Yes, some of these programmes really do pay money, in exchange for having their messages on your screen while you are using the Internet. Click here for full list and comments Click here for a summary of our selected programmes. Usually this means they haven't yet convinced enough advertisers to pay them, so they cannot yet pay their participants. Some of the ones that are operational and paying only pay to USA citizens. You download software that installs a banner linked with your Internet browser.
Connected time is compensated at X cents per hour.
Not a lot of money, but the argument is that you do nothing extra to earn this, all you do is use the Internet in your normal ways. Some programmes place a limit on the number of hours per month they will pay for. All the programmes make a big thing of how you can earn much more, see below. This is really the focus of almost all these schemes. To attract advertisers they need very large numbers of participants.