Sick of watching the earnings that search engines post quarter after quarter, two twenty-somethings have started a Web site that gives users a way to share in the wealth.
mySearchBonus.com allows users to earn points every time they search the web. They can redeem those points for gas cards, gift certificates, consumer electronics, and other prizes.
There is no catch. The site generates revenue only through ad sales, and does not solicit to users or re-sell their information. And mySearchBonus.com utilizes the Google search engine, so there is no difference in the results they're getting -- just in the rewards.
Every time a registered user searches through mySearchBonus.com, he/she earns one point. Those points are tallied in a window at the top of the screen, and can be redeemed starting at 500 points.
That means that, with only 500 Web searches, you can earn $5 worth of free gas to the station of your choosing!
Ry Racherbaumer, co-founder of mySearchBonus, said: “We designed it so that a user is able to start using it immediately. We don’t want people to go through lengthy registration processes. We just want them to use the search engine and start earning points.”
Co-founder Geoff Lilienfeld said that the most common question he hears is what’s the catch?
“The site earns money off of the advertising revenue just like any search engine,” he said. “We simply use free gas as an incentive to get users to use the search engine. It is truly a win-win situation.”
The site has been extremely successful in the recent weeks. Lots of students and young professionals are flocking to receive free rewards. With gas prices on the rise more and more will be going to similar sites to try to ease the strain on their wallet.
