I had an idea that would make a bunch of things more convenient, make custom content accessible, and just makes sense overall.
So instead of the current system, you first would need to essentially convert a dollar to some kinda point. Call it diverge coins or whatever. This can only be created from a direct web store purchase and it let's UA maybe hand some out occasionally as a reward or whatever at their discretion.
This coin would be avaliable to you as a player on any character in game. The beauty of it is that you can trade that currency with other players at will. You want more IC$$? You could trade the coins with other players at their discretion. There would be NO webstore conversion so that this way the in game market entirely decides what the coin is worth.
What's the point? It allows players who don't have IRL$$ to trade their IC$ for diverge donation money. Players would be buying those coins so they can get more in game money, and players who want custom items or donator or whatever can work hard in game for the money and someone else gives the server money to obtain in game money with out of game money.
Further, players who have in game whitelists like cars and clothes and such could add players to their whitelists entirely in game for the current IRL$ equivalents ($10 per player, $20 per faction) thus reducing some work for pendred. Companies like Kwik Kash would see their sales become way faster and easier instead of having to wait on pendred to do these updates and let's pendred focus on adding new content, which is the thing that CAN'T be automated.
I've personally split the bill with people on custom cars and stuff it's a pain in the current setup for everyone involved from the players to the owners. It would be so much cleaner to just buy and trade the coins in game. People buy donator for others all the time but the process is a little clunky. No more in this system. People buy whitelists all the time and that's a pain too for a lot of people.
Just a thought. I can see how it would be better for players and more profitable for the owners.