All creators are now using subscription billing. If your account was still on a legacy billing model on November 1, 2026, we switched it automatically and emailed you when the switch was complete.
Key details depending on your previous billing model:
- Per-creation: If you haven’t resumed billing yet, it stays paused until you review your new tier prices. Learn how to resume billing
- First-of-the-month: Your existing members are still billed on the 1st of each month. New members are billed on the date they join
All creators on Patreon now use subscription billing. We announced in January 2026 that Apple requires all creators to use subscription billing by November 1, 2026, and sent reminders by email and in-app notifications in the months before the deadline.
If your page used first-of-the-month billing (charge upfront or non-charge upfront), your account was switched to subscription billing in November 2026. You don’t need to do anything: your tier prices are the same, and your existing members are still billed on the 1st of each month.
How subscription billing works
- Nothing changes for your existing members. They’re still charged on the 1st of each month
- Your payout schedule doesn’t change, and you can still withdraw from your account balance at any time (including a lump sum payout at the same time each month)
- New members pay when they join and monthly on that same date instead of on the 1st of each month. For example, a member who signs up on April 12 is charged again on May 12. Members can visit their Membership settings tab and click on the View details button to see their next charge date
- If a member upgrades, they’ll get charged the outstanding amount straight away and unlock access to the higher tier immediately. Their billing date will not change
- If a member downgrades, they’ll remain on their original tier until the next billing date
New features available to you
Subscription billing gives you access to more tools to grow and manage your membership:
- Attract new members with free trials and discounts
- Let fans support you through gifted memberships
- Adjust your tier prices as your business evolves
- Grow and retain your membership with personalized offers from Autopilot
What changed after the switch
| Previously: monthly charge upfront | Previously: monthly non-charge upfront | Now: subscription billing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How are new members charged when they join? | When they join, and then monthly on the 1st | Nothing when they join, and then monthly on the 1st | When they join, and then monthly on that same date |
| How are existing members charged? | 1st of each month | 1st of each month | Still charged on the 1st of each month |
| When can I pay out my account balance? | As soon as funds are settled, auto-payout on the 5th | As soon as funds are settled, auto-payout on the 5th | No change |
How to adjust your benefit delivery for subscription billing
Moving to subscription billing means new members are billed on the date they join rather than on the 1st of the month. To adapt, you can shift how you deliver benefits:
- Batch delivery: Deliver benefits on a set cadence (e.g., every Sunday or twice a month). Use the Benefit Eligibility Status tool to see which members have paid so far this month. Sort the list by Last charge date to find members who paid since your last delivery
- End-of-month delivery: After the month ends, select that month in the Benefit Eligibility Status tool and download the list of members who paid. Deliver benefits to everyone on the list in the first few days of the following month. This keeps delivery consistent, and your list won't change after you download it
Either method ensures that benefits go only to members who’ve paid, regardless of their join date. For full instructions, see Track delivery with Benefits features.
Control how Apple’s fee is applied to your prices
Switching to subscription billing does not mean all fans will be required to use in-app purchases. Currently, 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 approximately the same across platforms in spite of 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 change the default setting to increase the prices of membership and digital goods sold in the iOS app by going to your Billing and Payouts settings. This setting can be adjusted at any time.
Visit our How iOS in-app purchases work on Patreon page to learn more about our approach to the Apple App Store fee requirement.
Hear from creators who have found success and growth with switching to subscription billing:
- Learn how a former CUF creator saw higher retention rates when he moved to subscription billing
- Why Knitty Magazine moved to subscription billing, and what advice she’d give to others
- Learn how a TTRPG creator saw higher earnings after moving to subscription billing from per-creation
- Discover how a 3D printer streamlined benefit delivery after moving to subscription billing from per-creation
- Get tips from a former per-creation creator on how he talked about the changes with his community