Below you’ll find some of the common questions we’ve received about Mastercard’s Age Verification requirement for Adult/18+ creators. We will add additional answers to any other common questions that emerge.
Quicklinks:
- About the requirement and who needs to do it
- The Age Verification process
- Data privacy
- Miscellaneous
About the requirement and who needs to do it
What is Mastercard’s Age Verification requirement and why must Patreon comply?
Payment processors like Mastercard and Visa require Patreon to have all creators sharing sexually explicit creations or creations that include nudity verify that they are over the age of 18. Patreon relies on this payments infrastructure to accept digital pledge payments and get creators paid.
Which creators need to do Age Verification?
This payment processor requirement applies to creators in the Adult/18+ category.
I’m categorized as Adult/18+ but have no sexually explicit content or nudity on my page. Can I opt out of Age Verification?
Yes, you are eligible to recategorize from "Adult/18+" to "Safe for All Audiences," which opts you out of Age Verification. Here’s how you can do that.
My page is mostly focused on other things, but does contain some sexually explicit content and/or nudity. If I remove all of that type of content, can I opt out of Age Verification?
Yes, if you remove every piece of sexually explicit content or nudity on your page, you are eligible to recategorize from “Adult/18+” to “Safe for All Audiences,” which opts you out of Age Verification. Again, here’s how you can do that.
Do I need to ask people appearing in my content to complete Age Verification, too?
We are required to directly age verify only the Adult/18+ creator running the page (that’s you). That said, you are responsible for obtaining the written consent of any real humans who participate in works on your Patreon. You should use this consent form template to do so and retain all participant consent documentation indefinitely. Upon request from a payment partner, Patreon may ask you to provide this documentation, which would then be shared with the requesting payment partner to demonstrate compliance with their rules.
The Age Verification process
What will Age Verification entail?
The majority of creators will submit a government-issued identification showing full name, birthdate, and photo (like a license, passport, or national ID), and you’ll submit photos of that document to a secure third party we detail below. You’ll also snap a photo of yourself in that moment (in other words, a selfie), that will be matched to the photo from the ID to confirm it’s you. We expect the process to take approximately 3-5 minutes to complete.
What if I don’t have a government-issued identification to submit?
You’ve shared lots of ideas for how we can prioritize inclusivity throughout this process. With that in mind, we’ve developed a list of alternative (non-government-issued) IDs we accept. If you do not have a government-issued ID, you are eligible to use alternative IDs.
Who is eligible to use alternative IDs?
You are eligible to use alternative IDs if you do not have a government-issued ID or you have a serious privacy concern with using your government-issued ID.
Which forms of alternative IDs might I be able to submit once you start accepting them?
We have prepared a broad list of documents that you may use to verify with an alternative ID if you do not have a government-issued ID. Collectively, the documents you submit must show your full name, date of birth, and photo. All documents must show the same name or else official name change paperwork must also be provided.
What if my address has changed?
Since we aren’t required to verify any fields other than your full name, birthdate, and photo, if your address is out of date, that’s okay.
Which platform is Patreon using for Age Verification? Can I complete the process in a language other than English?
We've enlisted a third-party vendor called Jumio that specializes in secure identification validation. And yes, Jumio is global in scope and able to accommodate the vast majority of languages for the convenience of Patreon creators.
In December 2021, Patreon said they’d use Stripe as the Age Verification vendor. Why the change of plans?
Creators let us know that maximizing the number of supportable languages and countries was important to you. Stripe is a little bit more limited on those fronts, whereas Jumio instead enables us to make life easier for creators by supporting nearly every country, language, and form of government-issued identification.
Will Age Verification occur on or off the Patreon platform? Can it be completed on desktop only, or mobile as well?
We have integrated Jumio’s verification product into our platform, meaning that while your information will be securely processed end-to-end by Jumio, you don’t have to leave Patreon’s website to complete the process. You’ll be able to begin the process from a desktop browser, mobile browser, or from within our iOS and Android apps. However, your progress will not be carried over if you attempt to switch between devices in the middle of the process. Verification only takes a few minutes to complete, so we expect most creators to be able to finish the process once they get started.
How soon is this happening and how will I be notified when it’s time to age verify?
Patreon has taken time to ensure things run as smoothly for Adult/18+ creators as possible. Adult/18+ creators already on the platform who are actively receiving subscription payments from members have been getting notified on a rolling basis starting in early 2023. These creators receive regular prompts both over email and on the platform.
Will I be penalized if I never complete Age Verification?
Ultimately, page functionality and payouts will indeed start to become contingent on Adult/18+ creators completing Age Verification. Eventually, campaigns that still do not comply cannot be on Patreon.
Our intention here is not to be punitive, but rather to meet the payment processor’s terms while also preserving creator autonomy as best as possible. So rest assured: well before any payouts are impacted or pages are frozen, creators will have received regular reminders to ensure they are aware of the process and nothing comes as a surprise.
Data privacy
What steps are being taken to keep my information safe?
Creator privacy is incredibly important to us, and we made sure to select a vendor (Jumio) that specializes in secure identification verification. Jumio has received multiple information security certifications such as ISO/IEC 27001:2013, PCI DSS, and SOC2 Type 2. You can read more about what those certifications signify about Jumio’s security strength here.
I prefer to keep my name non-public. Will my name be published anywhere when I complete Age Verification?
Patreon will not use the information you provide during verification to update any of the public information on your account or campaign. We will never publicly share or sell personal information.
Will Adult/18+ creators’ identification data be cross-checked with local laws where the creators are located?
No. The identification data will be used to meet Mastercard’s requirement of verifying that the creator is above the age of 18.
Can I block out certain information on my ID that is not necessary to fulfill the requirement, like my address?
If you're submitting a government-issued ID, please ensure that you are submitting a clear picture of the complete document. If you’d prefer to redact your address from the government-issued ID you are submitting for verification, please reach out to us.
I am a trans or nonbinary creator. My identification depicts my deadname, and/or my government misgenders me. How will Age Verification work in my case?
We recognize that asking for identification is deeply sensitive and personal, and that not everyone uses their legal or birth names in their daily lives. The option mentioned above, by which you can submit alternative IDs, may be a good path for you. We will never publicly share the name from the identification you submit.
Miscellaneous
If I complete Age Verification, then eventually leave Patreon and later end up creating a new separate account, will I go through Age Verification once more?
If your new page is Adult/18+ and will feature sexually explicit content or nudity, then yes, you’ll complete the verification process again. We are unable to transfer verification status or verified information from one account to another.
Do payment processors require that patrons complete the Age Verification process as well?
All fans or members seeking to pledge to Adult/18+ campaigns are asked to confirm they are over the age of 18, but the payment processors do not require them to complete the formal Age Verification process.