identity with an ID card and social security card.

You also must provide proof of your address.

Before your very first donation, the staff will conduct a health interview that goes over your health history and anything that could pertain to the donation process.

You’ll need to complete this review annually thereafter, but you’re free to donate in the meantime.

Donors can’t be taking any medication that may interfere with the process or cause problems with being transferred to others in the blood, nor can you drink any alcohol on the day of donation.

Other problems that may disqualify you from donating include kidney disease, acne, arthritis, Lyme disease, or skin conditions that cause lesions or wounds.

Donors can’t have any recent body piercings or tattoos within the last 4 to 12 months.

The staff will examine you and listen to your explanation of the procedure to determine whether you’re eligible to donate that day.

The Plasma Donation Process at BioLife

After you’ve been approved to donate, you can begin donating as soon as you want.

A staff member will check your vitals before every donation, just to make sure there aren’t any drastic changes that could affect your eligibility.

After this, the staff will connect you to the blood plasma donation machine, which can take about an hour from start to finish.

You should expect to be in the office for a total of two hours for each donation, then.

BioLife allows you to donate up to twice in a seven-day period, but you need to wait at least one full day in between donations to allow the blood to regenerate properly.

Once you’re finished, you can receive your pay the same day of your donation and schedule an appointment for your next donation (BioLife does not take walk-in donations).

How Much Does BioLife Pay for Plasma Donation?

BioLife compensation isn’t reported on its website, but there’s a lot of information floating around online about its process and how much it pays.

According to various reports, you can earn up to $45 per donation.

With twice-weekly donations, that’s $360 or more per month, depending on how many weeks fall in that month.

The exact amount you receive depends on the center.

BioLife has centers located throughout the United States, so you can find one close to you by visiting this page.

You can contact the center directly to find out how much you can expect to earn.

You’ll receive your money on a BioLife debit card after you’re done donating.

This makes it easy for you to get your cash as soon as you’re finished and use it wherever MasterCard debit cards are accepted.

Other Benefits of BioLife

BioLife is one of the most prominent centers for blood plasma donations found all over the United States.

With centers currently in 31 states, it’s likely that you can find one somewhat close to you, unlike other centers that are only located in a few spots around the country.

BioLife centers also have several amenities – which can differ at each center – like flexible hours, an online scheduling system, and even a daycare/child watch area that can keep an eye on your children as you donate!

Donors also love that they get paid the day of donation.

While some centers make you wait for a check in the mail, you’ll get your payment loaded straight to your card without any waiting time on the day of your appointment.

Other Centers to Donate Plasma

There are some other blood plasma donation centers that are worth a mention because they pay well and have exceptional ratings.

You can always Google centers near you using keywords like, “plasma donation Houston get paid,” to find paying centers (not all of them pay or pay well).

But it may help you to at least know a few of the top names to start with, so you can research them.

You might find that these centers have locations closer to you than BioLife, which is why I want to mention them:

KEDPlasma

KEDPlasma has centers across the United States in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and other states, although they aren’t as abundant as BioLife’s.

Each center dictates how much you’ll earn, but some of them reportedly pay $50 to $75 per donation.

One of the perks of KEDPlasma is that it offers donors other ways to earn money, too, through its referral program and a rewards program for subsequent donations.

There’s also an Anti-D program for which you may qualify that can give you an additional way to earn by donating blood, but you must be Rh-negative.

BPL Plasma

BPL Plasma definitely doesn’t have as many centers across the country as some others, but it may have a center that’s more conveniently located for you.

You can earn up to $50 per donation, for up to $400 per month with twice-weekly donations.

Donors here must have a healthy diet that includes no fatty foods for the past 24 hours and undergo a quick blood test to check for iron and protein levels before they’re allowed to donate.

BPL Plasma doesn’t require an appointment, so you can head into your local center whenever you have free time to spare.

CSL Plasma

CSL Plasma donations take about 90 minutes, and new donors can earn about $400 per month.

There are more than 170 collection centers for this company, so it may be easier for you to find one near your home.

Appointments aren’t necessary to donate here, and most of the donation centers are open seven days a week with some flexible hours.

Biotest Plasma Center

This company is similar to BioLife in that it compensates its donors by putting their earnings on a debit card.

There are also bonuses available for new donors!

Biotest centers are currently located in 11 states, and many of the centers have at least some hours available on Saturdays and Sundays for your convenience.

Every donor at Biotest is eligible to win monthly prizes and sweepstakes in addition to their regular compensation, which can be, reportedly, up to $45 per donation.

Donating Plasma: The Ultimate Guide for 2020

Getting paid to donate blood plasma is a simple way to have your body help you boost your income without doing extra work or picking up side gigs.

Most centers let you set appointments for donations, making it easy for you to schedule them at times and days that work for you and get an extra $400 per month.

Have you tried this unique way of making money?

If so, I’d love to hear about your experiences down in the comments.

Also, let me know what you think about BioLife if you’ve personally donated there before.