Get Paid to Play Games, Check E-mail

If you like to play games on the Web in your spare time, you may as well get paid for having fun!

There are Web sites that will pay their members to play games, read e-mails, and join online survey panels.

Credible sites include www.inboxdollars.com, www.sendearnings.com and www.mypoints.com. If you look for similar sites in a search engine, be sure to read the fine print regarding privacy policies.

Although you won't get rich with these sites, you may earn a little extra cash with very little effort.

For example, Inbox Dollars pays its members between 1 cent and 10 cents per e-mail read, 5 cents to 10 cents per free game played, and up to $4 for each online survey panel that members join. The average payment is 2 cents per e-mail. New members get $5 when they join and get another $5 for every friend they refer to the program.

Members can earn more if they win the games, as they compete against other members playing the same game. The sites also offer paid games that require payment -- starting at 25 cents a game -- but it is not necessary to pay for games to earn a little money.

Send Earnings is similar to Inbox Dollars, although new members receive $3 rather than $5.

Mypoints.com compensates members with points rather than cash, and members can redeem their points for a variety of retailer gift cards. Mypoints.com also rewards members with points when they shop online with participating retailers.