Skip to main content

Patreon is having another go at changing the way it charges creators

Crowdfunding site Patreon, which currently helps around 100,000 YouTube creators and others make a living out of their work, has just announced some major changes to its pricing system.

Launching in early May, the new plans for creators comprise Patreon Lite, Patreon Pro, and Patreon Premium. Before, the platform deployed a single price plan for all Patreon creators.

Recommended Videos

It’s important to note that the changes will only really affect new members of Patreon. In other words, existing Patreon creators will see no increase in the so-called “Patreon fee” — the amount that the company takes from donations — though they will be affected if they’re interested in making use of any new features launching soon.

Patreon currently charges creators 5 percent of supporters’ subscriptions, but the new plans do shake things up a bit. Patreon Lite, for example, retains the 5 percent cut for the company and comes without any tiers and benefits (different tiers can offer supporters different benefits according to the amount of their donation). This is the ideal plan for quick setup.

Patreon Pro is close to the current plan and is the one existing creators will be automatically placed into, with the 5 percent rate remaining. New sign-ups, however, will be charged an 8 percent Patreon fee. Patreon Pro offers features such as membership tiers, analytics and insights, and unlimited app integrations.

Geared toward larger creator operations, Patreon Premium offers everything in Pro, plus the services of a dedicated partner manager and team accounts, among other benefits. Premium, which is being rolled out gradually, takes a 12 percent cut (9 percent for existing creators who want to upgrade from Pro) and also charges a flat fee of $300 a month.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Regarding the separate payment processing fees, pledges of $3 or less will be subject to a new “micropayment rate” of 5 percent plus 10 cents per successful payment, a system that, according to Patreon, “boosts the power of smaller pledges, with a much bigger percentage reaching the creator.”

Pledges of more than $3 will use the new industry-standard rate of 2.9 percent, plus 30 cents per successful payment. For all payments from supporters outside the U.S. using PayPal, there will be an additional 1 percent surcharge.

Patreon is keen to point out that these rates are for creators who join the platform after the new plans launch in May, in other words, creators who launch on Patreon before these changes will retain their current processing rates.

“These changes will help us invest in the features and services all our creators depend on, and create a strong and independent Patreon that creators can build their businesses on for decades to come,” the company said in a message on its website.

Mindful of the mess it created in 2017 when it was forced to cancel fee changes after they caused consternation among its creator community, the company promises that this time around it designed the new plans with far greater care after discussing the changes with “thousands” of Patreon creators.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Intuit QuickBooks summer savings have us excited for bookkeeping and more
Intuit QuickBooks Online and Payroll Indepence Day deals used by business owner

Being honest, accounting, bookkeeping, and various administrative tasks aren't exactly what most people would call exciting, even if they own a business. It's something you have to do, but not that you necessarily want to do. But you absolutely have to stay on top of it; otherwise, things could get out of hand later, like when you're filing taxes or trying to calculate expenses. As a leader in small business fintech, Intuit QuickBooks is helping over 7 million customers worldwide do precisely that. From a startup to scaling up, the Intuit QuickBooks ecosystem delivers products and services that are a core component of small business growth. Accounting, payroll, payments, capital, and even marketing assistance via Mailchimp are just a few examples of what you can expect from a QuickBooks subscription. Thanks to its current Summer Sale, you can save a never-before-seen 70% off Intuit QuickBooks plans. That offer and these prices excite us for something that, typically, wouldn't be considered exciting.

Save Now

Read more
What is Microsoft Teams? How to use the collaboration app
A close-up of someone using Microsoft Teams on a laptop for a videoconference.

Online team collaboration is the new norm as companies spread their workforce across the globe. Gone are the days of primarily relying on group emails, as teams can now work together in real time using an instant chat-style interface, no matter where they are.

Using Microsoft Teams affords video conferencing, real-time discussions, document sharing and editing, and more for companies and corporations. It's one of many collaboration tools designed to bring company workers together in an online space. It’s not designed for communicating with family and friends, but for colleagues and clients.

Read more
How to create a new team in Microsoft Teams
Example of Teams chat.

Few communication applications are as versatile as Microsoft Teams. Along with allowing you to send quick messages to teammates or launch a video chat, the software is fully integrated with Office 365 so you can optimize its performance. If you know how to use Microsoft Teams, you'll know that one of its most useful features is the ability to create a new team.

Knowing how to make a new team and how to properly organize teams makes it easy for a company to enhance productivity and streamline communication. When used effectively, Microsoft Teams is useful for both in-office and remote workers, ensuring everyone stays on the same page regardless of location.

Read more