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Title: What Micropayment Needs Can Bitcoin Fill? Post by: gigabytecoin on March 31, 2011, 06:02:29 PM I whipped out my credit card the other day to make a whopping $0.25 purchase at a city parking meter.
I'm not sure if they have a special deal with Visa or something... but didn't the City just lose some money on that transaction? I thought credit card companies had a minimum transaction fee... Anyways, what are some other micropayment niche needs that bitcoin can fill?
Title: Re: What Micropayment Needs Can Bitcoin Fill? Post by: MoonShadow on April 01, 2011, 12:23:32 AM Carsharing networks...
http://www.zipcar.com/ http://relayrides.com/ http://www.getaround.com/ Dynamic ridesharing... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_ridesharing http://www.flinc.mobi Title: Re: What Micropayment Needs Can Bitcoin Fill? Post by: PLATO on April 01, 2011, 10:48:32 PM
A burger, fries, and drink (or equivalent) in CT costs around six USD now Title: Re: What Micropayment Needs Can Bitcoin Fill? Post by: Alex Beckenham on April 02, 2011, 04:44:47 AM There have been cases where someone has closed an account with a utility provider and had say $0.02 still owing on the bill. Despite the low amount, this gets stuck in the system and generates multiple bills being sent out, then $20 late fees and overdue notices in the mail, eventually getting blown way out of proportion, because noone takes their initial 2c bill seriously.
Title: Re: What Micropayment Needs Can Bitcoin Fill? Post by: RodeoX on April 02, 2011, 06:22:44 PM This is a good question. Very small payments are problematic for other payment systems such as credit cards because they cannot scale as well as a P2P system. Especially when it comes to things worth a few pennies or less. In addition to requiring a profit, Mastercard must buy it's infrastructure and pay something additional to get anything done. Because of this, the micropayment economy may be relatively untapped.
I can envision a wide range of areas for such payments: Internet advertising: those per-click based arrangements would automate well by paying in bitcoin. Charitable giving: Tiny and anonymous contributions could be made directly to those in need. Consumer promotional campaigns: Pay consumers , or charge for deals. Small fair trade items: Doesn't get more fair than buying direct. video game point system: Maybe you have the option to bet with your friends during a deathmatch. Metered Internet services: Advanced searches, news, large automated services. The big thing nobody saw coming: ??? |