Billing basics
We typically process payments on the 1st of each month and in the Pacific Time zone. A patron’s billing details depend on which billing option the creator selects. Creators can choose between 3 payment models:
Creators who meet eligibility criteria can also enable annual memberships for their page. With all of our billing options, patrons unlock membership access upon signup. For answers to frequently asked questions, please visit the FAQ section below.
Per creation
Per creation is a billing model where patrons pay their pledged amount per paid post the creator makes after they sign up. Patrons can set a monthly maximum number of posts they’ll pay for, but they’ll get access to any paid post made beyond their maximum.
Patrons pay on the 1st of each month for paid posts published the previous month.
We retry declined payments even if the patron cancels or downgrades their per creation membership. Patrons can find a complete record of payments in their Billing history.
Monthly charge upfront
Charge upfront is a billing model where patrons pay upfront to join the creator’s page, granting access to the creator’s backlog of content on Patreon. After the first payment, patrons pay on the 1st of each month for the preceding month of access.
Feel free to read through our guide on charge upfront billing to learn more.
Monthly (non-charge upfront)
Monthly (non-charge upfront) is a billing method where there’s no payment needed to join and unlock membership access. Patrons pay on the 1st of each month for any access they had the previous month.
Annual membership
Annual membership is a billing option where patrons pay upfront to unlock access to a creator’s back catalog and an entire year of membership. Patrons’ membership auto-renews on the first of the month, a year after the initial join date, and on that date every year until canceled.
Frequently asked questions
How will Patreon charges appear on my statement?
The names of creators you support will not be included in your statement. Your payment will be processed as Patreon and listed as one of the following line items:
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Credit card |
PayPal |
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If my payment declines, can I just cancel it?
If the creator uses monthly charge upfront billing, then, yes, you can cancel if your payment declines, and we will not retry your payment. This is because charge upfront payments are for the preceding month.
If the creator uses per creation or monthly (non-charge upfront) billing, we will retry your payment even if you cancel or decrease your membership. If your membership is active on the 1st of the month, you can expect your payment to process.
What happens when I cancel my membership?
If the creator uses monthly charge upfront or monthly (non-charge upfront), you can cancel before the 1st of the month, and billing will stop.
If the creator uses per creation billing, we’ll process any pending bills on your account when you cancel. So, please check your billing history before canceling.
What happens if I upgrade?
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Creator’s billing option |
When you upgrade |
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Per creation |
When a patron upgrades a per creation membership, they instantly unlock access to the higher membership. Their higher pledge applies to future paid posts made up to their monthly max.
We won’t exceed your monthly limit, so you may not be billed for additional paid posts. If you want to ensure a creator gets your increased amount, you may want to increase your monthly limit for the month. |
| Monthly charge upfront | When patrons upgrade a charge upfront membership, payments already made for the month are credited toward the upgrade, and they pay the difference.
The patron pays their higher membership amount on the 1st of the month. |
| Monthly (non-charge upfront) |
Patrons who upgrade a monthly (non-charge upfront) membership immediately access the higher membership. There’s no charge to upgrade, and the patron pays their higher membership amount on the 1st of the month. |
| Annual membership |
When a patron upgrades an annual membership, a pro-rated amount of what they’ve already paid is credited, and they pay the remaining upgrade cost. When you update an annual membership, it extends your term for a year from that date. |
What happens if I downgrade?
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Creator’s billing option |
When you downgrade |
| Per creation |
Decreasing your membership will not change the amount of any pending bills already posted to your Billing history. Your lower amount will be applied to future paid posts if your monthly limit has not already been met. |
| Monthly charge upfront |
Downgrading your membership does not affect the current month’s membership access. Since you’ve already paid for the month upfront, downgrading affects your membership renewal on the upcoming first of the month. We recommend downgrading closer to the end of the month for a smooth transition. |
| Monthly (non-charge upfront) |
If you decrease your membership, your access is instantly limited to the new (lower) tier that you've subscribed to. |
| Annual membership |
At the moment, there’s no way to downgrade your annual membership tier. You can, however, join a lower tier after your year membership has ended with a slight workaround. You can cancel your membership near the end of your year term and then re-pledge at a lower-tier option once the year has passed. |
I think I was overcharged — how can I check?
If you believe that you’ve been overcharged, the first thing to do is check your payment statement with your Billing history on Patreon. Going through a few months of billing months may help you confirm where the additional amount is coming from — declining bills that process later can be alarming if you don’t know what it’s for.
If you have separate charges on your payment statement that don’t add up, you may have more than one account triggering charges. Please log out and then use password reset. You can enter other email addresses you own outside of your known account. If you get the message that we’ve sent you a password reset link on one of your other emails, you also have an account with that email address.