There are so many free PTC , PTR, Surveys,etc. online today.
How can you know which ones are actually going to pay you?
I can tell you that many of them will not be around by the time you earn enough to cash in your first payment.
There are some, however, that DO pay. Those are the ones I will focus on here...and YES! You really can earn 100% free money with them as long as you are persistent. If you expect to earn large amounts of money right away, then these programs are NOT for you.
Oh, and the funds that you earn on the PTC and PTR sites can be traded for advertising. This is another nice perk for those who are trying to build a business on a budget.
Let's begin by looking at some good PTC & PTR sites. (PTC = Paid to Click) This means you earn money and/or points when you click on ads. (PTR = Paid to Read) These usually are sent right to your email, and no.. they are not overwhelming. In fact, sometimes I wish there were more.
Here are the tried and proven ones.This one is a favorite of mine.

Minimum Payout: $10.00 paid by check.
Once you reach $10.00 you can, if you wish, use your earned money to upgrade your account. Many PTC sites are not worth the upgrade, but
Clixsense definitely IS worth it. Many advertisers choose to ONLY have their ads viewed by premium members so there are a lot more ads to view, (therefore a lot more money to be earned) by upgrading. Premium members get paid 5 levels deep. Should you decide to upgrade, the cost is only $10 for a whole year. What a deal!

Another favorite is
Hits4Pay. This one will send paid emails right to your email address OR you may choose to have them sent to the internal mailbox on your account. Typically, you get paid .02 for each ad you view. You also earn .01 for each email that your 1st and 2nd level referrals read and validate. I usually receive a few emails per day from Hits4Pay, though there are days when I don't receive any.
Payout is set at $25.00 and you must submit a valid W-9 tax form. You get paid via paypal. This is a 2 level program. Oh, and they give you a $10 sign up bonus, so you're already almost half way to the payout amount.

Next we have
DealsnCash. This one works much the same way as Hits4Pay. They give you a $5.00 sign up bonus, and payout is set at $30.00. Once you have submitted the W-9 tax form, you will be paid by check and checks are always mailed on the 15th or 16th of every month. You earn .05 for each validated email that you read, and you earn .02 for each validated email that your 1st and 2nd level referrals read.

Now, here's a fun one! You can earn by reading emails, doing surveys, trial offers, playing games, get money back on shopping... With
InboxDollars, it seems there is something for everyone. Once you reach $30.00, you can request a check. You receive 10% of all qualified earnings by your referrals. So, if your referrals shop online through InboxDollars, you earn. If they complete cash offers, surveys or play games you earn 10%. This can add up nicely, since there is NO limit to the amount of referrals you can have. You must keep your account active by reading emails in order to receive payment. You will become a Gold member after you receive your first check.

Next we have
SendEarnings. This one works much the same way as InboxDollars; in fact, I believe it is owned by the same person. You also earn the same way here: paid email advertisements, cash offers, games, shopping, surveys. You earn 10% of all qualified earnings of your referrals. Again, like InboxDollars, there is no limit to the amount of referrals you can have, or the amount you can earn. Payout is $30.00 paid via check. Once you receive your first check, you become a Gold member.

This one is another favorite. With
DonkeyMails, you earn by reading emails, or clicking on ads or signing up for programs. You get paid 5 levels deep.. it works like this: you earn 5% on all of your direct referral earnings, 4% of second level earnings, 3% of 3rd level earnings, 2% of 4th level earnings, and 1% of 5th level earnings. Payments are made through paypal, E-gold, or Alertpay. If using Alertpay or paypal, you may request payout once you reach $1.00. With E-gold, payout can be requested once you reach .01 though I must say, I hardly see the point. Payments are made within 10 days of request. Donkeymails is open to International members.
A couple more good ones are:

With wordlinx, you get paid for clicking ads. Minimum payout is $10.00 and payment is made via paypal. You earn .05 for each referral who signs up and clicks a few ads, plus 5% of their earnings + 5% (up to $25 USD) per sale if they purchase visitors. For each referral who upgrades, you earn .50 on 3 levels. Pro members earn double. Wordlinx does not limit the amount you can earn.

LinkGrand is another PTC program. Minimum payout request is set at $5.00 and they pay via paypal. They pay within 24 hours of receiving your request. For every 10 ads you view, you earn .03 (.003 per ad). You also earn 30% commission on the earnings of your referrals. Should they decide to purchase advertising using your referral link, you earn 10% of that purchase. There is no upgrade for this one.
The following are not PTC/PTR sites. These give you the opportunity to earn cash back on shopping, doing surveys and completing trial offers, free offers, etc.

To join CashCrate, you must be at least 13 years old. Most of the offers are available for those living in the USA, however members from other countries are welcome at CashCrate as well. Once you accumulate $20.00, your check will be processed by the 20th of the following month. Earnings are paid on 2 levels. You will earn 20% on your direct referrals earnings, and 10% on their referrals earnings. You also receive a $3.00 bonus for each referral who earns his/her first $10.00.
There is potential here to earn hundreds of dollars per month simply by referring others to this free program!

This one is very similar.. cash offers, trial offers, shop, etc. Occasionally, you will find a few PTC ads here, but don't expect a lot of them.
While most of the offers are for members who reside in the USA, there are some available for members who live in other countries. SquishyCash encourages people from various geographic locations to sign up. In addition to earning cash for offers, you will often receive a casino chip. These can be traded for cash, gift cards or prizes. You can request payout once you have accumulated $20.00. Payment options include your verified paypal account, check and Amazon.com. Once you have earned between $400-$500, Squishycash will request a W-9 form. Your payment will be sent on the last day of the following month. Example: if you request a payment by the last day of this month, your payment will be processed on the last day of the following month. You can, if you choose, request daily payouts, but this comes with a 33% transaction fee. As far as earning for referrals, you will be paid instant cash on every member you bring in on 3 levels. You'll earn 20% of your 1st level referral's earnings, 5% of your 2nd levels, and 2% of your 3rd levels. SquishyCash also offers many incentives along the way to earn more. It's a fun one. ;)