by Kathy D.

Member since:
December 28, 2006

For Those of You on the Cash Option

October 24, 2007 02:06 PM EDT

views: 164 | comments: 62

Gather FINALLY gave me the option of going to cash!

For those of you who do the cash thing, a few questions:

Do you like this option better than the gift cards? Why or why not?
How long does it take to get paid via PayPal?
How often can you cash out?
Does the cash accumulate at the same rate as points?

I'm trying to make my decision and I'm just not sure. Perhaps the experiences of others will help me.

Thanks!

Tags: gather, points, cash option

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Comments: 62

Tab B. Oct 24, 2007, 2:10pm EDT

I wanna know too, I'll be checking back on this article. (Not that I am anywhere near making the decision, but who knows....)

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Bridget ♥ Oct 24, 2007, 2:17pm EDT

I accepted the cash option the end of July! I cashed out for $150 on September 25th and I have $60 right now! After I requested my PayPal payment, it was in my account in 4 days!

I LOVE the cash option because I can spend the money ANYWHERE!

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Amanda C. Oct 24, 2007, 2:27pm EDT

Thanks for asking these questions Kathy!

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Amanda C. Oct 24, 2007, 2:27pm EDT

I got an email yesterday offering me the cash option, and I was wonding pretty much the same thing as you!

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Amanda C. Oct 24, 2007, 2:27pm EDT

I will have to keep an eye on this article to find out :)

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Randee "The Court Jester of LaLa Land ! ! !" always and forever, I just want to celebrate Oct 24, 2007, 2:37pm EDT

I don't know, no offers yet....

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Deborah O. Oct 24, 2007, 2:42pm EDT

good question, I will be checking into this article often

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Rob Appell Oct 24, 2007, 3:10pm EDT

I received an invitation to opt to the cash plan after I accumulated over 3,000 points in my first 28 days writing on Gather back in February. I prefer the cash option because I can use the money on anything I want rather than limit it to a couple of gift card companies. I don't know anything about PayPal, but I do know they charge a small 'handling and prossessing fee' for their services. I have a check sent directly to my home address from Gather, who also has a $2 per check charge they keep as their 'handling and prossessing fee' for giving you the cash. I just cashed out a couple of weeks ago...nearly 18,000 points...and am waiting for a check for around $280. The way things are 'iffy' with the points on Gather, I wouldn't let the money build up too much. I've only heard rumors, but I wouldn't want to get caught with a lot of points now and not be able to cash them out for money or gift cards. From my experiences cashing points in for money, they pretty much run at the same rate. It takes 3,150 to get a $50 gift card or a $50 check/payment.

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Priscilla (wishing I was in Costa Rica) ~. Oct 24, 2007, 4:27pm EDT

Interesting! I really want to be on the cash option, but so far no invitation to join as of yet. I wonder when they decide to invite a person to join the cash option?

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Sherry W. Oct 24, 2007, 4:58pm EDT

I've only cashed out one time - on October 11th for several hundred dollars, and I received the check on October 22nd, so pretty decent turnaround time.

Gather didn't take anything out of my $ for a handling charge, so maybe that's changed since the last time Rob cashed out, since he mentioned a $2 fee above. ?

Anyway, I like the $ option. I have a lot of Borders cards waiting to be used, and otherwise, we wouldn't really use the other things offered - only HD on occasion.

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Deeanna M. Oct 24, 2007, 5:10pm EDT

like priscilla asked above, how do they determine who gets a cash option? is it the first time that you reach 3,000 points in one month or do you have to have a minimum of 3,000 points each month?

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Bridget ♥ Oct 24, 2007, 5:12pm EDT

Not everyone who reaches 3000 points in a given month is offered that cash option. It's on a case by case basis!

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Deeanna M. Oct 24, 2007, 5:15pm EDT

hmm.. that's interesting.. i wonder how they judge? another one of gather's unsolved mysteries i suppose

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Rob Appell Oct 24, 2007, 5:17pm EDT

Just a quick check back...I went down to get the mail and a check from Gather for $278 was waiting for me...13 days after cashing out. You don't have to maintain 3,000 per months after being invited to switch to cash...but it's not an automatic thing to be invited. Gather has to determine how much traffic you're actually creating for the site. And once you switch to cash, you don't get points...you get dollars where your points were once displayed. $1 equals 63 points. You can cash in whenever you want at whatever dollar amount...even if it takes you two months to reach the '3,000 point level'. Maybe Gather's 'handling and prossessing' fee policy has changed...I received exactly the amount they cashed me out at.

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Jill~Sexy Back~ V. Oct 24, 2007, 5:23pm EDT

I love the cash option. The processing fee is because of how gather pays paypal and depends on the type of paypal acct you have. I have a premier business paypal account, so I got charged a small fee (about $2) when I cashed out. However, I know someone with a regular paypal account who did NOT get charged the fee. SO, if you just have a plain old paypal account, you will get every single cent!

When I cashed out last, it only took 3 days to get my money in my paypal acct! I love the cash option because I can use the money however I want.

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Tiffany G. Oct 24, 2007, 5:24pm EDT

I would be sooo mad if I made it to 3000 and did not get the cash option.. lol I work really hard to get that.. I have not yet made it and I am on gather alllll the time! Its a fun goal though!!

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Kathy D. Oct 24, 2007, 6:15pm EDT

Thanks everyone!

I think I'm going to go ahead and take the cash option. I can pay off some credit card bills this way!

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Leah A. Oct 24, 2007, 6:18pm EDT

Thanks for asking the question. I'm nowhere near there but am interested in the answer anyway.

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Denise B. Oct 24, 2007, 6:35pm EDT

good questions and good answers

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Brad D. Oct 24, 2007, 8:30pm EDT

At this rate, I'll never get there.

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Selene N. Oct 25, 2007, 2:05am EDT

Thanks, I learned something new! I also thought there was a $2 fee for each cash-out. And I believe there was.... But apparently it's not true any more.

I see that you have made up your mind.... but just to answer your question:

Do you like this option better than the gift cards? Why or why not?
== I like it because the cash can be spent any way I wanted. But I don't like it because it accumulates slower. I was going to mention the $2 fee but it looks like there is no more fees.

How long does it take to get paid via PayPal?
== I have not cashed out yet... Don't know.

How often can you cash out?
== As often as you want... AFTER the first $50 cash out.

Does the cash accumulate at the same rate as points?
== Many people say yes, but I say No. I keep track of my daily balances and my activity level is fairly constant. I got much more points for doing exactly the same thing I have been doing than cash balance.

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Amanda C. Oct 25, 2007, 9:02am EDT

thanks for all the info!!
I am gonna go ahead and take the cash option also!

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Tab B. Oct 25, 2007, 10:59am EDT

I still have to wait and see. But there is definitely alot of useful info here to help me in my decision! Thanks everyone, and thanks, Kathy for asking!!!

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Sue D. Oct 26, 2007, 1:51am EDT

I have never gotten close to getting the cash option. Congratulations!

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j - Frugal Mom - r. Oct 26, 2007, 1:56pm EDT

I got an invitation in August and I just got another one.....I am still considering. Congratulations on making it!!

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Phyllis R. Oct 26, 2007, 5:42pm EDT

I'm w/Leah, I am no where near that, but thanks for asking!!

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Jo C. Oct 26, 2007, 6:47pm EDT

How do you get on the cash option? Do you have to be a member for a certain length of time?

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Lydia (part of the solution) Shelley Oct 27, 2007, 10:34am EDT

Gosh. I hope I get invited to this option some day... it would really help out around here!

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Bundy P Oct 27, 2007, 10:46am EDT

Congratulations! I hope to reach that level soon!

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Stacie N. Oct 27, 2007, 2:07pm EDT

Thanks for asking, the answers have been helpful.

Inspirational Quotations About Life

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Amanda "middle of nowhere" C. Oct 27, 2007, 2:18pm EDT

Congratulations Kathy. I may get enough to earn about a $25 gift card every other month. I'm too nervous to let them build up too much.

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Priscilla (wishing I was in Costa Rica) ~. Oct 27, 2007, 3:10pm EDT

I have earned 3000 points in a few given months, but stillno invitation to join. Now do I need to let those points just sit their, before they will invite me, or do they look at my activity for the whole month & then invite?

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Jule's dreamin of a wonderfilled life for all research mode again Oct 27, 2007, 11:52pm EDT

interesting thread learned a bit!!

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Priscilla (wishing I was in Costa Rica) ~. Oct 28, 2007, 11:19am EDT

I wish they would invite me soon. I've been on gather for a long time now....not that it matters I guess...

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Digital Diva S. Oct 28, 2007, 11:06pm EDT

I've been considering doing this but I'm still not sure its the way for me to go living outside the USA.

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Nan G. Oct 29, 2007, 6:51am EDT

This was an interesting article and comments. Thanks all for sharing.

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Teresa W. Oct 29, 2007, 8:19am EDT

I got the email invite for cash but I still can't make up my mind. Decisions, decisions! :-)

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Donald M. Oct 29, 2007, 3:36pm EDT

Since I dont know anything about paypal, dont buy or sell online. I would still take the gift cards instead. I do all my business offline on my old computer. Everything offline. The only online thing I do on this computer is gather.

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Midnite Writer -- Kim Oct 29, 2007, 4:39pm EDT

If you have paypal, it doesn't take long. I am still working up to the cash option but I have heard this from other people's posts. Thanks!

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Cathy T. Oct 29, 2007, 7:23pm EDT

I can't wait until I get enough points to even consider what to do with them!

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Priscilla (wishing I was in Costa Rica) ~. Oct 30, 2007, 10:52am EDT

When they email you to invite you to join the cash option, is the email sent to your gather email, or to your personal email?

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Priscilla (wishing I was in Costa Rica) ~. Oct 30, 2007, 10:53am EDT

Reena - youhave to publsih articles, images & comment like crazy on people's stuff

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Keva B. Oct 30, 2007, 11:46pm EDT

i want a cash option! I need more gather points!!!

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Aubrey :) Oct 31, 2007, 8:51am EDT

I haven't made it that far yet but it would be nice to. something to look forward to. I'm not good at keeping up on here though so that might be part of my problem.

I'm to busy to get on here all the time. Even though it calls my name all the time.

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Marci M. Oct 31, 2007, 3:01pm EDT

I'm not close to this option but I'm glad to have the information in case I do get there.

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Charlotte Babb Maven-Fairy Godmother Oct 31, 2007, 7:43pm EDT

Thanks for the information. AT this time i have just collected my first 3000 points today--thanks to all that commented me, although it has taken me two months to do it. I can see that I need to post a couple of articles every day and then comment a lot. It takes a lot of time to do that. i think there is some algorithm to how points accumulate--length of post, perhaphs, copy-paste of the same words over and over, and such like. I don't know of course, but if they are counting value added, it would seem to make a difference. I am looking forward to working on 100 points a day, which is 3000 a month. I'll be commenting a lot, because that seems to make more difference than anythign else.

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