(PTC) Paid to click is an online business model that draws online
traffic from people aiming to earn money from home. Paid-to-click, or simply PTC
websites, act as middlemen between advertisers and consumers; the advertiser
pays for displaying ads on the PTC website, and a part of this payment goes to
the viewer when he views the advertisement.
In addition, most PTC sites offer a commission to its
members for signing up new members (similar to many affiliate marketing
programs online), or they may pay members a percentage of the clicks that their
referrals make as an ongoing commission.
Even though advertisements are the most widely known method
for PTC sites to stay alive, much of the profit can come from the direct sales
of referrals or upgrade packages which are created by the owner of each PTC
site. This has led to the proliferation of online scams or being created with PTC
sites as a cover, as members are encouraged to buy referrals that are not
actually human or upgrade packages that offer no real value. As well, some
sites may request that their users pay an "upgrade fee" before being
able to cash out their earnings, and then not paying out earnings after these
fees are paid.
