Google is developing a micro payment platform according to Neiman Journalism Lab. If released, this and similar micro payment models will advance the cause of publishers and others looking to monetise online content which is currently free. The payment range to be handled is US1cent through to several dollars.
This move is dignificant because in the print world content is purchased in an aggregated form – newspapers and magazines. Online, content is accessed by the story yet stories are not monetised. A viable micro payment system will allow stories to be more easily monetised.
Publishers making money online will have more reason to pursue this channel.
Here is a copy of the Google submission to the Newspaper Association of America on micro payments which promoted the Neiman report.