Paid surfing began the online money-making wave, but it's hit serious problems as the "dot-com" industry has suffered. Most require you to download software which creates a small "bar" of rotating banner ads at the bottom of your screen while you surf. It's relatively unintrusive and easy to use, but unfortunately also less targeted and very easy to cheat. Several top-notch programs have gone under in the past year, and many of the rest are struggling. All have significantly reduced their payment rates. But a valiant few struggle on, and some are adapting to compete in the current environment. Those below represent the best at the moment for various reasons. With a fast computer (and big monitor) you can run two or even three of them at a time to make a pretty decent income. Good luck!

The Top Programs:

Degoo: A new company, just launched late October 2001, which means you can get in early and build a nice referral base. Pays through points for anything you do while online, not just active surfing. Their bar also includes scrolling news headlines and search capability, and they plan to add paid email soon. Has a referral structure which goes through eight levels, and have reduced their minimum payout to just FIVE DOLLARS!.

CashRadio: Originally designed to pay you for listening to online radio, CashRadio is really just another surf bar with a gimmick since you really don't have to listen to earn. Pays well at $.10/hour for your listening time (up to 75 hours/month), plus $.02/hour for each of five levels of referrals. Spent a long time in testing, but began paying in September 2001. Minimum payout only $15 via PayPal.

Spedia: Considered by many the king of the paid to surf world, Spedia uses some creative accounting to claim a payout rate of over $.30/hour based on points earned for active surfing. Realistically, it's more like $.10, but that's still more than most, and they also have paid email, paid games, and more, plus a five-tier referral structure. Minimum payout is $30.

Cashfiesta: Yet another surfbar company, they have an individual payrate system based on the number of Cashfiesta special offers you have signed up for in a given month and the payment method that you choose. The more special offers you sign up for, the higher payrate you get. Get paid when your account reaches your preferred cheque size.

Going Platinum: You may have heard of this one. This is going to be huge. Think of AOL, Yahoo, and any of the other big guns online. Now imagine all of them rolled into one easy to use site. Now imagine them paying you to use their service! This is Going Platinum, and soon they will be launching their feature-rich ISP/Community worldwide, (ISP already available across parts of the US) with a very generous payout structure. Unlimited referrals over 4 levels! And your percentage that you earn from your referrals increases as you progress higher through the rounds! If you use the ISP, you could even get your Internet access for FREE. More info here.

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