Second Life : Fee Schedule

Second Life General Fees

Fee	Benefit
US$1	266 Linden Dollars (variable) - brokered purchase; may go to LL or a resident seller
US$0.30	per transaction fee for buying Linden Dollars on Lindex currency exchange
3.5% of transaction value	per transaction fee for selling Linden Dollars on Lindex currency exchange
US$9.99/month	Premium membership (512 m² mainland, access to higher mainland ranges as below, 300 Linden Dollars per week, access to ticket support)
US$125/month	Land as below, plus Concierge service (live support access)
US$100	Island relocation
US$50	Island rename
US$100	Island interuser transfer (includes relocation and renaming)
US$1000 plus 20 premium memberships	Unique avatar surname for an organization

Second Life: Getting Started - Stipend

Second Life's status as a virtual world, a computer game, or a talker, is frequently debated. Unlike a traditional computer game, Second Life does not contain a single objective, nor traditional game play mechanics, and arguably does not contain winners and losers (although some avatars are more successful than others). Likewise, unlike a traditional talker, Second Life contains an extensive world that can be explored and interacted with, and can be used purely as a creative toolset if the user chooses. However, the vast majority of users use Second Life primarily as an entertainment medium, and for most of them the ability to interact with other users is critical to that (meeting the definition of a talker); "clubs" where users engage in generic chat, and sexually themed areas, are consistently the most populated.

Creating a Second Life account, and making use of the world for any period of time, is free. Linden Lab reserves the right to charge for the creation of large numbers of multiple accounts for a single person but at present does not do so. A Premium membership (US$9.95 per month) facilitates access to an increased level of technical support, and provides a stipend of L$300/week.

Second Life Currency: Lindens, L$ or Linden Dollars

Second Life has an internal currency, the Linden dollar (L$). L$ can be used to trade goods, land and services with other users. Virtual goods include buildings, vehicles, devices of all kinds, animations, clothing, skin, hair, jewelry, flora and fauna, and works of art. Land in Second Life is a valuable and scarce commodity and can be bought, sold or rented.

Users may also offer items or services to other users in exchange for L$; services include "camping", working in stores, business management, entertainment (which prominently includes adult entertainment), custom content creation, and other personal services.

L$ is usually purchased from other users with real-world currency; Linden Lab and others offer a brokerage service for these transactions. The most popular usage for the exchange of L$ for US$ is in order to pay Second Life's subscription fees. In spite of attracting large volumes of press coverage, only a very small percentage of Residents derive a net income from the economy.