Those two efforts address different use cases.

Web Monetization is an API for websites that wish to accept a stream of small micropayments as long as the user is on the site. This suits pay-as-you-use content and service models and is a good substitute for advertising revenue as it's passive (no user interaction required).

Web Payments (there are two APIs: https://www.w3.org/TR/payment-request/ and https://www.w3.org/TR/payment-handler/) are discreet payments requested by the website and explicitly authorised by the user. These are best suited to use cases like ecommerce, donations etc.

nice! I think these paragraphs should be added to the top of both sites :-)

That is not fragmentation, even it appears that way. Adrian Hope-Bailie who is part of the web payments working group is also involved in the web monetization spec. WebMo is attempting to align completely with the web payments work.

Disclaimer: Work for Coil

Fragmented because nobody seems to have found a winning UX yet. Once there is a strong and growing set of users that are happily paying for content on a small set of websites, I believe we will see more consolidation.

Given the choice, most people won't pay for anything, at all, ever.

That's just the culture, we can change it. I had the privilege to explain to someone the donation model. wwwwhy would I pay for a free font??? Do people really do this????

edit: When people know a waitress is not- or barely getting paid they are far less likely to not give a tip. We are not alien to the concept.

Won't - or can not afford... Too many low-paying jobs and unemployed people.