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. If your page used per-creation billing, this guide explains what changed when your account switched, how to review your new tier prices and resume billing, and what your members can expect.
If your account was switched automatically
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-product notifications in the months before the deadline. If you didn’t switch with our Support team before November 1, 2026, we switched your account to subscription billing automatically in November and emailed you when the switch was complete.
What changed in your account
- Your billing is paused: your members won’t be charged until you review your new tier prices and resume billing, and members won’t be billed for the time your billing was paused
- Your tiers have new monthly prices: by default, each tier’s per-creation price was multiplied by the highest number of paid posts you charged for in a single month over the last 3 months
- Members keep their monthly limit: if a member set a monthly limit that’s lower than the new tier price, they’re only charged up to their limit
For example, if you published up to 3 paid posts a month, a $5 per-creation tier becomes $15 per month. A member with a monthly limit of 2 posts on that tier is charged $10 per month.
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
- Pause billing for an extended period, rather than one month at a time
Your options for tier prices
Keep the new prices: Resume billing when you’re ready. Members’ monthly limits stay in place.
Change your prices after you resume: Editing tier prices is disabled while billing is paused. If the new prices don't fit your page, resume billing first, then adjust your tier prices.
When you change a price, you choose who it applies to:
- New members only: existing members keep their current monthly price and their monthly limit
- New and existing members: existing members are notified automatically if their monthly price increases. The new price takes effect in the following billing cycle, which gives them one month's notice. After that, they're charged the new price regardless of their original price or monthly limit
Before you resume billing
Your members are moving from paying per post to a set monthly price, so let them know before billing starts again. You can use our suggested messaging template below and share it in a post for all paid members.
We also email members whose monthly price changed to let them know their new price.
How to resume billing
- On Desktop, select Your account
in the bottom-left corner, then select Settings
- Select Billing and payouts
- Select Resume billing, review your new tier prices, and confirm
To change your tier prices after you resume:
- On Desktop, select Creator studio
, then select Dashboard
- Select the Membership tab
- Review your tier prices. To change a price, select Edit on the tier
When members are charged after you resume
- Existing members are charged their monthly price on the 1st of each month, starting on the next 1st after you resume
- New members are charged when they join, and then monthly on that same date
- If your billing was paused for 2 months or more, we’ll notify your members before billing restarts, and charges restart 14 days after you resume
How your new tier prices were calculated
We multiplied each tier’s per-creation price by your multiplier: the highest number of paid posts you charged for in a single month over the last 3 months. This keeps members’ monthly payments close to what they paid on per-creation billing.
| Tier Names | Original per-creation price | Multiplier | New monthly tier price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze Tier | $1 per creation | 3 | $3 per month |
| Silver Tier | $5 per creation | 3 | $15 per month |
| Gold Tier | $10 per creation | 3 | $30 per month |
Monthly limits
We honor each existing member’s monthly limit, also called their monthly max, in their new monthly bill. In the example above, a Silver Tier member with a limit of 2 creations per month is charged $10 per month.
If you later change a tier price for new and existing members, existing members are charged the new price regardless of their monthly limit, starting in the following billing cycle. To keep limits in place, apply the new price to new members only.
Custom pledges and pledges without a tier
- Members who paid more than the tier price: their pledge was increased by the same proportion as their tier. For example, if a $1 tier became $3 per month, a $2 custom pledge became $6 per month
- Members who pledged a custom amount without choosing a tier: their pledge was multiplied by your multiplier, and they remain without a tier
What changes after the switch
| Was per-creation | Moved to subscription billing | |
|---|---|---|
| How are new members charged when they join? | When you publish a paid post, up to the member's post limit (if they set one) | When they join, and then monthly on that same date |
| How are existing members charged? | Each time you publish a paid post, up to the member's post limit (if they set one) | Members are still charged on the 1st of each month |
| How do paid posts work? | Each paid post creates a bill for members | Posts no longer create bills. Members pay a set monthly price |
| When can I pay out my account balance? | As soon as funds are settled, with the option of auto-payout on the 5th | As soon as funds are settled, with the option of auto-payout on the 5th |
Your tier descriptions now show “per month” instead of “per creation.”
Communicating the change to your members
Before you resume billing, we recommend creating a post for all paid members so everyone with an active membership sees it. Here’s a template you can customize:
We wanted to let all of our members know about a change to how memberships are billed on Patreon. We’ve switched from “per creation” to “monthly” billing, effective [date]. This means that every month you’ll have a consistent price for all of the benefits we provide, and it won’t change based on the number of paid posts that month.
Your membership was converted from a “per creation” amount to a “monthly” amount. You’ll stay on the same tier and receive the same benefits. Here are the new monthly tier prices:
- Tier 1 – XX per month
- Tier 2 – XX per month
- Tier 3 – XX per month
If you set a monthly maximum for the number of posts you pay for, you won’t pay more than that amount, even if it’s lower than the new tier price.
If you’d like to change your membership, you can change your tier or increase your payment amount.
Thanks for your understanding, and please reach out if you have any questions.
How to adjust your benefit delivery for subscription billing
With per-creation billing, members pay each time you publish a paid post. With subscription billing, members pay a set monthly price instead. Existing members are charged on the 1st, and new members are charged on the date they join. If you deliver benefits beyond your posts, such as downloads, physical items, or Discord access, you can adjust how you deliver them:
- Monthly 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.
- Batch delivery: Deliver benefits on a set cadence, such as every Sunday or twice a month. Use the Benefit Eligibility Status tool to see which members have paid so far this month, and sort by Last charge date to find members who paid since your last delivery.
To find the tool, select Creator studio, click Audience, then go to the Benefits tab. For full instructions, see Track your members' benefit eligibility status.
Control how Apple’s fee is applied to your prices
Switching to subscription billing does not necessarily 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.
For those fans who do choose to purchase 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 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 switch from the default setting that increases the prices of membership and digital goods sold in the iOS app by visiting your Billing and payouts settings.
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 by switching 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
- Learn how a former CUF creator saw higher retention rates when he moved to subscription billing