Paycation Review (2023): Is It A Legit Online Business Or MLM Company Scam?

Updated On: November 23, 2023

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Welcome to my Paycation review. My goal is to answer common questions like: how much it costs, if it's a scam, and if you can actually make money with it. The end goal is to help you understand if it's a good fit for you personally, and if there are any better alternatives out there.
Paycation Travel Review

This Paycation review has been throughly researched with information and testimonials that are available online to anyone in the public. Any conclusions drawn by myself are opinions.

Table of Contents

Program At A Glance

What I liked
The commission rate is high
What I Didn’t Like
High start-up fee
Highly focused on recruitment
It's an MLM

Hello, and welcome to my Paycation Review!

Everyone travels these days, and they often look for deals and packages. Paycation is a multi-level marketing platform that primarily targets the tourism sector.

I’ll look at Paycation to see if it truly is the greatest Network Marketing course offered today.

I’ll discuss whether Network Marketing is the best type of online business for you.

In the end, I’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions regarding Paycation and Network Marketing in general.

MLMs like Paycation are a bit of a mixed bag. They CAN be a legitimate way to make money, but some have a reputation for literally ruining people’s lives – so it’s important to know what you’re getting, since each one is unique.

Like most of my readers, you were probably introduced to this one via a friend or some influencer you trust online.

And it makes sense why so many people recommend them:

Making money outside of a 9-5 can be… life-changing, to say the least.

So in this article, I want to help you explore two things:

  1. If MLMs are actually a worthwhile business to pursue
  2. If Paycation is a worthwhile MLM

Before that, I want to clear the air on something.

There are A LOT of people out there who bash all MLMs in any form. However, I’m not one of those people.

Instead, I want to genuinely educate you about them so that you can make an informed decision on how to proceed.

If you’re unfamiliar with what MLMs actually do:

They’re businesses in which you pay money to a company for the ability to sell their products.

Sometimes the products are actually kind of decent (I still remember my mom throwing pampered-chef parties when I was younger).

Other times the products are really poorly made and come with a high price tag.

Typically, the only way to really make money is to get people (mostly friends & family) to sign up with you for a recurring subscription.

If the product is 100% legitimate & valuable, it’s entirely possible to get people to sign-up and continue paying you.

If the product is subpar, you’ll usually burn those bridges kinda quickly and end up with $0 coming in each month.

The biggest issue I’ve seen is that this puts significant stress on your personal relationships, as you’re reliant on selling to your “network.”

Think about it: if you KNEW that every time your friend Sally called, she’d be trying to sell you on one of her products… you’d eventually stop answering Sally’s calls.

Now, this doesn’t mean MLMs are outright bad… it means you need to know what type of MLM you’re getting yourself into before you sign up.

Again, some MLMs provide real value to people, but MOST don’t – and so in this article, I’m going to explore what the case is with Paycation.

But before that, I want to ask you a question: what if there was a way to build actual recurring, semi-passive income?

Income that:

  • Doesn’t have inventory
  • Doesn’t make you sell to your friends & family
  • Doesn’t force you to recruit people onto your “team”

Something that you could make anywhere from $2,000 – $10,000 with consistently, month after month?

A stream of income that you can build as high (or low) as you feel like building it?

If that sounds interesting, you might want to think about using the Digital Rental Method.

If you wanna see what Paycation looks like on the inside, keep reading.

Paycation Overview:

Name: Paycation

Founders: David Manning

Prices:

  • $399.95 For Certified Travel Consultant Fee 
  • $199.95 For Referral Travel Consultant Fee
  • $59.95 For The website Fee

Product Type: Multi-Level Marketing

Website: www.traverusglobal.com

Quick Summary: Paycation, known as Traverus, is a multi-level marketing (MLM) company focusing mainly on the travel industry.

Paycation is an MLM (network marketing) that offers traveling services… which in turn provides entrepreneurs the chance to profit from a $1.6 Trillion industry right from the comfort of their homes.

Effectively, it’s a legitimate company, but the same as most MLM companies, it puts a great deal of focus on recruitment instead of on product sales.

In fact, it depends heavily on recruitment!

And it’s because of this that it was labeled a pyramid scheme early on in the business.

On top of that, I wouldn’t suggest it as an ideal business primarily because the start-up costs are so high!

Overall Rating: 3/10

Recommended: No

Additionally, it presents a chance to make money for anyone who wants to join their consultancy plan.

So now I’m going to talk more about this MLM opportunity in this Paycation review and answer questions, such as:

  • Is Paycation a legit or a scam MLM company?
  • How can you make money from this specific platform?
  • What are the cons and pros of signing up for this MLM opportunity?

And by the way, I’m not here to scoff at MLMs… though I’d want to bring about information and awareness to the audience of this review. Network marketing is a legitimate business model, but not all MLM companies are created equal. Some are money-making, while others are a waste of time.

Let’s get started…

What Is Paycation?

What Is Paycation

Paycation, formerly known as Traverus, is a multi-level marketing (MLM) company that enables its consultants or travel agents to possibly make money by advertising and recruiting others to use the Traverus Go services, which are frequently used for travel.

They also provide travel and vacation packages.

I first tried researching the Paycation website but could not locate an official one. It did, however, direct me to Traverus’ corporate website.

I learned that it had been relaunched, given the name Traverus, and incorporated into Manning’s XStream Travel wedge via Traverus.

Both company names were started by the company’s founding father, David Manning, who is sometimes known for recycling MLM business models.

Manning is also the proprietor of Traverus’ subsidiary known as XStream, another company that provides travel-related services and manages all the instruction of all associates to assist them as travel industry experts.

The Paycation Product Line

Paycation Product line

Actually, Paycation doesn’t really have a product line of its own. Paycation is an affiliate of a “group of traveling partners,” and its affiliate marketers only promote membership in the company (this allows access to these third-party travel partners).

The Paycation Compensation Plan

Paycation Compensation Plan

The Paycation compensation plan mainly involves the recruitment of brand-new affiliates. Travel commissions are available but are usually dwarfed by the affiliate recruitment materials and affiliated commissions.

Paycation Affiliate Membership Ranks

Membership Ranks

There are 5 affiliate membership ranks within the Paycation compensation plan. Along with their respective qualification requirements, they’re as follows:

  • Executive (E)- must buy the Referral Travel Consultant (RTC) or Certified Travel Consultant (CTC) affiliate membership and also have recruited a minimum of 3 Referral or Certified Travel Consultant affiliates – recruit a minimum of 6 affiliates (3 or even much more of which should be Referral Travel Consultants (RTC) or higher)
  • Regional Executive (RE) – recruit six affiliates (at least 3 of which should be Referral Travel Consultants or higher)
  • National Executive (NE) – recruit ten affiliates (at minimum 6 of which should be Referral Travel Consultants or perhaps higher)
  • International Executive (IE) – recruit 15 affiliates (at least 3 of which should be National Executives in 3 individual uni-level legs)
  • Presidential Executive (PE) – recruit 20 affiliates (at least 3 of which should be International Executives in 3 individual uni-level legs)

Traveling Commissions

Travel services are funneled through associated third-party companies by Paycation customers or affiliates.

Paycation receives a commission from an affiliate.

Sixty-five percent of this particular commission goes to referral travel consultants. A qualified travel consultant obtains 75%.

Keep in mind that reservations for only the airfare do not receive commissions.

Recruitment Commissions

For every recruit of new affiliate marketers, Paycation affiliates profit from recruitment. The amount of membership fees paid by the newly hired affiliate or travel agency determines how much of a commission is received.

For the recruitment of an Independent Affiliate ($30), a commission of $10 is given, and for the recruitment of a Referral Travel Consultant (RTC) (for $99.95) or Certified Travel Consultant (CTC) (for $199.95), a commission of $25.

A $10 commission is given out on acquiring people, requiring $39.95 upfront and then $29.95 monthly.

Coded Bonus

Only referral and Certified Travel Consultants have access to the Coded Bonus.

After the first two, it pays out $10 to recruit completely new affiliate marketers or travel agents. If these affiliates continue to recruit new affiliate marketers, their first two recruited affiliates (together with the $10 commission) are “coded” to the associate who recruited them.

This is a limitless recruitment level, usually coding the initial two recruited affiliates and a $10 Coded Bonus to the original recruiter.

Coded Bonus Match

The Coded Bonus Match pays a 150 % match ($15) on all Coded Bonuses given to a Paycation affiliate’s first two recruited referral or Certified Travel Consultants.

After the very first 2, a 100% Coded Bonus Match is paid out on all Coded Bonuses given out on later recruited referral or Certified Travel Consultants.

Joining Paycation

You can purchase an affiliate program with Paycation in one of 3 options:

  • Basic affiliate membership (Independent Affiliate) is $29.95 a month.
  • Referral Travel Consultant (RTC) affiliate membership is $99.95 and the next $59.95 a month.
  • Certified Travel Consultant (CTC) affiliate membership is $199.95 and next $59.95 a month.

How much an affiliate pays in affiliate membership fees immediately affects commission eligibility and payouts through the Paycation compensation plan.

How To Make Money With Paycation?

As was said above, Paycation is now Traverus, so in a way, Traverus uses a similar compensation plan to Paycation.

Traverus receives a 65%, or maybe 75%, commission on journeys booked through the travel portal. The business then pays 5% of all travel commissions earned by individually enrolled consultants and 25% of all referral travel booked by company representatives (downline).

When members enroll a third person into Traverus, they will earn $20 or maybe much more as a coded benefit, and when that 3rd person registers their first two people, they will get $20 for each of them.

They are just given out on their referrals if they enroll with the Certified Travel Consultant (CTC) deal.

Now, there are six means for them to enlist their recruits, and these are:

  • Residuals on Coded: This enables you to make 8% for every individual coded to the affiliate that pays their monthly subscription of $59.95 (the site fee).
  • 100% Match on Personals Coded Residual: Affiliates make a hundred percent match on all residual coded bonuses to affiliates privately enrolled CTC’s earn.
  • Business Builder Bonus: Affiliates can make over 5%, beginning with their 7th recruit, on top of what they are undoubtedly earning from recruits.
  • 3×7 Matrix: Pays out three levels wide and seven levels deep each month.
  • 10% Match on Personals Matrix: Affiliates make a 10% match on Matrix Commissions their enrolled consultants attain.
  • 8% Match on Coded Matrix: Affiliates acquire an 8% matrix match on all earnings from those coded with them.

Price

So you begin by registering as a specialist and also select from the following and spend the one-time fees:

  • $199.95 for Referral Travel Consultant (RTC)
  • $399.95 for a Certified Travel Consultant (CTC)

Additionally, you must spend $59.95 with the site charge, which is a monthly fee.

And below are the inclusions for each option:

Referral Travel Consultant – $199.95

This spreads over the following:

  • RTC (Referral Travel Consultant) Signup Fee well worth $119.95
  • Annual Signup Fee worth $20
  • 1st-month Website Fee well worth $59.95
  • 65 % in travel commission
  • Travel club membership
  • Entry to the reservation site to send people to
  • Commission tracking system;
  • Virtual back office

Certified Travel Consultant – $399.90

This spreads over the following:

  • CTC (Certified Travel Consultant) Signup Fee well worth $319.95
  • Associate Fee worth $20
  • Website Fee well worth $59.95
  • Travel training via XStream Travel platform
  • 75% in travel commission
  • Ability to reserve bigger groups for travel
  • Ability to make high business credentials through Xstream Travel
  • Xstream certified training
  • Access to minimal rate travel

So Can You Really Make Money With Paycation?

There’s a lot that comes along with Network Marketing that many people struggle with.

In fact, check out my Top 5 Reason Why Most Network Marketers Fail.

Now, don’t get me wrong…

You can certainly make money with Network Marketing, but if you’re gonna put in the amount of grueling work to do this business (which, trust me, isn’t easy), you might as well bring in some REAL money while you’re learning the ropes.

The program that helped skyrocket my online business to $40,000+ per month is so simple that making money really does become second nature.

Paycation Travel Reviews – Pros/Cons

PROS:

The Pay is High

Indeed, the pay is much better than other travel MLM companies!

They have an excellent commission rate of 65% and 75% for just about any traveling bundles booked by their consultants. So, for example, if a consultant books a travel package worth $8000 from their portal, they will generate a commission of $5,200 – $6000.

That’s pretty huge, right?!

CONS:

Costly

Indeed, it’s pricey to sign up for this MLM opportunity. They have costly consultancy plan costs for a start-up, and you will also need to spend the extra site fees monthly.

Recruitment! Recruitment! Recruitment!

Yes, just like all the other MLM opportunities, Traverus pushes the idea of recruiting more and more consultants. Yes, the company is entirely dependent on recruitment rather than product sales.

And so, for anyone without abilities in social networking or even individuals that aren’t consummate in the MLM community, it will be a struggle.

Paycation Scam Claims

  • Paycation offers you the chance to be economically independent by working your home-based business with the resources, support, and training you have to succeed.
  • Developing a worldwide business is pretty easy.
  • Paycation has produced the most powerful compensation plan in history to offer everyone the chance for financial success.

Paycation Travel (MLM) – Conclusion

To conclude, Traverus is the rebooted edition of Paycation. Also, it’s an MLM company that is genuine. It’s not a scam.

It has a decent compensation plan from which you can most likely make money. Still, because the company is exclusively centered on recruitment, it might be a bit of a struggle to make money if you don’t have much experience with Network Marketing.

And due to its emphasis on recruitment, it’s been labeled a pyramid scheme. Therefore odds are the FTC could flag it as 1 in the near couple of.

For me, I suggest that you pass on this business opportunity.

It’s all the more costly to sign up for their consultancy program and the extra site charges you’ve to spend monthly.

So it may well last if you bypass this particular platform and check out my other recommended programs.

Are There Alternatives To Paycation?

Yes, there are plenty of other business models to choose from if you want to pursue making money online. Here are just a few:

Is Paycation A Pyramid Scheme Or A Scam?

Is It A Scam

So, time for the $1,000,000 question: is Paycation a scam?

No, not technically. They aren’t going to run off with your money and not give you what you paid for. It’s 100% possible to make money with this program.

That being said, it’s not nearly as simple as they want you to think it is.

There’s A LOT of work to be done upfront, and no guarantee that you’ll be successful. The commissions are also fairly small.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for doing hard work now, so that I can reap the benefits later.

But if you’re going to work really hard for 3 months, and your reward is a $100 check… it’s not really a great opportunity.

If I’m gonna do that, I want the rewards to be HIGH and virtually guaranteed.

I’d rather put in that same 3 months of work (in my spare time) & build a handful of Digital Rental Properties that each produce $500-$2,000 checks every single month afterward (AKA recurring income).

And the cool part is that you can do it in a lot less time than 3-months (I personally did it in my first 2 weeks of using the Digital Rental Method).

Unlike with MLMs, you can do it from anywhere in the world, so it’s a genuine “laptop-lifestyle” business.

Read Our In Depth Breakdown Of The Top 5 OppMLM Courses For 2024

Did Paycation Make The List?

All you need is an internet connection.

Some of my friends are Digital Rental Method that run their 6-figure businesses from:

  • Camping trips at national parks
  • Beachfront in Hawaii
  • On the road in a camper van (with a pet pig!)

They focus on living an enjoyable life first, and focus on income second. All thanks to this program

They can take weeks or months off, and money keeps rolling in.

Living happily is the top priority.

If the thought of living perpetually at your dream vacation spot interests you, using the Digital Rental Method might be for you!

What Is My Top Recommendation For Making Money Online In 2022?

Make Money Online With Digital Landlord

I’ve personally tried all of the major online business models:

  • I’ve sold fidget spinners through Amazon FBA
  • I’ve drop-shipped a toilet bowl putting green on Shopify
  • I’ve sold women’s health supplements via Clickbank affiliate marketing

And I made money with all of them, so trust me when I say: there is no “perfect” business model.

I’ve also been on the other side of old friends trying to sell me their fancy new MLM products.

That being said, my #1 recommendation for making real money online is, hands-down: being a Digital Landlord.

Whether you’re a complete newbie, or you’ve been around the block before but have never had that “big win” to propel you forward, using the Digital Rental Method is for you.

Why?

Time: If you’ve got a spare hour or two each day, you can do this. If you want to drop everything and go all-in, you can do this. More time obviously means faster results, but even putting in a few hours per day is enough to see real success.

And because of that flexibility, you don’t need to trade your time for money. Once the income starts, it’s recurring.

That means you can take a month off, travel the country, pursue a passion project, chill on the beach, or charter a boat across the world.

But you can only do that once you’ve created an income stream that doesn’t require YOU to be there all day, every day.

Ownership & Control: With MLMs, you don’t really “own” anything – everything belongs to the MLM.

If you read the contracts, they can kick you out or change your commission at any time (it’s happened recently in a few high-profile MLM cases).

Why pour your soul into a business that could be taken away from you at the drop of a dime?

With the Digital Rental Method, you literally own all of the assets, which means you have ultimate control.

Big Margins: With MLMs, you’re often going to have really slim margins. That means you need to have a VERY large network to make serious money. This usually entails spending A LOT of money on ads and other methods for recruiting members.

using the Digital Rental Method, your profit margin is nearly 100%. Watch here to learn how.

Just a reminder: these Digital Rental Properties are worth (at a minimum) $500/mo in semi-passive income. And each time you create another one, your income increases, and the effort put into creating the next property decreases.

Best-case scenario, you have properties bringing in over $3,000+/mo on auto-pilot.

It’s Effectively Copy-Paste: Here’s my favorite part: once you have your first Digital Rental Property up, you can literally copy-paste another version of it and find another willing “renter” in a few days. DOUBLING your income doesn’t get much easier than that…

If you wanted to double your income with an MLM, you would need to sell twice as much inventory. And I can guarantee you, that’s a lot harder than a few clicks & a phone call.

You’re Helping REAL People: My biggest gripe with MLMs is that you’re likely going to ruin your personal relationships.

The MLM may have convinced you that you’re actually helping people, but it’s often not really true.

But With the Digital Rental Method, you’re helping solve REAL problems that people are ASKING for help with:

Small local businesses around the world need one thing: customers. Without them, their business would fall apart. If you can provide those customers, they’re going to be really happy – and they’re going to pay you for it.

You’re helping a struggling mother or father put food on the table for their families, put their kids through college, or simply live life a little bit more comfortably.

Having this type of impact on the world is what will help you sleep soundly at night.

So, the rest is up to you. You could keep looking at other MLM programs like Paycation, which might make you money 12 months from now.

You could keep researching and researching for the next few months (or few years), never making a concrete decision.

OR, you can look deep inside, think about those dreams, hopes, & desires, and make the decision to ACTUALLY make it happen, just like it has for thousands of other students before you.

Making a fortune while actually helping real people that need it.

If this sounds like you, click here to see how it all works.

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