Starting 4 October 2023, creators who were already on the Lite plan before 21 June 2023 will have access to all of the features available on our Pro plan at their existing 5% platform fee. Visit our Lite deprecation FAQ for more information.
On 7 May 2019, Patreon launched our new creator plans and payment processing rates. Creators who launched on Patreon before this date will have no change to the fees they pay or the features they have. They will be considered founding creators and will be automatically placed into the Pro plan with the same platform fees and rates. Please visit our article for Founding Creators for more information on founding creator rates.
General Information
When did the new plans and rates launch?
We launched the new creator plans on 7 May 2019
Why the new plans?
The new plans better serve new creators by offering options, including more powerful tools for those that are ready for them. And they allow us to develop new features like Team Accounts and Merch for creators who really want them. We want to be around serving creators for decades to come. These changes set us on a solid path toward that goal and will fuel investments in core product quality to improve the experience for all creators. You can find more details on this creator plans information page.
What are you doing with the money you’ll be making from these higher prices for future creators?
We’ll be investing in core features and services to make Patreon better for all creators. Our roadmap is to build a world-class payments infrastructure including internationalisation, improve features such as messaging and notifications, and create a more intuitive member experience. Also, we’re adding new things that creators have been asking for, like someone who knows your business and will help you 1:1 to grow (Dedicated Partner Manager) a satisfying way to reward members that takes no extra time once you set it up (Merch for Membership) and a way to make collaboration easier (Team Accounts). We are happy to offer these new features as a choice for creators who really want them.
How easy is it to move back and forth between the different plans? Can I try one and then move to another one if I don’t like it?
Starting 4 October 2023, creators who were already on the Lite plan before 21 June 2023 will have access to all of the features available on our Pro plan at their existing 5% platform fee. Visit our Lite deprecation FAQ for more information.
Founding creators (creators on Patreon launched before 7 May 2019) were automatically placed in the Pro plan at their current pricing of 5%. For creators who join Premium, there is a minimum three-month commitment before they can switch to a different plan.
Founders status
What is a ‘founding creator’?
A founding creator is one who is already on Patreon before these new plans and rates launch. Founding creators will experience no price changes at all and will get some new perks in the Pro plan when we launch (Creator-led workshops and Priority Customer Support). Founding creators will keep their founders pricing for the foreseeable future. We aren’t planning to change pricing for founding creators.
What was the cutoff date for creators to get the founders pricing?
The current plans launched on 7 May 2019. All creators who launched their page by 6 May 2019 at 11:59 PM Pacific time qualified for founders pricing, which is 5% for Pro and 9% for Premium. Sign up here to be notified when there are openings be notified when Premium plan availability opens up.
If my page was launched by the cut-off date for founders status, but later I decide to revert or unpublish my page, will I lose founders status?
If you revert or unpublish your page, you will lose founders status and pricing. If you need to take a break, you can use our Pause Billing feature. To learn how to pause monthly billing, please visit our guide on pausing billing.
Payment Processing Rates
What is the change to payment processing rates exactly?
- Founding creators: no change. You will keep the same processing rate you have today. Learn More in our guide about Founding Creators.
- Creators on Patreon plans:
Is the new payment processing rate for creators higher or lower than what founding creators are paying?
There is no one answer because each creator’s situation is different. Founding creators have a payment processing rate that varies depending on a number of factors, including the payment method used (credit card vs PayPal), the price of your tiers and how many paid members you share with other creators. The new rates may be lower or higher than the current rates, depending on the creator. Visit our detailed guide on processing rates.
Is Patreon still using shared patronage between creators to combine transactions and give creators a break on transaction fees?
Founding creators will still experience the same variable payment-processing fees with some reductions from shared patronage. For future creators we are removing the variable of shared patronage because it lacks transparency and it’s not equitable. Some creators benefit from it and some don’t, depending on how many paid members you share with others. As a new way to support creators who want to offer a low payment amount tier that is more fair and transparent, we are introducing the new micropayment rate for pledges of or less.
Can founding creators switch to the new payment processing rates?
At launch, we are only offering the new payment processing rates to future creators.
If I am a founding Creator and I upgrade my plan to Premium, will my payment processing rate change?
No, it’s important to us that you pick the plan that will help you grow your membership. As a founding creator, making those changes will not impact your processing rate.
Premium
Who is the Premium plan for?
Premium is for established creators and creative businesses looking for a higher level of service and advanced features. The Premium plan will have a very limited number of openings at launch. We’ll be rolling it out gradually as spots become available. Here is the type of creator who will get the most out of Premium:
- Full-time creator, earning or expects to earn $5,000 a month or more on Patreon
- Has an engaged audience of at least 100K followers on a social platform
- Has team members that help manage your page
Want to learn more about the Premium plan? Visit our creator plans information guide.
What does it mean that there is a $600/month minimum on fees for Premium?
Premium is best for creators that expect to make at least $5,000/mo on Patreon so that the 12% fee equals at least $600/mo to Patreon. This ensures that our cost to provide the services in Premium are covered, and creators are at a level where they can truly benefit from the advanced features. The fee is not $600/month plus 12%; it is $600/month OR 12%, whichever is higher.
Who are the Dedicated Partner Managers? How will they understand my business to be able to help me?
Our Dedicated Partner Managers are membership experts with industry expertise who will get to know you and your business and can help you grow your membership. Some have expertise in video creators and others in music creators or podcasters. Dedicated Partner Managers will help you think through strategies to continue to grow your business and engagement with your audience. They have helped other creators make improvements which in some cases have doubled their membership earnings.
How does Dedicated Partner Manager differ from Creator Success?
Dedicated Partner Managers provide a 1:1 ongoing relationship with creators they work with, and spend more time getting to know the ins and outs of your particular business. Creator Success does programming for all creators, like our livestreams for large groups of creators.
How will Team Accounts work?
The team lead, or owner of the account, will have sole access to the financial settings and information in Patreon, and teammates will have access to all other functions.
Merch
What is Merch for Membership?
How do I sign up for Merch for Membership?
Merch for Membership is included in our premium plan and can be added to the Pro plan at any time. Visit this guide on choosing the right Merch program for your membership.
What’s included in Merch for Membership?
- Access to high-quality products, customised by you.
- Automatic fulfilment: Patreon will make sure your members receive the right items at the right time, handling all shipping, tracking and support so that you don’t have to.
- Tracked delivery.
- Customer support, including lost and damaged item replacement (within reason).
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What items are available to be customized and sent to my members?
How much do the items cost?
Can I send items to my members based outside of the US?
How do you handle lost packages and damaged goods?
Patreon will cover the cost of lost packages and damaged goods within reason as part of the included customer support.
