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

In addition to the drop in median playtime on consoles for Madden, a key property, the company faces a slowdown in growth of microtransactions revenue across its games. —Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 14 Aug. 2025

One aspect is the very, very pricey cosmetic microtransactions that can end up being $47 for some bundles in a game where its attractive character aesthetic is one of its core appeals. —Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025

Backyard Sports has never featured loot boxes or microtransactions, and locking a character like Pablo Sanchez behind an additional paywall would spark a fan revolt, causing parents to be hesitant to support the games. —Jake Lang, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2025

And then immediately hitting them with loads of microtransactions and a full auction house isn’t the best first impression. —Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 11 July 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