Is Cashtexts.com a Scam?

If you don't live under a rock, you probably own a cell phone. A lot more of us are even starting to own smart cell phones. (Glad ya'll caught up. lol) But even if you own a "functionality challenged" cell phone, we all pretty much have access to text messages. Since I'm not really big on chit chatting on the phone, I'm a huge user of text messaging. I love text messaging because it forces people to get to the point. Some view it as cold or impersonal but since I'm anti-social anyway so it works for me! lol

Our phones are like drugs. You can't help but find people text messaging everywhere, whether it's at the dinner table, movie theater and worst still driving. It's become part of our life for better or worst. If you're anything like me you've probably wondered how can I make money with text messaging? So today we're going to discuss how you can get paid for receiving text message instead of the usual get paid for texting people which was covered in our past articles about KGBKGB, ChaCha or Weegy.

As I was getting paid to view ads on ClixSense and Hits4Pay, I kept noticing ads for Cashtexts.com. As a trained affiliate marketer I know if someone keeps spending the money to advertise a given program or opportunity, there is probably money to be made. So my team and I decided to dig deeper since I'm sure you've seen the ads too or been told by some rep that this is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

So What Is CashTexts and Is It For Real?

Cashtexts is a brand spanking new, 5 level, MLM company that opened it's cyber doors around October 2011. In a nutshell you get paid to receive text messages which might offset if not pay for your current text messaging plan.

From what I've gathered, these texts are tangible offers from various advertisers and consist of coupons for some of the well-known fast food chains, health stores, electronics, entertainment and more. So it seems like you can make some money AND and save some if these coupons are to places you frequent. Sounds pretty good, so far.

Exactly How Do You Make Money and How Much?

Basically with the 5 level matrix referral structure, there are 3 ways

to make money.

1. Each time the system sends out an advertisement/coupon text, you earn 5 cents

2. Each time a person you referred into the program receives texts, you also make money.

3. You also get a commission if you get people to advertise with Cashtexts.com

You can read more about the comission structure here.

How Many Text Messages Will I Receive?

It all depends. There is a preference feature that lets you adjust your profile which I'm assuming includes demographic and other information that advertisers would use to target you. Like survey sites such as PaidViewPoint.com, ICS, MySurvey.com your demographic profile will probably determine your profitability. The fact of the matter is that advertisers are looking for certain types of customers for their products or services. If you're profile fits their needs then you'll be able to make some money. But adversely if your profile doesn't then you're likely to make little or no money. Unfortunately, that's just the way the cookie crumbles. Since a lot of people don't really understand this, they run around calling a company a scam when the reality is this merely supply and demand. So don't take it personal. It's just business.

In any event, my team discovered that some paid texts actually went out in November 2011 which is an encouraging sign. Too often we see companies that are in BETA/Pre-Launch which is sometimes abused to lure tons of users in. But then the company never ends up actually going live and paying people. But that doesn't seem to be the case here.

I have read that members can set the days of the week, times of day, and also the amount of texts they receive from their profile, as well as pause texting anytime they wish to.

How and When Am I Paid?

Members are paid automatically every two weeks via global branded debit card. However, and this is coming straight from the site; "Due to processing fees we have set this at $5.00 for the time being. In the future we hope to make this automatic."

Is This Opportunity Available Internationally?

Apparently international folks are encouraged to sign up, however at the time of this review, they will not receive texts and thus won't make any money. But don't fret, the company plans to expand and include all countries in the future.

So How Much Is This Opportunity Going To Cost Me?

To my understanding, there are no upfront or hidden fees associated with joining or working with Cashtexts.com. But keep in mind if you don't have a cell phone plan with text messaging included, you'll end up paying for the text you received which probably means losing money. And even if you do have a text message plan be sure it's enough to cover the additional texts you may get from this company assuming your profile is in demand.

Cons or Complaints

By now you should already know from reading many of my reviews, there is no such thing as a perfect company. There are always going to be things that may rub people the wrong way. So it's better to get them out in the open so you can make an informed decision. Having a few cons doesn't mean a company isn't legitimate. I tend to view them as areas of improvements or possible red flags depending on your own personality. Always dig deeper or run away from any rep of a company that tries to only paint a sweet picture, because that person is more concerned about signing you up then actually trying to help you make an informed decision. With that in mind, let's read what we've come up with thus far.

* Secret Identity?

I have read that initially the owners of the company were choosing to hide their names and identities to it's members. Most companies with good intentions wouldn't do this. It's usually a sign that the owners probably have something to hide like a failed business venture or sketchy dealings in the past. Or it could be something as innocent as just wanting to have privacy. Who knows? But if I'm giving you something as personal as my cell phone number, I want to know who is behind the company so I can make an informed decision. But it looks like they have seen the error in their ways and now includes an about us page with contact information that you can use to do your research about the folks involved.

* Where's the green?

So far, I have not found if any proof of payments from the reps of this company. Now this could be because the company is still new or I just wasn't lucky enough to find one. But usually when folks are getting paid by a company, you're hearing and see it on forums, Facebook, twitter, etc. At the time of this review, I didn't really see any of that. However if any of you have indeed been paid by Cashtexts.com please feel free to chime in. (Proof always speaks louder than words though.)

* Supplemental Income.

Your income will be based on two things that may scare certain people away. As I said above if your demographic profile isn't sought after you're probably not going to receive a lot of paid texts. However you won't really know this until you sign up. As always with these supplemental income type of opportunities there is a referral program that can really increase your earnings. But if you suck at getting referrals you won't really be able to tap into this source. As it stands now this may not be something you can not depend on to replace your current or lost income. And for some folks that's a deal breaker and they won't even consider this opportunity. So that's something to keep in mind. I personally always encourage multiple streams of income. You're already receiving texts anyway, why not get paid for it while you continue to seek the type of income that can replace your income. It just makes "cents" to me.

* Privacy concern.

I initially wanted to sign up for this company when I heard about it because it seemed very appealing! After all I'm all about getting paid for things that I already do for free! But the skeptical side of me really doesn't like the idea of giving my cell phone number out to a new company I've never really heard much about. I guess that lesson about strangers my moms taught me as a "younging" still has an impact on me. So as always with new opportunities I'm more inclined to sit back and wait until the company has proven themselves over time. I rather be safe than sorry. What if this company turns out to be a scam or goes belly up. Next thing you know, my cell phone number is sold to the highest bidder and then I end up receiving a ton of spam texts or worst still phone calls. I get enough of that crap already in my inbox and home voice mail. So I wouldn't want to risk this happening to my cell phone for a couple of cents. If the company is as good as it claims, it should still be here a few months or a year from now. In which case there should be a lot more proof of their payments and they'll probably have worked out a lot of the bugs that early adopters may experience. I've played catch up with other opportunities in the past and have still been able to make decent money. So I don't buy into the hype of having to join right away otherwise you won't be able to make money because everyone else has already.

* Sustainability

This business model reminds very much of the PTC (Pay to click) industry where users like you and are paid by companies such as ClixSense or Hits4pay to click on ads. Now I've been a user and I have been an advertiser on these platforms. As a user it's great to get money for something I already do. So I have no problem staring at the advertisers message and page. But I've rarely been moved to take action because I'm in the mindset of just sitting there and "doing my time" so I can earn my couple of cents for the day. That being said if an advertiser really knows what they're doing and understands this mindset, there are a few that do get my attention and I'll dig deeper on their site. Well the same has to apply with these paid text messages. If users aren't really taking action on the paid texts then any advertiser worth his or her salt will pull their advertising money out this medium. Now imagine if a lot of the advertisers start doing this. Guess where that leaves us folks that merely sign up to get paid for receiving texts? I'll tell you, ass out! The money well will dry up and now you're no longer making money with this company. Already I've seen on some blackhat forums guys discussing how to game this system. And trust me these guys are smart. Hopefully CashTexts has thought about this as well and has a plan in place. Otherwise this thing will be short lived. The PTC industry seemed to have figured out a way to still make this effective for everyone because many of them still exist. So hopefully the CashTexts people are learning from this industry and others that thrive so they can be in the same place.

So that's some of the major concerns I have with CashTexts.com. Do you have any that I missed? Do you agree or disagree with some of these points? Let me know in the comments below. But please be professional and if you're rep avoid the temptation for self promotion and feeding hype because your comment will be deleted. We want real balanced feedback from people that are with the company or have decided against it.

Do I Think Cashtexts.com is Legitimate?

From what I've gathered so far, this company seems harmless. However, I can't say out-right, Cashtexts.com is definitely NOT a scam. The program is too new for me to actually give that statement. And with that said, I would advise anyone to find proofs of payment from various members before giving out their phone numbers. If you've seen my scam video, you already know that I would advise taking a wait and see attitude with this company. Let everyone else be the guinea pig. (No disrespect to those folks intended.) But once the dust has settled, then you'll really be able to tell if this is the right move for you. However if you feel the risk is minimal, then jump into the pool and let us know how the water is.

Well that's it for me. If you like the idea of supplemental income and are trying to find more that are proven and have been researched, be sure to check out my recommendations page here. If you're more in the market to replace your current or lost income, then be sure to check out my work at home jobs page which is updated daily here. If you like what you've read thus far and want to be one of the first to know when we post new articles like the one you've read or real work at home jobs, be sure to become a subscriber here. You can also get some great information on our Facebook fan page!

Oh and one more tip OF COURSE! Don't drive and text! lol