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.
Patreon will be migrating all creators from a legacy billing model to subscription billing by November 2025. If you wish to continue offering new memberships in the iOS app beginning in November 2024, you can migrate to subscription billing ahead of November 2025. You can learn more about this migration and what it means for creators on our help page dedicated to these changes.
Due to the differences between how per-creation and subscription billing work, the migration process requires one-to-one support from Patreon’s Product Support team. This resource outlines account requirements to move from per-creation to subscription billing, timeline expectations for the migration, and how moving to subscription billing will impact your members and earnings.
How subscription billing works
- New members pay when they join and monthly on that same date instead of on the 1st of each month. For example, a member who signs up on April 12 is charged again on May 12. Members can visit their Membership settings tab and click on the View details button to see their next charge date
- Existing members are 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)
- 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
Requirements to request a move to subscription billing:
- Your Patreon page is live
- Your account is in good standing, meaning it has not been flagged for potentially fraudulent behavior and complies with Patreon's Terms and Community Guidelines
How to begin the migration process to subscription billing
When you switch from per-creation to subscription billing, your existing paid members will move to a consistent fixed monthly payment. Patreon’s Product Support team will assist in setting the right prices for your new monthly tiers and will provide tips on communicating these changes to members in advance. We know this shift involves important decisions, and we're ready to help with any questions or concerns you might have.
To learn more about the stages of the migration process and how monthly tier prices are determined, jump to this section below that explains what to expect.
To initiate the process from per-creation to subscription billing, follow the steps below:
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Make sure you follow these steps while on your creator profile. You can check your profile by clicking your profile picture in the bottom left corner and clicking the profile you’d like to view.
- Click on the Settings link from the left sidebar navigation
- Click on the Billing and payouts link from the top menu
- In the Billing Schedule section, you’ll see a notification with information about switching to subscription billing. Click the Get started button
- A pop-up window will appear with a step-by-step overview of what to expect during the migration process. Click Send request to initiate the process
- You’ll receive a confirmation message and an email letting you know that our team will be in touch soon
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Make sure you follow this guide while in your creator profile. You can switch to your creator profile by tapping your profile picture in the top right corner of the home screen and tapping on Switch to creator profile.
- While logged in on the app, a pop-up notification explaining upcoming changes will appear. Tap Next to advance
- This will open a mobile web browser page with information about switching to subscription billing. Scroll down and tap the Go to billing settings button
- In the Billing Schedule section, you’ll see a notification with information about switching to subscription billing. Click the Get started button
- A pop-up window will appear with a step-by-step overview of what to expect during the migration process. Click Send request to initiate the process
- You’ll receive a confirmation message and an email letting you know that our team will be in touch soon
We are experiencing a higher-than-normal volume of requests from creators to move from per-creation to subscription billing. The Product Support team will work with each creator one-on-one and do everything we can to transition creators to subscription billing as quickly as possible.
Timeline to migrate to subscription billing
The timeline to migrate to subscription billing depends on how quickly our team can work with you to set your new tier prices, the minimum one month required to let your members know about your upcoming billing changes and our request volume. Our Product Support team will work with every creator to establish their migration date.
We've created a template to help communicate your billing changes with your existing members.
What to expect during the migration process
In order to migrate to subscription billing, you will need to define the new monthly prices of your tiers and communicate these changes to your existing paid members. A member of Patreon’s Product Support team will reach out via email and will work with you directly to determine the best way to price your tiers.
Setting your new monthly tier prices
When migrating from per-creation payments to a monthly membership model, we use a multiplier and apply it to your per-creation price to calculate your new monthly tier prices.
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How the Multiplier is Determined
Patreon’s multiplier uses the maximum number of paid posts you have made in the three months prior to migration and converts the per-creation price to an equivalent monthly amount. This approach helps ensure that members do not feel that their payments have been unfairly increased and that the monthly payments are in line with their previous totals of per-creation bills.
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How the Multiplier is Applied
You can apply the maximum multiplier or select a lower value as long as it is a whole number. If you want to keep the same tier prices as your per-creation prices, you would choose a multiplier of 1. Our recommendation is to choose a multiplier that sets the tier at a price that best represents its value.
Please note that the multiplier is applicable to all tiers. While you cannot apply different multipliers to different tiers or create custom pricing per tier, you can change your tier prices once the migration is complete.
Learn more about repricing your tiers once you’ve migrated to subscription billing in our guide to Changing the price of your tiers.
Example Scenario
Let’s say you have three per-creation tiers and the highest number of paid posts you made in the past three months is 3. This will be your maximum multiplier. When applied, your new monthly tier prices will reflect this way:
| 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 limit considerations
We will honor an existing member's monthly limit in their new monthly bill, also referred to as their monthly max. If a member has a cap of 2 creations per month, their membership will adjust accordingly. Using the same example, if the member's cap is 2 creations per month, the resulting monthly charge will be $10 per month.
Communicating upcoming changes to your members
Migrating to subscription billing will change the way your members are billed from a variable, month-to-month amount to a set monthly price, so you will need to let them know that this change is coming well in advance.
Once your migration date is determined, your existing members will be migrated to monthly billing on the 1st of the following month. Please send this communication no later than one month before the 1st of the month to give them ample time to understand the changes and, if needed, adjust their membership to their preference.
We recommend creating a post for all paid members so it is visible to everyone who has an active membership with you. Below is a template that you can customize:
Suggested Messaging Template
We wanted to let all of our members know about a change we are making that will help us deliver a better membership experience going forward. We are switching from “per creation” to “monthly” billing on Patreon effective [date]. This means that every month you will have a consistent price for all of the benefits that we provide, and it won’t fluctuate based on the number of paid posts that month.
We decided to make this change both for the consistency it provides to members and us, and the flexibility to consider other benefits we can provide that aren’t tied to the number of paid posts we make.
Your membership will be converted from a “per creation” amount to a “monthly” amount, and you will remain on the same tier you are on and receive the same benefits. Below are the new monthly tier prices:
- Tier 1 - XX per month
- Tier 2 - XX per month
- Tier 3 - XX per month
If you applied a monthly maximum to the number of posts you pay for each month, this may result in a monthly membership that is lower than the new price of that tier. This price will be maintained as long as you continue to use your current payment method.
If you would like to make changes to your membership, it’s easy to modify the amount of membership within this tier or to switch to another one that we offer. Below are guides to help you do this:
Thanks for your understanding as we make this change. We wanted to inform all of our members now to provide plenty of time to make any adjustments before this takes effect on [date]. Please reach out if you have any questions. We’re looking forward to this next phase of building our community together on Patreon!
How quickly will changes go live after migration?
Patreon Product Support will work with you to set a specific migration date, so you’ll know when to communicate the changes to your existing members. Once the migration is complete, new members will be billed the monthly tier prices when they join and on that day every month. Your existing members will be billed on the 1st of the following month.
How will I know the migration is complete?
Our team members will communicate closely with you throughout this process and will email you a confirmation once the migration is completed. You will also see your tier descriptions updated from “Per creation” to “Per month.”
Patreon’s Product Support team will also be available post-migration to ensure everything is running smoothly and to answer any questions or concerns that might come up.
What can I expect after moving to subscription billing?
| Was per-creation | Moved to subscription billing | |
|---|---|---|
| How are new members charged when they join? | When you published 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 |
| 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 |
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 through 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 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 of increasing the prices of membership and digital goods sold on 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.