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Getting paid to surf or to read emails

Recent months have seen an explosion of Web sites urging people to "get paid to surf" or "get paid to read emails". Is there any value in such schemes? How do they work? Can anyone join? Are they limited to the USA or North America or can people in Europe, Asia and other regions get value from such programmes? What are the risks?

We have selected some programmes that we believe do work and which we understand will make payments to Internet users in many countries.

Below are the links and commentaries on all the programmes we have looked at.

Get paid to surf and
Get paid to read emails:
Links and summaries

Ad4Me
Site is difficult to access, too many pop up windows Service "will be available in about four months".

AllAdvantage.Com
** Selected by European Telework Online for users in the listed countries ** Established and working. Currently (March 2000) paying in Australia; Austria; Belgium; Canada; Denmark; Finland; France; Germany; Ireland; Italy; Japan; Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; Portugal; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; United Kingdom; USA and US Territories. Confidence is helped by the publication of hourly rates for these active countries and by a clear page stating their future coverage expectations. ** See the related FAQs for further information **

AllCommunity
Their "get paid to surf" programme is not yet active (January 2000), although their home page says "You can now get paid to surf the web". The current offers are "get paid to read emails" and "get paid to use a particular ISP" (in some countries - no list found). Claims to pay anywhere in the world, but minimum payment is $100, so first payment may be slow to come.

BePaid.com
Get paid to surf programme that says it will pay (by US $ check) in US, Canada, EU countries, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. "Up to $2 per check deducted for bank fees". "More countries later this year". Facility available from "tentative date February 2000". User selects Ads to view, ads visible 5-30 seconds, selected Ads pay from £20 per hour. We will test this service if/when it becomes live.

BigReferral
A Get paid to refer others programme, plus cashback for purchasing. The site carries a "pre launch" graphic but the rest of the material implies the service is already running. We are investigating further.

BlueTree.net
Get paid to surf site, not yet operational ("expected launch March 2000). Plan to pay in US first, then Canada.

CashSurfers
Current service is standard "paid to surf" but site promises additional options, "not available yet". Rates variable according to their advertising revenues, couldn't find current/recent rates at site. Claims to be "available all over the world". We have raised some questions about this. Had system problems during December 1999.

ClickDough
Site seems very slow. Payment is said to 50% of advertising revenue. No FAQs visible and generally little detail. Probably US only?

ClickMail
An unusual Get paid to surf site. Their description of how it works and how payments are determined is difficult to penetrate!

Crew-Design
A Get paid to surf programme. Not yet operational, promised for February 2000. Payments promised to be by bank transfer (SWIFT) or check drawn on a Dutch bank in US dollars (but with an admin charge of $7.50. $50 minimum payment. Higher than usual pay rate of $1.25 per hour. Their "What's new" page wishes us a Merry Christmas (February 2000).

Desktop Horizon
Not yet operational (January 2000). Online since mid-1999. Available "shortly". Payment is in credits (DHCDs) not in cash. "Will not be redeemable in cash during first few months".

DesktopDollars.com
This facility is active but not yet paying - "You will begin accruing time for regular payment on February 15, 1999". Earnings are credited to a "ClixCard" that can be used at "ATM machines around the world and withdraw money in your local currency"- a good idea, but only "when it becomes available" and it will then cost $1.50 deducted from any credits.

DotAd.com
Not yet operational, "you will be advised when Harry (their banner) is ready for download . . . in seven weeks time" at mid January 2000). Payment every two months if credit exceeds $50; presumably by dollar cheque (their spelling - this is a Ltd company, the domain is owned in Italy. Internationally, "will first be available for download in the US, Canada, United Kingdom and European Union countries and will then be released worldwide".

E-pilot
A "get paid to surf" programme with a different approach to payments. First, it offers to pay a $2 finders fee for each new referral who joins and uses the service. Second, the "pay for use" scheme relates to "click throughs". ePilot acts as a search engine, the payment (of $0.03) is triggered when you click on a result of a search. There is no apparent geographical restriction, but payments appear to be in $US only, trigger level $20, so banking charges for a non-US user could take a signficant part of the payment. There are no FAQs.

eformoney.com
A "get paid to read email" service. Geographic focus is not mentioned and there are no FAQs, but payment is quoted in £ sterling so we assume this is a UK-based, UK-focused service. This is confirmed by the subscription form which asks for "County" but not for "country". Payment basis is 10 pence (£0.10) for each email received plus 10 pence when the subscriber replies asking the sending company for more information. There is no data about the numbers of emails thatthe system is generating . . .

ePIPO
New site, with their "surf window" currently on "restricted availability" (January 2000). Planned deployment is USA then Canada then UK then ??? Proposed basic rate is $0.60 per hour online.

Extra $alary
A Europe-based facility, with information in French, German, Italian, Spanish as well as English. Original language of site appears to be Italian? Position about payment in countries not clear, "At present we are determining the optimal quotes and limits to apply in each country." Also not clear whether it is genuinely operational - "When the bar is ready you will receive a communication by e-mail". We have asked for clarification. Offers a paid to receive email service as well as paid to surf. Payment is every three months with a minimum of $100.

Free2net.com
A "get paid to surf" programme - currently (June 2000) USA only. The site lacks a FAQ section so you have to search around for the details. Payment is in "Ad$ points" per hour for up to five hours a day. Hour 1 = $0.30, hours 2 through 4 = $0.20, hour 5 = $0.10 (average = $0.20). Referrals are unusual at $2.00 per referral one time commission. Minimum payout is $30 in a "PayPal" account (see separate report). Or you can wait and get $50 by check.

GetPaid4
Not yet operational (January 2000). FAQs say that when operational they will send US dollar cheques anywhere in the world. Payment rates not fixed.

GoToWorld.com
This one presents national flags for available countries across its home page and presents national sites. Listed are N America, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Japan, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, UK. However, the FAQ says "We are only able to pay US and Canada residents at this time". We are checking this out as there is some inconsistency in the impressions given at the site.

HotYello98.com
A "Get paid to refer new participants" programme. You sign up for a "free website", and you website carries a banner offering free website and other services. If someone joins through your site you get commission. If they or people who join through them buy products or services through HotYellow98.com you get further commission. Sounds good. But when you sign up the "validation process" takes you through a long, hard sell that attempts to get you signed up to the "executive programme" - in other words to "send money". We are testing out the "free" service. USA-based - no indication of geographic or other focus or limitations, but their forms only work if you claim to live in a US state.

HTMail
** Provisionally recommended by European Telework Online ** A UK-based pay-to-read-email programme. One of the few such programmes that declares the name and address of the owner. Payment is US $ 0.08 (or UK £0.05) for reading a message and double this amount when you visit an advertised site. For each message you have to visit either the home site or the advertiser to earn money. As with other email programmes their referral offer is one layer only, see our FAQ: "Getting paid to read emails - does it work?" We are testing this service but it is provisionally recommended.

ignifuge
A site that pays users on the basis of visits to the site. US and Canada only, "we plan to make ignifuge.com available all around the world". Not clear whether the programme has really started ("We are still in negotiation with advertising agencies to get the highest rates").

InfoPol
A pay-to-read-mail programme with two unusual characteristics. (1) It is based in Finland; and (2) their website shows a list of the countries with number of subscribers in each country. At mid-January 2000, there were 6727 total, with half of them being in Russia. The English language pages are rather messy and lacking in information, perhaps the Russian ones are more attractive, or perhaps this is the only such site with pages in Russian?

itadsUp
Not yet operational, the ads server was released in beta form 8 January 2000. First advertising contract signed December 1999. Claims to pay by US check "to most locations" (subject to legal restrictions?).

Jotter
Jotter is an unusual kind of "get paid to surf" offering, in that it has a number of user functions as well as running advertisements. Otherwise the programme appears similar to AllAdvantage. We have asked about geographic limitations, which are not mentioned in the jotter site.

moneyformail.com
Pays a good rate for receiving and looking at emails (between $.20 - $2.50 they say), but requires USA social security ID for validation check. Non-USA residents can join but there is no timetable for making payments to them. Referral programme is only one layer (See our FAQ: Getting paid to read emails - does it work?).

mValue
Get paid to surf programme paying $0.50 per hour, effective start date was 24 January 2000. Payments only to USA residents. They also provide an "mPrivacy" facility that they say enables users to selectively prevent visited web sites from collecting information about the user.

PayBar
Get paid to surf programme, currently paying only in the USA. $0.60 for viewing 1000 ads, maximum 15000 ads per month, ie $9.00.

PaysU.com
A Get paid to surf site. Not yet operational ("We will keep you posted on the exact date"). Payments promised in US$ or Sterling (UK £) or Euros (EU, Norway, Switzerland). Some novel ideas, for example credits for visiting the service's home page. ?UK based? (company details not obvious from site).

Perpetual income
This is a "Downline club" - see other FAQs for definition. Nothing happens until . . .

prizewindow.com
A get paid to surf service based in Ontario, Canada and currently with active availability in US, UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and New Zealand. Payment is logged in "prizepoints" that are then converted into money ($ US) at a variable rate dependent on how much advertising revenue has been received and how many total prizepoints were gained. One user's experience suggests the rate may be rather low (see review).

Rainbow Light
This is an "affiliate marketing" programme - you earn commission on sales of their products (food supplements), using the Internet by referring people to their website. Available only to people who have a USA "mailing address" (as at February 2000).

sendmoreinfo.com
** Provisionally Selected by European Telework Online** A pay-to-read-email system. You have to open the mail and click on a link to drive the counter. Payment monthly, minimum $10 (at 0.05c per message, by US dollar cheque (you can change this if $10 is an unattractive amount because of local banking charges). Referrals system is one level - this seems common in email programmes - see our FAQ: "Getting paid to receive emails - does it work?" We are still testing this service but it is provisionally recommended.

sharkhunt
UK-based Get paid to surf programme, payments currently made only to UK residents. Rate is £0.25 per hour.

SPEDIA
A get paid to surf programme that pays so long as users visit "at least on new url per minute" (typical European Telework Online users visit the site for an average of 12-14 minutes and stay on a page for 1-3 minutes}. We have asked what is meant by "new url"! There is no fixed payment basis, it is "a percentage of advertising revenue". The most recent rate declared as at February 2000 was the October 1999 rate, equivalent to $0.47 per hour. Payment is in US $ to users "anywhere".

surf2web.com
Australia-based Get paid to surf site. Payment programme promised start is 10 February 2000. Payments in Australian dollars, minimum 40 (=$25 US) "mailed to anywhere in the world". Variable rate, target being AUD 0.60 per hour. Claims 90 advertisers.

Surfing2Cash
The FAQs say (for USA) "it will be a couple of weeks before you are able to download your Cash Console and get paid to surf" and for others: "hopes to have the Cash Console available to Canadian, Russian and UK members in early February" and "will be available to over 50 country's in the near future" (all as at January 2000). Pay rate for USA is $0.60 per hour.

TeknoSurf
This is another name used by GetPaid4. Not yet operational.

Total e-mail
A pay-to-read-email programme. Not yet operational (? but their FAQ said "should all be finished by January 1, 2000" - at mid January!) Open to members in "any country that supports the English language, so long as their laws permit it". However, "Details on payment options, such as minimum balance before you receive a check for members in countries other than the USA are still being worked out". We have asked about this and the timetable.

UniversalScience.com
A Get paid to surf programme. No set payment rates ("members will be paid thirty percent(30%) of all the profit of the program"). Payments quarterly. Lots of (very) small print. FAQs link actually goes to a sign up page. Not clear whether any payment has actually been made. Nor the geographic spread.

urge2net
Not yet operational (January 2000), "In the coming weeks . . . ". Will pay in "$urfDollar$" that can be redeemed for cash in US and Canada (but not Quebec!) (at January 2000). Payment rates variable.

UtopiAD
Get paid to surf and Get paid to read mail programmes. Accepts non-USA members but only USA members get paid. Dowload of facility is restricted. (January 2000)

ValuePay
Claims to be the largest payment-for-time facility. Confusion about non-USA availability, one FAQ says "Yes, all are welcome", another says "it will be released in countries outside USA a few weeks later". We have asked for clarification. Payment rate variable. Ads delivered can be targeted to individual user. Monthly payment, minimum $50.

ViewDot.com
A Get paid to surf site. Not yet operational (promised for "mid-February 2000"). Pay rates US $0.55 per hour. "Anyone if the world can join". We have asked about this.

VIPBenefits.com
New and not yet operational, but pages slow to load (poor html design). "Available in a few short weeks" at mid January 2000. Proposed $0.60 payment rate. "International rollout will begin in a couple of months".

yellowbubble
A "get paid to surf" site, new in June 2000 and initially will pay only in UK and Ireland. The "adbox" "will be ready for use shortly" (June 2000). Payment rate is 10 pence (£0.10) per pound and minimum payout is £20. If you refer more than four people the payment rate increases to £0.40 per hour - though there is some confusion in the way this is expressed, and the "income calculator" is "under construction".

( from www.eto.org.uk )

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