Built in public ยท launch access opening in stagesFloor price: $2.00 CPM per four-hour blockAd slots open โ†’
FreeCoffee

QUESTIONS

Asked and answered.

Plain answers about earning, paying and advertising. If something here is not true of the live product, tell us and we will fix the page.

FOR PEOPLE WHO EARN

Earning and payouts.

What does FreeCoffee show?

One compact ad in the empty part of your Mac status area: a small logo tile, a sponsor name and one short line. Clicking it opens a small panel where you can visit the sponsor or use the controls. Ads come only from categories you chose.

What does it not do?

It does not read your screen, files, app names, browser history, window titles, keystrokes or screenshots, and it does not ask for Screen Recording, Accessibility or Input Monitoring permission.

How much do I earn?

The base share is 70% of the winning media price for each valid delivered minute, plus a platform-funded 10% launch boost. The winning price is set by the auction, so what you earn depends on what sponsors bid. Nothing is guaranteed, and there is no earning at all in a period with no paid sponsor.

What if no sponsor is running?

Then nothing is earned and the app says so. It will not invent a balance. When a sponsor wins a slot and the ad is delivered, earnings start to build.

What counts as a valid minute?

A minute where the ad was actually displayed. Interrupted, uncertain, duplicate or invalid display is not counted and is never billed to an advertiser. Every ledger row carries the winning bid and your exact cut.

When do I get paid?

New earnings stay pending for five days. After that they become available. You can request a withdrawal once $10 is available. Payout setup opens at $5 in earnings, and there is no setup fee.

Which payout options exist today?

None are live yet. The Stripe and Whop choices in the preview are simulated, and no money moves in the preview. A real payout rail will be shown as available only once it works end to end.

Do I need payout details before I start?

No. You can install and use the app first. Setup opens at $5 so that real money is never held without a place to send it.

Can I pause it?

Yes. Snooze for 30 minutes, 2 hours, 6 hours or the rest of the day, hide a category, or disable it. Paused time is not counted and not billed.

How do referrals work?

If someone joins from your link, you earn 5% of their base earnings for 30 days, and they get an extra 5% for the same period. Both are platform-funded, never taken from the 70%. Attribution is last click within 14 days.

Which Macs are supported?

The native app is a small status-area app for Mac. See the install guide for the exact steps, including what macOS asks the first time you open it.

Is it safe to install?

The data boundary above is the full list of what it touches. If macOS shows a warning when you first open it, the install guide explains what each warning means and how to continue for this one app only.

PRIVACY

What it knows.

What do you collect?

Only what the ad system needs: an install pseudonym, the campaign and slot that were shown, whether the placement was displayed and for about how long, whether it was clicked, and the device's platform. No source code, prompts, conversations, editor context, filenames, screen contents, precise location or persistent identity enters the ad system.

Is any of it used to target me?

Targeting uses only the categories you chose and a coarse region. It is not used for tracking across other companies' apps or sites, and it never changes what you earn.

Still unsure?

Write to hello@freecoffee.tech.

Install guide