Using Your Sexting Skills to Make Money: Arousr Review

Not every smutlancer makes their money in the same way, but ultimately, it’s all about creating content. If you love sexting and feel good about your ability to weave a fantasy with words (and images), you may find another source of income in chat sites like Arousr.

Earning Money on Arousr

Arousr offers women* multiple ways to earn money through their platform as a chat host.

• Sexting and dirty talk by text
• Phone sex by voice chat
• Video chat where anything within your boundaries goes
• Upload your own photographs and videos for additional sales
• Tips from customers

New Arousr customers receive 100 free credits to try the service, and are (of course) encouraged to buy more. The longer a customer spends talking to you, the more money you make. You also make money when customers purchase access to your photos and videos.

The customer doesn’t pay you directly. They purchase credits and use those credits for time or access. Arousr pays you by direct deposit or by wire transfer.

*Because Arousr uses very specific gender normative language, it’s all about finding “girls” to chat with. (Take a look at their home page, and you’ll see for yourself.)  Know that going in, especially if you find that kind of language and focus problematic.

How Much Money Can You Make on Arousr?

Don’t let anyone try to give you a guarantee that you will automatically make a lot of money in any chat or cam service. Arousr is fairly transparent about their payment system, but the money you make is based on the amount of time you spend chatting. And we’re not talking dollars (or pounds) per minute here. Try cents per minute.

The more people you chat with and the longer they stay in a conversation, the more money you’ll make, yes, but with caveats. In order to guarantee any steady income, you’ll also need to build-up a solid clientele base that seeks you out. Like any other revenue stream, it involves marketing yourself, plenty of hustle, and surpassing the competition. And also, figuring out your thing and getting really good at it.

While some people make decent money in cam and chat sites, it still requires a lot of hard work and time. And not everyone makes an income they can live on.

Privacy and Consent on Arousr

Both privacy and consent are directly addressed by Arousr. As I’m not a cam model or other online sex worker, I can’t speak for how common this is, but it was nice to see.

All conversations — text, voice, video — are done through the Arousr app. This means that no one calling or texting has access to your personal information. They can only reach you through the app.

And you decide whether you want to speak with that person or not. When a request to chat comes through, you accept or decline the connection. You never have to take a call or make conversation with someone you don’t want to talk to.*

*Let’s be clear here…you may feel pressure, external or internal, to take as many calls as possible, and that pressure can be very hard to overcome. Do your best to ignore the overwhelming desire to make money and learn to be okay refusing calls from people who don’t respect boundaries or consent. If you get a bad vibe from someone, listen to it.

Applying to Become a Chat Host on Arousr

The application process requires a lot of information and plenty of images. To help you navigate the process, they offer application guidelines, especially on the proper images to take. They don’t say you’ll be rejected if they don’t like how you look (so it’s a guess whether they will or not). But Arousr will reject your application if you don’t submit images in the style they require. 

To be clear, you will have to share your legal name and personal information in order to be paid. This may be a good time to set up a DBA (doing business as) and a business bank account under that name. (This involves a lot of extra costs so it won’t be for everyone). And I know sex workers are often prohibited from getting a bank account, so as a smutlancer, make this your writing business under your “author” name. There’s no guarantees it will work long-term, but it may shield you for a while — and allow you to leave some of your personal details private.

Regardless of how you set your payment information, you will have to show a photo ID — drivers license or passport — to confirm your age. 

Read through their guidelines and application process, and only move forward if you feel comfortable.

My Thoughts on Arousr

Do I think everyone who likes sexting and enjoys dirty talk should join a chat service to make money? Nope. You have to want to (and be able to) sext even if you’re not in the mood or it’s not a fantasy you share. Sexting with a partner is much different than creating a fantasy for a customer or client. It’s not about what you want (within your boundaries) but about what they want.

I also think you need to find a site that appeals to you. If you’re not a woman or don’t like being referred to as one of the “girls” Arousr will not be the place for you. You also have go into any cam or chat work with a realistic view that it may take a very long time to earn any money. And you may never earn as much as you want.

As smutlancers, I would encourage you to leverage any audience you already have through your sex blog or social media — as long as you feel comfortable and safe doing so. I also think it’s important to figure out how you’ll protect your privacy beyond using the app and a pen name.

Most importantly, establish friendships and connections with other people doing this kind of work. Just like the sex blogging community helps and supports each other, so do many people in the cam and chat business. You’ll get the best advice on how to navigate this world from people who are out there doing the work, too.

I would love to hear from people who’ve worked as a chat host on Arousr. What was/is your experience like? Are you still there or would you go back in the future? Comment below or chat with me on social media!

This post sponsored by Arousr.