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I was going to wait until Friday to announce this, but I didn't want to overshadow the Status update, so I'm posting this today.
Patreon has given creators some bad news that affects everyone using their platform - creators and patrons.
You can read Patreon's announcement on it
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View attachment 3926867
TLDR
I'll put the TLDR here.
- Don't use Patreon's app on any Apple device to sign up for creators; you may be billed 30% extra because of Apple, or the creator will have to pay Apple that 30% out of their pocket.
- Creators using pay-per-creation or first-of-the-month billing are forced to change to a subscription model because of Patreon's deal with Apple, and now all of those creators - me including - must rethink our entire business models.
Thanks for reading,
Dr PinkCake
I didn't realise they were getting rid of the first of the month billing option as well. I am a creator (in a different area) but I already use subscription billing to avoid the "double payment" for anyone who signs up late in the month (if you sign up on the 28th, you pay a monthly fee, then again on the first of the next month. With subscription billing, your second payment is on the 28th of the next month, and so on) so maybe I didn't get that notification as it doesn't apply to me.
To reiterate for those who support but haven't read the full communication - this is only for new subscriptions, so existing Patrons will not have their prices changed unless the creator makes additional changes of their own. The main takeaway is not to subscribe on Apple's iOS app, use a desktop version, and so avoid Apple taking a 30% cut. You can purchase a membership using an iOS device on mobile web, it's only purchases directly through the iOS app that are affected.
First, [Patreon] want to be clear about one thing: this will not impact your existing memberships at all. Apple's App Store fee only applies to new memberships purchased in the iOS app beginning in November 2024.
Personally, I think subscription billing is a good thing, except for those who do use Apple and get stuffed with a higher price than others pay. The creator still gets a payout on the same day (although they can request a payout at any time), it doesn't automatically send the money immediately after receipt, there's a "payout day", so there's no change there, but it does help those who subscribe without being aware that it's best to do so at the start of the month, in order to avoid the second payment potentially coming just days later. Apple payments can take up to 75 days to clear though, apparently, so there may be a delay in that respect, which would be the case for anyone with a payment through the iOS app anyway.
So this news doesn't necessarily effect "everyone" - existing Patrons should not see any change, and for new Patrons (from November) the only difference on their side should be if they make their purchase via the iOS app, in that they will pay a premium to do so.
