Why don't developers offer payment in instalments?

[basslinemaster]

Why not simply save up?

This is nothing to do with me not being able to save up, it's just an idea to help developers increase sales, and thus earn more money...
I take it you're aware of 'Software as a service' (which I personally can't stand the idea of) - guess why Adobe and other large companies have turned to it? They know that people won't "simply save up" for Adobe Suite, but will pay a monthly or yearly subscription.

So presumably Adobe and other HUGE companies think they are going to make more money this way, otherwise they wouldn't do it. My idea is merely one of spreading payments - it doesn't cost the developer a penny. You do all realise that VSTs aren't physically manufactured in a factory, from physical materials, right? And thus a developer doesn't have to 'make' any, doesn't have to keep any inventory, etc.? Sheesh.

[basslinemaster]

Or just subscription way, but you get your thing and own it after you pay for it

Doesn't that amount to exactly what I suggested in the original post?

[Passing Bye]

Or just subscription way, but you get your thing and own it after you pay for it

Doesn't that amount to exactly what I suggested in the original post?

Read again what you actually wrote and seriously, drop it, it's bad idea and it will never happen if you propose it like that to any developer

[SJ_Digriz]

Do none of you understand price points?

Yes, however your suggestion is not a price point suggestion. So, evidently you don't.
At a certain point the amount of money earned undercuts the amount of time/effort it takes to create and manage a product. And there are already systems in place to manage financial transactions that relieve that burden from the company. Anything that puts the burden back on the company to create and manage "special" versions of the program is a non-starter, especially for $100.

And, I doubt it will create any kind of influx of users at all. Since the only people who can't get a payment plan already are most likely those that you wouldn't want to provide a "payment plan" version to anyhow.

Did none of you see the developer sales before Christmas?

Sure did. Bought several .. used a credit card, but only to get points. Paid off before interest accrued.

[firepile]

Customers that pay in instalments could be charged 10% extra, or something like that, if that makes you happy. It wouldn't bother me either way, if I was paying full price, if others were paying the same but on instalments for three months.

Just use a credit card then.

[basslinemaster]

Yeah. Way too much hassle for the respective company.

How? Can you elaborate? Do you know how software is sold, how it is delivered to the customer? It's all automated, the developer doesn't have to do anything at all.

Say I am selling some software - a word processor, for £99. I have a sale before Christmas, for £33, and I see sales go up by ten times. I then decide to offer payment on instalments, three monthly payments of £33. To prevent people paying only £33 and then having the full program, it expires after one month, until they've paid all three payments. All of this is automatically done by my e-commerce system. I don't have to manually do anything, whether the customer pays the whole £99 or wants to pay in instalments.

What exactly is so difficult and troublesome to the developer in that scenario?

[basslinemaster]

Customers that pay in instalments could be charged 10% extra, or something like that, if that makes you happy. It wouldn't bother me either way, if I was paying full price, if others were paying the same but on instalments for three months.

Just use a credit card then.

This isn't about me. It isn't about me not being able to afford a given VST... sheesh.
It's an idea to help increase sales for developers. What is it with this forum? Paranoia central.

[GaryG]

You have to remember a business has all kind of financial things it has to do to be legal. If they offered installments (especially ones with interest as your 10% would be) then that's technically a credit agreement and there's a whole load of legislation they'd have to comply with (licensed credit broker or something...?).

So, not the worst idea I've ever heard for sure but most smaller developers are much more interested in DSP coding. For these kind of sums I'd say a credit card wins everytime.

[basslinemaster]

Or just subscription way, but you get your thing and own it after you pay for it

Doesn't that amount to exactly what I suggested in the original post?

Read again what you actually wrote and seriously, drop it, it's bad idea and it will never happen if you propose it like that to any developer

No, I think you need to read again what I actually wrote, because you don't seem to understand it's EXACTLY the same as "just subscription way, but you get your thing and own it after you pay for it". You can't understand that that is exactly what I wrote in my original post? And it's a "bad idea"?

[basslinemaster]

You have to remember a business has all kind of financial things it has to do to be legal. If they offered installments (especially ones with interest as your 10% would be) then that's technically a credit agreement and there's a whole load of legislation they'd have to comply with (licensed credit broker or something...?).

So, not the worst idea I've ever heard for sure but most smaller developers are much more interested in DSP coding. For these kind of sums I'd say a credit card wins everytime.

No, it isn't a credit agreement. They are offering a one month use of the program for £33. They offer another one month's use for another £33. If you pay another £33 after having already paid the previous £66, you get the full program. "My" 10% was only put in there to satisfy somebody else's silly objection to the idea...

[Cyoon]

devine machines did that..you see where this leads to..

[Passing Bye]

Or just subscription way, but you get your thing and own it after you pay for it

Doesn't that amount to exactly what I suggested in the original post?

Read again what you actually wrote and seriously, drop it, it's bad idea and it will never happen if you propose it like that to any developer

No, I think you need to read again what I actually wrote, because you don't seem to understand it's EXACTLY the same as "just subscription way, but you get your thing and own it after you pay for it". You can't understand that that is exactly what I wrote in my original post? And it's a "bad idea"?

Some developers could jump on that subscription train, but on yours, hardly, can you understand that, yes its bad idea and you will not change my mind, end of story

[SJ_Digriz]

Yeah. Way too much hassle for the respective company.

How? Can you elaborate? Do you know how software is sold, how it is delivered to the customer? It's all automated, the developer doesn't have to do anything at all.

Say I am selling some software - a word processor, for £99. I have a sale before Christmas, for £33, and I see sales go up by ten times. I then decide to offer payment on instalments, three monthly payments of £33. To prevent people paying only £33 and then having the full program, it expires after one month, until they've paid all three payments. All of this is automatically done by my e-commerce system. I don't have to manually do anything, whether the customer pays the whole £99 or wants to pay in instalments.

What exactly is so difficult and troublesome to the developer in that scenario?

Who sets up and manages the transactions? Who tracks who did/didn't pay? Who collects the money? How do you identify a standard transaction from a deferred transaction? Do we keep two systems (regular shopping cart vs special cart)? Who codes and maintains the special "payment plan" part of the software authorization system? Who does the financial tracking for taxes on deferred payments?

If you did that to create, what I would estimate to be about 3 users ... it's a total money pit. If it was 10,000 users .. it would be marginally viable.

[basslinemaster]

Do none of you understand price points?

Yes, however your suggestion is not a price point suggestion. So, evidently you don't.
At a certain point the amount of money earned undercuts the amount of time/effort it takes to create and manage a product. And there are already systems in place to manage financial transactions that relieve that burden from the company. Anything that puts the burden back on the company to create and manage "special" versions of the program is a non-starter, especially for $100.

You haven't given any reason as to why... I did say £99, not $100... Do you understand how copy protection systems work? You can implement a cut off date for a program just as easily as unlocking it completely. It can ALL be automated. Hence there is no extra work for the company, just more sales.

And, I doubt it will create any kind of influx of users at all. Since the only people who can't get a payment plan already are most likely those that you wouldn't want to provide a "payment plan" version to anyhow.

Did you read my original post? Like I said - people will find faults in the idea, because they didn't bother to read the idea properly. Why wouldn't they want to provide a "payment plan" version which expires in one month to anybody at all? What can the developer possibly lose?

Did none of you see the developer sales before Christmas?

Sure did. Bought several .. used a credit card, but only to get points. Paid off before interest accrued.

[SJ_Digriz]

Do you understand how copy protection systems work? You can implement a cut off date for a program just as easily as unlocking it completely. It can ALL be automated. Hence there is no extra work for the company, just more sales.

So writing the code for copy protection is no extra work for the company?

Did you read my original post? Like I said - people will find faults in the idea, because they didn't bother to read the idea properly. Why wouldn't they want to provide a "payment plan" version which expires in one month to anybody at all? What can the developer possibly lose?

Because doing payment plans is already built into the financial system and ACTUALLY doesn't take them anymore time. You are adding a secondary process that WILL actually take them more time.