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Re:Ask HN: Why aren't micropayments a thing? by abeppu on Friday January 22, 2021 @03:29PM (#25875980)
I get this, but also there's a class of things where we know we're constantly being charged by use, and we don't constantly think about it.

Gas, electricity, water are all cases where my use is metered, I _could_ try to micromanage it on a daily basis, but so long as my bills don't vary wildly from month to month, I don't pay especially close attention. To the degree that I self-regulate my use, it's more about the environment than the dollar cost. I don't think about it every time I take a shower or turn up my thermostat.

The amount of online stuff from for-profit institutions I read from month to month doesn't vary that much, and if I knew from habit what the typical range was, I think I could learn to be ok with that. But the current experience, where whenever someone links to something in a _different_ paywall than the ones I'm already in, I do have to think "would it be worth it to pay for this source?" and often the answer is "no".

Re:Ask HN: Why aren't micropayments a thing? by opreturn on Friday January 22, 2021 @03:46PM (#25876157)
Very nice points. People are not that averse to metered pricing. There is a strong aversion towards unpredictable charges.
Re:Ask HN: Why aren't micropayments a thing? by paxys on Friday January 22, 2021 @08:13PM (#25878524)
The difference is that (1) metering is mostly done for limited resources and (2) you don't really have a choice but to not mind for any of the services mentioned. If someone came about and offered a flat-fee electricity connection, the majority would switch in an instant even if their bills remained about the same.
Re:Ask HN: Why aren't micropayments a thing? by cy_hauser on Saturday January 23, 2021 @02:18AM (#25880370)
Many utilities in the US have this. The utilities charge a fixed monthly fee based on estimated usage. Each year the amount is adjusted based on the previous year. It's not that popular overall but serves lower income households well.