New App Pays You to Answer Email Messages

A new app promises to put cash in your pocket simply for allowing people to search for you online and send you messages.

The app is called 21, and after you claim a username, set up a profile and establish a page with the service, you will receive paid messages “from people outside your network,” according to the 21 website.

According to a 21 blog post on Medium, once you join 21, anyone in the world can search for you online and “then buy a few minutes of your time.” Here is how the blog post describes the process:

• Someone googles you or clicks “contact me” in your bio to reach your 21 profile.
• They write a message, and pay to send it to you.
• You get a notification and reply to them at 21.co or in the 21 app.
• Upon receipt of your reply, your payment is unlocked.

People who register with 21 also can earn additional money for answering surveys. Or, if you prefer, you can transfer your earnings to a charitable cause.

Payment is made in the form of Bitcoin. If you prefer cash, you’re in luck — Forbes reports that the app integrates with Coinbase, a Silicon Valley “cryptocurrency” startup, which will allow you to cash out your earnings.

The founders of 21 describe the service as “a spam-proof replacement for a public email address.”

Forbes reports that Nick Tomaino — a tech investor at Runa Capital — tried the service.

Tomaino beta tested the service for about a month, earning $70 doing things like reviewing Uber’s latest release for $10 and doing a product review for $20. He also completed various surveys for fees ranging from $0.25 to $2 apiece

The app is available for both iPhone and Android, and is intended to help you earn money “while waiting in line for a coffee, during your morning commute, or when you’re bored at work,” according to the 21 website.

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