We’re Now Paying for Everything Digital

Not too long ago, buying something meant you owned it. You bought a car, you got all its features. You bought software and the license was yours forever. It was a once off payment, but in this recent digital age that guarantee is quietly disappearing, the world is shifting. We are entering an era where you never truly “own” the products you buy, you simply pay for the privilege of having them not to be deactivated.

One of the most striking examples of this shift was the backlash against BMW, where customers discovered that certain features in their cars such as heated seats or advanced assistance functions physically existed in their cars but were locked behind a subscription paywall. Many found this deeply unfair. If you bought the car, why should you continue paying to use something that was already installed? The controversy around BMW’s model has become a symbol of a larger trend.

In 2016, WhatsApp eliminated its subscription fee, assuring users they won't be charged to send messages, share media, or make voice and video calls beyond standard internet or mobile data costs. While those core features remain free today, the introduction of advertising and premium subscription options marks a notable evolution of the platform. It also reflects a broader industry trend, where digital services that were once offered at no cost are increasingly adopting recurring revenue models through subscriptions, premium features, and advertising.

The Subscription Creep: More than just Entertainment in Households

It’s not just with the cars, the “subscription creep” has spread across almost every part of digital life, from streaming and software to cloud services and, increasingly AI tools. Over 87% of consumers used streaming services just in 2024 and about 50% were paying for subscriptions. The average number of digital subscriptions per user increased from 2.4 in 2024 to 3.0 per subscriber, representing a 25% year-over-year increase.

Across the global economy, the “subscription economy” is booming and it is expected to expand by 2035. Meanwhile, South African households now allocate a portion of their monthly budgets to digital subscriptions, with lower-income households spending an average of R336 per month and middle-income households spending around R482 per month. For higher-income households, monthly spending often exceeds R1,000, driven by streaming platforms, software subscriptions, cloud storage, AI tools, and other digital services

Freelancers, Students, and the Digital Divide

For freelancers and students, this shift raises serious concerns. For Freelancers in some fields, AI tools help them to be able to dramatically increase efficiency, design faster, code quicker, edit, and draft proposals. But if premium features are locked behind subscriptions, freelancers who cannot afford them may be outmatched by those who do, not because of skill but because of budget.

Students' access to knowledge, research tools, creative platforms, and code labs once freely available, may now require ongoing payment. This could create a digital divide, where only those with disposable income can fully leverage AI-powered tools. It’s ironic, AI was supposed to democratize creativity and learning. But a subscription-driven model risks turning it into a privilege for those who can pay.

Paying to be Production

Think about it, we’re not just paying to consume content. We’re paying to think, create, learn, and produce. Of course, companies behind these services argue that subscription fees support development, servers, and research updates. Subscriptions help sustain continuous improvement, security, and scalability. But the challenge lies in who gets priced out. The “subscription fatigue” is real with growing bills, recurring charges, and the idea that what you once owned is now a recurring subscription.

We are slowly moving away from a world where you buy tools once and keep them. Instead, we are entering a world where everything that is creativity, comfort, knowledge, and even basic digital tools must be maintained with a subscription. The choice is becoming embrace a future where access is temporary or demand models that preserve ownership, fairness, and accessibility. Because if everything becomes subscription-based, we may end up paying not just for things we own, but for things we are capable of. The line between ownership and rental has blurred to the point of disappearing, leaving us wondering when the subscription service pandemic will come to a stop.