What is ChaCha?

Since I have mentioned that ChaCha is hiring guides, I have gotten many emails and messages asking what ChaCha is,  Is it legit and things of that nature. I have responded to many of these questions but I think it would be easier to just write an informational post about it. Hopefully this will give you all some great info on if ChaCha is something that you would like to do. Please feel free to ask if there is still more you want to know that I haven't covered!

First off, ChaCha is legit! I have been able to buy a new laptop, paid off a couple bills, helped buy Christmas and other odds and ends with my ChaCha earnings! From August 2008 to December 2008 I earned $3,006 with ChaCha. I made another $1200 before starting my blog, which takes up most of my free time, A year ago. I didn't put in a whole lot of time with it either. Just when I felt like doing it. Now I do ChaCha when I have to, or if I just want something :) Right now, I am trying to ChaCha as much as I can before the tax free weekend, that way I can pay cash for all my daughters school clothes and supplies.

I heard about ChaCha in a Work at home forum 2 years ago. I read all the responses from people who worked for them and It sounded like a lot of fun and a neat way to make some extra money at home.

So What is ChaCha?

ChaCha is like having a smart friend you can call or text for answers on your cell phone anytime for free! ChaCha works with virtually every provider and allows people with any mobile phone device - from basic flip phones to advanced smart phones - to ask any question in conversational English and receive an accurate answer as a text message in just a few minutes.

Go ahead and give it a try... Just ask a question to 242242 with your cell phone. Ask anything you want. You can even Call 1-800-224-2242 and ask the question in your normal voice and they will text your answer back shortly!

(ChaCha is a free service, you will only be charged standard texting rates by your carrier unless you have a texting plan. It's the same charge as if you were texting a friend!)

Did you try it?  Well if you did, the answer you received was compiled by a real human! A Human sitting at home at their computer, possibly in their Pjs with their favorite TV show playing in the background!  Now the answer you received may not have been perfect, keep in mind humans aren't perfect, but ChaCha strives to pick the best guides to answer their customers questions!

With your answer, you may have received another message or ad, this is what keeps ChaCha free for you to use! The advertisers pay ChaCha to have a slogan or phrase put out their with your answer!

So how can you make money from ChaCha?

Become a ChaCha Guide. There are currently 3 roles you can apply for,

Expeditor Guide -- In this role, you are responsible for looking at the customers questions and making sure that spelling and capitalization is right, you also must decide if this question is one that can be answered by a quick answer or if it needs to be sent to a Specialist Guide to answer ( You will learn more on which is which when you are able to study the guide book.) This role pays $0.02 per expediting question. Once you get the hang of it, these questions can be done in a matter of seconds, so that $0.02 can add up quickly.

Transcriber Guide -- In this Role, you are responsible for the questions that are called in through the 1-800 number. You listen to the customer ask the question and you type out what is being asked. You then send it on to the next guide to have it answered. This role pays$0.03 per typed question sent.

Generalist/Specialist Guide (*This is what I am*) -- In this role, you are responsible for answering the questions the customer is asking. You will make $0.10 to $0.20 per question depending on the category the question falls in. Easier categories pay $0.10  and harder categories range from $0.11 to $0.20 each.

So What is so Great About ChaCha? Where to start! ChaCha is great for so many reasons.

They are Flexible to the Extreme! Seriously there is no scheduling, you work whenever you want. They are open 24 hours a day so you can log in and work while the kiddos are at school, or after they have gone to bed. You could work 24 hours a day straight or not work at all if you don't feel like it. ChaCha will still be there when you are ready to log in again! This is perfect for anyone wanting to make some extra money but don't have a lot of time. Just answer a few questions when you can, and eventually its all going to start to add up!

They Pay! When I first started working for ChaCha I had an older, slower laptop and really wanted a new one. I made my first goal to buy a new laptop with my ChaCha earnings on my first cashout.  I worked 3 to 4 hours a day and within 3 weeks, I cashed out a little over $400 and made my first purchase with my ChaCha debit Card for a brand new laptop. That was however, back when every question paid $0.20 each, but you can still earn $400 in three weeks if you have the time to put into it. Actually I have seen many people have a goal of $500 a month and reach it with no problem.

They have 2 payment options. You can choose Pay me Monthly, or Pay Me Now.

Pay me Monthly- ChaCha will deposit your earnings in your checking account each month if you have reached the $150 threshold then it tends to take a few days to show up in your account. If  you don't reach the threshhold of $150, the money rolls over each month until you do then it will be deposited.  *I didn't like this option because I don't want to wait for my money and also, if I was to have a busy month at home, I may not have time to make $150 and would have to wait an extra month to see any of it.

Pay Me Now- This is the option I chose! With this option, they send you a ChaCha debit card issued by First Internet bank. Don't Worry! Everyone is approved for this account and there is NO Credit check involved! This debit card also has the Visa logo on it which means you can use it anywhere! The way this works is once you have made some money and you want to cash out, you just hit the pay me now button in your account and the money transfers right on your debit card instantly! There is No Wait. You can then leave the house and go shopping! The money is there! The only downside to having pay me now, is each time you press the pay me now button, there is a $2 fee deducted. Some people may see this as an inconvenience, and if you are cashing out everyday I can see where this would be costly. But for me, I tend to cash out once every 2 weeks, so that $2 doesn't hurt so much and so worth the convenience of having the money as soon as you need it. I don't know of any other work at home place that has that quick pay option!

What Do You Do as a ChaCha guide?

I am a Generalist/Specialist Guide and my job is to find the right answer to the questions the customer is asking. You can have fun and be witty in your answers as well, just make sure the customer is getting the right answer to what they are asking. For instance, You could be asked "What are the lyrics to the new Miley Cyrus song?"  All you do is research web like you would if you wanted to  know the answer. You can use Google, Yahoo, Bing whatever you are comfortable with or whatever you already use.  Once you find the answer, you just copy and paste it, select the link where you found the info and then send it to the customer. And just like that you have earned some money!  Some questions are easy and some  may be a little more tough. But as a Specialist you can choose the categories that you feel you have the most knowledge in. That way the majority of your questions will be right up your alley!

What to expect when you sign up?

 I applied to be a Generalist Guide 2 years ago, So things may be a bit different but from what I have heard most of it appears the same.

The First step is filling out the application. It is basic info on your name, email, estimate of hours you think you will be working, days that are best that you can work (Keep in mind, there is no schedule! You will never HAVE to work during a specific time) So put down whatever days you want. I'm not sure if this matters in the application part, but it seems that people that put down less hours, don't make it to the next stop of the application process. Then the next step will be a basic test, it is multiple choice, A, B,C or D it will ask you questions to see how you THINK a question should be answered if you were a guide. A tip here is to pick the most detailed answer option they have given! ChaCha likes for their answers to be complete. Not just a few words.

Then if they like what they see from that basic test, they will send you an email with a link for you to be able to go in and learn all about ChaCha and what is expected from you. You will fill out a w-9 so that they can legally pay you. This form also verifies that you are old enough to work for ChaCha, you must be 18 and US resident!

There will be lots of tools and videos and study sheets you have access to and some mini quizzes as well that you will need to keep taking until you pass to go onto the next lesson.  Once you feel ready, you can then take a simulator, or Readiness test. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that you review and study everything before taking this test. Pay attention to the instructions as well. You only get ONE chance to take the test and if you do not pass, you will not be able to be a guide for ChaCha. There are NO retests. After you have taken the readiness test, it may take a few days to hear back whether you passed or not. These tests are handgraded because they want to pick people with quality answers to work for them. After you hear back from them and if you pass, you can set up your payment info and begin to work and earn!

I can't stress enough to study the info and use the tools they give you. I have seen many people rush through it and not make it on.  I took a couple of days to go over things til I felt ready. Then I took the readiness test and within 48 hours I heard back with my email! Edit: As of 8/20 there have been 214 Guides referred by me, BUT only 54 have passed the test and been selected! I really wish those of you who want and need this opportunity the best of luck! I have seen so many happy people to make it on and also those who are crushed to find out they didnt.

If ChaCha seems to be something you would like to do, they are hiring Generalists/Specialists(.10-.20 per answer) and Expeditors($0.02 per answer) right now.  Go HERE and please enter my email frugalmommy2008@gmail.com as  your referral when you fill out the application. Please don't hesitate to ask me a question if you have any problems or something you don't understand! I have no problem helping you out! Thanks and Best of Luck on your test! 

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