Again, do u go over to the manager of ur local supermarket when u go there to thank him for selling u food? Or is the opposite scenario more likely? I never said an act must be 100% altruistic to merit hakaras hatov. But a business is very far from 100% altruistic.
Depends on the business, but the altruism has absolutely nothing to do with it. Nobody besides perhaps blood relatives are altruistic.
Do I have hakaras hatov for a regular grocery? I say thanks, but there's no H"H.
But when that grocery gives me their cc machine to use on SBS I sure do have H"H.
When a business does something unique, personal, or does something beyond what's normally expected I have H"H as I explained in several scenarios earlier.
Why is that difficult to understand? Who taught you that H"H is based on altruism?
Either way advertiser supported online businesses aren't comparable at all as the customer isn't paying anyway.