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What is the ruling on earning from advertising websites that require an upfront payment ($500) for a one-year subscription, in exchange for receiving $50 weekly for 13 months?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If websites only permit transactions through subscription fees, then it is impermissible to deal with them, as this involves gambling with money and usurious exchange. Dr. Sami Al-Suwailem has clarified that browsing advertisements for a commission without paying fees is permissible, provided the advertisements are free from Shariah prohibitions. However, browsing in exchange for non-refundable subscription fees involves the exchange of cash for cash with a surplus and delay, in addition to Gharar (uncertainty) and Jahalah (ignorance), which combines Riba (usury) and Maysir (gambling).

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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