3. Methodology
Sample: Sample of 1,005 individuals representative of the French Internet population aged
15 and over. A representative sample was ensured using the quota method (gender,
age, profession of the person interviewed) after stratification by region and urban
category.
Sample of 345 customers and leads from the Hi-media customer/lead database.
Sample of 1,052 individuals representative of the American Internet population aged
15 and over. A representative sample was ensured using the quota method (gender,
age, household income) after stratification by State.
Survey method: Interviews conducted by means of self-administered online questionnaire (CAWI - Computer
Assisted Web Interviewing).
Survey dates: From August 10 to 18, 2009 for the survey of the general public
From September 14 to October 6, 2009 for the survey of professionals
5. General Indicators
Question: Have you personally ever heard of "micropayment"?
Over half of French Internet users and a quarter of American
Internet users are aware of the micropayment concept
Total "Yes" 57% Total "Yes" 25%
YES, and you know exactly what it entails YES, but you are not really sure what it entails NO, never
6. General Indicators
Question: Would you say you use micropayment to access paid service or content on the Internet
frequently, fairly frequently, from time to time, rarely or never?
Once the concept is clearly explained, half of both French and
American Internet users say they use micropayment
Total Total
Frequently/From time to time/Rarely Never
46%
51%
7. General Indicators
Question: For each of the following solutions, could you indicate if you have already used them for
occasional payments of sums less than 5 euros/dollars on the Internet?
While the bank debit/credit card is the most common means of
payment, over 50% of Internet users use another means of payment.
Each age-group has its own preferred means of payment.
Pre-paid card % %
E-wallet % %
ISP Billing % %
Premium SMS % %
Premium Phone Number % %
Credit/debit Card % %
Recap: Total Yes
8. Micropayment practices
Question: For which Internet services or content have you used online micropayment solutions?
Use for a variety of services and content.
"Games" head the list in France and "Music" in the USA
Buy e-goodies % %
Obtain legal information % %
Watch videos % %
Download music % %
Post classifieds % %
Download documents % %
Play/download games % %
Other services % %
Base: those using micropayment on the Internet, i.e. 77% of the sample (France) , or 74% of the sample (USA) /recap: total Yes
9. Micropayment practices
Question: Can you quote an average number of transactions per month you access each of the following
services or content?
Frequency of transactions:
Preponderance of VOD and music in the USA
Buy e-goodies
Post classifieds
Download music
Play/download games
Watch videos
Download documents
Obtain legal information
Other services
Base: for each service or content, those using micropayment on the Internet and having used these services/content/ Recap: Average number of transactions per month.
10. Micropayment practices
Question: On a scale from 1 to 10, how far do you trust online micropayment solutions (1 indicating that you
have no confidence in them, and 10 that you have absolute confidence in them)? Intermediate scores can be used
to refine your answer.
Two thirds of users have confidence in micropayment solutions
Average score Average score
6.6 6.4
Base: those using micropayment on Internet, i.e. 77% of the French sample and 74% of the American sample
11. Micropayment practices
Question: For each of the following descriptions, would you say it applies to the micropayment solutions
currently available on Internet very well, fairly well or not at all?
Speed and simplicity: the two key advantages of micropayment
Rapid access to target content % %
Easy to use % %
Access to useful content % %
A reliable alternative to bank cards % %
Secure for the purchaser %
%
Not widely enough available on the Web % %
Encourages paying for content % %
Base: those claiming to use micropayment on Internet/Recap: Total of Very well
12. Micropayment practices
Question: All in all, do you think you would recommend micropayment solutions to friends, family or
colleagues for access to paid online services or content: certainly, probably, probably not or certainly not?
Over 70% of users are satisfied and would recommend
micropayment to others
Certainly Probably Probably not Certainly not
Base: those claiming to use micropayment on Internet, i.e. 77% of the sample./ NB: Question asked only in France
13. User profile
On the basis of 2 indicators: awareness of micropayment,
frequency of use of micropayment
Micropayment solutions…
… concern a hard core of
… are more in men's users aged 18 to 24 and up to
line at least 35 (in the USA in
particular)
… in France: higher … are more
social classes are better common in
informed on the subject households with
children under 18
… and in those that
Less marked social have had an Internet
and professional connection for more
divide in the USA than 10 years
15. Focus on non-users
Question: What are the main reason(s) you have never used micropayment solutions to access paid
online services or content?
Two main reasons for non-use:
No need and lack of awareness of solutions
No need % %
Not fully aware of solutions % %
Preference for similar free content % %
Unwillingness to divulge personal details % %
No confidence in these solutions % %
No confidence in sites offering these solutions % %
Too complicated solutions % %
Base: those not having used micropayment on the Internet, i.e. 23% of the French sample and 26% of the US sample.
16. Focus on non-users
Question: Would you use a micropayment solution for each of the following contents or services?
A quarter of non-users would be willing to use micropayment for
documents, small ads and music
Documents % %
Classifieds % %
Music % %
Online videos % %
Legal information % %
Games % %
E-goodies % %
Base: those not using micropayment on the Internet, i.e. 23% of the French sample and 26% of the US sample. / Recap: Total Yes
18. Awareness
Questions: - What micropayment solutions do you know by name?
- Of the following solutions, which ones do you know?
Spontaneous and assisted awareness among users that
supports merchant activity
• Allopass and Paypal are the two leading players
spontaneously mentioned by French Internet users
Allopass is the first micropayment solution
spontaneously mentioned by French Internet users
• Similar finding for assisted awareness: 55% of French
Internet users are aware of Allopass
19. Micropayment: a real source of revenue
Base: Question put exclusively to clients
Question: Has the introduction of paid services on your website led to a drop in your audience?
Paid services have no impact on audience figures
NO
%
%
YES
20. Micropayment: a real source of revenue
Question: What is the main source of revenue for your Internet website(s)?
Micropayment, the primary revenue stream for Allopass
clients… also monetizing their audience via other revenue
sources
Micropayment % Games: 60%
Sponsored links %
Affiliation %
E-commerce (sale of material goods) %
Graphic advertising %
Sponsorship %
21. Micropayment: a real source of revenue
Question: How do you sell your content or services?
¾ of Allopass clients sell on a pay per transaction basis
Telecoms, Internet, IT: 89%
Current affairs and information: 88%
Micropayment per transaction % Games: 88%
Subscription + %
micropayment per transaction
Subscription %
23. Conclusion
No reluctance on the part of Internet users
Considerable development potential:
subject to new offerings from contentpublishers:
record companies, press publishers and video
distributors in particular
A solution that has already proved its value among
Internet site publishers:
Micropayment is the primary revenue stream for
Allopass clients, ahead of advertising
26. 6 points to note
While the majority of French and American Internet users have no clear vision
of exactly what the concept of micropayment entails yet, they nonetheless use it
1 frequently in their everyday lives to purchase small-ticket services or content
costing less than €5. The means of payment used are very diverse and depend
mainly on user age.
The main purchased content is "games" in France and "music" in the USA.
American Internet users are much heavier consumers of "VOD" and "music"
2 content with approximately 5.9 and 6 transactions per month for each of these
categories respectively.
Speed and ease of use are the two main qualities attributed to micropayment
3 solutions in both France and the USA.
Two thirds of French and American users have confidence in these solutions.
27. 6 points to note
French users are mainly ABC1 men with a hard core in the 18 to 24 age-group.
4 In the USA, the core group is also male but over a wider age range (18 to 34). In
the two countries, micropayment is used particularly in households with
children under 18 and that have had Internet connections for over 10 years.
Allopass enjoys excellent spontaneous and assisted awareness that puts it in
5 first place among the micropayment solutions mentioned in France.
Where professionals are concerned, micropayment is a real source of revenue
6 for Internet site publishers. It is the primary revenue stream for Allopass clients
who also monetize their audience via other solutions (graphic advertising,
sponsored links, affiliation, etc.).
