Get paid to chat: 12 ways to earn money by talking online and offline

In general, humans are social creatures, and spending time in a quiet office can be surprisingly draining for many people. Fortunately, there are jobs out there for people who enjoy forging social connections.

If you're a student, a busy parent, or someone who has limited mobility and needs to be able to work from home, you can get paid to chat. From fun flirting to listening to people's problems, or even being an online gaming buddy, there are options for people of all tastes and interests.

Who can get paid to chat?

Paid chat jobs come in a variety of forms, ranging from specialist services to more general roles.

For example, teletherapy is becoming increasingly popular as a way to help people who live in rural areas or who have limited mobility access mental health services. Additionally, technical support and customer service roles are also increasingly remote and online.

However, many of these jobs require specialist training or a lengthy onboarding process. Fortunately, there are many chat roles out there requiring more general, transferrable skills.

If you're friendly and personable, you can get paid to chat online. In this guide, we'll explore some platforms and services anyone can use to supplement their income, or even earn a full-time living talking online.

12 ways to get paid to talk - both online and IRL

The services listed below range from general chat rooms to adult chat services. Depending on your skills, interests and the amount of time you have available, you may decide that joining one of these platforms is a fun and appealing way of earning some extra income.

1. Whop

Whop is a platform where creators, influencers, coaches and other service providers can sell products and run membership sites. You can do all of this fro your own whop. With a whop, creators can sell monthly memberships to their community, giving subscribers the chance to unlock exclusive channels or get early access to new content.

If you've got a special skill, or you're an influencer with a large following, Whop can help you monetize your audience while simultaneously bringing you closer to your community. What's more, you get to choose what you offer inside that community, and set your own prices.

Maybe you are a travel creator who wants to teach others how to make money with as a digital nomad, or perhaps you've found great success with sports betting and now want to share your tips and tricks with others. Whatever you skillset or interest, you can monetize it with Whop. Create your online community, add your chat channels, and charge for access to your paid group.

How much can you make?
Creators on Whop make up to $250,000 per month with paid communities and digital products.

2. ChatRecruit

If you're a woman and comfortable with more adult-focused work, ChatRecruit could be a fun way to supplement your income. This platform offers opportunities for women to work on adult chatlines (without video) or as a cam girl (on video). In some parts of the world, the company recruits adult TV presenters for stations such as Babe TV.

If that sort of adult work doesn't appeal to you, ChatRecruit may still be a suitable option, because it also runs psychic hotlines and runs the SoSpoilt network, where content creators can charge fans and followers for access to exclusive content.

How much can you make?
According to ZipRecruiter, the average ChatRecruit user makes $22/hour.

3. Paid Discord groups

Discord is a popular chat application, especially among video game enthusiasts and the cryptocurrency community. If you have a popular Discord server, you may be able to monetize it through server subscriptions. The subscription feature lets you reward paying members with server-wide perks such as:

• Access to exclusive text and voice channels
• Exclusive access to content you create and share on the server
• Premium emojis for use in text chats

Discord takes a 10% commission on each subscription. Creators get to keep the remaining 90%, minus payment processing fees. Read more about making money with Discord in this guide. Alternatively, you can sell access to Discord with Whop.

How much can you make?
This depends on the size of your Discord server and how much you charge. When selling subscriptions through Discord you can charge from $2.99 to $199.99 per month.

4. Community moderator

From online gaming companies to Web3 services and special interest groups, you'll find lots of communities are looking for a helping hand to keep the conversation civil.

Community moderators help keep communities spam-free and prevent disagreements between members from getting out of hand. You'll find some community moderator jobs advertised on platforms such as Indeed and LinkedIn. Other companies and content creators might choose to recruit directly from within their user base.

To land a community moderation job, it's helpful if you have experience with the chat platform or forum software the community uses. Telegram and Discord are popular chat applications, while vBulletin and Vanilla Forums remain popular for threaded discussions. You can also become a moderator for a whop community.

How much can you make?
According to ZipRecruiter, the average wage for an online community moderator in the US is $31/hour.

5. Rent a Friend

The Rent a Friend platform is a long-established website that enables people to hire people to talk to or even meet in person. Workers can choose what sort of services they're willing to provide - for example signing up for text and phone chats only, or to attend in-person events.

Clients can recruit friends to go shopping with them, attend formal events, or otherwise provide companionship. The service is popular with older individuals and those who have just moved to a new area and are looking for a little social support until they find their feet.

How much can you make?
The site states that some 'Friends' start a $10 per hour, but more if they have a specialist skill.

6. Fiverr

The Fiverr platform is a marketplace that can be used to sell almost anything from logo designs to web development services. Some people offer conversation services on the platform. Because it's a gig-focused website where you decide what services you're offering, advertisers have a lot of freedom in terms of the services they offer, and the pricing they choose.

For example, if you're bi- or multi-lingual, you could offer your services as a language practice partner for crosstalk or foreign language speaking practice. Another fun and popular gig is to be a person's "alibi". For example, you could agree to call someone at a set time while they're on a first date, and if they indicate that the date isn't going well, provide an excuse for them to leave early.

Fiverr takes a 20% commission on all transactions, and the marketplace is competitive, but since you decide what gigs to advertise, you have a lot of control over the work you do.

How much can you make?
According to ZipRecruiter, the average Fiverr seller makes $27/hour.

7. Papa

If working with older adults appeals to you, Papa could be a good choice. This platform connects older individuals with people who are willing to provide companion care, transportation and help with day-to-day tasks.

Gigs are provided via the Papa app, but the work is primarily in-person, doing things like providing tech support, picking up groceries or feeding pets. Some clients do ask Papa Pals to watch movies or play board games with them, or go with them to the shops.

To become a Papa Pal, you'll need to pass some basic safety training and you'll also need a valid U.S. driver's license. You can pick up as many or as few jobs as you'd like once you're registered with the platform.

How much can you make?
Papa Pals can earn up to $22/hour working with seniors.

8. Phrendly

Flirtatious individuals might enjoy chatting on Phrendly. The service promises to provide clients with the thrill of chatting online, without the fear of rejection people have on dating apps. Phrendly recruits men and women who can create profiles just like on a dating app, and users can then "share drinks" with "phrends". If someone messages you first and you choose to keep the conversation going, you'll earn money.

The focus of the site is flirtatious chat and "attention". All conversation takes place within the platform, so users and "phrends" don't have to share their contact details with strangers. The site takes privacy and safety seriously, and you're not contractually obliged to continue a conversation if you feel uncomfortable with it.

How much can you make?
Phrendly states that the 'amount you earn for each interaction depends on the interaction type'. With Phrendly you keep $0.35/volley for chat, 70% of phone & video call earnings (after the $0.20/minute connection fee), and 90% of gifts.

9. ChatOperatorJobs

If you have a good grasp of the English language and can type quickly without "txt-spk" or "l33t-sp34k", ChatOperatorJobs could be ideal for you. This platform recruits chat operators who are paid on a per-message basis, with payments sent through PayPal.

Operators can work from anywhere using their PC, phone or tablet device.

The work is flexible, but there are minimum participation requirements for new hires, to ensure that all chat operators on the books are active. Because you'll be replying to messages using the company's online chat portal, you don't have to worry about your real identity being revealed to the people you're chatting to. Everything is anonymous to ensure your privacy and safety.

How much can you make?
The rate of pay is relatively low, ranging between $0.13 and $0.19 per message, but the flexibility of the work means it appeals to students and busy parents who are looking for a side-gig.

10. Lipsi

Have you ever wished that you could vent anonymously about something that's going on in your life? Do you want to be able to poll people about potentially controversial topics without having to worry about the backlash? Lipsi enables you to do exactly that.

The platform is free to use, and is popular with influencers who are looking for ways to solicit feedback from their fans. However, anyone can benefit from the service, and the tip jar feature provides an opportunity for you to earn money while engaging with the app.

How much can you make?
Unlike some of the other services in this list, Lipsi doesn't recruit people on a per-hour or per-message basis. Because of this, it's unlikely to be a stable revenue-generating option. However, it's a lot of fun to use the service, and having the potential to get some money back for doing so is an undeniably nice perk.

11. NiteFlirt

If you're comfortable with NSFW conversation, NiteFlirt could provide you with a supplemental income. The site offers people the chance to chat and engage in phone conversations for money. Both men and women are welcome on the platform.

In addition to chat options, users can sell photos and videos, and there's an affiliate program for webmasters and influencers to earn commission by referring other users.

How much can you make?
Chat operators charge around $1.99 per minute on average, or $0.99 per 'volley' for text chats. The site takes a 30% commission. According to GlassDoor you can earn between $16-$32/hour as a NiteFlirt operator.

12. FriendPC

Sell your services as a gaming buddy, life coach or source of emotional support. FriendPC is a platform for people who are looking for more casual online relationships. Friends can list their services on the platform absolutely free in most cases (although some services do require a listing fee), and the platform takes a 5% to 10% commission on any ads placed.

At the time this post was written, the listings on the platform were quite sparse, suggesting that the site isn't particularly popular. However, if you're good at marketing yourself, this could be seen as a bonus, because it also suggests that there won't be a lot of competition for your services.

How much can you make?
FriendPC states that you could earn $1000/month or more.

How much can I make by chatting online?

As with so many other work-from-home jobs, your earning potential varies depending on the platform you use and the services you offer.

Casual chat apps can pay as little as a few cents per message. While the headline rates can look impressive, your real earnings could work out to just a few dollars per hour.

More risque cam sites could offer a higher rate, especially if you fit the demographic the customers are looking for and you're able to build up a large audience of regular clients. However, not everyone wants to do that sort of work.

Language tutoring for a popular but difficult-to-learn language can be a steady source of income for a multi-lingual individual, and if you gel with your clients you'll have fun while you're teaching them.

If you're looking for something that can scale to a larger income, however, you'll want to share your skills with multiple people at the same time. Some creators on Whop have already made millions by chatting with their target audience and sharing their skills, offering webinars, group coaching sessions and pre-recorded videos alongside Q&As and real-time chats.

Whop takes away the technical challenges of launching a membership site, so all you need to do is create content that people want to see.

How to get paid to chat online

If getting paid to chat online sounds appealing to you, consider the following:

What sort of work are you willing to do? 
Some chat sites are PG-rated, and you'll spend your time talking to lonely seniors or busy parents in a bingo chat room. Others are a little more risque. Think about what sort of chats you're willing to engage with before you start applying for jobs.

How much time can you commit to the job? 
In-person companionship services often pay an hourly rate, so you'll need to be able to be available for set blocks of time to take on jobs such as a trip to the shops or the cinema. More casual chat jobs might pay per message, which makes them a good choice for busy students who need more flexible working hours.

What skills do you have? 
You're more likely to earn a reasonable income from online chat services if you have a skill that other people need. For example, crosstalk and foreign language partners are very much in demand. If you're patient, speak (or type) clearly and are willing to chat with people who are learning a new language, you could get a steady income from that. Other tutoring services are also popular, especially in the run-up to school and college exam periods.

Which platform will you use? 
Once you've identified a niche, the next thing to do is sign up for some platforms catering to that niche. Some platforms make registering incredibly easy, asking you to complete a quick survey and fill out a profile, then letting you start work almost immediately. If you'll be working with children or the elderly, you might be asked to provide proof of ID or go through a background check before you can engage in live chats with your target audience.

Build your own chat community

If you don't want to work with a middleman, Whop lets you set up a membership community, accept payments, and chat with your followers all in one place.

Just sign up for the platform, create your whop, and add some apps for voice and video chat to create a space that will wow your community. Once the group is set up, you can market it on social media then sit back and enjoy as the member count grows.

Create your community on Whop and get paid to chat online

If you'd like to try launching your own community so you can connect with your fans and followers and get paid for it, Whop is the perfect platform for this. When you sign up to Whop you create your whop, a hub that will serve as a place for your community to gather. Then, you put your whop behind a paywall to make it accessible to subscribers only.

Whop is free to join and there are no monthly fees, so you can take your time exploring the features and adding content to your whop. Once it's ready to launch, you can market it and Whop will handle the payment processing for you, taking a low commission from each transaction (you keep up to 97% of your earnings).

Everything you need to chat with your users is available on the platform - from social areas like forums for sharing posts and images, to text, voice and video chat. You can record sessions for people to watch at their leisure, and host webinars that are easy for your community members to join. There's even a calendar feature to help you market events to your community and tools for you to book one-to-ones or group sessions with people if you wish.

To get started with your exclusive members-only community and get paid to talk about the things you love, join Whop for free today.

FAQs

Is it safe to work for an online chat service?

Reputable paid chat services protect their workers by keeping all chats on-platform. As long as you follow the rules and don't reveal personal information on the platform, you can use a pseudonym and be anonymous to your clients.

Can you work part-time as a chat operator?

Most chat sites accept part-time operators and offer flexible hours. Your earnings will be limited by the amount of time you're available for work, but chat services can be a useful supplemental income for students or busy parents.

Whop doesn't charge a membership fee, so you can build your chat business at your own pace without worrying about overheads.

How much do chat operators earn?

Chat operator earnings will vary depending on the chosen platform and the type of chat they engage in. Those who offer in-demand services, tutoring or language exchanges stand to earn more than those offering gaming or general chat services. Whop helps you deliver those services in a sustainable way, to multiple clients.

Is online chat work a potential career?

It is possible to do chat work as a full-time job, and if you're providing tutoring services or something else that's in-demand, you may be able to maintain a long-term list of clients. However, chat work requires prompt responses and can be draining, so some people burn out.