Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by setr 1969 days ago
The common solution to the flat-cost-per-transaction problem is to use not-money. Do microtransactions with company script, and buy the script in bulk units (eg 100 NYT coins for $5)

Which is generally how games do it
2 comments
auxym 1969 days ago
FYI, I think you mean "scrip".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrip

link
setr 1969 days ago
You’re correct.
link
phoinix 1969 days ago
Yeah of course, but that's and IOU, it is not a micropayment. Transaction means that the money/tokens are transferred right away. In the example i gave with the light technician happens the same thing. He completes his work and it is the promise of the state that he will be paid at some time in the future. That's called IOU not a payment transaction. It is the promise given only, albeit by a big company we trust, or a state we trust. Or we don't.
link
dragonwriter 1969 days ago
> Yeah of course, but that's and IOU, it is not a micropayment

If I pay for something with a credit card, that's a payment transaction. It also involves (a whole chain of) IOUs.

link