For a whole host of reasons, analysts now say this concept is all but defunct. In the first place, customers don't want it . Shirky is a partner for technology strategy at the investment and early-stage advisory house Accelerator Group. An online service that tried to facilitate small transactions, CyberCash instead went into bankruptcy. Crocker says part of the problem with micropayments lies in the inherent imperfection of the technological world.
Nobody can afford to touch that without going deeply in debt.
The minute someone touches a phone on a complaint about a 25-cent transaction, you are out ten bucks, so you can't have that happen very often. Micro to Mini That being said, many players still see a place for very small transactions in the wireless world. Such transactions will be driven by the coming of technologies such as Bluetooth, a global de facto standard for wireless connectivity. When two Bluetooth-equipped devices come within 10 meters of each other, they can establish a link. Point your phone at a vending machine or a fast-food cash register, and money can instantly change hands.