Get Paid To Surf Programs
Paid to Surf phenomenon has essentially died out. This page is mostly historical, and likely none of the links will work for you. Updates ceased in 2003 after two years of collapsing organizations. The only program that survived the .com collapse is Spedia, which still has a pay-bar as well as other paid-to-surf programs.
3. Spedia (Operational) [ February, 2005 ]The Spedia-Bar software is a screen-wide window about one inch high and shows one or two banners all the time. A green/red indicator will tell you when it is counting or not, but only while your Netscape or IE5 browser is the active window. Unfortunately, they do not credit you for using the other browsers or other Internet programs such as IRC or FTP. I am hopeful they will make this change in the future. It does, however, work parallel with the many other pay-bars if you choose.
Their system tracks your URL, mouse and general use while online. According to Spedia.net, you must move your mouse every few seconds (in fact it is every 10 seconds), and go to a new URL every minute in order to be classified as a normal user. Personally I find this ridiculous. I work with students, professionals, and casual web surfers, training and helping with Internet problems - I rarely see someone click to a new site every minute, as well as move the mouse every 10 seconds - the average webpage takes more than 10 seconds to look over, even without reading it. With Spedia, if you are emailing, watching a video clip, or even reading a website, you are abnormal. And consequently, you will not receive credit. I have voiced my opinion on this issue, and if you are a member, or join, you should provide feedback also. I have found that even with normal, or above-normal page movement, and high activity, no credit was given even though the indicator was green, indicating credit accumulation. This might not be a problem for me, but since we are watching ads always when the ad window is running, we should be credited. If they will not pay for time, the banners should go blank - otherwise they are making money, cheating members out of their fair share.
Their statistical tracking leave a little to be desired, however it is about 80% accurate after much improvement from late 1999. Recent versions seem to work without regular crashes in Windows 98, but it still does not function with many 'other' applications running. This seems to be the result of its strict anti-cheat code that scans your system constantly for improper activity, and this process seems to lock up itself and other software sometimes. Sometimes the SpediaBar will shut down when it detects other paid to surf programs running, but I cannot determine which ones and when - officially this does not exist according to the company.
On the positive side, the software in recent versions has been improved as noted. There is no usage limit per month, allowing greater montly income. Currently hourly rates are between 40 and 50 cents, hovering closer to 50 cents. This is therefore one of the best paying program available; if you can get it working and surf very very actively. Payments/cash-outs can be requested whenever your account balance reached $30. This may be good for those international members who may face a higher cheque fee.
Additionally, they offer a paid-email-reading program at 5-10 credits each, and a paid-to-signup program at 40 cents thru $21 per program joined! You may also play games and win credits, up to 10,000 (that is about $5000!) Read the requirements and availability before joining anything!
They also supply free web-page redirection, but without credits. You get a name like "refer.spedia.net" which redirects the surfer to your actual page location while it opens a banner-ad window. They used to give you credit for each use of the referral link, but as noted above, this ended. One major downside has been that spedia.net redirection service has been down a lot (Sept-Oct 99) and thus pages you link thru your site will be unavailable.
Note: Their signup pages are not planned very well, if you select a URL name that is already in use, you cannot just edit your entry and try again, it does not accept re-posting. You may wish to click here and check if your desired name is available. However, if you follow this link, I will not be credited automatically for referring you. So I ask that you please add my reference # 101269 to the appropriate field if you follow this alternate link.
These people do pay, here is the cheque to prove it here
SUMMARY
My overall rating for Spedia is 8/10. Their customer service since inception in 1999 has been non-existent, and their software still seems to lockup and crash sometimes. Bonus marks for their direct account-access button on the bar, email and joining programs added. They have improved significantly from their initial 5/10 rating.
2. GoToWorld (CLOSED) [ Jan 7, 2002 ]Go To World is a browser or more correctly a shell for Internet Explorer. In addition, they have a banner window which can be attached to their custom browser, or run in its own window. The best feature of the G2W browser is its plug-ins (all free). One in particular is a language translation option so you can view websites in many languages. If you want to go to German, Russian or other sites, now you can! This service became functional in July 1999, one of the first. It is currently available in 11 countries, and they are continuing their expansion.
You can sign up, download the Browser and optionally mini-ad-window from their site, and start making money immediately, there is no delay in gaining active membership. Cheques are written 2-3 months after your actual time used, with balances over $20. Currently earnings are under 10 cents an hour with this program, but have been increasing over the last few months. A late 1999 update fixed some bugs, and they added a feature that notifies you when you are not being paid to surf through a warning banner in the banner window (a great idea). GTW is one of the most stable and reliable programs available.
GTW services available to members also include free MP3's, wakeup calls in some areas, email service, calendar and reminders, free internet hard-drive space and more to come.
One warning to members, your account will be deleted after 60 days of inactivity, and then lose all referrals and balances, owing or not. Also, if you move to another country, you cannot change your account information! They will not permit country changes, and you are then required to quit and join again losing all your downline (if any is active)
Click here to see a G2W cheque.
If you are worried about G2W rates, then you are in the wrong business. Paid to Surf programs may not make you rich, but if used properly you can earn enough to pay for your computer upgrades, phone lines or ISP making it quite worthwhile!
THEN CLICK YOUR COUNTRY FLAG IF NOT IN USASUMMARY
The G2W browser is good with its language translation plugins. The ad-window is now separated from the browser, making it better overall. Their member service department like many others seems not to exist. However, they do seem to be working to make their program more efficient, and better for their members. The software is one of the most stable, and rarely crashes, freezes or fails otherwise. The only significant downside is the cpm rate (about 10 cents/hour), and affects its final rating. An continued improvement from Jan 2000, it is no 8/10.
3. All Advantage (CLOSED) [ February 1, 2001]One of the premier P2S companies finally went under. In September 2000 there was some chat about them in financial trouble when they dropped their payrate in half. Then a few months later it dropped another 2/3 to 10 cents (from 50 originally). January 1, 2001 they dropped the daily prize that only began months earlier from $50,000 to $5,000. Finally 5 weeks later they closed their doors. Of those hundreds of supposed daily winners, none have been found - suggesting it became a scam as the company failed in the summer of 2000, and merely did whatever it could to fake it.
This is a program where a "View-Bar" is placed somewhere on your screen. It shows 1-2 banner-ads while you are surfing online. You are paid for having these ads displayed on your computer while using your web browser. This is one of the most stable and reliable system available today. With my trials, it has never crashed and the time accumulator they use is very accurate (except for referrals). The software should be available to many countries in the Western World, and more countries are being opened up regularly.
The banner window is a screen-wide window about one inch high and shows one or two banners all the time. (as cartooned below) A green/red toggle light will tell you when it is counting or not. It counts only when your Netscape or IE browser is the current and active window in use. Unfortunately, they do not credit you for using other browsers or Internet programs such as IRC or FTP. I am hopeful they will make this change in the future (especially the G2W one so you can earn twice!). You earn 20 cents US per hour, and get about 3 cents for your referrals. Cash is based in US funds, but shown in your stats and paid in your local currency. Note; you will not receive referral cash credit if you do not surf yourself; you will only get credit for your referrals to the amount you personally surf each month. So if you surf only 5 hours, and your referrals 10 hours each, you only get 5 hours credit. Minimum payout is about $20 US, or rounded in other currencies. Monthly usage and hourly rates vary by country. Please click here for rate details.
NOTE: Since the company began they paid 50 cents per hour for 25 hours. During spring/summer 2000 they decreased montly usage to 15 hours, and hourly rates to 20 cents. They have realized the significant financial drain within the industry and have compensated by decreasing payouts and implementing a jackpot payout scheme instead of the hourly rate method. This gives members a slim opportunity to win $25,000 a day. This began in September 2000 - and 45 days later, not one winner has been officially announced or has come forward. I am not saying it is a scam, but it is very suspicious! Still, in the industry, AA is one of the reliable ones. That says a lot about the internet in general!
The newest releases of the software includes functions including internet search, quick links and instant account access. This new version has been split to a North-American release, and an International release for everyone else. This new version is required after May 1, 2000.
They may withhold 30% for US income tax for international members (over $600 per year), and you should inquire about US tax law if you feel this is unfair. You may be able to have the 30% released in some cases, but I have not inquired about this yet.
If you are concerned about these companies paying, they do in fact pay! See my cheques #1 #2 #3
SUMMARY
I recommend AllAdvantage as your primary pay-to-surf program. If you choose to sign up for only one, this is your best choice. They seem to be the most organized and close the the most honest of the programs available. It is available in many countries now. Rating 9/10! The rating dropped 1 point due to recent statistic and referral tracking problems, lower montly usage limits, and a continued decrease in member support.
4. UtopiAD (Closed) [ April 6, 2001 ]Their domain has been down since January 2001 - it is unlikely we will see it again.
This is a program where a "Cash-Bar" will be displayed on your screen while you are online, and show banner-ads. The initial release looked like this, and newer versions are slight variations:
There are many other 'PayWare' products available from this organization that will pay you for using them. Membership is available to anyone worldwide, however access to the CashBar is still limited to certain countries; Canada & USA and possibly a few others, however it is undocumented in their FAQ.
The accumulator with the ViewBar has a timer which counts down, and is displayed as the verticle meter on the bar shown above. When it runs empty, you must move your mouse overtop the UtopiAd ValueBar, which will reset the counter and the display meter will reset. It is a unique method of detecting activity, but quite acceptable - it allows for any online activity, unlike many others. The ValueBar allows you to make 4 custom buttons to link to personalized websites - kinda cool, maybe useful. You can directly link to sponsors thru the viewbar's menus (non-banner links) for special promotions etc.
You can receive credit for using the ValueBar, receiving email and clicking on email. Unfortunately, the rates are quite low, however this only means they are not paying members beyond their means, and will likely be around for the long-haul. They have bonus offers - such as every 5,000th search using the ValueBar wins $50! You can shop and earn cash-back, and you can sign up for Quick Cash: sign-up for sites/programs for cash. One complaint I have is on the statistics page, which provides less that useful information about your own usage of the services. It merely shows you a balance, and not time used, or qualitative information. According to their literature, you are required to make one click per hour, but I am not sure if credit ceases if you don't click - I have not had this experience yet.
Payment on your account can be made by cheque or thru the PayPal service, which has been both praised and criticized at times. PayPal is not reviewed on this site.
You receive around 60 cents/hour for your "Surf Window" time. Their referral rates seem to be one of the best of these programs. You get 10 cents/hour for all five levels of referrals. Others pay you only 10 cents, 5 cents for first, second, and less for other referrals. You should sign up for this one now since there is a delay in receiving your window-program. Like the other programs, the application department is very busy.
The SurfWindow was released in mid-September 1999 to a limited number of members. They will expand the member release over the next few weeks or maybe more based on the success of the initial release. They updated their website in October, and seems to be more efficient and laid out a little better. Unfortunately, the software still is not available outside the US, and they are not releasing the Surf Window very quickly. You can login to the IRC chat group through their site to see how many people are asking where their window is.
In January 2000 they announced that free email will be available soon.
6. Shark Hunt (CLOSED)[ April 5, 2001]It is unclear whethere they are still in operation. The website exists, however the database is wiped clean - or at least no one seems to be able to login. The copyright note is still 1999 on the site, and it does not look like there have been any updates since March 2000. No response from numerous email inquiries.
Sharkhunt based in the UK and is only available to those residents. Their advertising will target that market only (for now.) If you live elsewhere, you may wish to sign up now, get your account, and be ready for international expansion. They are planning to expand to continental Europe and North America in the future.
Beta testing has lasted for over 6 months, and their website has not been updated since 1999. In early October the alpha version was released to a select set of members, and the full release was expected in early 2000. However, no updates to their website since September. Their Ad Bar prototype looks like:
They expect pay 25p per hour (for the rest of you that's about 40 cents/hour). They pay for referrals up to four levels at 10p per hour, and 5p per hour respectively.
SUMMARY: I cannot rate this program since little information on its operational status is available.
7. Value Pay (GONE) [ April 20, 2001 ]Disappeared with notice (rare to be told) in February 2001.
They say they will pay up to $1.00 per hour for you and your referrals being online. You are requested to complete a short, but detailed profile so they can design an advertising package tailored to your interests. In October 1999 they began beta-testing their "Piggy" software.
There is a $5 fee for every cheque written, so you may wish to increase you payout level (minimum is $50 anyway). On the up-side, their maximum payment per month is $50, the highest of these programs. You choose when to be paid, it is not automatic - this way you can opt to wait until more cash is collected, before you pay the $5 fee.
UPDATE: The "Piggy" software is currently being released. It has been stuffed with additional features since the drawing-board, and should be much better than originally designed. Do you have your account yet? Availability is based on your join date. If you are like me, and joined before August 31, you will be getting your software immediately. If you join today, you will be able to get your "Piggy" around mid-February. But, don't delay as the longer you wait to join, the later you will be able to begin making money.
Piggy Fat Mode:
Piggy thin mode:
If you want to visit the Lucky7 lottery center, Click here! If you join, click the "refugee" checkbox!
SITE HAS BEEN MISSING since July 2000 - no information sent to members.
Dot-Ad will pay 75% of their income to you. In addition, 5% for your first referral, decreasing 1%, to the 6th level of referrals. Their "dot" (icon) is named Harry, and he sits on your desktop. Harry is full of features you can use while you surf, and will make you money. As of August 1999, they pay $20-$50 per thousand ads viewed. That is not really too bad. GoToWorld, for example, is $10-30 (less the $5 monthly fee).
It is not clear to me when they will release their "Harry" software. Upon registering, it states you should receive email within 8 weeks - however that seems to be incorrect. I will post more when I know more. No new news regarding release has been posted for months, no information for UK, Canada or USA release.
Yet another low-rated program that failed. They failed in October 2000, but really never had a chance to go on. It was not well operated, planned and implemented. It looked nice, but with invalid links, design errors and operational failures it was a sad program at best.
This program is a "Cash Console" at the bottom of your web browser. They expect to pay up to $1 per hour! More than most others. There are different levels of membership, based on how many people you think you can refer in 30 days. The more you think you can refer, the more levels of rewards you are entitled to. However, there is one major drawback to this program at the moment. They are currently crediting members up to 40 hours a month. One downfall is that they pay balances only over $50.
They have not updated their website in over a month, and I wonder if there is anyone home anymore. They are still listing Christmas gifts to members, and do not reply to any emails. Further, the members area, and signup pages both do not work. One would think running a web-based business, the website should have working links, and be kept up to date.
This program is only available in the USA for now. And they do not seem to have a members area yet, the link has been down since December, and they do not reply to email inquiries. According to their website, Canadian, Russian and UK members will be provided the Cash Console in early February 2000. Mac version should be ready some time in March.
10. Desktop Dollars (CLOSED) [ May 11, 2001 ]Their window is called the ProfitZONE (v1.5 released Feb 2000). It sits on the top of your screen. You are paid whenever it is there and you are connected to the net. They pay up to 50 cents per hour, plus 33% for first and 11% for second level referrals, to 6 levels making it one of the best referral rates available.
Dream Mail is their email subscription service. You have a chance to win $1000-$3000 each month by joining the advertisement by email service. You are not paid per email, instead you get another entry to win the monthly prize.
There is no monthly limit for usage, however rates are determined about 40 days after month-end. In the fine-print of the agreement, members are paid a percentage of revenue if income is below $6 CPM. However, anything above that goes straight to the pockets of the company (it's owners) and not to the membership. It is unclear whether this will actually affect the membership as rates may not reach that level for a long time. While their current hourly rates are not posted, they are about 8 cents per hour - but unlimited hours.
One negative is that the ad-bar is locked at the top of your screen and cannot be moved. This version takes about a one inch space across the entire top edge and shows 1-2 banners in that space. A second complaint I have is that is does not automatically log you in. You have to manually enter your username and password every time. My last complaint is not a big one, you have to click "continue" every 30 minutes or so as you are always automatically logged off every at regular time intervals.
Many positives exist: The software has been very stable in Windows 95 and 98. Not one error has occurred from the ProfitZone software (unlike other bars) and it usually connects with its host server reliably. And you are able to receive credit for any online activity - even watching streaming video and not physically interacting with the keyboard or mouse. That is something nearly all other paybars will stop crediting for. Of course, you will have to click "Continue" occasionally to show that you are still there. Finally, you receive 100% of your referral credit, even if you only use the program a little in a given month. Many programs pro-rate referral credit to one's own monthly usage.
SUMMARY
Great improvements to the overall software, program and website in recent months. Since going fully operational in February 2000 the program has operated well. They now receive 8/10.
11. Pay Bar (CLOSED)[ April 19, 2001 ]
Sudden disappearance of this one - surprising since it seemed to be one that would survive the dot-com collapse due to its low payout levels and sound(er) management.
This system uses a banner window, but is smaller than most other banner windows. It is only the size of one normal banner, plus a little control area. It will run with any other web-based software and requires MSIE drivers (only) for its functionality. It looks something like this:
When your mouse is above the window, a button bar appears below the banner, where you can check email, login to your account, search or play games, and more. The email program is also a paid-email program, listed in the paid-read-email area.
As of August 2000 they pay Canadian and US members. If you are from another country, you can sign up now and await their expansion. They are paying members as of September 7, 1999. Current rates (noted below) are still lower than some programs, but so far is around the average.
You may view up to 15,000 ads per month (a 2x increase) for payment. The new rate is 60 cents/thousand ads (approx. 6/100 of a cent each). One hour of surfing will display an average 150 ads. Your maximum monthly income is now $9 per month, much better. Unfortunately, you must surf about 100 hours for the 15,000 ads to be shown. The longer you have been a member, the more likely they will increase your rates, or provide premium and newer services in the future. If members click on the links occasionally, their value in the marketplace will increase, and thus directly increasing the price advertisers will pay for you to see their ads, and thus the more you make... It's a circle!
The Green bar shown above (on the right of the banner) acts as an indicator of activity. When it turns red, it has not detected any activity, and stops point accumulation. This is a good advancement over the previous release that had no indicator (and fewer control buttons too!)
One thing I don't like about this banner window is that it is always on-top, regardless of the application you are using. I have to move it around lots when I change from browser to FTP or chat, since each has different button placement and window layouts. Some banner windows will hide when using anything other than a browser, and this is good in that way. However, with the banner always showing, you are always making money, regardless of the program you are using, Internet based or not. You can be paid for playing games or typing essays.
These people pay, here is a cheque to prove it here
SUMMARY
I rate this program 8/10. Their credit accumulator seems to work fine. They gained one point with their upgrade from the browser-based version to the window-based program. Seems to work quite well, and so far works with MSIE and Netscape, and does not interfere with other programs. One unfortunate thing about the system, it will automatically pop-up a "friendly reminder" for you to click on their banners. This is both annoying, and is generally an illegal tactic under most banner programs (asking users to click). They lose ½ point for this.
Well, I guess I should note this one. I held off to see if it reappeared, but has not. The URL went silent in September. So it seems this organization may be the first to go out of business, or whatever happened to it. Possibly it got lost in the Internet and will emerge in the future.
This program seems to be non-existent now, if you know where it went, please email me.
13. Deal Viewer @ Auction Unique (Abandoned) [ March 18, 2000 ]The basic program is the same as other ad-window systems. A window will be displayed on your computer while you are online and browsing. During this time you receive $0.60 per hour, and 5 to 15 cents for your referrals. This is a little different when it comes to referral payments, you receive higher commission on your 4th and 5th levels than 1-3! Anyway, that's how it works, I don't really understand their reasoning. This is operated by Auction Unique online auction company, and I expect the ads will mainly be for their own auctions.
As of October 12, 1999 they had about 250,000 members, and require another 350,000 before they release their software (to be financially viable) and so they need you (me and everyone else) to join. Until the software is released, I cannot complete a review of this program. Join and help me review it.
UPDATE: Site has been gone since early October 1999 - no notice provided to members. The paid-to-surf part has remained offline, and all links dead since them (last check March 18, 2000) AuctionUnique.com is still active, however the page has not been altered since August 1999 - and it still has the dead link to the paid to surf program listed near the bottom. It is unclear whether this is a real business or not. They do not reply to emails, in fact their feedback link is also dead.
As of September 1999, the get-paid-online program was still being developed, and was expected by December. However, December is nearly over, and still nothing is ready. In April 2005, this organization still existed, however it is unclear whether they still pay out.
The minimum payout is $100 (hopefully it will change soon). They claim it is due to expenses, but then how do all others pay at much lower levels? The are in partnership with Yes Mail for a paid-to-read-email program (see paid-to-read-email category). At the moment I cannot review it, so I will just guess it is like the others. But being a newer one, they might pay higher to gain clients. Hopefully they will release it someday soon.
This is a French-language program, but they do have an "English" language page. This program caters to French and Canadian members at the moment.
Onto the program itself. Once you link to this site, you can join the program immediately, and once you complete the application form, you can download their software package. They allow you to be a member yourself, and have your cheque sent to someone else, but so far only at your address (of course you could enter their address as yours to solve that).
The software is a simple window with one or two typical banner ads which cycle while online. One feature I like with this window is that is shows your balance right in the window. No logging into the server and checking your balance (not that they have a members area anyway). A major advantage to the others I think.
You do not have to be "actively" surfing to be paid. Other programs require you to move your mouse overtop the active web-browser to be paid. And they do not count while using less common browsers, email programs, irc or many web-based applications. They call their utility the PCbar and was made available in June 2000 (six months late). It is finally available to the general membership now.
They currently are offering $0.50 per hour, and a maximum 30 hours per month. They have suggested the rate may decrease to 20 cents/hour. Referral payments are made to 4 levels (.10, .05...) which is comparable to other programs.
Not only do you accumulate cash for time running the PCbar, but you receive shopping-credits monthly based on residual income in the organization and can be redeemed for real merchandise. They also have free Email, and a meta-search engine. The program is getting better all the time, and you don't want to miss out on this one.
17. Universal Science (CLOSED) [ July 22, 2000 ]Every membership comes with a free webpage, and email account plus the pay to surf program which is currently in Beta. The only requirement is a frame-capable browser - because it is a browser based banner viewer. It is also WebTV compatible, as no software needs to be downloaded. Currently members are limited to 120 hours, and must use the demo version (you will still be paid) until the final version is released. From my understanding, you are paid for being online as well as clicking on banners, no more than once a day. This program is still in beta testing, and no cash is being paid out. The Operational stage is expected May 12, 2000.
The program is open world-wide, however payment is only available to US members at this time. An international payment structure should be in place soon. Please read the membership contract for this program carefully. They require active membership in the program, including communication with the managers in the initial stages (stagd 1) while they develop the system. I have not received any emails from them since I joined in late 1999.
The website was poorly organized and a little messy. It seems they have worked hard at improving the site layout and operations and it works much better now. They still have no banners, logos or cool graphics to get your attention, but I am sure the cosmetics are the least important thing to get a functioning program. I prefer the effort going into the operations, instead of the look of it. After months and months, I find the site has a great deal of dead links, significant problems with tracking usage, showing proper stats and proper functioning in general. I am concerned that they will not be able to get their site and software to work adequately.
SUMMARY
While still in Beta, the program has advanced much in the past months. They are working hard to make a good paid to surf system and hopefully will have a final release in the next few months. This program is definitely one to keep an eye on. Development seems to be like a rollercoaster, hurting their rating. 5/10.
18. WinDough (CLOSED) [ February 13, 2000 ]Called the "Instant Prize Window," their software is a combination between a banner-advertisement window and a game. Of course it is free to join, and the game is for you to pay attention to the banner-window, and when it shows a prize and says "you win" and you click within 30 seconds, you win the prize. Prizes in September 1999 included $25,000 cash, a computer system, up to $200 gift certificates, mouse pads, shirts and calling cards.
This program is available only in the USA and Canada (excluding Quebec - sorry, provincial laws). It can run with Netscape or IE on Mac, Windows9x or even WebTV.
SUMMARY
My rating 6/10. The novel idea of running a game/giveaway in a banner program sounds great, but when you are surfing, you just might not ever see the "win" message. Or even worse - if you are on dialup, your time may expire and get booted off just as you are about to click. Try this one yourself, if you are have a gaming personality.
19. Prize Window (CLOSED)[ October 5, 1999 ]This organization began in the summer of 1999, and began the pay-to-surf program in September, making it the newest pay-to-surf program. There is a banner-window, however it is only 600k. The size may be important to you, as others such as DollarWeb and Desktop Dollars are over 3mb. Unfortunately they only have a Windows version available, but are working on Mac and WebTV versions. It is only available in Canada and the USA as of October 1999, of course they plan to expand.
There is no cheque processing fee, and the minimum payment is $20. You make 40 cents per hour, and referrals are at 10 cents (to two levels). Maximum payable hours per month is set at 20 for now.
The ad-viewing software is expected to be available around November of this year, join now and avoid the delay when it becomes overly popular!
October 5, 1999: They lost their members list when they upgraded the system, and you will need to rejoin. User ID's are no longer email addresses, but numerical - a little easier to use. Please rejoin with this link.
20. Surf Ad (CLOSED)[ March 18, 2000 ]While you surf the net, and run their "Adbar&trade" you are paid 50 cents per hour, and they pay up to 5 levels of referrals (1-10 cents). Current the limit is 10 hours per month for all members, which is below the industry standard at the moment - if you could say there was a standard. They are in line with cheque writing, at a minimum of $25.00. The 50 cents is an estimate, based on a 40% revenue sharing plan.
I don't know why, but their members site is on a completely different domain & server. It is also quite slow at this alternate site - maybe it's simply overloaded like so many other P2S program servers. You can check everything about your account in this members area. Direct referral member names are directly available to you. One problem with referrals is that they have recently blocked the referral codes from being sent directly to the membership application form. They still provide a link to do this, however it does not work - it deleted your referral code. So I ask you to add mine when you join.
Their software is compatible with both Netscape and Internet Explorer. It automatically pops-up when you connect to the Internet (a nice feature). Software download is on a first-apply, first-serve basis. Sign up now, and you will be next in line for the software.
Beta Version 2.2 is available now if you wish to try it. Hopefully a final version is just around the corner:
Two comments when joining: 1) please use my referral id, it may not show up in the join-form automatically. 2) when you join, you may see a server database error. If so, you will have to try again later. This seems to be an extremly common occurrence with their site.
UPDATE: Dead!
Like many other programs, they have software which displays banner ads on your screen while surfing. A release date yet is still not available; they want to remove all the bugs before release. That is admirable considering so many others have released banner-software that crash, and clog up your resources, or do not properly credit your account, etc.
Currently they are only preparing a Windows 9x version, and the beta was to be released in the beginning of December, 1999. Still, April 2000 & October 2000 - no further information available. They have, however changed administration, so that may be a sign of major internal problems with the company.... Not sure.
In late December 1999, they changed their entire program from a cash rewards to a credit rewards type program. This means you will have to earn credits and exchange them for merchandise, instead of receiving cash - whenever the program actually is launched. For each hour you surf, you will be credited 50 DHCD's. It is still not clear what the real value of these points will be.
A complete review will be prepared when the software is made available to members. You might choose to join now to avoid the delay when the software is finally released - as it may only be on a first come first serve basis, and they will possibly only release to the first 100,000 members until they know it works.
UPDATE: Merger occurred, and sites may be down until January 2000.
This is a pay to surf program based in Germany, and only in German. It seems they accept international members, but I have not yet completely translated their website. My German is not like it used to be, as if it ever were anything beyond 'Volkswagen' or 'achtung'... But if you speak German, go try it out. They plan to add local-country access in the next few months (ie: Switzerland, Austria, etc.)
On December 20, 1999 they merged with "Fair Ad" This merger will see rates increase from 1DM to 1.10DM per hour online. Also, referrals are extended to 5 levels deep. But, you will not have to re-join, your current id and password will work after the merger is complete.
NOTE: As this site is in German, you might need a translation. Click Here for a translation.
Merges with
This organization still operated, UK only. The following is old information, and will not be updated.
Well, this is a little unfair, why cannot I join? Because this is a local system in the UK. It is a pay to surf, and also a free ISP. You must be a resident in the UK, as dial up access is only available there. 33k to 128isdn access is available in this program. You get credits for every minute you are online (or less for evenings/weekends), and about 166 hours of daytime access pays £25. [1999 info]
From what I can tell, this organization is only a front for other organizations, but feel free to check it out.
24. VIP Benefits (CLOSED) [ April 10, 2001]Another sudden disappearance without notice, domain just vanished one day in January 2001.
A communication tool bar called VIPBar will reside on your screen. It flashes ads at you like any other banner window. They are currently claiming 60 cents per hour for members, and 15 cents per referral hour, and a few more pennies for two levels below that. Minimum payment is $30, but that should not be much of a problem at 60 cents/hour. They pay a max of 15 hours (for now) but promote in their material that you can surf 35 paid hours - not really true. Also, their referral calculator will calculate your an entry of 100 hours surfing, so only enter 15 if you really want to know what you can make (15*.6=$9/month). When the software is finally ready, surfers will be paid for using the Internet; browsing, emailing etc. This is the prototype design:
One unique feature about their downline policy is that you receive credit for your downline only so much as you surf yourself. So, if you surf 5 hours and your referrals surf 10 or more each, you will only get credit for 5 hours (unless you surf more) - and still limited by the 15 hours max/month. What is not clear is if you receive credit for your 2nd and 3rd referral time online if your primary referral has zero hours. Another feature of this organization is that they donate a portion of email-proceeds to charity. But these proceeds occur only if you authorize them to release your email address for use within this special email program (kind of a charity-to-pay email program in itself.) They claim serious members will be able to earn $5 per hour, but do not elaborate. Remember that saying, beware of things that are too good to be true? Maybe you should listen - unless you believe like some do, that $5 per hour will eventually become the norm for being paid to surf as online e-commerce explodes.
This program is only available in the United States (was not explicitly stated), but expect to go international in the near future. As with other pay to surf programs, joining earlier than later is encouraged. For USA residents, you may wish to join this now. Canadian residents it could be expected would be the next member country, then parts of Europe.
The software was to be released in the end of December 1999, however no evidence of this can be found. Discussion groups have reported this one as a scam, but more likely it has been abandoned if anything. Surprisingly the website is still active, so someone is paying the bills for it.
SUMMARY:
Over 4 months after they last updated their site, it still says the beta will be available Dec 20, 1999. I have emailed them various times since then, and no reply nor news posted on their site. I am less than optimistic for this company to honour its statements. But that is extremely common on the Internet.
This program was acquired by mValue.com
Founded to provide secure online access to personal information, email, calendar & event manager, file & web storage. In October 1999 they began providing cash and non-cash rewards for surfing and webmasters. The $urfBar is their mini-browser that will work with your current browser. Beta testing began in January 2k, and public release is expected in the coming months. The program is still in pre-release mode. The prototype bar looks like this:
You can earn up to $1 per hour online. Member personal-income limit per month is $50us (not too bad, if you get there.) You can earn for referrals to 5 levels, 10 cents for direct, and 5 cents for the rest. Like other programs, they charge per cheque - $2 in this case. As with VIP Benefits, you must surf equal or more hours than your downline to receive credit for those hours. This seems to be a trend developing to ensure members actually use the service - it also benefits the companies by decreasing their credit liability in many cases.
One thing I like about this one, unlike many others, is that more than one person can run this service from the same machine. This is great for roommates, families or whomever you live with and share a computer. But you can only be running one instance of the program on a computer, and only one account online at any given time. But don't think this means you can have two accounts to yourself, one account per person like all other programs. No downloading, just visit their website and login.
The $urfBar is only available for Windows 9x/NT (BETA ONLY) at this time, with Mac and WebTV versions in development and should be ready shortly. The service is only available within most of Canada and the United States. International programs are in the works, and release dates will be revealed when they are ready. You are encouraged to join now to reserve your account for whenever your country service is initiated - and you can still use many free features.
NOTE: Membership is FREE for a limited time - sign up quickly. 10,000 Beta testers needed now!
NOTE: As of Sept 2000 they have ceased all paid-to-surf operations. In addition, they have changed their company name to SweepSurf and transferred members to the new company name and program. Sweepsurf is listed on the paid-to-other page separately. The organization returned a year later, and the site still operates. It is unclear whether they actually pay out for anything, or simply provide CPM banners for you to click on for them.
Membership is only allowed for US residents (sorry!) Others may join now, but not participate yet. M-Value is a collection of services: mPrivacy which secures your anonyminity on the web, mExchange where you provide information for cash, and mSurf as explained here a paid to surf program.
Immediately upon applying and completing the forms you can download the M-Value Bar (as shown below). It will take about 1½ inches along the bottom of your screen - a little bigger than others, but not too bad. The software is only for Windows, and Netscape, MSIE or AOL... Expanded compatibility will come as the company expands.
You earn 50 cents per hour surfing with the M-Value bar, and receive 10 and 5 cents for your referrals (two levels) - Note their calculator does not work for the 2nd referral level. Payments on your account are made monthly, if it reached $20. At the maximum of 40 hours per month, you can earn $20 per month as of April 2000.
The bar is reasonably accurate at tracking usage. After 40 seconds of no mouse movement credits stop. You receive 0.01 credits per second, 36 points per hour. I find it odd that they use non-standard units to track usage, but pay in dollars per hour. Why would they not simply track usage in time units? Possibly they plan on altering the payment scheme to credit vs. time based.
One comment; the username and password are case-sensitive, just in case you can't login later, check caps. And the login procedure is buggy, it re-asks me for my password while I am already in the member area. Also, you may require Winsock 2.0 installed for the new m-Value bar version 2... But it is available via the Windows 9x update site. My attempts to install on Windows 95b failed multiple times. If yours works, please let me know.
A new feature is the mPrivacy cookie manager. This allows you to monitor and approve or deny all cookies being sent to your browser by the banners you are visiting, and more. If you wish to keep your surfing habits to yourself, you can refuse to accept cookies from these banner servers.
SUMMARY:
This program has improved in leaps and bounds and is now one of the better options for you. Their current rate is equal to the best paying alternatives, but has one significant edge: they pay for any online activity, not limited to Netscape/MSIE browsing!
This program is primarily available for UK residents, but is being made available for others. They are currently in the beta-testing phase, and should be ready to go online in the next few months. C-Pay is the second program of C-Interactive; they also offer a pay-per-click program. The banner-bar is available to download, in beta form only. Details will be added here when the system is operational.
They expect to pay UK members £1.50 per hour, and international members around £1.05 - they claim the difference is associated with mailing expense, however I have never seen an envelope cost £20.
CONCLUSION: They were unable to make it happen - another casualty of the Paid to Surf battle!
This program is only available for European residents. Others may join now and be on the advanced members list for expansion outside Europe. You are paid whenever you are online, and running the "Pilot light" software. Accounts are managed in the Euro-dollar, and displayed as such.
They have altered the structure of their program, and I am a little confused what it is exactly now. The have a banner-software program called the "Pay Station" but it does not seem to be available until late December. They also have what they call a "pilot light" which seems to be nothing as far as I can see.
In early 2000 they finally began real operations. Instead of creating their own software and business operations, they simply joined as an affiliated company of PayBar. Making Cash has claimed to pay more than PayBar, however joining this program, you simply receive a membership in PayBar, and all payments will be provided by PayBar, not Making Cash. The PayBar owner has confirmed this status.
Consequently, this is just an elaborate downline for some unknown person who is fraudulently promising more than can actually be provided. It is too bad that many surfers will be tricked by this scheme.
This is another German paid-to-surf program. Upon joining the system, you download their software, install it and you are ready to go online and 'earn now.' You can receive 1DM per hour online, and .20 for each of 5-levels of referrals. (1DM = $.54 US) The program is still in development, but you may choose to apply now.
I am not yet sure if it will be available outside Germany or surrounding countries, but will update it here when I know. Please use referral id 1000644100.
31. Cash Surfers (Operational) [ February 20, 2005 ]CashSurfers as of 2004 is a renewed Paid to Surf organization from the P2S days of 2001. They still provide referrals and a downloadable toolbar to show you ads, track your surfing, and accumulate points. 600 pts equals penny, a far cry from the one point per penny of 2001.
The CashSurfer Navigator is a banner window along the top or bottom of your screen. You are rewarded for banners displayed, clicking on the banners, reading email, each search, and for referrals. They also offer free email, web pages, greeting cards and other similar web-stuff. Best of all, this program is available world-wide! Earnings have been in the dime range per hour.
As with most of these programs, the newest MSIE must be installed for their software to work since it uses IE libraries. There are non-browser related ways to generate points too, if you don't want to surf for profit. The banner/window looks like:
Payments are made monthly, if your balance is $20 or more. Points are collected for yourself, and 5 levels of referrals. Rates per hour are determined a few weeks after a month ends from the monthly income, member use and clicks generated. There is no guarantee per hour, per exposure or per click. Your monthly points are converted to a monthly $ rate on a month to month basis. You may receive 2000 points per dollar one month, and 6000 points per dollar another. One comment for you: usernames seem to be case-sensitive.
SUMMARY:
Cash Surfers may prove to be a good paid-to-surf organization. They have kept pay rates low but in line with actual value of the advertising. The rate has fluxuated a lot, and the site has hade quite a few database problems. The early 2000 operational problems have passed, and the company continues in 2001 with great stability. As a result, their rating regains ground again to 7/10.
This organization still operates, however it is not clear whether they actually pay for surfing, below is the 2001 review details:
A paid-to-view banner ad program. They currently pay 40% of revenues to members. They use the example of $4 per 1000 ads (40% of $10), and you also receive 25% of the credits of your referrals. Payments are made each three months, if a $20 balance minimum is reached. They credit members for only one level of referrals, less than all others, but better than nothing I guess. One minor problem with the example, they are only paying $2 per 1000 ads as of March 2000.
At this time, only Canadian and US members can use the View-Track software. While they have stated that the software is now available, there is still no visible way to download the software from their website, and no information at all there.
The application form, unfortunately like many other programs, does not have an international address option - but you still can join if you're address does not fit properly, do what you can. Once you are a member, you can edit your information, and correct the address/postal code problem. It is the application javascript that prevents international address information, not the system itself.
They also have a bookmarking program; BuBookmark lets you be paid for using your own bookmarks. You simply add your own bookmarks to your personal account at BU, and link from there. You will get credit for every visit to your account bookmark page and click on one of your own links. An advertising frame will be inserted at the top of your destination site - this is how you are paid, viewing an ad or two. You can add this link code to your own bookmarks/favourites and receive credit from home too!
33. Qool (CLOSED) [ March 12, 2000 ]A slight variation from the other programs, Qool is a catch-all points collection system. You collect QoolCoins by viewing ads or messages, clicking on message links, online shopping, surfing, and referring of course. They also have Crazy-QoolCoins, a random collection promotional tool, to be announced soon. Since QoolCoins don't really have any cash value, you may be more willing to spend them on items in the auctions. But, everything has a market value. In my view, A QoolCoin is worth about 1 penny - rewards are about 10% of shopping prices, and this seems fair (maybe high). For shopping rewards, please see the paid-to-shop page.
A thin control bar will be placed on your Windows 95 desktop along the entire right edge. When a message signal is present, and you click on the QoolBar, you will see the current banner ad and get 10 credits. If you click on that, and go to the sponsor's site, you get 100 or more credits. Then when you buy from that site, you get still more points. If you do not click on the control window for the messages that arrive, the Qool system will suspend itself until you look at the banners. But, it also seems to minimize immediately after clicking on a banner, or whenever a new message comes in, and also at random times. Being required to click on all the banners so often is an unfortunate interruption in your normal surfing time. Hopefully they will find a more reasonable way to show banners, such as the banner window like most others employ. Ads appear at random intervals, making it more interesting when they do appear (or less expected). Unfortunately, this is how it is supposed to work, and give credits, however it rarely does this - usually credit is 10% of what is stated on their website.
Points are also accumulated at 25 coins per auction bid, and 100 coins per login per day.
Now that you have points, you can use them in the Qool Auction to bid on merchandise and cash. I think the auction might prove good for the company since auction prices are sometimes higher than retail - especially when your customers have no choice but to use their credits at your auction. Basically QoolCoins have no direct cash value. Recent bids for $100 ranged from 15,000 to 25,000 QoolCoins. That would make a QoolCoin worth about ½ a cent.
The layout on your screen is unique. The software takes about 10 pixels on the right edge of your screen, but when active resembles a Star Trek TNG type data screen. It may not be as efficient or low-profile as some, and a little more effortful to operate, but it does have a certain artistic appeal.
I have found that the account summary at the website, and the QoolBar itself may show different account balances, but I would assume the website's values would be used in such a discrepancy. Also, many ads that I viewed did not translate into any credits to my account. Either, they are not worth anything to view, or the tracker simply does not work. Further, many clicks on those banners also resulted in no increases to my account balance, or only 10 credits. 10 credits is about 5 cents or less, but the time and effort for this nickel is truly not worth the effort. Some days, no messages/banners come thru, meaning you can earn no credits some days. This may simply be a bug in their system; they have not responded to my emails.
Joining this program is a chore - they have a form that a government agency would be proud of. It took me about 15 minutes to go thru the pages of information to gain a few credits to start off with. However, these forms and survery questions are all optional. But if you want a few starting credits, and get on their good side, why not take the time to do it honestly. The form scripts are very picky - you have to answer exactly how they want you to, and, unfortunate for you, some of the options they list are invalid and will fail the form verification-check!
Try the paid to surf option of the program, you may get enough 'QoolCoins' to get yourself a new telephone, television, or computer someday!
SUMMARY:
Qool is a different breed. The idea is interesting, however the credit and rewards available seem small. Further, there have been too many problems with receiving credit, using the Qool Catcher software and member service response is quite limited. As a result, their rating on this site continues to decrease.
34. Profinity (CLOSED) [ April 28, 2001]A paid-to-surf banner-ad program, like many others. The software is called the Profinity Desktop, and with it you earn Profinity Points. The points can be exchanged for merchandise and rewards in their catalog. They will start you off with 50 points for signing up. The ad-bar shows your credits accumulating in real time.
In my one week trial with the software, it did not crash, and accumulated credits correctly. So far its seems to be well written. The banner ad is quite small with respect to other banner-window programs. There is quite a bit of unused space on my bar, but this may be due to my 1024 pixel screen width; they may have designed the initial release to expect 640 pixels.
The Profinity Desktop is a small window displaying a single banner, plus an option to search the Internet for websites or people. The software has been available since December 1999.
SUMMARY
In 1999 it looked pretty good. The software was quite stable and reliable, and it took little space up on the screen, only about 3/4 inch. Unfortunately, they failed like so many others.
Domain went down some time in December 2001. No warning or notice.
This is both a paid-to-surf, and a paid to receive email program. You can join either or both if you choose. The paid to read email is just that. The paid to surf is a typical banner-window software-based viewer where you are credited for your online time with the banner window running.
They plan on paying 50 cents US per hour, up to 40 hours a month, and 10 and 5 cents respectively for referrals. For emails, you receive 3 cents each, and a penny for referral's emails received. Unfortunately, payment is made quarterly, and only at balances ofer $100.
One complaint is the user id's. They are 10+ character hexadecimal numbers, and are case sensitive too. The program is European based, and the english site is translated awkwardly, but is interpretable.
36. Get Paid 4 / Teknosurf (CLOSED) [ April 28, 2001 ]Jan 2001 - Banner window ceased operations, payments were ceased and no response from the company. The site is still operational, however the bar simply states it cannot login - no explaination provided. It seems they are closed, without making it official.
Their goal is simple; to be the best on the net. Minimum payout request is only $15, which is good for some members. Immediately upon joining, you can download their paybar and begin earning money. And you can use this on any Windows 95+ computer worldwide, there are no country restrictions. Further, you can use any software as long as you're actively using the computer, and you are connected to the Internet. No browser restrictions like other P2S programs.
Unfortunately their business practice prevents them from being the best, or even being good. They routinely delete members without cause the warning, especially just as you reach minimum payment level. They respond to customer service within about a year if you are lucky.
Since the original software was released, most of the major bugs have been removed, and it doesn't crash all the time anymore. While running, the GetPaid4 logo will be green when the tracker is counting your time online. When it turns yellow, it is not counting anymore - so you better move your mouse or something. Unlike Spedia, however, it is not as strict on activity; you don't have to move your mouse and click every 5-10 seconds. You are only required to move your mouse once every minute, allowing you to read a webpage or whatever online activity you are doing.
Originally you were paid up to 75 hours a month! Rates have been up to 50 cents per hour, but have decreased to be about 30 cents per hour in October 2000, and lower in 2001 when they ceased running the bar, but still operate (confusing!). They require you to be within a specified click-thru range on displayed banners. Too few or too many banner clicks makes your account inactive for payment, but accumulations will continue. This restriction was added to ensure members don't cheat by running auto-clicking programs, or not actually using the computer at all, and never seeing, thus clicking ads. They ask you click on 5-25 of every 1000 ads.
The user stats section is awful, and account balance is always unavailable - they never wrote the ability into their software, and refuse to do so (every other organization has this!)
SUMMARY
Credits seem to be tracked somewhat accurately, and it is fairly user friendly. An improvement from a early versions, but it still is not 100% stable and may crash. Significant and critical member relations problems have existed in late 1999, 2000 and 2001, with hundreds or thousands of accounts cancelled for unknown reasons, still no corrections. With the suspension of operation and continuing random account deletions, their rating continues to drop, now at 3/10.
After a bumby start, the site is working, and stable, but still no software. Following, the normal paid-to-surf tradition, you download their "Blue Bar" software to view banner ads on your computer while surfing. They claim you will make over $1 per hour online, and have stated their goal is to pay a minimum of 75 cents/hour. They are partnered with PaidEmail.com, and more details are noted on their site.
Currently, 25 hours per month are payable, at 55 cents per hour (up to $1.50 they state). Payments are made when you select, a minimum of $10 is required (service fee apply below $50 payments). As of May 2000 they had 50,000 members. The program is only available for US residents during the initial development and expansion stages. The BlueBar software (as shown below) is available as of June 1, 2000 to all US members.
They also offer a paid-to-join program. This is more and more common as it is sumply an affiliate commission system where they earn for referring you. The most common program is PayPal where you are paid your paid-to-surf income thru this organization (US only). You can earn points for programs you join, where one point is one penny. A current promotion will earn you over 1100 points to sign up for a credit card.
This is the first Australian paid-to-surf program. They are currently upgrading the server and website, and thus the site is not currently functional. The program was expected to become operational February 10, 2000 but failed to achieve this. In fact it was down from December to February. However, it is now operational, and you can download the ad-viewer software now. Payment will be in Ozzie-dollars.
In April they went operational with an hourly rate of $0.30 AUD per hour. They have a minimum click thru rate to remain a valid member effective May 2000. It seems too few people actually clicked on the ads making the program unappealing to sponsors.
Using the bar, the "Surf2Web" logo will have a blue "2" when you are being credited for surfing time, and red when credit stops. Like many other bars of its kind, this is your indicator of activity detection.
One year after it began, it ended...
A paid to surf banner window program is displayed on your screen when you are online. For this, you are paid $0.55 per hour. You are paid 15 and 10 cents for those you refer. You are paid on a monthly basis, if your account balance exceeds $20.
The program began in mid-December 1999, and thus I have little more to add at the moment.
This will be a paid to surf program, adopting an interactive style. You will be able to earn up to $0.70 per hour online. They currently have three modes of ads; the Runner is a banner-ad that will be shown on the back of a truck driving across the bottom of your screen. The Smart method is a simple interactive game-like window, and the Pop-up type is just that, a pop-up ad.
One thing I don't like about their site is that it forces a fixed window size overtop all other windows, and you cannot resize it - and there is no reason for that. I have fixed this for the link below so that you will still have access to your taskbar etc. However, if you resize the browser window, you may mess up the layout, and will have to reload the page at full-screen size. The site itself is unique in its user interface, making it interesting to visit, but less userfriendly in my opinion. It looks great, but lacks in instruction and clear communication.
They will begin a referral program for cash in March/April 2000. The program itself may be ready for release then also. At this time you will be able to download the client software to make it all happen.
In March 2000 the site was still not complete. Many links were dead, the pages that did work had quite a few problems with them, and it still does not work with Netscape or older MSIE versions.
SITE MAY WORK WITH MSIE ONLYSUMMARY:
Their site is possibly the most artistic of all programs listed here. But they seem to have put more effort into the cosmetics of the site, than the paid to surf program. Still a few months away from release, I cannot rate it yet.
Imagine earning $1.25 per hour online, plus another $0.25 whenever you are offline. Earn $6 a day, without being online. This is a Paid to surf, read email, complete polls & surveys, and do searches program; a bit of everything. Even better than that, the program is available world-wide! The software is now available, and being distributed to the earliest members first.
You are allowed to surf up to 50 hours a month at the moment. For each message you receive from an advertiser and view, you will gain another 3 cents. Message notification comes in the form of the blinking logo on the paybar (as shown below) You may also notice that you can search directly from the bar. A search will credit your account 3 more cents, and participation in a poll is worth one penny. There are also shopping rewards.
They are a little ahead of some p2surf programs in one way; they will pay you electronically. This means no waiting for those cheques to arrive in the mail. Paper cheques are still available if desired; paid in US dollars via the company's Dutch bank. To persuade you to use the electronic method, you will be charged $7.50 per cheque. For those interested in referrals, they pay up to seven levels.
Was taken over by another, then disappeared fully. Quite expected in this case.
This program features the "Ad Box" banner ad window. Operated in the UK, you are paid 10p per hour for your time online. This may seem low, however - after your 4th referral, you will qualify to earn 40p per hour. Operations are expected to commence in April 2000, so join now to get you name near the top of the list.
Currently they limit paid surfing time to 40 hours per month. This is not too bad; 40p x 40 = 1600p, you do the math. Unfortunately, it is only available in the UK - but that is good for UK residents! Non-UK members are accepted, however will not be active until European and North American expansion is begun later in the year.
There is a £20 administration fee per year, but there does not seem to be a cheque fee. Payments are made whenever your account reaches £20.
In August 2000 this company bought out Shark Hunt. Shark Hunt is still operating, and it is unclear exactly what this takeover will mean to either organization.
This is the first in what will likely become a new path of paid to surf programs. This is an internet radio station that pays you to listen. Occasionally an audio prompt will ask you to click on an ad or something to check to see if you are still alive at your desk. If you click 3/4 of all prompts, you remain an active and paid listener.
This program is scheduled to go "on air" in April/May 2000. Availability to members will be as usual, on a first come basis - so join today.
Clearly I cannot do a thorough review until they begin broadcasting, or beta testing. But I shall update this page whenever new information is made available to me. Get the inside edge, and join.
Based in the US residents, it is open to most other nations. They use a web based banner window to display ads on your screen. You are paid about 50% of their revenues (5 cents/hour) for being online and running your "personal window" if you are lucky. In Feb 2001 they announced they are stopping payment to all members until they find new sources of income - 0 cents/hour they say now.
Ads are shown in this window, and you collect credit. You can pause the window ads, and operations at any time with the pause button. Every 5-10 minutes you are asked to click on a matching number to keep the banner ads, and credit going. If you do not press the button, it suspends activity and you lose your credits for the session fragment. This is supposed to stop cheating - but also seems to stop general use. Clicking 10 times an hour or more and concentrating on the banners all the time so to avoid losing your penny for the 10 minute frame is difficult, if worthwhile at all.
The banner window has a popup/no-popup option which allows the mini-browser window to move to the top layer of your active windows when a new banner ad is displayed. This can be toggled on and off. However, when off, you will likely miss the "continue" button regularly. Their solution is to use a window utility to force the window to always be on top - they have a link to such a program on their site.
They have had a rocky history. Originally beginning as Click Rebates, they failed and moved into this paid to surf type program. With a slow start, they partnered with About.com in October 2000 and then in January 2001 the program suddently ceased. A legal battle followed and a divorce, and in February 2001 Click Dough returned as an independent organization yet again. In order to remove low-activity users, they have set an account deletion timeout for account inactive for over 60 days (steep!).
I am hopeful that this third rebirth of the organization following a different path will be more prosperous. Unfortunately, they have increased payout levels from $20 to $40 and now $100, so the average member may never see cash at this rate!
This organization was acquired by mValue.com
Surf Miles has been listed in the paid to shop section since the beginning. In February 2000 they announced plans to expand services to include a paid to surf "Cash Bar" coming soon. This will allow you to collect cash or surf-miles like other paid to surf programs by viewing ads online.
Similar to "Air Miles" with Bank of Montreal or American Express cards, Surf-Miles gives you travel-mile-credit for purchases from affiliates online vendors. You can redeem your credits for cash, minimum 1500 miles per cashout.
This group started under controversy, but seems to be a credible organization now. They have a functional screen wide paybar displaying one full size banner ad, plus one smaller ad. And in May 2000 they hired their first official employee (beyond founding owners).
They paid 40 cents US per hour for any Internet activity in early 2000. Like some other organizations, they require a minimum click-thru rate of once per hour averaged, or 0.5%. Unfortunately, they had 0 income from June to December 2000 resulting in a 0 cent rate.
In February 2001, they finally paid out members for balances held since April 2000, and they are continuing to operate, at a drastically reduced and undisclosed pay rate.
Another program will start tomorrow or soon after... Actually, it never really started!
OneSrc.net has offered various paid to surf programs in the past. The most recent was PayPages, which they closed without notice and renovated into their current parent site's paid to surf program as found here now.
Retired January 5, 2001. So many failures, so many programs could never survive, and this was one of those. But credits and accounts for all members were transferred to QNB, their new program. QuickNews Bar which only pays 50 cents per referral, and nothing more.
The ANB member database is case sensitive, so remember your caps if you join!
Under the old program in April 2000 they allow up to 155 hours per month of credited surfing time, and 25% rewards for online shopping. They also claimed to provide free email, however I have not checked this further.
Well, below is my early 2000 writeup. As you can see I didn't have a lot of confidence this one would survive, and it did not.
VirtuAds may be a good paid to surf program, if it ever actually goes online. I first visited this site in March 2000, and now 2 months later, they are no further ahead. Still promising tomorrow they will be online...
I wish I could say more about this program. From the look and feel of it all, I would say it will be a good one as I already said. Unfortunately, you will not be able to join this program for the time being.
You are paid to do anything online. They state that 90% of revenue will be shared with you, its members. They have a downloadable ad-viewer program like many other programs. You earn one point per minute you are using this ad-viewer. You can also collect 33% bonus for your referrals, to 7 levels. As of April 2005 they claim to pay 3-10 CENTS per email you receive and 1 CENT per email your referrals receive. They also have a downloadable banner bar you may use - but the documentation ends with Windows 2000, so I suspect they have done no work with it since 2001, as well is still says "beta" since early 2002.
They have three different downline crediting systems. They each pay different percentages of your 7 levels of downline members ranging 33% down to 3.3%. You should choose the one that you believe will give you the best results. If you plan on refering only close friends that will not likely refer others, then plan C is best (33% first level). If you hope to create a thin but deeper downline, option B may be best (5% level 18% level 7). Once chosen, you cannot change your payout option.
As the software is not yet available, I cannot say any more about the program, yet. But, it is always a good idea to get involved with these companies while they are young. Kind of like getting near the front of the line at a good movie premier.
Based in South America, this organization pays you for surfing, visiting sites, shopping, and more. They allow membership worldwide.
A downloadable ad viewer allows you to earn up to 50 cents per hour, but it is only available in the USA. They have plans to create online paid trivia as well.
As simple as the program name. You see paying ads in their 'PayPerViewer' ad bar. They are offering $.15 per hour, and 33% bonus for referrals. Unfortunately, a minimum $50 payout level, but that may change as the program expands and improves their financial status. Currently, they have no monthly limit established.
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