Facebook is continuing to trial the paid messages service that allows users to contact those who are outside their circle of friends. Normally, private messages sent by non-friends would get filtered to the Other folder, but now those who pay a fee can send it directly to the Inbox. The profits generated through the new service will go to Facebook—the company is not planning to share them with the celebrity users, who are the major element of the scheme.

Pic. Facebook introduces pay-to-contect-celebrities system in the UK, www.engadget.com

The system, launched in the USA in late 2012, now has been rolled out in 36 countries including the UK. The price is determined by the popularity of the person on Facebook—the number of followers and a specific “fame” algorithm. Now, the social media giant is trying to figure out “the optimal fee that signals importance,” by testing a range of price points in selected markets. The paid messages in the UK cost up to £11. For instance, to send a direct message to Olympic swimmer Tom Daley, one will have to pay as much as £10.68, while a message to lesser-known personalities like Prince Harry’s girlfriend Cressida Bonas is priced 71p. See the list of personalities and prices here.

“It is being tested among a very small percentage of users,” explained a Facebook spokeswoman, as reported by Guardian. “There is no set timescale. It depends on what happens, what feedback we get as to whether it is rolled out nationally. We are testing a number of price points in the UK and other countries to establish the optimal fee that signals importance. This is still a test and these prices are not set in stone.”

Despite the fact that a person’s popularity is at the core of the new service, Facebook states that the scheme is not a fame barometer. “There’s not a sliding scale based on fame. You canst infer someoness level of ‘celebrity’ from the numbers,” commented Iain Mackenzie, a spokesman for Facebook Europe.