microtransaction

[ mahy-kroh-tran-sak-shuhn, -zak- ]

noun

1. a relatively inexpensive payment for part of a product or for an upgraded service or experience: often at the core of an alternative sales and revenue model for businesses to maximize profit with a very large volume of piecemeal or à la carte sales, rather than a single lump sum transaction for each full product sold: The vehicle comes with heated seats, but you won’t be able to use them without enrolling in a recurring microtransaction with the manufacturer.

   Developers call this genre of game free-to-play, but the fact is you’ll never succeed without shelling out microtransactions at every level for the gear your character will need.

   The vehicle comes with heated seats, but you won’t be able to use them without enrolling in a recurring microtransaction with the manufacturer.

Word History and Origins

Origin of microtransaction¹

First recorded in 1985–90; micro- ( def ) + transaction ( def )