UK firm offers cash for reading e-mail

HTMail is a membership list under the terms of which users enter personal information so that advertisers can tailor mailings to a specific audience.

"The cost of sending an e-mail is a very small fraction of the cost of sending direct mail," said Dave Broadway, founder of the company. "However, unsolicited e-mail is very intrusive, and often results in the sender receiving complaints and bad publicity. We overcome this objection by sharing the advertisers' savings with the consumer. As a result people are willingly joining our membership list, and offering information about themselves of great value to an advertiser in targeting his products to the right audience".

The firm claims that users willing to receive five e-mails each weekday can earn up to £45 every three months. Members claim their bounty by collecting code numbers from e-mails and Web sites to which they are directed.