BMW has announced a new way of earning through their customers as they launch a microtransactions process where customers would have to pay on monthly basis to avail of their services. One recent service that the customers would have to pay for is the heated seats that will be given for an $18 monthly subscription.
BMW is set to move towards microtransactions after announcing to their customers that they will be selling subscriptions for heated seats.
Netflix, Spotify, Amazon Prime, and now heated seats - isn't this perfect for reasonable monthly subscription services?
As per details, for $18 a month one will get a chance to use premium heated seats in their luxury car.

Well, if you want to enjoy a warm backside all year round, then the company offers you a chance to extend your subscription service for a year ($289, US$180), three years ($19, US$300), or subscribe for ‘unlimited access’ ($589, US$415).

According to 7News, these features won't be available for BMW Australia vehicles, though there s a wide array of new iterations and models arriving this year.
There will be updates to the 3 Series and X7 and new models for the 7 Series and X1 as well as their i7 and iX1 electric vehicle counterparts.
BMW has incorporated microtransaction features in their vehicles slowly with subscriptions rolling out since 2020, with options to include a High Beam Assistant, a heated steering wheel, and the BMW Drive Recorder.

All these are based on hardware in the vehicle that can be activated once you pay for the subscription.
In fact, these additional subscriptions give a chance to the customer to have not only heated hands in winter but also an additional heated backside.
However, with these vehicles already having the software and hardware implemented inside the vehicle, you have to assume BMW is just attempting to milk their customers for as much money as possible.

It seems like this is just another way for the company to cash out from its customers and make it seem like a symbol of high-rolling status for them.
You know that one friend that doesn’t have Spotify Premium, and how you tend to question your friendship with that person?
Well, owning a BMW and not having heated seats may become that next equivalent.
And well this is the next example of microtransactions taking over our lives where we are made to pay for the services before getting a chance to use any of them.

One Twitter user equated the move to a real-life example, saying: “Imagine buying a house, with a fully working stove in the kitchen, but you have to pay a monthly fee that does nothing but unlocks the stove software. If not, you're stuck with a technically working but non-functional stove in your kitchen.”
I mean, you do pay for an electricity bill every quarter.
While another user threw out a concerning question, asking: “So, what else can they disable in your car remotely?”
Whereas some people seemed to be okay with the move.
One person tweeted: “Some people may actually like this because if you only need them during the winter, you can end up saving money versus buying the ‘unlimited’ version if you don't plan on having the car for more than a couple of years.”
Well, whatever the case may be, it seems like the near future will be all about microtransactions.