We just recently completed our Annual Membership Beta with a handful of creators. In order to make sure we reduce the operational risk (fraud, credit card disputes) from annual membership for creators, we will be slowly rolling out of the feature.
The following criteria below must be met to be eligible for Annual Membership. We'll be working hard to make it available to everyone as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience!
Charge up front
Because Annual Membership locks in the full year’s value of a patron’s pledge upfront, it’s only available to CUF creators. Read more about switching to CUF, to find out if making the switch to this required billing option will work for you.
Monthly
Because Annual Membership is based on a monthly billing cadence (patrons pay for 12 months), creators will need to charge patrons monthly in order to be eligible. Read more about switching to Monthly billing here: Change how I charge my patrons
Payments Risk
Creators will need to have an established payment history on Patreon. Due to the operational risk (fraud, credit card disputes) of a larger payment, we need to ensure creators have a solid history of payments on Patreon before they are eligible. Based on medium and location, this criteria may be subject to more restriction.
The sections below will outline key details about this payment schedule, including: how annual memberships work, refunding annual patrons, and how annual memberships will will be reported. Feel free to skip ahead using the links below, or take a deep dive from start to finish:
- Setting up Annual Memberships and setting your annual discount
- Patrons making changes to their annual membership
- Patrons switching from monthly to annual
- Letting your patrons know you offer annual membership
- Frequently asked questions about annual memberships
Patrons can start their annual membership at any point, and their annual membership will automatically renew on the 1st of the month after 12 months from their initial join date have passed.
- Once you’ve set your discount percentage, scroll up and click
- Will joins your tier at $28.80 for an annual membership on May 3rd, 2020. Will populates in your


Letting your patrons know
Post Title/Subject Line: Pledge annually and save! Hi everyone, You can now choose to pay for Patreon on an annual basis. It’s a great way to show your support to me, and in return you’ll get a discount of [x months free] when you do. In addition to reducing transaction fees, you’ll help me create quality content faster and reduce the chance your credit card declines in the future. Optional: Lock in this discount now before it ends! For existing patrons the following steps will help you switch over your pledge to annual.
New patrons, visit my Patreon page where you’ll see the option below the “Join” button of your chosen tier. Check out this help center article if you have any questions about how it works. |
Now is a great time to join my Patreon, where you can get [x months free] when you pledge annually! Check it out here [link to creator page]. |
FAQ
Do my patrons have to pay annually?
Absolutely not! Your patrons get to decide between annual and monthly, and about 1/3 of patrons we surveyed want to pay annually.
What if I prefer monthly payments instead?
Creators who enable Annual Membership haven’t experienced a big decline in monthly revenue, on average less than 5% of monthly payments switch.
What if I change my tiers or content?
Remember, these patrons are the real MVPs and are choosing to support you for a year. They’ll be with you through changes in your offerings and content. And as a backup, refunds are no problem with our prorated refund tool. We recommend communicating any changes you plan with Patrons ahead of time - they appreciate the transparency.
What if patrons cancel in a year?
Patrons are notified before they’re charged again in a year, because no one likes to be caught off guard. Because you’re locking in the value of a whole year upfront, annual patrons are as much as 50% better for your growth, due to monthly patrons cancelling or having a declined payment over the course of a year.