microtransaction

noun

mi·​cro·​trans·​ac·​tion ˌmī-krō-tran-ˈzak-shən 

-tran(t)-ˈsak-

plural microtransactions

: an online transaction involving a small amount of currency

And each time a song is streamed on one of those platforms, a microtransaction occurs, ranging from around .001 to .005 cents per play.

—John Klyce

especially : such a transaction made within a video game (as to purchase exclusive content or competitive advantage)

The microtransactions that most mobile games are built on—$1 here, $5 there—can add up quickly.

—Seth Schiesel

Is it entirely legal for companies with business models based mainly on microtransactions to target young gamers who may not fully understand that they are incurring a charge when they purchase things with in-game currency?

—Eric Neigher

Blizzard [Entertainment] famously touted last week that "Diablo Immortal" made $24 million in its first two weeks purely from microtransaction purchases.

—Josh Rouse

Examples of microtransaction in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The only microtransactions in this game are different outfits and effects that don’t affect gameplay. —Bartosz Skwarczek, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025

But Scheff, a one-man team who refuses to implement microtransactions into his games, is an uncommon winner from the sports genre, where game popularity is heavily influenced by which publishers own official licensing deals with leagues. —Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019

Games available on Apple Arcade's catalog don't include any microtransactions or ads. —John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025

Now, it’s come up with a new microtransaction that a lot of players don’t love, albeit some seem less upset. —Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

micro- + transaction

First Known Use

1995, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for microtransaction

• dissatisfaction
• overreaction
• abstraction
• attraction
• compaction
• contraction
• detraction
• diffraction
• distraction
• exaction
• extraction
• impaction