For a lot of regulars, private shows are where most of their time on cam sites goes. It’s also where the money goes fastest if you don’t know how the billing works. So before your first one, read this.

What a private show is

In a public room, the performer is entertaining everyone at once and the chat keeps scrolling. A private show is when you invite the performer into a one-to-one session. The public room closes and their attention is on you alone. You can talk, ask questions, have a proper conversation or a personal show.

Plenty of regulars will tell you the show isn’t really the point. What they like is having someone’s full, relaxed attention for a while.

How you’re billed

  1. Check the rate in the performer’s room, something like “60 tokens/min” or “2.99 credits/min”.
  2. Ask for a private. Some sites check you have enough in your balance for the minimum number of minutes.
  3. The performer accepts. Billing starts when the show does.
  4. Tokens come off your balance minute by minute. Most sites show a counter with the time and the running cost.
  5. The show ends when you click “End”, when the performer ends it, or when your balance runs out. Billing stops right there.

It all comes out of your prepaid balance, so you can’t be charged more than you’ve got. Load 300 tokens and the show ends when those 300 are spent.

What it costs

Platform typeTypical rate10 minutes costs about
Token sites (Chaturbate, Stripchat, BongaCams)30 to 90 tokens/min$30 to $90
MyFreeCams60+ tokens/min$40 to $90
Premium sites (LiveJasmin)$1.50 to $6/min$15 to $60
Flirt4Free$2 to $5/min$20 to $50
 Approximate ranges. Performers set their own rates within each site's limits. See prices by platform.

The different kinds

  • Private. Just you and the performer. Some sites let other people pay a lower rate to watch in silence (“spy”).
  • Exclusive, or true private. Nobody else can watch. Usually a bit more expensive.
  • Spy show. You watch someone else’s private at a lower rate and can’t chat. A cheap way to find out what privates are like.
  • Group show. Several viewers split the cost of a private-style show, so each pays less.
  • Cam-to-cam (C2C). You turn your own camera on so the performer can see you. Entirely optional, and sometimes it costs extra.

Four things to check first

  1. The rate. Multiply it by how many minutes you think you’ll stay.
  2. The minimum. Some performers want at least 5 or 10 minutes.
  3. Whether spying is allowed, if you’d rather nobody else watched.
  4. Your balance. Put in only what you’re happy to spend.

For your first private

Say hello in the public chat first. Ask if they're free for a private and what they like doing. Performers like being asked nicely, and the conversation gets going much more easily.

Manners in a private

  • Be respectful. The performer decides what they’re comfortable with, and their limits are usually listed on their profile.
  • Don’t try to bargain halfway through. The rate is the rate.
  • Don’t ask for personal details like their real name, where they live or their phone number.
  • A tip at the end is nice if you enjoyed it. Nobody expects it.

More in our etiquette guide.

Keeping the cost down

Try spy or group shows first, to see what it’s like for less. Look at performers with lower rates. Newer ones often charge less and are keen to build a following. Only load your budget before you start, and the show ends by itself when it’s spent. And keep an eye out for promotions, since some sites discount private minutes on certain days.