Ready to change your membership tier with a creator? We're here to help you through that process.
In this guide, we'll show you how to edit your membership tier and what happens when you change your membership:
- Updating your membership on Desktop
- Updating your membership via the Patreon app
- What happens when I change my membership?
Updating your membership on Desktop
Step 1: Hover over your profile image in the upper-right. Click Manage memberships from the drop-down menu that appears. You’ll see all of your current memberships listed in the Active Memberships section.
Step 2: Click Edit next to the membership you'd like to update.
Step 3: You’ll be taken to the payment confirmation page where you’ll see the details of your current membership tier. To edit your tier level, click the Edit option where your tier is listed.
You can cancel your membership using the Edit or Cancel Payment link under the Update button.
Step 4: After clicking Edit, click Join for the new tier you'd like to join. If you don't want to join a tier and simply want to support the creator, scroll down and click on the Make a custom pledge button.
Step 5: Review your billing summary!
Before confirming your changes, read through the billing details of your membership on the right side of the confirmation page. This summary includes; payment method, payment amount of membership, VAT (EU patrons), and billing schedule. When you confirm, your new billing details will take effect immediately.
Increasing your membership to a charge up front creator?
You'll be charged the difference between what you've already paid for the month and your new membership amount.
Example: If you paid $5 this month and increase to $10 this month, you'll be charged the difference of $5 immediately (for a monthly total of $10 for the month). Once your payment increase processes, you'll have access to your new tier content immediately.
Example: If you paid $5 this month and increase to $10 this month, you'll be charged the difference of $5 immediately (for a monthly total of $10 for the month). Once your payment increase processes, you'll have access to your new tier content immediately.
Step 6: Click Update to confirm your changes. After confirming you’ll be taken to a page where you can see benefits your creator offers. We'll also send a confirmation email to your Patreon account email address detailing the changes.
Updating your membership on the Patreon app
Step 1: While logged into the Patreon app, swipe left or right until you find the creator you’d like to edit your membership to.
Step 2: Click the three vertical dots in the right-hand corner of the page, and select Edit $ pledge from the menu that appears.
Step 3: Select the Edit link to the right of your current tier. Scroll down, and select your new tier. Continue scrolling down and click Update.
You can increase your membership amount without selecting a new Tier, by tapping into the price field under Choose What You Pay.
Note: Increasing just the payment amount of your membership will not grant you access to the benefits, or posts for that tier. In order to gain access to posts for a specific tier, you'll need to join that tier.
Step 4: Scroll down, and review the billing details of your membership. This summary includes; payment method, $ amount of pledge, VAT (typically EU patrons), and billing details.
Click Update. Your new billing details will take effect immediately.
What happens when I change my membership?
The first thing to note is that whether you’re increasing or decreasing your membership amount, you won't be charged more than your new membership in a given month. Here’s how it works when you change your membership:
Increasing your membership
For monthly billing: You'll be charged the difference between what you've already paid and your new membership amount.
- Example: If you paid $5 this month and increase to $10 this month, you'll be charged the difference of $5 immediately (for a monthly total of $10 for the month). Once your payment increase processes, you'll have access to your new tier content immediately. You’ll be charged your new membership amount of $10 on the 1st of the next month.
For per creation billing: You’ll be billed your new membership amount for any paid posts the creator publishes after you upgrade. That said, we’ll never charge you more than your monthly max, so you may want to consider increasing your monthly max if you want to make sure the creator gets a higher amount for the month you upgrade.
- Example: You had a membership of $5 and a monthly max of 2 posts ($10 max payment for the month). Your creator has already made a paid post, so you have a pending bill of $5 on your account. If you upgrade to $15 with a monthly max of 2 posts, your new monthly max for the month becomes $30. Say your creator makes another paid post. You’ll be billed your new membership amount of $15, and your pending bill total is now $20. If the creator were to make another paid post, you would not be billed $15 for it, as it would make your total over your $30 max for the month.
For annual billing: A pro-rated credit from your initial charge will be applied to the new amount and then you’ll be charged the difference between the two tiers.
- Examples:
- If you paid for a $120 tier and upgrade in the same month to a $140 tier, you pay $20 for the difference between the two.
- If you paid $120 in April and upgrade in June to a $140 tier, only $110 from your initial pledge is left and would make your charge to upgrade $30.
Decreasing your membership
For monthly billing: You will not be charged your new membership amount until the 1st of the month.
- Example: If you paid $10 this month and decrease to $5 this month, you will not be charged $5 until the 1st of next month. Once your downgrade processes, you'll have access to your new tier content immediately.
For per creation billing: When you decrease your membership, your new membership immediately takes affect, however it does not change any already created bills for the month.
- Example: You had a membership of $5 and a monthly max of 2 posts ($10 max payment for the month). Your creator has already made a paid post, so you have a pending bill of $5 on your account. If you downgrade to $2 with a monthly max of 2 posts (monthly max of $4), you’ll still be charged the $5 pending on your account, however you won’t be billed for any additional posts the creator makes.
For annual billing: When changing to a lower tier amount, you will not be charged until the end of the 12-month billing period.
- Example: If you paid $50 in April 2020 for your annual membership and decreased to $25 in May 2020, you will be charged $25 on May 1st, 2021.