Jump to content
The Inquirer-Home

Microsoft pays users to use its search

Let's see Google top that!
Thursday, 22 May 2008, 08:54

MICROSOFT has decided that the best way to drive users to its search engine is to pay them a nice cheque.

Turning Microsoft's cash mountain into user clicks must have been agreed at the highest level in Redmond.

According to the Live Search cashback site, Microsoft will dole out money to online users who find and buy select products through its Live Search engine.

There is a fair bit of cash involved too. The amounts range from two per cent of the purchase price to 30 per cent.

Microsoft has signed up a long list of merchants to participate in the programme including Barnes & Noble, Sears, Home Depot, J&R, Office Depot and others.

It is not a marketing system that Microsoft is hiding either. Bill Gates mentioned it yesterday when he was chatting to online advertisers at a Microsoft conference in Redmond.

Gates said that in a few years time punters will look back and say, 'Wow, search started to get a fair bit more competitive around that time.' Of course they might just say 'Microsoft was so desperate for hits that they started bribing people.' µ

Share this:

Comments
mmm, no thanks

Believe it or not, I wouldn't use their crap even if they payed me for it.
How low can a company get in customer's appreciation? Well, THIS low.

posted by : ChrisInBelgium, 22 May 2008 Complain about this comment
Don't Google already kind of do that?

...Using Google Checkout?

posted by : Steve O B Have, 22 May 2008 Complain about this comment
Sorry

but the Live Search UI sucks balls.

I'll stick to Google.

posted by : Charles, 22 May 2008 Complain about this comment
real alternative

If you are uncmfortable searching with MS live. Try using this instead its great and they pay you for all your searches whether it be for purchases search or common googleing. You get your results in google and get paid to your bank or paypal. And once you sign up for each friend you invite or send the link with your account ending number you get a cut from mysearchfunds share (ie; not from your friends share of pay but the companies). If you don't mind me getting a share from the companies cut for referring please use this link to sign up

https://www.mysearchfunds.com/apply001.asp?Friend=20016

or use the site address itself.

Yep they pay for a common no brainer thing as searching.
they are based in UK but they can pay you regardless of geographical location.

Enjoy

posted by : nik, 22 May 2008 Complain about this comment
LOL

The search technology seems a bit ropey compared to Google and this may be an unfair skewing of the market, but heyyyyy, free money! I'm going to give it a go (thanks Mr. Ballmer).

posted by : Stephen Brooks, 01 June 2008 Complain about this comment
Advertisement
Subscribe to the INQ Newsletter
Sign-up for the INQBot weekly newsletter
Click here to sign up Existing user
Advertisement
INQ Poll

Browsers

Who will win the next round of browser wars?