It Pay$ to Learn

Have you heard about itpaystolearn.com? It's a quiz site that offers cash for correct answers. Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? Other quiz sites at which I've participated offer entry into long-odds prize drawings as payment. This one has a better idea. Ever skeptical, I waited until the money I'd earned was in my account before writing this. Of course, one will not get rich at the site, but a few go-getters have accumulated hundreds.

Here's how it works. First, sign up. It's free. I found it convenient to open an account with Paypal, which allows the direct transfer of online funds. There is a one dollar service charge per transaction. Checks are also made available, at a slight service charge.

There are many categories: Music, History, Science, etc. Each is divided into three degrees: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced. There are three multiple choice options for each of a quiz's ten questions. A perfect score in Beginner awards 30 points, Intermediate 40, Advanced 50. At the end of each month, after revenues have been tallied, management determines the value per point. Figure on a sixteenth of a cent. Playing an hour each night, I earned a total of $28 in two months. Minimum pay-out has since been raised to $30, so it may take three months for the less industrious, which includes me, to get there.

As has been the case with many sites in the recent economic slump, ad revenues have been difficult to collect. Fortunately, the site has managed to hold its own. It flirted briefly with the idea of charging a $2.95 monthly fee. Will it remain free? Who can say? As presently constituted, it is a tremendous bargain, and it would remain a good one at that slight fee.

Those who prefer trivia may not enjoy these quizzes as much. They are more like those taken in school and, believe me, Advanced questions can be really, really tough. Incorrect answers are stored on a Retake page, which carry the same valuations as original quizzes. It is possible to deplete the stock of questions, but it would take a normal person a long, long time. New questions are added periodically.

Although the site is well-conceived, it has two significant problems. Due to the growth of membership, games are occasionally very slow moving. Techies are working on this. In fact, the problem may be solved by the time you read this.

The other aspect I find irksome is the positioning of the Submit and Continue tabs, which too frequently require scrolling to get to, which slows the pace.

Another way to amass points is through referrals. There is a slight reward for each quiz completed by a member one has recruited. One may also become a quiz writer. Each question accepted garners $.50. Those accepted that require editing garner $.25. Those rejected garner zero. I earned $120 of a possible $150. Given the hours I invested, it amounted to less than minimum wage, but still $120 I didn't have, the equivalent of six months of ISP fees. After years of earning next to nothing writing fiction, it was gratifying to see cash for my effort.

Stop by. Try a demo quiz to see if you like it. And, should you register, tell them ABC231 sent you. Help a kid out. Thanks.

Update: There are now two types of memberships, Regular and Gold. Regular members cannot earn more than $4.50 per month taking cash quizzes. They may earn extra through referrals, and soon may earn even more reading emails, taking surveys, and accepting offers. One must now earn $100 to qualify for a payment, and it is likely that the payment would be partial, not full. This would require more than a year's work for a regular member.
A Gold membership costs $59.95 per year. There is no limit to what a Gold member may earn.
Retake quizzes have been eliminated, which has improved site efficiency. The questions are reloaded every month, so one may constantly play preferred categories.
Update 1/03: All cash must now be spent at the site's store and must be combined with credit card, check or paypal in a 50-50 split. As it is, I would not join. I'm holding on to my earnings ($140), hoping things will change when/if the site gets in the black. I'm willing to transfer the earnings to anyone who will purchase a copy of each of my enovels ($9.90 total) or one paperback edition ($16).