Tips & Hints for
Shareware/Freeware Authors

Written by Matthias Kahlert, mkahlert@kagi.com
http://www.GeoCities.com/SiliconValley/Pines/8031/index.htm

General Information: Shareware Payments

Some time ago I started a new inquiry about shareware payments. Using a questionnaire the users can vote what shareware payment methods they like best, if they would like to use an online registration procedure and how much a good shareware application may cost.

If you want to help me, please go to the Payment Inquiry form, fill it in and send it back to me.
And if you have some ideas for new inquiries, new questions or something else, please let me know. Just send an e-mail to mkahlert@kagi.com.

Question 1

Here is the original text of question 3:

If you had the possibility to choose, what payment method would you choose? How would you like to pay if the author lives in the same country like you?
And here are the answers:

Cash########################################40% (2 of 5)
Check########################################40% (2 of 5)
Money Order00% (0 of 5)
Credit Card####################20% (1 of 5)
Virtual Cash00% (0 of 5)
Invoice00% (0 of 5)
Provider Bill00% (0 of 5)

Question 2

Here is the original text of question 4:

And how would you like to pay if the authors lives in another country or on another continent?
And here are the answers:

Cash#############20% (1 of 5)
Check00% (0 of 5)
Money Order00% (0 of 5)
Credit Card########################################60% (3 of 5)
Virtual Cash00% (0 of 5)
Invoice#############20% (1 of 5)
Provider Bill00% (0 of 5)

Question 3

Here is the original text of question 5:

What do you think about Online Registrations? If you had the possibility to pay Online (via a Internet WWW homepage), would you choose this instead of sending a fax or snail-mail?
And here are the answers:

No way...########################################40% (2 of 5)
Yes; why not####################20% (1 of 5)
Only on secure servers########################################40% (2 of 5)

Question 4

Here is the original text of question 6:

What is the limit that you would be willing to pay for a good, average shareware application?
And here are the answers:

Up to US$500% (0 of 5)
US$6 to US$10####################20% (1 of 5)
US$11 to US$25########################################40% (2 of 5)
US$26 to US$50####################20% (1 of 5)
More than US$51####################20% (1 of 5)

Annotations

Here are some comments about shareware fees:

"It depends on the App. [...] Cutesy fluff like screensavers, anything that just changes the look of anything etc. I'd pay around $5-$10. Development tools I'd pay up to $250 for, depending on how much money they would save/make me."
"I feel $15 is a really good price to charge. Now adays it really doesn't seem like much to the consumer (especially compared to the price of comercial software), but it really can add up fast for the author."
"Online registration assumes a credit card transaction. I prefer not to give my credit card number out to companies I have not done business with (or heard of) before."
"Software has come down in price so that only the most extensive applications can command a price much higher than US$50."

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