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

This isn’t only an insult to every artist and developer involved in the making of each Call of Duty, but also to anyone paying for a premium release that’s chock-full of microtransactions to boot. —Fran J. Ruiz, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2025

Much of the backlash stemmed from its reliance on live-service models, microtransactions, and controversial mechanics like loot boxes. —Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025

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

Gen Alpha is also pushing families into new consumer behaviors: 61% shop online more, 46% use virtual try-on technology, 44% make microtransactions, and 40% attend experiential shopping events. —Christine Michel Carter, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 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