There are two resident account types in Second Life:
Previously, there was also a lifetime account type available for a limited time that was a combination of the current premium and basic types. Paying a one-time fee of $225 would allow a resident to buy land and receive a stipend without paying monthly fees. However, this was dropped with SL 1.2 and the new land tiers it brought. Today, lifetime accounts can use up to 4096m2 (square meter) of land before having to pay a fee on land owned (they will then be entered into a new tier) and receive a L$500 stipend.
Basic Accounts[]
Free for first basic account on a credit card; all other basic accounts on that credit card will be charged a one-time fee of $9.95. (The requirement for a credit card to create a basic account was waived in 2006, but there are several benefits to providing CC or Paypal info at the time of signup)
Features[]
- L$250 signup bonus received on first login. (This is contingent on the Resident furnishing payment details at the time of sign-up; this offer is lost if the Resident opts not to verify or verifies at a later time. As further accounts on the same credit card MUST be paid for, this bonus is offered by default on all new subsequent accounts)
Limitations[]
- Can not own/buy land. (Clarification: this only applies to buyable land on the mainlands. Residents on basic accounts have been known to rent land anywhere from others or buy island land, which are maintained differently)
- No weekly stipend (for basic accounts created after 5/29/06).
Premium Accounts[]
$9.95 a month (or $22.50 quarterly or $72.00 annually).
Features[]
- Can buy/own land, pricing based on a tier system.
- First 512sqm of land tier free for land purchased on the mainland
- L$1250 bonus on first login. (Reduced to L$1000 on the first month on Premium in late 2006)
- L$500 weekly stipend. (Clarification: this stipend has been reduced to L$400/wk, and then L$300/week for Residents switching to premium in the later part of 2006)
Limitations[]
- None.