Thanks to a Wellington-based technology start-up, users can get paid for hosting advertising on their device’s lock screen with the Postr app.

A New Zealand first after more than eight months of development, after downloading the app, personalised advertising appears on a user’s lock screen, allowing users to either swipe left to engage with the advert or swipe right to enter the phone.

Postr CEO and co-founder Milan Reinartz says the app is about connecting brands and customers in a meaningful way, and that up to $30 a month can be cashed in straight to the user’s bank account or donated to charity.

“We don’t want people to feel like they’re getting spammed," Reinartz adds. "We really want people to enjoy the content and look forward to it.

"All ads on Postr are beautifully crafted and personalised to the user’s interests. You get rewarded financially for hosting the ads, and it’s entirely up to you whether you engage or not. You still get paid.”

Bringing the app to market has been a labour of love for members of the Postr team, which they completed in their spare time.

Reinartz has a background in advertising and design while his wife, Aleshia, plays a key operations role. Co-founder Payton Meyer brings his user experience and app design skills to the table also, along with senior software engineer Mark Penman who built the app.

“We wouldn’t have been able to afford the cost of building the app from scratch, so for Mark to see its potential and come on board as a co-founder was paramount to getting it off the ground,” Reinartz says.

A handful of similar apps have been launched overseas, but the Postr team has been able to learn from their mistakes to make the Postr app more sustainable for both advertisers and users.

The app is available for Android phones and tablets on Google Play and is being promoted on Facebook – a forum for more than one million Kiwi Android users. Brands that are advertising on Postr include KFC, Paramount Pictures, Wellington Tourism and Jim Beam.