The Internet started as a free medium for free spirits. E-
commerce was once considered a dirty word. Web surfers became
used to free content. Hence the (very low) glass ceiling on
the price of content made available through the web - and the
need to charge customers less than 1 US dollars to a few
dollars per transaction ("micro-payments"). Various service
providers (such as Pay-Pal) emerged, none became sufficiently
dominant and all-pervasive to constitute a standard. Web
merchants' ability to accept micropayments is crucial. E-
commerce (let alone m-commerce) will never take off without
it.
Enter Amazon. Its "Honour System" is licenced to third party
web sites (such as Bartleby.com and SatireWire). It allows
people to donate money or effect micro-payments, apparently
through its patented one-click system. As far as the web sites
are concerned, there are two major drawbacks: all donations
and payments are refundable within 30 days and Amazon charges
them 15 cents per transaction plus 15(!) percent. By far the
worst deal in town.
So, why the fuss?
Because of Amazon's customer list.
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