Scout and Runner on Unetwork: The Complete Operator Guide
Scout and Runner are optional, active-earning tasks available to Unetwork License Operators — on top of the passive background tasks (Caller ID Testing, SMS Testing, and Entropy) that already can run once your licence is active. Both roles are provided as a third-party opt-in task by APEX Telecom, run through their dedicated platform at scoutandrunner.com. To access either one, open the Tasks tab in the Unetwork app and select Connectivity Verification.
Scout & Runner is in full public Beta, so operators may occasionally encounter minor bugs or flow adjustments as the platform is refined. Everything below is drawn directly from APEX Telecom's own Scout Guide, Runner Guide, and ScoutQuest Submission Guide.
Scout | Runner | |
What you do | Discover and validate new connectivity numbers | Verify numbers Scouts have already found |
Typical reward | 0.10 UP per accepted report, up to 0.50 UP per 5-call session | Around 0.15 UP per minute (varies by number) |
Seats | Limited — 50 per country, 300 in the US | Open to any eligible operator |
Setup | Dedicated SIM/eSIM, reimbursed up to $40 | Dedicated SIM/eSIM — cost is yours to manage |
The Scout Role: Discovering and Verifying Connectivity
Scout seats are limited and allocated per country — 50 seats in most countries, with 300 available in the US — so apply for one through the Scout & Runner platform first.
Once approved:
Choose an approved prepaid call plan or SIM/eSIM from the platform's list
Purchase it yourself — this has to be a SIM dedicated to Scout & Runner, never your personal or everyday number
Register the SIM on the platform along with proof of purchase
Your SIM is ready to validate as soon as it's registered. Reimbursement of up to $40 (covering the SIM and matching call plan) is reviewed independently by an Admin and doesn't hold up your validation work — you don't need to wait for approval before you start.
Running a validation session. Each validation session is five consecutive calls to the same number, on the same SIM. You check and report your SIM balance before and after each call.
0.10 UP per accepted report
Up to 0.50 UP for a complete five-call session — paid in full even if the sequence ends early on voicemail or a human answer
Up to 8 number validations per rolling 48-hour period (the cycle starts from your first call, not from login)
If a number you find is later promoted for Runners to validate, you earn a one-time 5 UP bonus, plus an ongoing 4% of all UP Runners generate on that number.
ScoutQuest: the research track
ScoutQuest is a separate task that opens periodically rather than being available at all times. It's desk research, not calling — you find prepaid international call plans that carriers publish publicly, and submit the details for Admin review. No SIM purchase and no calls are required for ScoutQuest itself.
Pro Tip: Many operators find that using AI tools to help scan carrier websites and extract plan details significantly reduces their workflow time, making the research process much faster and more efficient.
The Golden Rule: every field you submit must exactly match your source — the carrier's website, packaging, or in-store literature. Don't estimate, calculate, or add anything your source doesn't explicitly state. If it isn't on the source, it doesn't go in the submission.
Each approved submission earns 5 UP, up to 10 approvals (50 UP) per period — the cap is on approvals, not attempts, so a rejected submission doesn't cost you a slot. How much of that you actually receive depends on the licence you scout under: Node Operators scouting under their own licence keep the full 5 UP, while License Operators scouting under a leased licence split it according to their lease terms.
Submitting a plan walks through four short steps — paste what you have about the plan, confirm the plan details, confirm which countries it covers, then upload evidence and submit. A few mistakes account for most rejections:
Submitting a plan's flat credit balance as if it were a fixed number of minutes — only a plan with a genuinely defined minute count qualifies
Confusing international calling with roaming — ScoutQuest only accepts plans for calling other countries from home, not using your SIM while travelling abroad
Trusting the pre-filled country list without checking it against your source — any country that shouldn't be there, or is missing, causes a rejection
Leaving the SIM/eSIM cost field blank — it's required even when the SIM is free, so enter 0.00 rather than skipping it
The Runner Role: Validating Connectivity at Scale
The Golden Rule: always confirm that the call plan on your registered SIM covers the number's destination, at a per-minute cost that doesn't exceed the reward rate shown for that number. If your carrier charges more per minute than the reward pays, you lose money on every call — and that gap is yours to cover, not the platform's. Reward rate has to beat carrier cost, every time.
To become a Runner, apply through the same platform used for Scout. Getting a SIM ready to verify follows a short wizard: browse an opportunity, register your dedicated SIM, verify your email with a 6-digit code, then confirm your package. On that last step the platform explicitly asks whether you're sure you hold this exact call plan — only confirm if you genuinely do, since the platform can't reimburse calls where your carrier's cost exceeded the reward.
Reading the queue. Every available number shows its reward rate per minute (typically around 0.15 UP, though it varies by number and is always shown before you dial) alongside an ASR — Answer Success Rate — band:
High — reliable, most calls reach the automated confirmation. Prioritise these.
Medium — variable, succeeds often but not always.
Low — marginal, many attempts won't connect — still worth dialling if you have spare minutes to absorb the failures.
Making a call. Dial the assigned number from your registered SIM only — calling from any other SIM means the call can't be matched to your account. Stay on the line for the automated confirmation; calls under 30 seconds earn nothing. The platform confirms your call against its own server-side log, so no call-log or device permissions are ever needed. Rewards accrue live on screen while you're connected, and you can dial the same number repeatedly, or from several of your own devices in parallel — each device just needs its own registered SIM and matching plan.
If the server log shows no connection, no UP is paid for that attempt. You'll usually get a few retries before being asked to report the number as broken. Reporting a genuinely broken number carries no penalty to your account, though reports don't earn UP either — they're a service to the network, not a reward path. The platform may occasionally end a long-running call automatically after 60–380 minutes for routing reasons; any UP you've already earned is kept, so this isn't a penalty.
You can top up your registered SIM directly using your earned UP balance — instant, no fees, no approval needed, though top-ups are final once submitted. You can switch between Scout and Runner at any time from Settings.
Mistakes that cost Runners the most UP:
Dialling before confirming your plan actually covers the destination at a rate below the reward
Calling from a SIM other than the one registered to that opportunity
Ending the call before the 30-second minimum
Topping up the wrong SIM — top-ups can't be reversed
Moving Between Scout and Runner on Unetwork
Progression isn't automatic. After completing Unetwork Academy, Scouts have the option to take on the Runner role if they choose to — it's a choice, not a promotion.
Official APEX Telecom Documentation
This guide covers the parts operators ask about most. For the full step-by-step walkthroughs, straight from APEX Telecom:
These sit inside the platform's Knowledge Center — you'll need to be signed in to your Scout & Runner account to view them.
Pro Tip: Once you activate your license and log into the platform, head straight to this Knowledge Center. There is an excellent, step-by-step video walkthrough that shows you exactly how to submit your first ScoutQuest plan perfectly. It takes less than 3 minutes to watch and will save you a ton of time avoiding common rejection mistakes.
Quick Answers
How much does Scout pay? 0.10 UP per accepted report, up to 0.50 UP for a complete five-call validation session, plus a 5 UP bonus and 4% ongoing share if a number you find gets promoted for Runners.
How much does Runner pay? Around 0.15 UP per minute of verified call time — the exact rate varies by number and is always shown before you dial.
Can I lose money doing Scout or Runner? Not through Scout — your SIM/eSIM cost is reimbursed up to $40. As a Runner, yes, if your carrier's per-minute cost for a destination is higher than that number's reward rate, so always check before you dial.
What if there are no numbers available to verify? An empty Runner queue usually just means Scouts haven't found and promoted enough numbers yet for your call plan. Opt in to notifications, or check back periodically.
Do I have to do Scout or Runner? No. Both are optional, active tasks on top of your passive background tasks — not a requirement to earn from your licence.
Can I switch between Scout and Runner? Yes, at any time, from Settings on the Scout & Runner platform.
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