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IMO the way to solve this is a single-click "pay this tiny amount to keep reading" UI. Now that Amazon's one-click checkout patent has expired this is actually

IMO the way to solve this is a single-click "pay this tiny amount to keep reading" UI. Now that Amazon's one-click checkout patent has expired this is actually legally viable. But it won't happen until Chrome is overturned by a new browser because Google will never let such a model succeed :( It's possible Firefox may successfully do the "phoenix re-viral" thing, in spite of the fact that it would be a literal miracle.

arich 9y ago
I've never liked those things that popped up but, as I was reading I thought I'd definitely go for it if I had something like a digital wallet in the browser that I could preload with a balance and simply use to pay for websites like that with one click. Doing a quick google search hasn't shown anything like that. Does anyone know if a browser extension or something like this already exists?
- FridgeSeal 9y ago
  Seems like that's the idea behind the Brave browser [0]. If I could have some tool that I could put funds into and then frictionlessly pay publishers as I read articles (preferably in a way that didn't let my spending habits be uniquely tracked everywhere) then I would sign up in a heartbeat: I do want to support content producers, don't really want to sign up for n different accounts to do so. [0]: https://www.brave.com/ https://www.brave.com/
- UncleMeat 9y ago
  This has existed in multiple forms for years. Small micropayments instead of ad views. I believe Google has this feature right now if you opt-in.
  - bonqis 9y ago
    Not really, Flattr distributes your subscription automatically between the content and sites you engage with. Without the need of user interaction.
- archon810 9y ago
  Flattr.com is about to relaunch with something like that. You set an allotment for the month, then Flattr sites using their extension, and at the end of the month, they get the share of your allotment, based on how much you visited them. I've already signed up both our sites, just waiting for them to relaunch.
jasonkostempski 9y ago
"Now that Amazon's one-click checkout patent has expired this is actually legally viable." It would require you to add your credit card to every site that wants it at least once. It wouldn't be very convenient and people shouldn't be giving out CC info on the internet that freely.
- eridius 9y ago
  https://www.w3.org/community/webpayments/ https://www.w3.org/community/webpayments/
- mrep 9y ago
  An aggregate service would probably have to service those transactions as credit card usually have $0.30 fee's per transaction so you'd probably need to aggregate all fees to mitigate the minimum charges.
hasenj 9y ago
I really think for this to work well, the payment system needs to be tightly integrated into the browser, something like Steam.
peteretep 9y ago
I think Google would be just as happy owning a large share of the micropayments industry as they are owning a large share of ad inventory.
bonqis 9y ago
I co-founded Flattr and one of the things we learned is that even a one-click is to much effort. So we now have a zero-click solution that measures attention and visits in your browser locally (as Archon810 wrote.) and then your monthly subscription is distributed based on that. Happy to answer anything and or give an invite.
- DamonHD 9y ago
  Would like to chat further. As CTO in a previous "fintech" start-up I tried to make something like that work: a tiny-pay-per-view is indeed something like the right goal for funding content.
  - bonqis 9y ago
    Sure, drop me an mail at linus at flattr
    - DamonHD 9y ago
      Done.
- mdpopescu 9y ago
  Do you generate reports with how much was spent on each site? If I were using such a browser / add-on, that would make for an interesting reading at least once in a while.
  - bonqis 9y ago
    Yes, everything flattred is visible for you on your dashboard. But not all data or everything you visited etc, as that is a to high of a privacy invasion.
- bumblebritches5 9y ago
  How the hell does that work? you just automatically spend your clients money for them without even asking? Sounds shady af
mdpopescu 9y ago
The problem changes from "tiny amount" to "I have to make yet another decision". Decision fatigue is a thing. Something like bonqis mentions where the amount of attention I give to each page is automatically measured would be much better.
- bonqis 9y ago
  Exactly, you can not ask people to "care" and make "informed decisions" around tiny amounts. Then they will just skip it.

arich 9y ago

I've never liked those things that popped up but, as I was reading I thought I'd definitely go for it if I had something like a digital wallet in the browser that I could preload with a balance and simply use to pay for websites like that with one click. Doing a quick google search hasn't shown anything like that. Does anyone know if a browser extension or something like this already exists?

FridgeSeal 9y ago
Seems like that's the idea behind the Brave browser [0]. If I could have some tool that I could put funds into and then frictionlessly pay publishers as I read articles (preferably in a way that didn't let my spending habits be uniquely tracked everywhere) then I would sign up in a heartbeat: I do want to support content producers, don't really want to sign up for n different accounts to do so. [0]: https://www.brave.com/ https://www.brave.com/
UncleMeat 9y ago
This has existed in multiple forms for years. Small micropayments instead of ad views. I believe Google has this feature right now if you opt-in.
- bonqis 9y ago
  Not really, Flattr distributes your subscription automatically between the content and sites you engage with. Without the need of user interaction.
archon810 9y ago
Flattr.com is about to relaunch with something like that. You set an allotment for the month, then Flattr sites using their extension, and at the end of the month, they get the share of your allotment, based on how much you visited them. I've already signed up both our sites, just waiting for them to relaunch.

jasonkostempski 9y ago

"Now that Amazon's one-click checkout patent has expired this is actually legally viable." It would require you to add your credit card to every site that wants it at least once. It wouldn't be very convenient and people shouldn't be giving out CC info on the internet that freely.

eridius 9y ago
https://www.w3.org/community/webpayments/ https://www.w3.org/community/webpayments/
mrep 9y ago
An aggregate service would probably have to service those transactions as credit card usually have $0.30 fee's per transaction so you'd probably need to aggregate all fees to mitigate the minimum charges.

hasenj 9y ago

I really think for this to work well, the payment system needs to be tightly integrated into the browser, something like Steam.

peteretep 9y ago

I think Google would be just as happy owning a large share of the micropayments industry as they are owning a large share of ad inventory.

bonqis 9y ago

I co-founded Flattr and one of the things we learned is that even a one-click is to much effort. So we now have a zero-click solution that measures attention and visits in your browser locally (as Archon810 wrote.) and then your monthly subscription is distributed based on that. Happy to answer anything and or give an invite.

DamonHD 9y ago
Would like to chat further. As CTO in a previous "fintech" start-up I tried to make something like that work: a tiny-pay-per-view is indeed something like the right goal for funding content.
- bonqis 9y ago
  Sure, drop me an mail at linus at flattr
  - DamonHD 9y ago
    Done.
mdpopescu 9y ago
Do you generate reports with how much was spent on each site? If I were using such a browser / add-on, that would make for an interesting reading at least once in a while.
- bonqis 9y ago
  Yes, everything flattred is visible for you on your dashboard. But not all data or everything you visited etc, as that is a to high of a privacy invasion.
bumblebritches5 9y ago
How the hell does that work? you just automatically spend your clients money for them without even asking? Sounds shady af

mdpopescu 9y ago

The problem changes from "tiny amount" to "I have to make yet another decision". Decision fatigue is a thing. Something like bonqis mentions where the amount of attention I give to each page is automatically measured would be much better.

bonqis 9y ago
Exactly, you can not ask people to "care" and make "informed decisions" around tiny amounts. Then they will just skip it.