Comedians use clever methods to get paid nowadays - we suggest some nifty new strategies.

In recent weeks we've become oddly fascinated by the myriad ways in which modern comedians get paid. In the old days of the club circuit you'd generally picture a promoter handing over a wad of tenners in an envelope at the end of a gig; and in recent years, comics have begun to adopt pay-afterwards methods for their solo and theatre shows, too. One comedy musical currently touring the nation's theatres is even using envelopes: handing them out before the show so the audience can pay what they want afterwards, in confidence. Which is asking for a financial ghosting, admittedly.

Most comedians who've adopted the pay-afterwards approach actively hold a receptacle to collect the cash, but a growing number are also using contactless devices. If the punters don't have a credit card either? Well, they'll almost certainly have a phone, and you can pay for all sorts of things that way now too, via an app or your phone bill. One day a canny comic will no doubt add an extra post-show element by linking up a pay by mobile slots game, where punters can take a spin with the donation instead - or drag along a full-sized fruit machine. Now that would get some attention.

So what other innovative methods could acts introduce when it comes to the collecting of cash? For the posher Pay What You Want performer, their more discerning fans would obviously be offered the option of using their donation to purchase an online portfolio of stocks and shares, carefully selected by the comic's broker.

For comics who are broker (see what we did there?), getting people to purchase their online products might actually be a decent exit strategy. Punters will be allowed out with a smile and a handshake if they hold up their phone while purchasing a live DVD, or the download version, or a link to a big online shopping site to purchase their book - the full price version, none of that 'Used, 0.01p (£3 packing)' business. Comedians often run their own merch stall after shows, after all - why not flog a bit of product via the web stores too? It would certainly alleviate some heavy lugging.

At the Edinburgh Fringe it can cost an absolute packet to rent a room for the whole month, so you wouldn't be surprised to see someone set up a fund to pay for it after shows, standing next to one of those Blue Peter-style totalisers, with their bucket or gadget. If they hit the target mid-Fringe, that figure will then act like those pound coins buskers throw into their own hat beforehand to encourage other people to give generously. Which is the same principle as canned laughter on sitcoms, when you think about it.

In truth, it tends to be acts in ticketed venues who make the biggest losses at the Fringe these days, so perhaps the bucketed acts could crowdfund to help pay their bills instead: or actively sell seats. It's a lovely image, performers who've been raking it in on the Pay What You Want fringe standing at the back at the end of their show with the Fringe website open, selling tickets for struggling acts in the 'proper' venues. Now that would be a turn-up. But would they turn up?