Transformer economics
Economics is the management, distribution, and consumption of resources. You would think that Transformers would have other things to worry about (such as the unending warfare to deal with) but as they say, the energon must flow.
Fiction
Generation 1
Marvel Comics continuity
Generation 1 cartoon
Millions of years ago, the Transformers themselves began existance as goods and services created by the Quintessons, in what would be described as "market capitalism" (usually with an aggressive attitude). However, the Transformers got feed up with slavery and rebelled. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4
Here, the Autobots appeared mostly unconcerned with economic matters, what with the war and all. However, the Decepticons appeared to engage in what one might call "capitalism" (after all, it's what God wanted in the 1980s). Swindle in particular engaged in business deals all the time. In one of his more infamous deals, he sold his fellow Combaticons to a human arms dealer. What exactly the arms dealer paid Swindle is unknown. B.O.T.
Dreamwave continuity
Before the Great War, the Autobot Bluestreak mentioned that he was once a Cybertronian merchant. The War Within issue 1 Additionally, the Neutral Territories were formed out of a former free trading zone Revelation These statements seem to indicate that pre-war Cybertron was something along the lines of a barter/trade economy.
IDW comics
Pre-war Cybertron would also qualify as captialist, with stock markets, investments, and wealthy, corrupt Senate with its hands into most of the financial dealings. However, Cybertron was also a class based society with a large underclass working foor the small, wealthy elite. Yeah, that's not going to end badly. Megatron Origin
