Know what plasma pays after the first month

Money is tight, somebody says plasma centers pay, and it sounds like the one thing that asks nothing of you but a vein and an afternoon. Some people who shared their experience have been through the door, and what they describe is more useful than yes or no: a real extra for some, a poor trade for others, with a body and a clock attached.

Treat selling plasma as a short top-up, not an income: before you go, find out what the center pays once the new-donor period ends, and plan the eating, drinking and rest around each visit.

If you live in the UK, this page is not for you: it is illegal to pay donors there, and the last section says what you can do instead. If you take certain medicines or have a condition the center screens for, you may be turned away, and that is covered below.

Where it is paid, and where it is not

In the US, plasma centers pay donors. The federal rules call what they collect Source Plasma and say it is meant for manufacturing into products. Some people say that whole blood donations, by contrast, are generally unpaid in the US. The UK is different: NHS Blood and Transplant says it is illegal to pay blood, plasma and platelet donors there. Rules differ by country, and this page covers only the US and UK.

What the first visit asks of you

Some people say the first visit takes much longer than later ones, because of the paperwork, the questions and the tests, and that later visits can take about an hour. One person says centers can be crowded, so arrive early. One person says each visit includes a short physical, a finger-prick test, and temperature and blood pressure checks.

US federal rules require a blood sample at the start and at least every four months, tested among other things for total protein and reviewed by the center’s responsible physician. A donor whose total protein is under 6.0 or over 9.0 grams per deciliter must be deferred until it returns to an acceptable level. That is why some people stress protein and fluids before you go, and why the center, not you, decides on the day.

Some people say the other thing can happen: you get to the center and are not accepted. They name some medicines, including ones taken for mood or for blood pressure, a low protein reading and small veins. Do not stop or change a prescribed medicine to get through screening; if a medicine rules you out, that is the center’s call, and your prescriber decides about the medicine. Some people warn that lying on the screening questions can harm the people who receive the medicines and can bring legal trouble.

What it pays, and for how long

Some people say centers pay more to new donors, or to people who move to a new center, and some say it pays to shop around for those offers. US federal rules allow an automated plasma collection no more than twice in seven days, and not less than two days apart. That limit is about you, wherever you donate, so a second center is a way to catch a better rate while it lasts, not a way to give more often.

After that, some people say the pay falls, sometimes to a rate that does not seem worth the time and effort. People disagree in a way that is worth hearing. One person calls it good extra cash with bonuses; another calls the pay a joke next to what the visit costs you. One person says that if you are weighing steady weekly cash against sparing your veins, spreading visits out over months can cost less in scarring, and which suits you depends on how soon you need the money.

Do one sum before you start: the pay for a visit, divided by every hour it takes, including travel and waiting. Then the question of tax: in the US, income is taxable unless a law exempts it, and the IRS’s guide to taxable and nontaxable income does not mention plasma, so plan on it counting. A free tax-preparation service can check your own case.

Looking after yourself

Many people say to drink plenty of water beforehand because it speeds the process, and some say to eat protein, such as lean meat, to avoid being turned away for low protein, and to avoid fatty food, which they say slows things down. Some people say lean meat and grains with water, and no alcohol the night before. One person says too much water just before screening can lower your temperature below the limit. The center will give you its own instructions, and they come first.

Some people say to bring a blanket, because it gets cold; one person says that is because cooler saline replaces what is taken. Some people warn against energy drinks straight after donating, and one person links a stroke to one. This page found no health authority behind the reason they give. What it can say, from the UK blood service, is the ordinary aftercare: rest for a while, drink, eat a snack, avoid vigorous exercise, long standing and hot baths that day, and lie down with your legs raised if you feel faint. That advice is written for people who give blood, and the center’s own comes first.

Some people say donating often can deplete your protein and iron, cause fatigue, or bring temporary deferrals when your readings dip. Some people say repeated needle sticks leave scar tissue that makes later ones harder, and one person warns that a missed vein can leave the arm painful and hard to move. Some people warn of serious harm, and one person describes a stroke after donating often without enough fluids, which is why the signs are in the box above. This page cannot say how common any of this is, or what giving plasma twice a week for years does to the body. Ask the center’s doctor.

If the money still does not stretch

Some people say plasma money goes further with food banks and pantries, and that plasma alone is not a sustainable way to eat. Food assistance and local help lines are worth a call.

Who this page is not for

• Anyone in the UK or another country where payment is not allowed. If you want to give plasma unpaid, NHS Blood and Transplant has plasma donor centres in Reading, Twickenham and Birmingham.
• Anyone who needs money this week. The first visit takes time and the pay may arrive on a card, so a call to a local help line such as 211 comes first.
• Anyone the center turns away. Some people name certain medicines, a low protein reading or small veins as the reason.
• Anyone who faints easily or finds needles hard: some people warn that fainting can lead to a ban.

People disagree about whether paying people who are short of money for their plasma is fair. Some people call it exploitation; others say payment is what keeps the supply up. This page does not settle that. It asks only that you go in knowing the pay at each stage, the limits and the signs to watch for.