Ask 1099 Mom: Can I Make Money from a Site Like ChaCha?

As Moms look for more flexible ways to earn money while staying home with the kids, sites like ChaCha become more appealing.  The promise of working as much or as little as you like, with no obligation to "report to work" gives hope to Moms who want to help earn money from home.  As with any task-based program, however, the opportunity doesn't always meet the need.  Here is our answer to the mom who asks, "Can I make money from ChaCha?":
1. ChaCha is an SMS (text message) and internet-based Q&A service.  Questions that come in are answered by "guides" and payment is made to the "guides" on a per question basis (usually paying pennies per question.)

2. The roles (and pay structures) at ChaCha vary.  Questions are answered by different types of experts, depending on the difficulty of the question.  Questions with canned responses are answered by Expeditors; those that need more research are passed on to either a Generalist or a Specialist for answering.  There are also Transcribers, which take the questions and type them up to be put on the site, and vetters (who answer questions directly to cell phone users.)

3. Payment can be made via cash or "points".  The value of the "points" vary, so for a definite amount, cash is the way to go.  Payment for each task, however, ranges from just $.02 to $.20 per task, depending on your role.  It would take hundreds (if not thousands) of tasks to get a wage equivalent to 3 hours of work at minimum wage.

4. Cash payments are put onto a debit card at any time you request it.  If you don't mind taking your earnings and spending them with plastic, then this won't be a problem. If you need to be paid with cash (or direct deposit), then you will need to earn the minimum payment threshold (we are hearing between $100 and $150 from past workers.) It could take months or years to earn this!

The qualifications for being a "guide" include being a U.S. citizen, 18+ with fluency in English.  You also need to pass a simple test to start.  They will require an independent contractor's tax form before you begin (so that they can give you a 1099 at the end of the year.)  This is not an employee position.

While we think there are much better ways to earn cash from home, it may be the perfect solution for someone who loves looking things up online and wants to be rewarded a small fee for their efforts.  Learn more about becoming a guide at ChaCha's website.

(Note: ChaCha also has an affiliate program, which pays you money for clicks through to articles on this site.)

Have you worked for ChaCha?  Share your experiences with our readers!