Patreon to Increase Fees for New Creators Soon
▼ Summary
– Patreon is merging its Pro and Premium plans into a single plan starting August 5th, charging 10% of creators’ earnings, up from 8% for Pro but down from 12% for Premium.
– Existing users and those who sign up before August 5th will not face price increases, and Pro users will retain their 8% rate while gaining new plan features.
– The new standard plan includes most Premium features (coaching, support, team accounts), but merchandise tools require an optional 3% add-on, effectively maintaining two pricing tiers.
– Current Premium users will see their rate drop to 11% with all features included or can opt for an 8% rate without merchandise tools.
– Patreon justifies the pricing changes by citing expanded platform features since 2019, including media hosting and discovery tools, and will also update video pricing later this summer.
Patreon is rolling out significant changes to its pricing structure, merging its Pro and Premium plans into a unified model effective August 5th. The new standard plan will take a 10% cut of creator earnings, replacing the current 8% (Pro) and 12% (Premium) rates. While this means higher fees for many new users, existing creators and those who sign up before the deadline won’t face immediate increases. To access premium features like merchandise tools, an optional add-on will add another 3% to the base rate.
Currently, the Premium tier includes perks such as dedicated coaching, team accounts, and merchandise support. Under the revised structure, most of these features will now be included in the standard 10% plan, with merch capabilities available as an extra paid option. Payment processing and currency conversion fees will remain separate, as before.
Existing Pro users will maintain their 8% rate, and anyone launching a Pro page by August 4th will lock in this pricing. These accounts will also gain access to the expanded features of the new standard plan. Meanwhile, Premium creators will see their rate drop slightly to 11%, with the choice to opt out of merch tools and switch to the legacy 8% Pro rate if preferred.
This marks Patreon’s first major pricing adjustment since 2019, when the Pro and Premium tiers were introduced. The company cites platform expansions, including media hosting, community features, and discovery tools, as reasons for the update, emphasizing ongoing investments to support creator businesses.
Separately, Patreon’s video hosting service, still in early access despite launching two years ago, will also see pricing revisions later this summer. Originally offering 500 free lifetime hours, then reduced to 100, the platform will soon provide eligible creators with 100 free video hours monthly instead. These changes reflect Patreon’s efforts to balance sustainability with creator support amid evolving platform needs.
(Source: The Verge)
