How to move from first-of-the-month to subscription billing

To keep the Patreon app available in the Apple App Store for all creators, Apple is requiring that we use their in-app purchase system for new memberships in the Patreon iOS app beginning in November 2024. Apple’s in-app purchase system only supports Patreon’s subscription billing model. Apple has made it clear that if creators continue to use unsupported billing models, we will be at risk of having the entire app removed from their App Store.

Because of Apple’s requirements, Patreon has started a 16-month-long migration journey to bring all creators onto subscription billing by November 2025. Creators not on subscription billing beginning in November 2024 will not be able to offer new memberships in the iOS app due to Apple’s requirements and will eventually have to migrate to subscription billing by November 2025.

To help you continue to earn in the iOS app, we will automatically migrate all creators currently on a first-of-the-month billing model to subscription billing in November 2024. If you are currently on first-of-the-month billing, you can delay this automatic migration in your settings by 1 November 2024. This article will take you through moving to subscription billing ahead of the automatic migration.

To learn more about Apple’s requirement and how this may impact you, visit our iOS in-app purchases and migrating to subscription billing page.

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 first of each month. For example, a member who signs up on 12 April is charged again on 12 May. 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

How to move to subscription billing

To switch to subscription billing, visit your Billing and payouts page and click “Switch to subscription billing now”. Then click Save.

Control how Apple’s fee is applied to your prices

While Apple’s 30% App Store fee will be applied to all new purchases made in the iOS Patreon app beginning in November 2024, creators will be able to choose how this fee is applied to their prices.

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 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 in the iOS app by visiting your Billing and payouts settings. You can adjust this setting 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.

What can I expect after moving to subscription billing?

Nothing changes for your existing members when you migrate from first-of-the-month billing to subscription billing.

Breakdown of how subscription billing compares to your previous billing model: