iOS in-app purchases and migrating to subscription billing

  • Updated

All creators still on legacy billing must switch to subscription billing by November 1, 2026. If you don't take action before the deadline, we'll switch you automatically. In that case, we'll pause your billing and migrate you using a recommended multiplier. Your billing will remain paused until you log in to consent to the new multiplier or update the prices yourself.

Need help? If you'd like one-to-one assistance during this transition, you must contact Support via your settings before October 1, 2026. For additional details, check out our guides on switching to subscription billing from per-creation, first-of-the-month, or iOS in-app purchases.

Subscription billing offers a more predictable model for you and your members and unlocks features like Autopilot, Gifting, Discounts, and Tier Repricing.

Apple’s requirement to use iOS in-app purchases

Except for U.S. customers who are purchasing memberships (see below), Apple requires that all digital purchases (including annual and monthly memberships and digital goods) made through the Patreon iOS app use its in-app purchase system, which comes with a 30% fee on the prices of these sales. Patreon does not charge any additional payment processing fees on iOS transactions, but our platform fee still applies.

For iOS users in the U.S.: Fans in the U.S. have the option to complete their purchase through Patreon’s mobile web checkout instead of using Apple’s in-app purchase flow. Purchases completed on the mobile web are not subject to Apple’s App Store fee.

How subscription billing has helped creators grow

Subscription billing offers a more predictable model for you and your members and unlocks tools like Free trials, Autopilot, Gifting, Discounts, and Tier Repricing.

Hear from creators who have found success and growth with switching to subscription billing:

How to migrate to subscription billing

Switching to subscription billing is a permanent, one-time change, and we want to make sure you feel supported through the process.

  • For first-of-the-month billing creators: You can switch to subscription billing at any time. If you don’t switch, your memberships will remain available to existing fans, but will not be purchasable in the iOS app for international fans.
  • For per-creation billing creators: Migration requires manual support from our team. If you’d like to make the switch, contact Support and we’ll help guide you through the process.

Read these Help Center articles to learn about the process of migrating to a new billing model and its impact on you and your members:

For answers to frequently asked questions, please visit our iOS In-app Purchases and Migrating to Subscription Billing: FAQ

Creators control how Apple’s fee is applied to their prices

Switching to subscription billing does not mean all fans will be required to use in-app purchases. Due to current U.S. court rulings, iOS users in the U.S. can continue to sign up through Patreon’s mobile web checkout, which is not subject to Apple’s App Store fee.

As a result, most new U.S. members will still join through web checkout rather than Apple’s in-app purchase system.

For those fans purchasing via Apple's in-app system, creators can choose to:

  • Increase the prices of the memberships and digital goods sold in the iOS app. This will help creators earn the same across platforms despite the Apple fee and is the default option
  • Keep prices the same across all platforms. This means that the creator absorbs the Apple App Store fee themselves and therefore earns less from sales in the iOS app

You can switch from the default setting of increasing the prices of membership and digital goods sold on the iOS app by visiting your Billing and payouts settings.

We’ve created a page on how iOS in-app purchases will impact fans that you can share with fans to help communicate this change.

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