Not all PTR programs are disasters waiting to happen. Some programs have withstood the test of time. How do you know which to join? (Read me after reading Parts One and Two.)
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Before you join ANY PTR site (or any rewards program, for that matter), keep in mind: don’t invest any more time than you’d mind having completely wasted. There are NO guarantees that you’ll get paid by ANY program. You will join stinkers that’ll go under without paying you a dime. What’s your time worth? How much time does a program require?
Some people approach the PTR industry with unrealistic expectations. “I only want to click 5c links, and I want to get paid in 24 hours when I reach $2.” Not gonna happen. Or if it does happen once, it’s not going to happen long-term. ADVERTISERS ARE ONLY GOING TO PAY SO MUCH FOR YOUR CLICK. Remember part one of this tutorial — advertisers are looking for people to join their PTRs or to do searches for them. If you’re getting paid 5c per click, the advertiser is paying more than that (the site’s charging profit). You’re only worth SO much to an advertiser. Don’t expect $1 clicks. Be realistic. If it sounds too good to be true, IT IS.
EVEN 1/4c CLICK SITES GO UNDER…for the reasons discussed in part two of this tutorial. So going with a lower paying site on the theory that, hey, they’re probably charging a reasonable amount to the advertiser so he can make a profit and the site can, too… doesn’t always hold. There are still foolish site owners, undercharging or borrowing against their potential search engine earnings to fund their own ads.
Where do you go to find out what site to join?
There are several resources out there to help.
1. GetPaidForum: http://www.getpaidforum.com – this is a huge and sprawling forum with lots of information. Do a search for the name of the program you want to join and see what other people are saying about it.
2. GPTBoycott: http://www.gptboycott.com – this site publicizes PTRs that are blatant scams. Their forum also contains info on non-boycotted sites.
3. BeenPaid: http://www.beenpaid.com – this site awards its seal of approval to sites with a history of paying their users.
4. Sustainable ad rate calculators (there are several, here’s one): http://sustainableads.com – these let you estimate how much a site should be charging for their ads; if they’re consistently selling ads for way cheaper, STAY AWAY.
5. Talk to your friends. Make sure you find out if they themselves have been paid by the program and how long it took. How long has the program been up? New programs send out more ads (with fewer users, ad rates are cheap), but they have no proven track record.
6. When you find a program you like, join the owner’s other sites, if he has any.
Have fun, and good luck! Remember to do a “valid search” if you get paid for one so the advertiser will return. And remember — realistic expectations, and don’t spend more time than you’d mind having totally wasted. 
Continue Reading: Part Four — My List of “Keepers”
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