[Announcement] Patreon Billing Style Change (Patreon)
Content
So, I'm sure many of you have seen the news by now; over the course of the next year or so, Patreon is nuking the "per-creation" billing structure and switching to monthly subscription exclusively. Every creator is different about handling this, so I'll try my best to keep it short and easy to read for you guys on what's going on here for my page:
WHY THE CHANGE?
Basically, Apple demands that Patreon change to adhere to their subscription policy or they remove the app from the iOS app store. On top of that, transactions set up through Apple are subjected to a whopping 30% fee on top of their subscription (so please avoid them by subscribing through android or web only!).
WHAT'S GOING TO CHANGE?
To the best of my ability, nothing for you should change. I have consistently produced 3 main comic pages per month for several years now, and have every intent to continue doing so. However, I am completely at your mercy as far as adapting to the structural change and keeping your subscription.
This example Patreon provided is actually perfectly accurate to my situation and should illustrate what'll happen on your end:
I will be sure to announce once Patreon shifts me over. The tiers will adapt and your payment schedule will just move a little, but not the price.
WHEN IS THIS CHANGE HAPPENING?
"Apple is requiring that Patreon use their in-app purchasing system and remove all other billing systems from the Patreon iOS app by November 2024. This means that starting in November, new memberships purchased in the iOS app will be subject to Apple's 30% App Store fee."
"So, starting in November, your fans in the iOS app won't be able to purchase subscriptions to your membership until you switch to subscription billing. And, as a result of Apple's mandates and in order to make sure that you can continue getting new members in the iOS app, we've started a 16-month-long migration process to bring all creators onto subscription billing by November 2025. This means that your current billing model will be discontinued in November 2025."
Due to the inevitability of this change, I will begin to get the ball rolling ASAP. It's likely going to take a few weeks/months before it's done, due to Patreon being swamped with creators needing to migrate.
PERSONAL NOTE
From the beginning of my Patreon page in 2015, I've always been on "per creation" as a promise to all of you to earn every cent of your support fair and square. This change is pretty scary for me, as I am afraid that iOS users or those who do not like or trust monthly subs will pull their support and the comics are no longer sustainable for me to survive on.
With Patreon's 10% cut, and taxes depending on state/federal is around 25%, I am already only taking home about 65% of what I earn on here. Add another 30% from Apple fees if I chose to absorb it instead of Apple upcharging, and a portion of the support I earn would be only 35%. I... I can't do that, guys. That's devastating. Avoid using Apple in-app purchases like the plague and we can both avoid this. I genuinely hope this is only a tiny percentage of you and that most of you are unaffected by this.
I am incredibly anxious about how severely this is going to affect my ability to pay my basic living expenses. All I can do is hope that you guys are still willing to stay after the switch inevitably happens. As long as I am not forced to take on additional work outside of this platform, I promise to keep working as hard and consistently as I have for you all these years. I know this was a downer and boring read, so thank you so much for taking the time to look this over ❤️