Dec 10, 2004 2:00 PM PST    Text size: 

The new tool, named “Gallery Builder,” allows gallery owners to set a price, anywhere from 1 cent to $2 for every click, and then automatically convert any existing HTML files to follow the payment method.

Webmasters then upload the converted HTML file along with a PHP script to their servers, and the conversion process is complete.

Similar to the online payment scheme used by several large newspapers, the process allows consumers who are reticent to purchase an entire subscription to purchase individual pieces of content for a lower price.

Users of the system sign up for a PayAsYouClick account and deposit money in it. Whenever the user then visits a website with a PayAsYouClick merchant account and logs in, money is debited from the user’s account each time they click on a picture or video file.

According to the company, consumers usually click on a new picture every five to 10 seconds and often spend more than a normal site subscription rate in an evening.

Webmasters are charged a commission per click, but PayAsYouClick also offers referral bonuses and commissions to sites that send traffic to PayAsYouClick members.

Using PayAsYouClick technology, webmasters can also allow users to sign up for “micro-subscriptions,” which give access to member areas for small lengths of time ranging from 10 minutes to 24 hours.

Around 100 sites currently use the PayAsYouClick service, including ValleyCats.Net, which specializes in cat fight photos, MuckyTarts.com, which offers pictures of girls smeared in chocolate sauce, and mainstream site JeffosRetroMusic.net, which gives consumers access to 50s-styled songs.