Some creators have opted into charging their patrons as soon as they join (sometimes referred to as "charging up front.")
It's important to note we bill patrons in Pacific Standard Time. Please take this into account when joining a charge up front creator's page. If you subscribe to a charge up front creator on 1st of the month, make sure it is not still the last day of the month on PST.
Since you are charged when you join a creator's Patreon community, you will have access to patron-only content right away and creators can start sending you any benefits that you might have earned. That said, creators may still maintain a monthly benefit
How does billing work after my first charge?
After your initial immediate charge, all following charges will take place on the 1st of each month for that month's access. If you become a patron to a creator towards the end of the month, this might come across as a double charge; but the initial charge acts as payment for the month in which you became a patron and the next payment is for the month following.
Example: Say you join a charge up front creator's $10 Tier on June 25th. Once you confirm, you're charged $10 immediately and unlock the creator's back catalog of content, and have access to the remainder of June. You are then charged on July 1st for the entire month of July. This means that even if you cancel your membership, you'll still have access to the creator's patron-only content for the rest of the month, and will be marked as an "Active patron" on the creator's end.
To see a full list of your past payments, and what month your payments supported, visit your Billing History.
What if I increase my membership amount?
If you increase your pledge amount for a creator who is charging up front, you're charged the difference between your payment on the 1st of the month (or the date you joined) and your new membership amount.
Example: You have a membership of $10.00 USD and you were charged $10.00 USD for that memberships on April 1st. Then you increased your amount to $15.00 USD on April 15th. You'll immediately be charged the difference of $15.00 - $10.00 = $5.00 USD. Come the 1st of May, you'll be charged your full new membership amount of $15.00 for access fo the entire month of May.
What happens if I decrease my membership amount?
If you decrease your pledge amount to a creator who is charging up front, you'll experience no charge, nor any refund of the difference. Because you've already paid for the month at your previous amount, your access to the higher Tier will remain unlocked until the end of the month. You'll then be charged the lower amount on the 1st of the following month. So when you decrease your membership amount, it doesn't take effect until the following month.
Please remember we bill patrons in Pacific Standard Time. If you have any questions about what your first payment gets you, or would like to request any refund, reach out to your creator directly with any inquiries. You can find our best practices for requesting refunds from creators, here.
Are you a creator? Learn more about charging your patrons up front here.