New Adblock Plus service lets you pay websites after removing ads

Advertisements used to power websites, but as ad-blocking extensions like AdBlock continue to gain popularity, content creators are losing out on that once-reliable revenue stream. The Internet is changing, and in order to keep the lights on, websites need to find new ways to bring in money.

AdBlock Plus, the extension that has been the bane of web creators, is offering a potential solution -- Flattr Plus. AdBlock Plus teamed up with microdonation platform Flattr to come up with a system that cuts out the advertising middleman, offering users the choice to remove ads in favor of setting up selective payments only to the websites they visit.

How it works

With Flattr Plus, annoying and obtrusive ads will be removed from webpages just like with Adblock Plus. Users will also get to choose a monthly payment amount they want to spread across the websites they visit. 

Flattr Plus keeps track of the websites you visit

The payment system is similar to how Flattr works, except instead of a digital tip jar appearing on websites, Flattr Plus doesn't let you choose which websites get your money. Flattr Plus keeps track of the websites you visit and engage with, allocating your monthly payment across those websites proportionally.

For websites to get that money, Adblock Plus' Ben Williams wrote in an announcement that it just takes them five minutes to sign up.

"There are no tags or logos placed on your website -- you just start getting free money," Williams wrote in the announcement.

Wired reported that Flattr Plus receives about 10% of user donations, of which 3-5% goes to banking fees. 

The changing Internet

Ad-blockers have been scaring web publishers for a while now, costing the industry billions of dollars. Creators need to try out different means of monetizing on the content they produce.

Some websites, including Mashable, are turning to branded content -- articles or videos that are sponsored by relevant brands. For smaller creators who don't have the viewership to grab deals with major car manufacturers and the like, crowdfunding services like Patreon offer a way for fans to contribute money in exchange for continued production and bonus content or swag. Some, like Twitch streamers, rely on donations from fans.

Meanwhile, some ad-blockers like Flattr Plus are looking to turn themselves into Internet monetization machines. Take a look at Brave, a browser built around the idea of blocking ads. One of Brave's objectives is to remove obtrusive or "bad" ads in favor of its own approved ads, offering websites a cut of its revenue.

The future of Flattr Plus

While ad-blockers are pretty popular -- AdBlocker Plus alone boasts a user pool higher than 50 million -- getting those same people to go from using a free service to using a paid one is going to be quite a hurdle to get over.

getting websites to sign up could be a tough pull if the userbase is weak

As it is, Flattr isn't a very well-known name despite its positive intentions that put creators first. Building a solid base of users to support the service may be tough, and getting websites to sign up could be a tough pull if the userbase is weak.

The number of payers on Flattr Plus may not change the Internet alone, but it's just one of many services looking to spur the Internet economy without the use of obtrusive advertisements.

Flattr Plus is available to try out in beta, and you can sign up on the website now, although it isn't likely that the websites you're visiting have signed up to receive funds from Flattr Plus yet. A Flattr Plus spokesperson told Mashable that if a website isn't signed up, no percentage of your donation will be taken when visiting that site.

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