Do I have to wait until I get reviews and a TER ID to get VIP membership as a provider? I have 4 messages in my TER mail I can not get access to without paying for a VIP membership. Yet I thought as a provider we had limited VIP access? I also want to whitelist someone but its showing my whitelist set up as if I"M the hobbyist.

I have had several clients say they have reviewed me and I'm eagerly waiting but nothing yet

Then you'll have the free limited provider VIP. That allows you to use the PM system, and to read the juicy details of your own reviews. It also puts a direct link to your reviews every time you post.  

It is probably worth paying for VIP. It is a pretty small investment at 30 bucks a month.  

Even if you do pay for it, you won't be able to whitelist someone until your username is linked to your reviews. TER does not know you are a provider until you have a review and it is linked. Up until then you are just a member with no differentiation between a client or provider.

...free limited Provider VIP. Everyone is a basic member when they sign up here. You can pay for it until you get your first review.

You'll need to wait until you have a review to white list someone too.

You go to the clients white list to give him a white list not yours. You can search by the client's handle by going to the reviews tab and click "Search" (not "Search reviews"). You'll need the free limited Provider VIP to do that.

 

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PS and xyz gave lots of good info.  I'm just adding a detail or two.

I agree that it's a good idea to pay for VIP for a short (one month) while until you have your first review approved.  There's a new anonymous way to pay for VIP using gift cards. Using cash, buy a Gift Card (Best Buy, Amazon, ... see the list on the link at the bottom of the Buy VIP page:  
https://www.theeroticreview.com/vip/buyVIP.asp?option=monthly
"Trade Unused Gift Card for Membership"  
A recent example is that $30 gets you 24 days.  With paid VIP, you can PM and learn more about reviews and do more advanced searching.  Your first review should be approved by then and then you're home free.  (If still no reviews, plop down another $30.)

After you have your first review and Profile created, I think that the free limited VIP is automatic but you need to request that your Profile be linked to your handle using "Contact Us" to TER Admin.  That's what puts the "See my TER Reviews" under your name in every post.

BTW ... I like the scenery in your pics.  I see aspen, I see ash, I see Aspen Ash. :-