---
title: How Local Three Makes Money | Local Three
url: https://thelocalthree.com/how-we-make-money/
updated: 2026-10-29
---

[Local *Three* Selected, not listed](https://thelocalthree.com/)

- [How we select](https://thelocalthree.com/how-we-select/)
- [For businesses](https://thelocalthree.com/claim/)

1. [Home](https://thelocalthree.com/)
2. How we make money

How we make money

# Where our *income* comes from

Readers pay nothing. Our income comes from businesses, in three ways, and none of them can buy a selection.

Our promise

“Selection is never for sale. Businesses don’t know they are being considered, and no one who sells advertising sees a selection before it is published.”

Local Three editors

In detail

## What money buys, and what it never buys

Local Three revenue sources and what they do and don’t buy

| Source | What it buys | What it never buys |
|---|---|---|
| Enhanced profiles | A larger gallery, project stories and a team section on the business’s own profile. | Selection, a better position or different wording from our editors. |
| Sponsored placements | A clearly labelled panel, shown outside and below the three. | A place in the three, or a label that looks like ours. |
| Quote requests | When you choose to send a request, the business may pay us a small fee. Your price is the same. | Your details going to anyone you didn’t tick. |

Questions

## Questions about money

Can a business pay to be among the three?

No. Money buys an enhanced profile or a labelled sponsored panel. It never buys a place among the three, a better position or kinder words from the editors.

Why are sponsored panels kept below the three?

So they can never be mistaken for a selection. A sponsored panel is marked as paid, sits outside the three and carries no numeral or label of ours.

Does a quote request cost me anything?

No. The business you choose may pay us a small fee when it answers, and your price stays the same. Your details go only to the businesses you tick.

For local businesses

## Is your business on Local Three?

Claim your free profile to keep your details right. It takes five minutes and never affects our selection.

[Claim your free profile](https://thelocalthree.com/claim/) [How it works](https://thelocalthree.com/claim/#how-it-works)

Local *Three*

Three local businesses worth considering, chosen by editors in each city we cover.

## Read

- [All editions](https://thelocalthree.com/)
- [About Local Three](https://thelocalthree.com/about/)

## Trust

- [How we select](https://thelocalthree.com/how-we-select/)
- [How we make money](https://thelocalthree.com/how-we-make-money/)
- [Corrections](https://thelocalthree.com/corrections/)

## Businesses

- [Claim a profile](https://thelocalthree.com/claim/)
- [Contact](https://thelocalthree.com/contact/)
- [Privacy](https://thelocalthree.com/privacy/) · [Terms](https://thelocalthree.com/terms/)

© 2026 Local Three. Ratings and review counts are collected from public review platforms and were last refreshed on October 29, 2026 . Sponsored placements are always labelled and never change who is selected.