What are Pay-to-Click Sites?
Get Paid for Ad Clicks on a PTC Site Like Neobux, The Clickers
Oct 1, 2009
Pay-to-click sites are a fairly new addition to the web and these PTC websites are quickly gaining in popularity. Unfortunately, the number of PTC scam sites has many people wary of this method of earning money by clicking ads.
The idea of getting paid to click ads on the internet can be confusing to some individuals who are familiar with the Google AdSense/AdWords advertising model, where clicking ads for profit is strictly prohibited. But pay-to-click sites are very different from contextual advertising programs like Google AdSense and AdWords.
How to Pay-to-Click Sites Work? Can You Make Money With PTC Sites?
Pay-to-click websites pay members to click ads that are displayed on the site. Advertisers — usually web-based businesses — purchase an advertising package for a specific number of clicks and the length of the ad view, also known as "exposure length."
A member logs onto the pay-to-click site and the computer's IP address is recorded to prevent people from opening multiple accounts and viewing the same ads over and over to earn money. Depending on the PTC site and the membership package, there are a certain number of ads available for viewing in a 24 hour period. The member earns money — usually one to two cents per ad click — by clicking on ads and viewing the advertisement for a specified amount of time – anywhere from 15 seconds to 60 seconds.
To earn additional money, PTC site members can refer friends and family members – these are called direct referrals. In a unique twist, pay-to-click websites also offer referral rentals. An individual who is not referred to the site by an existing member will be available for rental. Members pay a certain amount of money to rent referrals by the month, and if a PTC site referral is a dud and fails to click ads, he can be "recycled" and traded for a new referral. Members earn money for each ad that's clicked by a direct or rented referral.
With a legitimate pay-to-click site, it is possible to make $20, $50, $100 or more per month. But an element of strategy is required when it comes to renting referrals, deciding when and if to recycle referrals, and deciding whether to upgrade to a better membership package.
Paying for Membership Upgrades on PTC Sites
Pay-to-click sites usually offer a basic membership for free, but the number of ads that a person can click per day is limited. So PTC sites offer membership upgrades for a price and on some sites, it's not cheap – an "Ultimate Golden" membership on Neobux.com is priced at $890.
Upgraded membership packages on PTC sites typically entitle the member to benefits like more referrals, more money earned per click, more money earned per referral ad click, a lower price on referral rentals and an increase in the number of ads that can be clicked in a day. While a membership upgrade on a legitimate pay-to-click site could lead to earning more money, these upgrade fees place individuals in a vulnerable position, especially in the event of a PTC scam.
PTC Scams – The Problem of Scam Pay-to-Click Sites
A bit of research into PTC site reputation reveals that are perhaps just as many — if not more — pay-to-click site scams as there are legitimate PTC sites. Pay-to-click website scams can vary when it comes to the precise method used to cheat people out of their cash as they try to earn money at home by viewing ads.
PTC scams often involve the following methods:
- The pay-to-click site collects money from advertisers. Members of the PTC website click ads and earn money, but the members are never actually paid.
- A new PTC site scams members out of money by offering membership upgrades priced at hundreds of dollars. The members purchase membership package upgrades to earn more per ad click, to allow for more referrals, and to enable the member to click on more ads per day, but before the site's members can make their money back, the site disappears or the site won't pay the member.
- A new pay-to-click site scams advertisers by selling click packages, but the site disappears before the advertisers' ads are viewed by the site's members. Or the scamming PTC site never displays the ads to members who are paid per ad click.
- Scam PTC sites may cancel a party's paid membership, keeping membership upgrade fees and money earned by falsely accusing the member of wrongdoing.
When considering signing up for a pay-to-click site, it's important to research the website's reputation. A simple Google search will reveal allegations of fraud or scams, and a check in the WhoIs domain registry will reveal how long the domain name has been in existence.
Contact information for the domain name owners will also be available via a WhoIs registry check, so an individual who is considering involvement with a pay-to-click site could record this information and keep it on file, providing some method of recourse should the site turn out to be a scam website.
When using a pay-to-click website, it's also wise to read the terms and conditions, terms of use and other similar documents in order to learn about any loopholes and regulations. For instance, some PTC sites will cancel an individual's membership (usually keeping all membership fees and all unpaid earnings) if the member tries to log onto the site via a school computer, internet cafe, or other location with a dynamic IP address that could allow a member to maintain multiple accounts.
It is possible to earn money clicking ads on PTC sites, but it's essential that individuals remain skeptical and research the pay-to-click site's reputation to avoid falling victim to an online scam that could lead to the loss of hundreds of dollars and wasted time.
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