In the realm of sex work making money has never been easy. However, as everything makes the shift to becoming digital there are a lot more hurdles to jump over in order to get paid. Here, we are going to be talking about the best payment methods you can use, as a sex worker to make your life that much easier.
Depending on your line of work within the broad field of sex, some career options might run into more problems than others. For instance, camming or OnlyFans inherently comes with their own payment processors to make sure that everyone can get their cut. Whereas escorts, strippers and any form of in-person action don’t tend to have this privilege. When going through our list of payment methods we’ll try to take this into consideration when recommending the best payment method for you.
One important thing to remember before we get started is being safe with your money. There are people out there who prey on those making money through adult means, knowing that they aren’t subject to the same level of financial security that regular businesses and jobs have. So here are a few tips to take on board if you’re new to the industry.
This might go without saying but finding a bank to support adult work is fairly difficult. If you have an income stream from sex work that will immediately ruin your chances of being supported by most high street banks. Banks consider people making money through sex work to be high-risk clients as the stability of income, tend to be quite volatile. Furthermore, it’s not a good look for banks to be affiliated with adult entertainment if they have other much larger clients that would have their image tainted by it.
We recommend searching for a bank that endorses adult merchant services to make sure that your money is safe. Be sure to read reviews and understand the pros and cons of banking with them before creating an account. One downside to many of these adult merchant services is that they can usually come with registration fees, transaction fees and held funds. So don’t choose your bank on a whim.
We understand that scrolling through walls of text is not the way you want to be spending your day, but if the payment processor does not allow adult activity they will most likely freeze your account as soon as they find out. The big kahunas of the payment processor game such as PayPal, Venmo and Square Cash explicitly state that adult activity is against their terms of service so we do not advise that you use them for payment if you’re in the adult game.
Of course, these companies have to find out that you’re doing “shady” stuff in the first place but many people exploit this in order to target models in the adult industry. A few years ago a movement known as #Thotaudit emerged from 4chan’s poll board and spread across the internet. It consisted of various bored individuals targeting and reporting models to big payment processors such as PayPal in an attempt to out and freeze their income. This later evolved into people reporting models to the IRS for untaxed income. Please make sure that you’re covered and doing things by the book.
A scam to be aware of is private cam shows. A lot of private cam shows happen over Skype and money is exchanged independently between the model and the viewer. Some viewers with rather malicious intentions will pay for the show and then charge back the money after it’s done. If the model is with a big payment processor like PayPal, then their account will be frozen due to adult activity and unable to dispute the chargeback. Meanwhile, the scammer has made off with his money and a free show.
Despite the internet being a dangerous place at times, it also offers a whole world of opportunity if you know where to look. To quickly summarise the safety advice; Don’t violate terms of service, find a suitable bank, don’t avoid tax and beware of scammers. If you follow these rules you have nothing to worry about. So be vigilant and don’t let this put you off your adult ventures.
Keeping your best interests in mind we have created a list of payment methods you can use as a sex worker that supports adult activity. Sometimes it’s easy to be blinded by the dollar signs and take the options that give you the biggest cut. But usually, it’s better to be safe than sorry and keep a stable income over a quick cash grab.
Sex workers explain that there is nothing quite like being handed a cold hard wad of cash at the end of a shift knowing that it’s all yours. Instant gratification is something that a lot of sex workers in the field of stripping and escort services fall in love with. Obviously, online businesses are at a disadvantage here as this is not an option but don’t worry we’ve got you covered too.
One of the main reasons why cash is still queen in the industry is the anonymity of it all. You can bet that the young bachelor looking for sex services, doesn’t want to explain his bank transactions at the local brothel to his parents. Not to mention, you don't have to go giving away personal information to a company that deals with your sex-earned cash.
The freedom to hand that ticket of wealth to whoever you please is what makes it so powerful. Also, paying with cash opens up the opportunity to receive tips more conveniently. When a client opens up their wallet to pay and sees the extra cash sitting there after a satisfying service they’re more inclined to part ways with it compared to other methods.
One downside to cash is that it can be dangerous to be lugging around large amounts of it in your coat pocket after a job. So it helps to squirrel money away in a safe place at home or someone you can trust before heading out for another shift. Money is also notoriously tempting to spend in cash form. So be wise with your finances as a lot of in-person sex services predicated on youth have a finite window of opportunity to be earning the big bucks.
Another way to get paid is by direct bank transfer. As we previously mentioned it can be almost impossible to be accepted by a high street bank when involved in sex work. However, once you have found a safe, suitable bank and have this situation under control, a direct bank transfer is a very effective payment method.
For cam girls on popular sites, you’ll be pleased to know that very many of them offer the option of direct bank transfer for payouts. All you have to do is provide them with your relevant banking information which will usually be your account and routing number then, hey presto! You can start receiving your hard-earned money. If you’re worried about them appearing on your statement you need not worry. Most of the big sites make payouts discreetly under a company name that sounds very corporate and not adult in nature. So you’re all good on that front.
Just for reference here are some of the camming and content unlocking sites that offer direct bank transfers so you can explore your options:
It’s important to mention that direct bank payouts may not be available in all countries so please make sure to check before kickstarting your camming career. But don’t be discouraged because there are still more alternative options later on.
For entrepreneurs in the adult space, direct bank transfers are something worth learning about and implementing. Offering the feature of direct bank transfer makes you more trustworthy in the eyes of your users. Just try to ensure that you send payouts via a discrete company name.
With regards to in-person sex work, direct bank transfers are a perfectly viable option. The only problem is banking obviously links to personal information like your real government name which can be problematic for those who want to remain anonymous.
Everyone's favourite decentralised currency has been described as a lifeline for sex workers. Using cryptocurrency is anonymous, untraceable, irreversible and untainted by commissions… Need I say more? ICU nurse turned OnlyFans model turned entrepreneur Allie Rae started her first private show service over Skype using Bitcoin as the payment method.
She explained that she had a Coinbase wallet at the time and the client told her to hold a QR code up to the camera. After a quick scan, he had transferred over the money in a safe and irreversible fashion ready for the show to begin. She stated that “It was mine” and that was the most appealing part about the transaction. It only took 15 minutes with no commission fee or bank to block the transaction.
So with all these benefits of cryptocurrencies, it’s not surprising that some of the biggest companies in the industry like PornHub have moved on to accepting cryptocurrency payments like Bitcoin and Litecoin. The value of cryptocurrencies are inherently volatile so as much as they can appreciate massively over time there is the potential of it crashing but that's a whole other debate. The instability and unknown future of crypto is where people usually have their reservations in utilising it for payment. However, if your plans are using it as a means to securely make money and cash out before a crash then we don’t see why not.
As an independent worker, all you need to do is set up a wallet. There are numerous in-depth guides out there to show you how the process works. Then, quickly learn how to make transactions using cryptocurrency and you’re set! Putting in that little bit of time to acquire some crypto-competence could go a long way.
This option is one of the latest lucrative ways to make money as an adult model online. Cam girls, Onlyfans creators and just about any sexual presence on the internet have started to place their Amazon wishlist into their contact links as a means of being spoiled. Typically the list will be full of things related to their performance and fan requests like lingerie, shoes, toys and lube. But recently people have been adding normal things they need in their day to day lives like food, electronics and more.
Sometimes fans like to spoil their performers with things that they need outside of sex work to feel a deeper form of connection and sexual gratification. Spoiling models with items from their Amazon wishlist is stepping into Findom territory but is not exclusive to these kinds of relationships. Some fans just love to support and Amazon is a legitimate means of payment.
If a fan can't decide on what to get you, or would rather you pick something out yourself they have the option to send you a gift card for any amount they like. Some performers, particularly those who do private cam shows, preferred to be paid this way as this eliminates the chances of a chargeback. All you have to do is update your credit from your gift card that you receive in your email, onto your Amazon account and you can shop away!
Amazon stated, although not in their terms of service, that the use of the Amazon wishlist to solicit legal sex work will result in the user's wishlist being deleted. In some cases, accounts can be deleted including the balance currently on the account. Our advice is to be smart about how you use your wishlist service. Only top up your balance when you’re ready to buy things. While it is very difficult for Amazon to discover and prove such behaviour you can be unlucky so please take care when using it.
Secondly, you need to know what you’re doing to keep your address secure and confidential. Luckily it’s pretty easy and we’ll tell you how. When a fan buys an item for you off of your Amazon wishlist they do not get to see your address of course. However, the company that ships the item does. If you go into your wishlist settings you can choose to accept or decline Amazon's third-party shipping agreement.
By declining it you only allow products that are directly shipped by Amazon to be sent to you. So you can know that your address and data is secure. By accepting it you enable third party companies, so companies that are not Amazon but independently sell products on the site, to have access to your shipping information. Of course, for many, this isn’t a big deal as they order from places all over the internet but being a sex worker sometimes you want that extra layer of protection.
A good way to completely protect your address and other personal information is to invest in a P.O. Box. If you feel like you receive enough Amazon wish list orders for it to be worth your while you can have them posted to a local post office using a third party address. From here you have the option of collecting it yourself or then having it delivered to you while you remain completely off the grid.
Verotel is a payment gateway service that handles transactions and payouts. So if you happen to own, or are thinking of starting an online adult business then pay attention. Their legal page and terms of service don’t make any reference to adult services. However, in an email they revealed they allow online payments for services soliciting phone and webcam sex as well as content unlocking including adult videos, live chats and adult downloadable content.
The only shortcoming of Verotel as a payment processor is it cannot be used to process interactions in real life. For instance, if payment wished to be transferred for sex between a worker and their client they would not be able to do so. All sexual acts must be paid in exchange for online content. But, the plus side is that Verotel is totally adult-friendly meaning that you don’t need to worry about your account being frozen or payments being delayed for violating terms of service.
Paxum is potentially a game-changer when it comes to handling money in the adult world. They have very clear and explicit guidelines on what they do not allow within the adult industry so you know when you’re crossing the line. Their policy explains there can be no “Production, distribution and advertisement of defecation, bestiality, death or simulated death, rape or simulated rape, or any materials that depict explicit sex scenes or pornography involving a child or adolescent.” So essentially, most things that are illegal or banned worldwide will result in the termination of their services.
But on a lighter note, their services are great! For business clients they offer mass wire transfers to clients worldwide, mass electronic fund transfers worldwide, sending and receiving payments from other Paxum users and competitive rates on payout costs. Which if you ask me are essential to any model of adult business.
On the client side of things, they’ve got you sex workers covered. Individuals registered to Paxum get paid for their work through the service, have the ability to send and receive payments from fellow Paxum users and finally, multiple withdrawal methods including a Paxum pre paid debit card. At last!
This is yet another adult-friendly payment processor that allows its clients to do with it what they will. ICEPAY do explain that being an adult business will make you high risk and thus you will fall under their Black Account. This means that you will be subject to a monthly fee. Depending on the scale of your business this might be a small price to pay to give your customers more ways to pay for your service.
Some of the features that ICEPAY have to offer consist of one step checkouts, recurring payments and payouts and a chargeback/refund service. If you’re looking for more flexibility with your payouts including shipping and credit card security then they’re worth checking out.
Cosmo Payment is the new kid on the block when it comes to sex worker payments but many of the popular camming seems to be jumping on board. Cosmo Payment offers instant payouts and their own debit card which can be used to shop online, in-store and withdraw at ATMs all over the world.
Payouts tend to run into hiccups with international clients but Cosmo claims to support payout services in the following countries:
Cosmo Payment is totally adult-friendly although it can't hurt to check in with them depending on your particular avenue of adult work. So, if you live within any of the aforementioned countries and need an adult payment processor this is a totally viable option for you.
Last on our list but certainly not least is ePayService. Similar to Cosmo they are an online eWallet that double up as a payment gateway for the business client side of things. You can receive payouts from here as an online adult model as well as make web transfers to other users.
The service offers global money transfers. But this should probably say more specifically Europe and Asia as this is where most of their services are available. They are fully operational for transfers around the United States so no worries for freelancers and business owners based in America. ePayService also has its own debit card which gives you the freedom to withdraw and transfer money as you please. The only downside is a €1.99 transaction fee per withdrawal.
Besides that, ePayService is a trusted adult payment method that is used by some of the biggest adult sites out there. If you have your reservations about using any of these payment methods it’s probably good to read the reviews and see which companies are putting their faith in their services. Seeing what the biggest companies are using can often be a good indicator of legitimacy.
So, be smart, be safe and go out there and get that money!
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