[2] Most paysites offer "free tours" which allow non-members to view a limited number of short trailers.
[5] Because there is free porn available on the Internet (e.g. in the form of thumbnail gallery post (TGP) and streaming video sites, as well as piracy), and some individuals cannot afford to or do not wish to purchase paysite memberships or to give their personal and credit card information to such sites, some consumers of pornography view only free pornography.
Most paysites prevent unauthorized access to their members area by means of a username and password.
Because members must confirm some details of their identity when they make their payment, a touted advantage of paysites is the potential to keep minors from viewing their content, which, in several jurisdictions, including the United States, is illegal.
The issue of how to protect these Internet audiences from pornographic material deemed harmful to them has been widely debated in the U.S. in light of the 1998 federal Child Online Protection Act, although websites hosted in the United States are required by law to publish contact information for the custodian of records.