How Companies Make Money: The Business Model Library
Business Model Library explains how companies make money using filing evidence and revenue mixes. Explore the models behind the stories from The Business Engine.
Last checked 2026-10-18 on the official pages.
- Adobe · Subscription
- Airbnb · Marketplace
- Alphabet · Advertising · Cloud usage
- Amazon · Cloud usage · Marketplace · Retail margin
- AMD · Hardware plus services
- American Airlines Group · Loyalty and stored value
- American Express · Interest and banking · Payments network
- Apple · Hardware plus services · Subscription
- Berkshire Hathaway · Insurance float · Retail margin
- Block · Payments network
- Booking Holdings · Marketplace
- Chipotle · Retail margin
- Coca-Cola · Licensing and royalties · Retail margin
- Coinbase · Brokerage and transaction fees · Subscription
- Costco · Membership warehouse · Retail margin
- Delta Air Lines · Loyalty and stored value
- Domino's Pizza · Franchise and real estate · Retail margin
- DoorDash · Marketplace
- Dropbox · Freemium · Subscription
- Duolingo · Freemium · Subscription
- eBay · Marketplace
- Etsy · Marketplace
- Expedia Group · Marketplace
- Gillette · Razor and blades
- Home Depot · Retail margin
- HP Inc. · Hardware plus services · Razor and blades
- Intuit · Subscription
- JPMorgan Chase · Interest and banking
- Klarna · Interest and banking · Payments network
- LinkedIn · Advertising · Subscription
- Lyft · Marketplace
- Marriott International · Licensing and royalties
- Mastercard · Payments network
- Match Group · Freemium · Subscription
- McDonald's · Franchise and real estate
- Meta Platforms · Advertising
- Microsoft · Cloud usage · Subscription
- Netflix · Advertising · Subscription
- NIKE · Licensing and royalties · Retail margin
- NVIDIA · Hardware plus services
- Oracle · Cloud usage · Subscription
- Palantir · Subscription
- PayPal · Payments network
- Peloton · Hardware plus services · Subscription
- Pinterest · Advertising
- Procter & Gamble · Razor and blades · Retail margin
- Reddit · Advertising · Licensing and royalties
- Robinhood · Brokerage and transaction fees · Interest and banking
- Roblox · Freemium · Marketplace
- Salesforce · Subscription
- Shopify · Payments network · Subscription
- Snap · Advertising
- Spotify · Advertising · Subscription
- Starbucks · Loyalty and stored value · Retail margin
- Target · Retail margin
- Tesla · Hardware plus services
- Uber · Marketplace
- United Airlines Holdings · Loyalty and stored value
- Visa · Payments network
- Walmart · Membership warehouse · Retail margin
- Walt Disney · Licensing and royalties · Subscription
- YouTube · Advertising · Subscription
- Zoom Communications · Freemium · Subscription
Featured episodes
The Spreadsheet That Ran Out of Rows (+2 More Excel Traps) 📊
Spreadsheet errors: the PHE Excel row limit, Reinhart-Rogoff and JPMorgan's London Whale VaR spreadsheet.
- JPMorgan Chase · Banking
Why Airline Miles Were Priced Higher Than the Airline ✈️
Why airline loyalty programs were valued higher than the airlines themselves in 2020.
Premieres 19 Oct 2026, 17:00 CEST (Europe/Copenhagen) ↗
- United Airlines Holdings · Airlines
- Delta Air Lines · Airlines
- American Airlines Group · Airlines
- American Express · Financial services
How McDonald's Makes More From Rent Than Burgers 🍔
How McDonald's earns more from rent than from selling burgers in its own restaurants.
Premieres 20 Oct 2026, 17:00 CEST (Europe/Copenhagen) ↗
- McDonald's · Restaurants
Gillette Never Gave Away the Razor (Razor-Blade Myth) 🪒
Gillette did not give away the razor: the razor-and-blades myth.
Premieres 21 Oct 2026, 17:00 CEST (Europe/Copenhagen) ↗
- Gillette · Consumer goods
- Procter & Gamble · Consumer goods
Top business models
Advertising
Turn audience attention into paid access for advertisers.
Brokerage and transaction fees
Earn revenue from customer trading activity.
Cloud usage
Customers pay as they consume computing resources.
Franchise and real estate
Operators run the stores while the brand earns recurring fees.
Freemium
Free access creates a path to paid features.
Hardware plus services
Devices create a channel for continuing services.
Insurance float
Premiums arrive before many claims are paid.
Interest and banking
Earn a spread and provide financial services.
Licensing and royalties
Let partners commercialize intellectual property.
Loyalty and stored value
Rewards and prepaid balances connect customers with partners.
Marketplace
Bring buyers and sellers together and charge for the connection.
Membership warehouse
Paid access supports a high-volume retail offer.
Payments network
Earn fees as money moves between participants.
Razor and blades
A durable product creates demand for repeat purchases.
Retail margin
Sell merchandise or prepared goods above their cost.
Subscription
Customers pay repeatedly for continuing access.
Explore revenue mixes and try the model quiz · Compare companies
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Frequently asked questions
How does the Advertising model work?
Offer content, discovery, or communication that attracts an audience, then sell placements or measurable outcomes to advertisers.