Hello! You look like a friendly sort of person 🙂
Would you like to get paid to be an online friend?
Yes, that is a real job! These days, we spend more and more time behind our screens and less and less time interacting in real life.
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Sadly, it can be hard to meet people in real life. That’s why the online friend industry has sprung up!
As an online friend, you could get paid to talk to lonely people, listen to people’s problems, share a skill, or even play online games!
This post will teach you exactly how to get paid to be a virtual friend online, and show you a few sites to find your first jobs.
Please note, this blog uses affiliate links. That means that I may earn a commission if you make a purchase or sign up for a service through one of the links on this site.
What is a virtual friend?
A virtual friend or online friend is simply a friend you talk to online.
I bet you already have some online friends. Perhaps people you chat to on online gaming platforms, or random accounts you interact with on Twitter or Instagram.
Well, some people are ready to pay you to be their online friend!
Essentially, like most jobs, you are exchanging your time for money. But when you’re an online friend, people are literally just paying to spend time with you.
Who would pay for a virtual friend?
Well, all sorts of people. People who turn to online friend services may be lonely, shy or isolated for all kinds of different reasons.
Sometimes people look for online friends for a specific purpose. For example, to learn about your hometown, practise speaking your language, or get tips about your job or hobby.
You’re probably also wondering what online friends do together. Well, anything you do with your normal friends online: listen to problems, play online games, or just chat.
Here are some common reasons people want an online friend:
- gaming buddy
- penpal
- language/conversation practise
- a listening ear
- learn about a place, for example to plan a trip
- sharing skills or hobbies
- motivation/accountability buddy
- just chatting!
Wait… is this an adult job?
An online friend is NOT anything dodgy.
Yes, there might be similarly-worded jobs in the adult industry, but that is not what we’re talking about for this article! All the sites for finding online friend work I’m going to introduce below are clear that they are NOT dating sites or escort services.
You can offer totally platonic online friend services, and you should not have to tolerate any uncomfortable behaviour.
Any legit site will have a clear policy on this, and they will allow you to block users who behave inappropriately.
How much can you make as an online friend?
Generally, you can set your own hourly rates when you work as a virtual friend. I’ve seen rates anywhere from $10 to $50. The average seems to be around $20.
As with other freelance work, when you’re starting out, it makes sense to price yourself a little lower to attract your first customers. After time, when you have experience and positive feedback to add to your profiles, you can raise your prices.
And yes, this is freelance work. You’ll be in charge of your own hours, and you can work whenever and wherever suits you (and your clients!)
Of course, you’ll also be responsible for your own taxes.
Is it safe to be an online friend?
In general, it is safe to work as an online friend. But as with any interaction online, it’s important to think about what personal information you’re sharing.
Be aware that most of these sites do not do background checks on their members. So – although most members are legit – you really could be talking to anybody.
The ways you contact your virtual friends depend on the site. But generally, you use the site’s own messaging system or email at first, and then move on to whatever platform you like.
It’s a good idea to keep messages through the site until you feel comfortable. This will keep your personal contact information anonymous.
You could also set up a separate email, Skype account etc for online friends.
Some online friends prefer to use a nickname or a different spelling of their name, to make them harder to find in real life.
How to get paid to be an online friend
It’s not too tricky to start making money as an online friend. Here are the basic steps:
1. Sign up with an online friend site
In the next section, I’ll introduce a few different sites where you can sign up to become an online friend. The first step is to choose the site or sites that seem the best fit for you, and create your account.
2. Fill out your profile
This is probably the most important part! Some of these sites have thousands of members. You need to make your profile stand out, and make sure your new potential friends can find you!
Make sure you fill out all the demographics such as age, location, and gender, as many people will start their search with these criteria.
But it’s just as important to showcase your personality and highlight what you’ll bring to this friendship!
Write about your hobbies, any special skills, anything that makes you interesting!
If you speak another language or have some skill you can teach online, these are things that really increase your chances of getting contacted.
Take any quizzes
Some of these sites have little quizzes, tests or surveys for you to fill in. No need to stress – the purpose is just to gauge your personality and interests, so that you can match with the right kind of people!
Answer all the questions honestly to increase your chances of being placed with a good buddy.
Add your payment details
Don’t forget this step! We’re in this to make money, after all. Most of these sites pay by PayPal but you may have other options such as bank transfer. It depends on the site and your country.
Wait to be contacted
Generally, clients (friend seekers) are the ones to make first contact. So once you’ve made sure your profile is as good as it can be, just sit back and relax.
Your first message will usually come through the website’s own messaging system. After that, you and your new friend can talk about what kind of friendship this will be, and how you’ll communicate.
It could be through text, email, video call or any other platform that suits you both.
Sites to find online friend jobs
RentAFriend.com
RentAFriend is probably the biggest paid friendship platform out there. As of April 2021 there are over 621,585 registered friends from all over the world!
It’s not specifically for online friendships. In fact, it’s more geared up towards in-person friendships. However, you can just state on your profile that you’re only offering virtual friend services.
This is a US site but it’s open to virtual friends worldwide, so you can use this site to get paid to be an online friend in the UK.
You can register as a friend for free. The person looking for a friend has to pay a membership fee.
FriendPC
FriendPC specialises in online friends only (unlike many of the other sites where you can also meet in real life).
It has a few different categories you can choose from: virtual friend, virtual girlfriend, virtual gamer, companion and life coach.
Users can contact you by texting, phone call, video games or social media – you choose which way you feel comfortable with.
One advantage of this site is that you get paid instantly – no waiting until the end of the month!
It’s free to create a basic listing, but you can pay extra to add additional listings and have your profile show as ‘featured’.
FriendPC states that they are not a dating site and only allow platonic relationships. But I would note, when I was browsing the site I noticed a fair few non-PG profiles and users who were looking for love! So this aspect doesn’t seem to be as tightly monitored as other sites. Proceed with caution!
Rent A Local Friend
As you might guess from the name, RentALocalFriend.com is aimed at people who want to make contacts in specific locations around the globe.
You could help people plan a trip, share local tips, or offer a talk or lesson on an aspect of your local culture.
It’s a little harder to join this site than some of the others. After creating your profile, you’ll take an interview with the local community manager, and then you’ll have to pay a fee to get verified.
But once you’re a member, not only can you make money as a virtual friend online, but you will also get access to the site’s worldwide network of local experts.
Perfect if you’re a keen traveller yourself!
Rent a Cyber Friend
On RentaCyberFriend, friends are encouraged to think of something unique they can share.
You can just promote yourself as a general online friend, offering a chat or listening ear. But I also saw lots of listings that stood out by offering specific help.
Some examples were money saving tips visiting the user’s country, advice on becoming a professional DJ, cooking lessons, fitness appraisals and more.
You set your own rates. You can charge per hour of your time, or you can add ‘Gigs’ where you offer a specific service for a set fee (such as a lesson in one of your skills).
Users can connect however they like. Common options are Skype, Whatsapp, Facetime and various social media networks.
There is a fee to become a member and post your profile.
Fiverr
You’ve probably heard of Fiverr, the freelance marketplace where you can offer ‘gigs’ starting at $5. Well, did you know you can also sell your online friend services on Fiverr?
Yes, you can find online friends under the ‘lifestyle’ category. I recommend searching for keywords such as ‘friend’, ‘buddy’ and ‘talk’ to see how other people are marketing themselves.
Pay attention to the gigs that have the most reviews, as that’s proof people are buying them.
Here are a few Fiverr friendship gigs I found to inspire you:
There’s no fee to sign up to sell on Fiverr, but they do take a hefty 20% cut of your earnings.
I think there are so many benefits to being an online friend!
You can meet people from all over the world, from all different background and cultures, and you’re bound to learn a lot from your new friends. All while making money online from the comfort of your home.
Many people find that they truly bond with their online friends, and even become ‘real’ friends after the paid period has ended.
This job would suit you if you’re outgoing, chatty, openminded and a good listener. You can do particularly well if you have some skills or knowledge to share.
Have you ever worked as an online friend? What sites did you use and how much did you make? Feel free to be friendly and share the knowledge in the comments section!
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