iOS in-app purchases and migrating to subscription billing FAQs

  • Updated

All creators still using legacy billing will be required to switch to subscription billing by 1 November 2026. If you’d like one-to-one assistance during this transition, you must contact Support via your settings by 30 September 2026. 

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

This article answers common questions creators may have about migrating to subscription billing and how this relates to iOS in-app purchases (IAP). For an overview of these changes, visit our guide on how to migrate to subscription billing and the rollout of iOS in-app purchases.

Click on a question below to view the answer:

Migration FAQs

  • All creators still using legacy billing will need to switch to subscription billing by 1 November 2026. Apple has reinstated a requirement first introduced in 2024: subscription billing is the only billing model supported for in-app purchases on iOS. To keep the Patreon iOS app available in the App Store, creators using legacy billing models must migrate.

    Creators have until 31 October 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PT to complete the switch.

    Why migrate before the deadline?

    • 1:1 migration support: If you’d like hands-on help, contact Patreon Product Support from your billing & payout settings. The deadline to receive 1:1 guidance is 30 September 2026. Our team can walk you through pricing, timing and the migration process.
    • More time to communicate with fans: Migrating earlier gives you flexibility to notify members about any changes to billing or benefit delivery on your own timeline.

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

    You can also learn more about Apple’s decision and how it impacts Patreon creators here.

  • For most, switching your billing model will not affect your existing members. If you’re on a first-of-the-month billing model, your existing members will continue to be billed on the first of the month for as long as their membership is active. If you are on a per-creation billing model, your existing members will be billed a consistent, set price on the first of the month once you have migrated. After migrating to subscription billing, your new members will be billed on the date they sign up, then monthly on that same date.
  • Your payout schedule will not change. For all billing models, you can pay out your account balance as soon as funds are settled, or you can pay out automatically on the 5th.
  • Navigate to your Billing and payouts settings to find out. Under “Billing schedule” you’ll see more details on your model. Creators on subscription billing should see “Members are charged on the day they join your membership, and then monthly on that same date.”
  • Apple’s in‑app purchase system only supports creators on subscription billing. You must migrate to subscription billing by November 2026. If you don’t, we’ll automatically transition your account so your page stays active.
  • Yes. Apple’s in‑app purchase system only supports Patreon’s subscription billing model. Apple has made clear that if creators on Patreon continue to use unsupported billing models or disable transactions in the iOS app, we will be at risk of having the entire app removed from their App Store, which would impact millions of fans and creators. Learn more about iOS in‑app purchases and migrating to subscription billing.

  • If you’re on a monthly billing model, you can switch to subscription billing by going to your Billing and payouts settings and clicking Get started.

    If you’re on a per-creation billing model, you’ll receive one‑to‑one support from our Product Support team to help you migrate. You can start the process by requesting support from your settings.

    Switching to subscription billing is a one-time change and can’t be reversed.

    To learn more about the process of migrating from per-creation to subscription billing, read our Help Centre article.

  • You can switch to subscription billing at any time before 1 November 2026. If you do not take action by 1 November 2026, we will automatically transition your account.

  • A multiplier helps determine how to price your monthly tiers when migrating from a per-creation billing model to subscription billing. The multiplier is determined by your paid post history and is applied to the per-creation price to create equivalent monthly tier prices that your existing members will be billed monthly.

    We take the maximum number of paid posts you’ve made over the past three months, and this will be your potential multiplier.

    We use this approach to ensure that your existing members are billed a fair monthly equivalent of what they are used to when charged per creation so they’re not shocked by higher prices. If your members specified a maximum number of paid posts, we will honour this cap post-migration.

    Learn more about how the multiplier works.

  • You can choose to apply our suggested multiplier or any whole number that is less than what we suggested. If you would like to change your tier prices after migrating to subscription billing, you can do so by following the steps in this Help Centre article.
  • We will honour existing members’ monthly maximum amounts, so your existing members will never pay more than their maximum. If this amount is lower than the new tier price, they will remain in their tier while paying up to their maximum, which may be lower than your new tier price.
  • In order to successfully migrate your existing members to subscription billing, we will apply the multiplier to all your tiers to complete the migration and set them on a monthly schedule. Once the migration is complete, you can reprice and customise your tiers! Follow these steps here.
  • Your existing paid members will be billed their monthly membership amount on the 1st of the next month. New members who sign up after migration is completed will be billed the monthly cost immediately.
  • We have a template that you can use! You can find it in this article. You can also work directly 1:1 with our support team to craft the right messaging for you and your members.

  • When you switch from per-creation billing to subscription billing, our goal is to help you land on monthly tier prices that reflect how your page actually earns today. To do that, our Support team works with you to set prices using a multiplier based on how many paid posts you typically publish.

    The multiplier looks at your recent paid post history and helps translate your per-creation price into an equivalent monthly price for subscription billing. We use the highest number of paid posts you’ve published in any of the past three months to guide this calculation so that your new monthly tiers are designed to maintain your earnings rather than reduce them.

    Our Support team will help you choose the right pricing and provide guidance on how to communicate the change to your members so that the transition feels clear and fair for everyone.

  • We’re actively building annual-only memberships. If this option would work better for your workflow, reach out to our Support team and we’ll follow up with you directly as it becomes available and then help you plan a transition.
  • Hear from creators who have found success and growth with switching to subscription billing:

iOS in-app purchases FAQs

  • No. Your existing memberships will not be affected by the Apple fee. If a member subscribed to your page in June 2024, for example, in the Patreon iOS app, their future subscription payments will not incur the App Store fee.

    The App Store fee only applies to some new memberships purchased in the Patreon iOS app. New members who join on mobile web, desktop or Android won’t be affected, and US fans on iOS can choose web checkout to avoid Apple’s fee altogether.

  • For US fans, there’s still a way to avoid Apple’s fee. When signing up in the iOS app, they can choose web checkout instead of Apple’s in-app purchase system. Apple’s rules require that any paid content shown in the iOS app is also available to purchase through Apple’s in-app system.

    For fans outside the US, Apple does not allow web checkout, so those purchases must go through Apple’s in-app purchase system and will include Apple’s fee.

  • No. Switching to subscription billing does not require all fans to use Apple’s in-app purchase system. US fans on iOS will continue to see a mobile web checkout option, which isn’t subject to Apple’s fee.

  • Yes. If a fan subscribes to your membership in the iOS app once the change has taken place, every recurring subscription will incur the Apple App Store fee.

    How much of my business will be affected by Apple’s in-app purchase system?

    For most creators, very little:
    • Your existing members are not affected. Apple’s fee does not apply retroactively to people who already support you.
    • Most US fans won’t be affected either. Thanks to the current court ruling, US fans on iOS can choose web checkout, which avoids Apple’s 30% fee.
    • Only new memberships purchased directly inside the iOS app are subject to Apple’s fee, and this primarily applies to non-US fans.

    You can always see how much of your revenue comes from iOS purchases in your earnings insights so that you have a clear picture of how (or if) Apple’s system impacts your business.

  • You can see this directly in your Relationship Manager. For each member, you’ll be able to view whether they joined via iOS or another platform.

  • Apple doesn’t allow platforms to direct members to cancel and resubscribe in order to avoid in-app purchase fees. Because of this, Patreon can’t prompt or reroute existing iOS members on your behalf.

    That said, you can focus on clear, proactive communication for new fans about available checkout options where allowed, and you’re always free to communicate directly with individual members who’ve already joined via iOS if you so choose.

  • If you choose to maintain your earnings, we automatically calculate the higher price to ensure you earn at least the same on iOS memberships as you would on web and Android.

    To calculate the iOS membership price, your list price is increased by roughly 43%*. That way, after subtracting Apple’s App Store fee, you will earn at least as much as you would if the purchase was made on the web.

    Note: Fully offsetting the App Store fee to maintain your earnings (30% of the higher iOS sale price) requires an increase of 1 / (1 - 30%), which is 42.86%.

  • To keep things simple for creators, we automatically add the price markup to your original tier price if you choose to maintain your earnings in the iOS app. Prices shown for iOS in-app purchases are not customisable. You can change your tier or product price if you’d like to.

  • Apple processes all transactions for sales in the iOS app and then remits payment to Patreon, which can take up to 75 days after the transaction date. As a result of Apple processing the purchase, iOS purchases will appear as pending in your Creator Balance for up to 75 days.

    Patreon is unable to expedite Apple processing.

  • Apple’s in-app payments system supports over 44 currencies and 200 payment methods. You can see a list of currencies supported by Apple here.

  • Fans can request refunds on products purchased from the iOS app directly from you (as they do today), or through Apple. Apple will process refunds within 60 days of the purchase taking place.

    Through Patreon:

    Creators can refund purchases as you normally would for other Commerce purchases.

    Through Apple:

    Fans can request a refund from Apple via reportaproblem.apple.com. Apple will handle the refund on the creator’s behalf and communicate with the fan on the status of the refund. If the refund is granted, funds will be issued back to the fan’s Apple account.

  • We’ve created this Help Centre article to share with your fans to help explain the price difference in the iOS app. You can explain to fans that prices in the iOS app are higher to cover Apple’s App Store fee while ensuring that you earn the same on product and membership sales across platforms after the Apple fee.
  • No, Apple’s fee only applies to purchases made in the iOS app. Mobile web purchases on an iOS device will not incur the Apple fee.

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