I recently came across this question in an online forum about everyone’s number one concern — getting paid (edited slightly):
I’m new to webcam modeling, and I’m really exciting about doing shows. I really love what I’m doing. The problem is, I don’t want to join one of those big sites that take big commissions of what I make. I wouldn’t like to work under a studio either. All I want is to keep my independence as a model, set my own prices as I like and keep the money I make.
The problem is, I haven’t found a payment processing system that could work for that. Amazon gift cards can’t be redeemed in cash and PayPal or Payoneer prohibit these kinds of transactions. The only interesting option I came across was GiftRocket, where someone can send you money without being registered and you can redeem it in many ways. It only works in USA though. If you guys know any ways I could get payments for my shows internationally (either in form of gift cards or other), I would be more than glad to hear your suggestions. Thank you in advance.
This is a huge question and generated a lot of interesting responses.
There’s Bitcoin: Seems like your best option would be a Bitcoin tipping service. You could probably stream privately on YouTube or Twitch or something and have a Bitcoin wallet link setup to receive tips.
Also Payoneer, which got some mixed comments: I’m a cam model and use Payoneer. If you have the option to get off of Payoneer, I would. I don’t have a bank account so I don’t have that option. Any time you use an ATM, you pay the ATM’s fee, along with another $2.75 fee from the card. Any time you buy something in a store, no matter what it costs, there’s a $2.75 fee. They slap a fee on everything. Even when you get paid. It’s a $5 payout fee. It sucks.
More negative feedback about Payoneer: I just used Payoneer to get paid by a client for boring non-sexual stuff. They really suck! I can’t withdraw the funds right to my bank account, because apparently that feature isn’t supported for my account type. It really blows. Even customer service was a pain in the ass. They didn’t help at all. Just gave me a generic response. So now I’ve got $300 tied up in their system, which I can’t transfer to my bank account. Lesson learned. I’ll stick to PayPal. Payoneer is garbage.
Note: This person is talking about “boring, non-sexual” work. Be careful when using PayPal for sex work. PayPal’s terms of service explicitly prohibit adult content. The company can confiscate your account and keep the money if it becomes aware of the source of your income. Really, the best bet is to stay away from PayPal altogether.
Other people suggested IndieBill, PervoutPay, Square Cash, and GiftRocket.
For each of these platforms that are not situated directly in the adult industry, make sure you check and recheck their terms of service meticulously. Just because another model is able to work with Payoneer, which has some slippery TOS, all bets are generally off when it comes to sex work. This dimension of (legal) discrimination independent models and other sex workers must contend with is maddening, but it’s also a fact.
Another important point: Make sure you get paid before you work — because once that money walks, it’s not coming back.
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Got something you want to share? Tips or rage-inducing incidents that other models may benefit from? Email erika@ynotcam.com. I’d love to hear from you!
