I didn't know what I was doing when I first signed up, so I ended up in the negatives too. You have to complete shops. Eventually you will get out of the negatives. Be careful about the ones that ask for a partner.

I only did two shops in one day once. Usually, I can only do one shop because there are too many questions. Also, you have to allot for the time it takes to actually do the assignment. I don't think it's like asking how much money you make because the shops pay different amounts. I think the idea is how much you can possibly do.

It appears that you can self assign two shops. When I started, I made the mistake of signing up for four shops. That must have been allowed at the time since I got approved. I also didn't know how to use the system in misinterpreted things. Basically, I ended up missing two shops and getting negative points. I also couldn't do a shop because I wasn't able to find someone to come with me. If you miss a shop, you'll be unassigned and points will be deducted. If you give them the heads up about not being able to do a shop, points will still be deducted. Be very careful about the shops that require you to go with someone.