Micropayments are financial transactions that take place on the internet. The first generation of micropayment systems was proposed and developed in the mid-late 1990s, with a second generation emerging in the 2010s. These micropayment systems are used to make small, often anonymous, payments to online businesses. Whether for goods, services, or a combination of these services, micropayments are a growing trend that offers many benefits.
Pay-per-use
Micropayments are a form of digital currency, and they’re especially well-suited for products that are downloaded directly from the Web. Because the marginal costs of creating and distributing these products are minuscule, companies can sell them at a low price. Of course, to make this profitable, companies will need a large enough volume of sales. Some optimists believe that consumers will pay as little as five cents per newspaper article, a song, or Microsoft Word.
Despite the potential of pay-per-use micropayments, the technology is still years away from taking off in a big way. In the meantime, two recent Web initiatives provide clues for how the future of micropayments might play out. The first is the widespread development of smart cards that hold electronic value, which may become the gateway to wider acceptance. Another is the development of trusted systems technology, which will allow content providers to restrict access to their intellectual property. The latter represents a significant paradigm shift.
Another way of thinking about pay-per-use micropayments is to consider the gray market. Most of these transactions involve negligible transaction costs, which makes them highly desirable for businesses. For example, in the newspaper industry, the Winnipeg Free Press became the first in Canada to monetize its content with pay-per-use micropayments in 2015.
Pay-per-print
Micropayments for individual works are an El Dorado for publishers, but they don’t always work out as planned. Publishers have to use an eCommerce system to aggregate multiple small purchases into a single, larger sum. The Apple iTunes system, for example, aggregates several items into a single payment on a monthly basis.
소액결제 현금화 are particularly well suited for purchasing digital products directly from the Web. Since the marginal cost to produce and distribute these products is zero, companies can offer them to consumers for low prices. However, the companies have to generate enough volume to make the money back. Some optimists say that consumers will pay as low as five cents for an article in a newspaper, a song, or Microsoft Word.
While micropayments may seem like a far-off concept, recent Web initiatives offer hints about their future. For instance, smart cards containing electronic value are on the way, which could serve as a bridge to wider acceptance of micropayment methods. Furthermore, developers are developing trusted systems technology that will enable content providers to control who can access their intellectual property. This represents a significant paradigm shift.
Micropayments have the potential to solve a number of problems facing the online publishing industry. For example, many publishers are hesitant to implement micropayments because they are too costly. Micropayments are also unlikely to be profitable for merchants because of the processing fees, which often eliminate any profit from the transaction.
Pay-per-view
Micropayments are a way for consumers to support the content they love by making small payments in return for a single view. Many people simply don’t have the budget for many subscriptions, or don’t read their favorite publications enough to pay full price. Micropayments are also a way to show appreciation to the author, publisher, or article author. If you’re considering micropayments for your content, you’ll want to take these considerations into account.
Micropayments have unique challenges for consumers and payments providers. For example, the cost of processing a single transaction can be greater than the benefits. While the biggest players in the payments market can cover this expense, smaller payment systems have had a difficult time integrating micropayments. However, the growing popularity of mobile services has created new opportunities for micropayments.
While many publishers have been hesitant to adopt micropayments, some publishers are giving them a try. Buzzfeed, for example, is testing some form of micropayments. However, Buzzfeed’s membership model is geared more toward one-time donations than subscriptions and other benefits. Micropayment models should be included in the conversation about pay-per-view revenue. Although some publishers have embraced micropayments, the number of publishers that have implemented them is still small. Nevertheless, the ability to create a seamless payment journey is an important aspect of a successful micropayment model.
Micropayments are a great way for content creators to earn additional revenue. In less than two years, the majority of non-traditional sites will make the transition to micropayments. Users should be willing to pay as little as one cent per Web page to receive quality content and minimize intrusive ads. This will turn users into customers for content creators.
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