{"id":1231,"date":"2006-05-08T18:25:38","date_gmt":"2006-05-08T12:55:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/05\/ether-phone-number-earn-money-talking-expert-advice\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T14:58:02","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T09:28:02","slug":"ether-phone-number-earn-money-talking-expert-advice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/05\/ether-phone-number-earn-money-talking-expert-advice\/","title":{"rendered":"Get Paid to Give Advice by Phone: Ether (2006) and Options Today"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Can you <strong>get paid to give advice<\/strong> over the phone, without handing out your personal number? In 2006 I found a service called Ether that did exactly that: people paid to talk to you. This article explains how Ether worked, what happened to it, and how experts sell paid calls and consultations today.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-67358\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/get-paid-to-give-advice-2026-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"Get paid to give advice by phone\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/get-paid-to-give-advice-2026-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/get-paid-to-give-advice-2026-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/get-paid-to-give-advice-2026-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/get-paid-to-give-advice-2026-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/get-paid-to-give-advice-2026.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Ether, from San Francisco company Ingenio, gave you a free phone number that forwarded to your own phone. Callers prepaid the rate you set, and Ether kept 15%. Ether is long gone, but you can still get paid for expert advice through paid-call marketplaces, booking tools that take payment upfront, or your own website and newsletter.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af6c67a2a442\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af6c67a2a442\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/05\/ether-phone-number-earn-money-talking-expert-advice\/#How_the_Ether_phone_number_worked\" >How the Ether phone number worked<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/05\/ether-phone-number-earn-money-talking-expert-advice\/#What_happened_to_Ether\" >What happened to Ether?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/05\/ether-phone-number-earn-money-talking-expert-advice\/#How_to_get_paid_to_give_advice_today\" >How to get paid to give advice today<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/05\/ether-phone-number-earn-money-talking-expert-advice\/#Tips_for_selling_paid_advice_calls\" >Tips for selling paid advice calls<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/05\/ether-phone-number-earn-money-talking-expert-advice\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/05\/ether-phone-number-earn-money-talking-expert-advice\/#Does_Ether_still_exist\" >Does Ether still exist?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/05\/ether-phone-number-earn-money-talking-expert-advice\/#How_can_I_get_paid_to_give_advice_online\" >How can I get paid to give advice online?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/05\/ether-phone-number-earn-money-talking-expert-advice\/#How_do_I_keep_my_phone_number_private_on_paid_calls\" >How do I keep my phone number private on paid calls?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/05\/ether-phone-number-earn-money-talking-expert-advice\/#How_much_should_I_charge_for_an_advice_call\" >How much should I charge for an advice call?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_the_Ether_phone_number_worked\"><\/span>How the Ether phone number worked<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>I found Ether through an &#8220;Arrange Call&#8221; button on a website. The concept was simple: people pay to talk to you. You wouldn&#8217;t want to post your phone number on the web for privacy reasons, and why should strangers call your mobile for free expert advice? Ether&#8217;s answer was a free Ether phone number:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Call forwarding:<\/strong> your unique Ether number forwarded calls to your real cell phone or landline.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Your own price:<\/strong> you decided how much your time was worth, per call or per minute.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Prepaid calls:<\/strong> callers could only reach you after prepaying your rate, so there were no unpaid calls.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Set hours:<\/strong> an automatic schedule stopped calls at night.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Click-to-call button:<\/strong> an Ether button for your blog or website showed visitors whether you were available.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Payouts:<\/strong> Ether billed callers&#8217; credit cards and paid you by direct deposit or check, keeping a 15% commission (10% for beta sign-ups), with no monthly, setup or connection fees.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When I wrote about it in May 2006, Ether was in invite-only beta. I thought it was a great way to interact with readers and earn extra money doing what you love.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_happened_to_Ether\"><\/span>What happened to Ether?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TechCrunch<\/a>, Ether opened to the public in June 2006 as a service of Ingenio, a pay-per-call company that also handled paid phone calls for clients like AOL and Microsoft. In November 2007, TechCrunch reported that AT&amp;T was buying Ingenio for its Yellow Pages advertising business. Ether no longer exists as a service.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_get_paid_to_give_advice_today\"><\/span>How to get paid to give advice today<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The idea behind Ether is now common. Experts sell their time in a few main ways:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Expert call marketplaces:<\/strong> sites like <a href=\"https:\/\/clarity.fm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Clarity<\/a> connect people who want advice with entrepreneurs and experts for scheduled paid calls.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Booking with payment:<\/strong> scheduling tools like <a href=\"https:\/\/calendly.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Calendly<\/a> can collect payment through Stripe or PayPal when someone books a session, so clients prepay just as Ether callers did.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Video calls instead of phone calls:<\/strong> most paid consultations now happen on video apps, with a meeting link sent after booking, so your phone number stays private.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Your own site:<\/strong> a &#8220;Book a call&#8221; page on your blog works like the old Ether button. Our tips on how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/make-money-from-hobby-blog\/\">make money from a hobby blog<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/09\/making-millions\/\">build an online business<\/a> can help.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips_for_selling_paid_advice_calls\"><\/span>Tips for selling paid advice calls<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Pick a clear niche where people already ask you questions.<\/li>\n<li>Start with a fixed-length session (for example 30 minutes) and a simple price.<\/li>\n<li>Always take payment before the call, and state your cancellation policy.<\/li>\n<li>Keep a short intake form so you can prepare for each call.<\/li>\n<li>Collect testimonials and share them on your website.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Every expert starts small. My own <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/09\/first-100-blogging-income\/\">lessons from my first $100 of blogging income<\/a> apply here too.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_Ether_still_exist\"><\/span>Does Ether still exist?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No. Ether was a 2006 service from Ingenio, and it no longer operates.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_can_I_get_paid_to_give_advice_online\"><\/span>How can I get paid to give advice online?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Join an expert call marketplace, or use a booking tool that takes payment upfront and link it from your website or social profiles.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_I_keep_my_phone_number_private_on_paid_calls\"><\/span>How do I keep my phone number private on paid calls?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Use video calls through a meeting link, or a call platform that connects both sides without sharing personal numbers.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_much_should_I_charge_for_an_advice_call\"><\/span>How much should I charge for an advice call?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It depends on your field and experience. Check what similar experts charge, start with a simple fixed price, and raise it as demand grows.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Can you get paid to give advice over the phone, without handing out your personal number? In 2006 I found&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":67358,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-security"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1231"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1231\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67359,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1231\/revisions\/67359"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}