13 posts and columns on micropayments

How Google+ Games Undercuts Both Facebook and Apple

in Commerce on August 11, 2011 at 5:23 pm PT

Google’s move into videogames today should scare both Facebook and Apple, the two leading next-generation game platforms.
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Surprise! Facebook Credits and Apple’s iTunes Play Nice With Each Other.

in Commerce on June 6, 2011 at 8:12 am PT

Facebook has Credits, Apple has iTunes, and then there’s the plethora of points and coins found on the major consoles and online services. Here’s how a common currency is beginning to take shape, which will benefit both the consumer and the game maker.

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PayPal Launching Micropayment Service; Facebook On Board

in News on October 26, 2010 at 11:51 am PT

PayPal is taking a crack at one of the most desired features in e-commerce: A simple payment system for small purchases of digital goods and content. The eBay unit said today its much anticipated micropayment service will debut later this fall, featuring easy, two-click purchases for consumers and low fees and quick payment for merchants and publishers. Early adopters of the service include sites like FT.com and GigaOM, using the system for premium content and subscriptions, but the biggest boost will come from its integration with Facebook, putting it in front of millions of impulse buyers.

The Boku Founders Talk About Mobile Payments, Competitors and More!

in News on July 26, 2010 at 6:30 am PT

While hot start-ups like gaming giant Zynga suck up all the oxygen in the Web 2.0 room, it’s always good to look at those who grease the wheels with the background transactions that make it all possible. Case in point: Mobile payments start-up Boku, a heavily funded (upwards of $38 million) start-up with some high-profile investors, such as Index Ventures, DAG Ventures, Benchmark Capital, Khosla Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz.

The Odd Tale of Facebook, TipJoy, the Deal that Didn’t Happen and the Hire that Did

in Media on August 22, 2009 at 9:50 am PT

Facebook offered to buy TipJoy, then changed its mind. Now the micropayment start-up has closed, and a co-founder is working for…Facebook.
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Facebook’s Zuckerberg: $10 Billion Is a “Fair” Valuation

in Media on May 26, 2009 at 10:48 am PT

Looking for lots of specifics about the $200 million at $10 billion valuation deal that Facebook and Digital Sky Technologies just announced? Then you have come to the wrong conference call, my friend. But for what it’s worth, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg did sound fairly upbeat and confident during his chat with reporters Tuesday morning–the way you’d expect someone who just cashed a check for a couple hundred million to sound. The big picture: Even though Facebook’s official valuation has slid from $15 billion (November 2007, when Microsoft invested) to $10 billion, Zuckerberg is OK with that, arguing that 1) that deal was done at the peak of the market, and 2) it was never really a financial deal, but a way for Microsoft to partner up with Facebook.

YouTube May Be Solving Its Ad Problem–Slowly

in Media on May 8, 2009 at 5:52 am PT

YouTube generates billions of views but no profits. That’s because Google’s video site only sells advertising on a small portion of the clips it shows. That may be changing, argues Bernstein Research’s Jeffrey Lindsay.
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Google’s Revenue Slumps, but Cost-Cutting Pays Off

in Media on April 16, 2009 at 1:19 pm PT

As predicted, Google saw its revenue decline from the last quarter of 2008 to the first three months of this year. The search giant said it generated net revenue of $4.07 billion, which is down from the 4.22 billion Google notched in the previous quarter, and it’s a tad shy of the $4.08 billion consensus. But investors are going to be pleased with the non-GAAP earnings number: $5.16 share, up from $5.10 per share in the previous quarter and way, way above the $4.90 per share consensus. Bottom line: Google has cut back on its expenditures and that’s boosted profits.
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