I took a similar approach with my software program AudioBookMaker, using Amazon.com Honor System Payments rather than a more commonly used software registration/payment system like Kagi. While Amazon.com was more limited, I could sell AudioBookMaker 1.0 for $1.35 and Amazon.com only took 35 cents of that (15 cents plus 15% of the whole transaction) and a dollar of every registration could go towards development costs. To get that same dollar from Kagi (which, compared to its competitors, is very fairly priced), I'd have to charge $1.37 (with Kagi taking $1.25 plus 5%) In fact, my margins are better using the Amazon.com Honor System until I start charging over $11 for a piece of software. This is why you have so many shareware applications costing $5-$20, even when they're clearly worth so much less.

That said, the audience ultimately decides what the maximum amount is that creators can charge for their content, because if we price something too high and nobody buys, the product will fail. But the real barrier remains the minimum amount we can charge. Amazon.com has a minimum charge of $1 (for a margin of 60 cents) and Kagi has a minimum of about $1.27 (for a margin of about a penny). That's where a service like BitPass comes in, with minimum payments as low as 1 penny. Having this option gives independent creatives the freedom to charge what something is worth, and the opportunity to treat their customers (and more customers!) with respect.

Signing up for BitPass took less than a minute. I created an "online card" with the $3 minimum balance. I had the option of choosing to pay via Paypal or via credit card. I opted for credit card, since I figure PayPal will take a cut in addition to what Visa charges. So I might as well save BitPass some money. After all, I want this to succeed. I was brought immediately back to "The Right Number where $.25 was deducted from my new account. And then I got to enjoy McCloud's new comic--which, interestingly enough, is the first work of comic fiction I've ever read by him.

So check it out at scottmccloud.com. I get no kickback for recommending it. By all means, let Scott know what you think when you've read it, and please let me know about your experiences with BitPass. And maybe you'll get lucky and I'll charge a nickel for my next project instead of an even twenty bucks. And that's a good example of... The Right Number! (Thank you, thank you. Don't get up. Please.)

In the meantime, here are some other BitPass-using sites if your leftover $2.75 is burning a hole in your keyboard.

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