In 2020, BMW introduced its biggest software update ever with Operating System 7, which contained something that irked some of its clientele: an emphasis on microtransactions, including heated seats. Since heated seats are already embedded into the hardware of most modern BMW models, owners are taking an alternate route to activate this feature blocked behind a paywall.

Many BMW owners dislike the idea of paying extra for something that's already installed in their vehicles and have turned to gray-market services to give life to their heated seats. These services can unlock paywalled features for a one-time fee and are extremely popular among BMW owners, as newer cars depend more on electronic control units to control and restrict functionality in vehicles.

BMW is known for locking features using unique, encrypted digital codes called FSC Codes, and for a fee, a specialist can reportedly generate an FSC code to unlock features like heated seats permanently. Beware that going this route could void the car's warranty, and be problematic when BMW introduces new software updates at any point after the vehicle has had its software system unlocked.