Collector training
SpotOn Single-Point Collection Guide
This manual details the operation process and review standards for SpotOn single-point data collection tasks. All collection tasks now use the streamlined single-point photo workflow (videos are no longer required). Please maintain an approval rate of at least 85% across all tasks.
Basic requirements
| Device | Android 6.0 or higher (avoid Android 9.0 due to slow performance). iOS is not supported. Avoid Huawei phones. |
| Memory | RAM configuration must be superior to 8 GB physical RAM + 8 GB virtual RAM. |
| Network | The application must always maintain an active internet connection — the entire collection process relies on network communication. |
| Login session | The login validity period is 24 hours; you must log in again after timeout. |
| Collection hours | Data collection must be conducted during the store's business hours. Do not collect after the store has closed, and never collect at night. |
Preparation
2.1 Remove Wi-Fi scanning limits
Purpose: increases the Android scanning frequency from 3 times per minute to once every 2–4 seconds, ensuring optimal device background responsiveness.
- Open Settings → About Phone and tap Build Number 7 times until developer mode is unlocked, then return to Settings.
- Find and open Developer Options.
- Turn on the Developer Options toggle at the top.
- Scroll down to Networking → Wi-Fi scan throttling and turn it OFF (or uncheck Wi-Fi scanning restrictions).
2.2 Login and permissions
- Download the SpotOn APK corresponding to your region from the direct download link or QR code below.
- Open the app and log in with your assigned market country code and account credentials.
- When permission prompts appear, tap Allow. Required permissions: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Camera and Location.
- If you miss the pop-up, open the system permissions, find the SpotOn app and grant them manually.
Task acceptance & navigation
3.1 Understanding map icons
The colors and shapes of icons on the map represent different task statuses and types. Familiarise yourself with them before you begin collecting.
- Circular icons (Store Front) — Single-point data collection tasks. All assigned field tasks are single-point tasks.
- Status colors — Yellow (Pending / Unaccepted), Blue (Accepted / In progress), Green (Submitted).
- Submitted task filter — Submitted tasks are hidden by default; tap the Filter icon in the upper-right corner to toggle their display.
3.2 Accept & start a task
Tap any task icon on the map to open the task detail card, which shows:
- Target store name (tap "..." to view the full name, long-press to copy)
- Target store location and coordinates
- Target store business status and opening hours
Within the detail card you have the following options:
- Begin — Start the collection task immediately upon arriving at the store.
- Accept — Assign the task to your account: 1-day exclusive priority (no other user can take it). Valid for 1 day, and must be completed within T+1 days. If not completed in time, the task is automatically released to all users.
- Navigate — Open Google Maps to get turn-by-turn directions to the target store.
Single-point collection workflow
Collection Flow Overview:
Arrive at the store → Step 1: Shoot storefront photos outdoors (3 photos) → Step 2: Shoot operating status photo (1 photo) → Step 3: Submit task.
Step 1 — Shoot storefront outdoors
Stand outside the store and tap the blue **Take Photo** button in the center to activate the camera. **Three photos** are required:
- Full storefront photo: Take a complete, clear photo that includes the entire store entrance and signboard.
- Signboard close-up: If the store signboard in the main photo is blurry or angled, take a separate close-up photo of the signboard to improve approval.
- Street environment (left & right): If the signboard is clear, take photos of the street environment on the left and right sides of the store (including part of the target store's outline) with the store centered.
Step 2 — Operating status shooting
Tap the blue **Take Photo** button in the center and take **one** photo that clearly demonstrates the current operating status of the store.
- If the store is open for business: Go inside or to the entrance and take a photo showing active operations (e.g. staff on duty, customers dining or shopping, active interior lighting).
- If the store is closed: Take a photo clearly showing that the store is closed (e.g. roller shutter doors pulled down, entrance locked, lights off).
Step 3 — Task submission
Once both Step 1 (Storefront) and Step 2 (Operating Status) are complete, verify all photos are clear before final submission.
- Tap the blue Submit button at the bottom of the screen to upload the task.
- If the submission fails due to network issues, tap Submit again to retry.
Abnormal situation solutions — CRITICAL
5.1 What if I can't find a store?
If you are near the mission location but cannot find the store, follow these steps:
- Verify mission information: check the store name, address and floor/unit number in the mission details. Note whether it is inside a mall or on an upper floor.
- Use a map for navigation: SpotOn navigation is based on the mission coordinates. If they are inaccurate, search the store name on Google Maps, find the store closest to the coordinates and use Street View to identify it.
- Search the area carefully: walk slowly along the street or mall floor looking for matching signage; verify full names to avoid similar-name errors.
- Ask people nearby: nearby store staff, security guards or the information desk can confirm whether the store still operates, moved or closed.
- If still not found: select Discard → "Can't Find the Location" and take multiple photos from multiple angles (left, center, right) clearly showing the street name, building number or surroundings. Do not submit random photos without environmental information.
5.2 Discard case selection
Upon arriving at a POI, determine the correct action based on the store's status:
Is the physical store or signage completely missing from the location?
Select Discard → "Can't Find the Location". You must take photos of street names, building numbers, and surroundings from left, center, and right. Do not use this if the physical store is there but empty or closed.
Does the store exist but appear permanently closed?
You must first check whether you have detailed evidence (a clear permanent closure notice, an obviously demolished environment, or a "Permanently Closed" tag on Google Maps). With evidence: select Discard → "Permanently Closed" and upload it. Without evidence: discarding is forbidden — perform a normal collection with storefront and closed-status photos.
Does the store exist but is temporarily closed or off-hours? (closed on Mondays, seasonally closed, reservation-only, owner temporarily away)
Do NOT discard. Perform a normal collection: take the 3 exterior storefront photos in Step 1, and photograph the closed roller shutters / locked doors in Step 2.
Store staff or owner objects to photography, or the location is restricted?
Collect discreetly as a mystery shopper or customer — do not tell the business owner we are conducting data collection. If the location is an invalid task (military base, hospital), skip it. If the owner objects to interior photography, take the operating status photo from the open doorway showing the storefront/lights safely. If they drive you away entirely, skip the task. Do NOT select "No Photography Allowed" or "Invalid Task" — these will not trigger settlement.
Discard reason definitions
| Permanently Closed | The original store closed and was replaced, or there is a clear permanent closure notice. You MUST upload detailed evidence (closure notice, demolished environment, or a "Permanently Closed" tag from Google Maps). |
| Can't Find the Location | The physical store and its signage cannot be found nearby after a thorough search. |
Discard photo requirements
- Capture left, center and right full views of the target location and surroundings, fully showing the on-site environment to prove you searched the correct area.
- For Permanently Closed, add one extra detailed photo of the closure notice, demolished environment, or the "Permanently Closed" tag on Google Maps.
- Add extra notes or images for further explanation.
5.3 Forced Collection (Forced Data Acquisition)
In rare cases where you are physically at the correct store, but map coordinate offsets trigger a distance restriction preventing you from tapping Begin, use Forced Collection:
- Confirm that you are physically in front of the actual target store.
- Long-press the collection ("Begin") button on the task details card.
- When the prompt appears stating "The current location deviates from the task location, confirm forced collection?", tap OK.
- Proceed with the standard single-point collection flow (3 storefront photos + 1 operating status photo).
- Distance restriction: You must be within 1 km of the target location. The app will reject forced collection beyond 1 km.
- Physical presence required: Never use forced collection remotely to bypass visiting a store. Doing so is considered fraudulent and results in immediate task rejection and account penalties.
- Standard review standards apply: All 4 photos must still be sharp, daytime captures of the actual target store.
Technical issues
For errors or page anomalies, long-press the "i" button on the homepage to save the problem log, and inform your market manager of the specific problem so it can be reported and handled.
Security task
If questioned by store staff during collection, you can quickly display the "store visit" task to reduce personal risk by long-pressing the top-right reset button on the collection page. The page auto-redirects to the map afterwards.
Task review status & rejection reasons
Open **History Tasks** to see all collections in reverse chronological order, with counters:
- Today — tasks completed today.
- Total — total tasks completed historically.
- Filter — tasks matching the current filter conditions.
Filter by Date, Status (Approved / Pending / Rejected), TaskTy (Store Front = single-point task) and SubTy (Normal / Force / Discard).
Single task detail
Tap any task to open its detail page. At the top you see the audit progress — Submitted, Reviewing, Completed — and the Ticket ID (unique identifier of the task). The middle section shows the review result:
- The storefront and operating status photos fully meet all clarity and completeness requirements.
- Valid discard information confirmed with clear photo evidence (closure notice or demolished site).
- Surrounding area photos clearly verify the store location and street numbers.
- Storefront photo does not clearly show the store signboard or complete storefront.
- Operating status photo does not clearly show whether the store is open or closed.
- The shooting is blurred, dark, obstructed, or taken at night.
- Screen recapture or non-live photo detected.
- Only close-up photos were submitted without showing the overall storefront environment.
- Wrong store photographed — store name does not match the target task.
Pending — the task is waiting for review.
Common rejection cases
❌ #1 Not a live photo — fraudulent copying such as screen re-capture
- The image is a photograph of a computer or mobile phone screen, not a real-time on-site capture.
❌ #2 Blurry, dark, or obstructed shots
- The photo is real but blurry, obstructed or overexposed, making store name and signage unreadable.
- Photos taken at night or under severe low light — reviewers cannot verify storefront details.
❌ #3 Incomplete or close-up only photos
- The store was reported closed but only close-ups were taken (such as a door handle or lock), with no overall storefront environment.
- Only the signboard was captured; the full storefront and entrance are missing.
❌ #4 Abnormal shooting angle
- Only the sky or the ground was captured — no valid information about the target store.
- Photography from inside a moving or parked vehicle.
- Selfie-angle photography.
❌ #5 Wrong shooting location — not the target store
- A similarly named store was captured instead of the target (e.g. "NIJAB SHOP 11" instead of "COFFEESHOP11").
- The target store was inside a mall, but photos were taken from a different floor or distant corridor.
Question and answer
What should I do if the store is temporarily closed (e.g. closed on Mondays or off-hours)?
Do NOT discard as "Temporarily Closed". Perform a normal single-point collection: take the 3 exterior storefront photos, and in Step 2 take an operating status photo showing the closed roller shutters or locked doors.
Can I collect photos at night?
No. Collections must take place during store business hours in daylight. Night photos will be rejected because reviewers cannot verify storefront details.
What does the reset button in the upper-right corner do?
The reset button immediately clears all captured photos for the current task. Do NOT tap it unless you intentionally want to erase your photos and restart the task from scratch.
The store has no signs outside and is inside a mall or on an upper floor. How do I shoot?
Go to that specific floor and stand at the store's entrance. Capture the 3 storefront photos including the store's unit sign and surrounding corridor, and take the operating status photo at the entrance.
The store closed down and was replaced by a new business. How do I report it?
Select Discard → "Permanently Closed". You must provide clear evidence: a photo of the new business sign, a public closure notice, or a Google Maps screenshot showing permanently closed.
What is Forced Collection and when can I use it?
Forced Collection allows you to start a task when you are physically at the store, but slight GPS coordinate drift triggers a distance restriction error. To use it, long-press the collection button and confirm OK. You must be within 1 km of the POI coordinates, and you must still be at the physical store taking all 4 real photos. Never use it to fake store visits.
What if the store owner objects to photography?
Collect discreetly as a customer or mystery shopper without announcing data collection. Take exterior storefront photos from the street. If they object to interior photos, photograph the operating status from the doorway safely without causing conflict. If they drive you away, skip the task.
Ready to get certified?
Take the certification quiz to validate your knowledge of the SpotOn single-point workflow. Score 80% or more to be approved as a SpotOn collector.
Take the certification quizQuestions? Talk to your regional manager or check the supporting material sent by email.