Micropayment has changed the way we make small purchases on the internet. Digging deeper, you’ll find that there are different types of micropayments, each with their own purposes.
Micropayment cash, or 소액결제현금화 has come a long way since becoming an obscure payment method to now being one of the most popular ways people spend their money online.
Here are the 4 main types and their definition.
Post-Paid
The postpaid micropayment model does not require upfront payment and is usually ‘billed’ at the end. A good example is when you purchase several songs, ebooks or apps and have everything charged in your account by the month’s end.
Prepaid
The prepaid approach unlocks access for the user for a set amount of time. For instance, a game card allows a players two hours’ worth of playtime in a game. Another example is a gift card purchase for those who don’t have a credit card.
Pay as You Go
Pay as you go is different from prepaid in that you spend money in microtransactions as needed.
Perhaps a classic example is using up credits to unlock different services, such as a dollar for 50 text messages, or buying in-game credits to get extra lives.
Pay as you go is convenient for the buyer but the business has to set up an extra system or platform to make it happen. Furthermore, it’s not as profitable as a prepaid or postpaid model.
Collaborative
Collaborative model ties all members of a niche together and allows the buyer to make a purchase for a ‘bundle’ of products, such as ebooks or songs, among others.
This model also works in independent games where the developers are not affiliates in a larger scheme. The user has the ability to pay a flat rate to access a dozen or so independently made games, which is then distributed to the game makers.