Starting in November, Patreon will be switching over to Apple’s iOS in-app purchase system. This is part of a 16-month migration process. And the platform isn’t happy about it.
In a candid blog post, Patreon claims Apple is “forcing” the platform to sever ties with other billing systems. Furthermore, Patreon must take measures to avoid being “kicked out of the App Store,” including a major Apple fee increase of 30%.
How will the Apple fee increase impact Patreon creators?
In the blog post, Patreon shared how this would hurt creators in two ways. For a start, new memberships and anything else sold via the iOS app will be subject to Apple’s 30% commission on in-app purchases and anything bought by supporters in your Patreon shop.
The new 30% tax only applies to purchases made on iOS starting on November 4. Pre-existing memberships and any memberships purchased on the Patreon website or Android will also not be subject to the fee.
Patreon creators will be able to decide whether to automatically raise their membership prices only on the iOS app to account for the fee increase.
Secondly, Apple’s changes will also require creators with first-of-the-month or per-creation billing to switch to subscription billing to continue earning money on the iOS app. Creators will have the option to delay the migration to subscription billing until November 2025.
But this option comes with a caveat. If creators choose to delay the migration, they’ll be unable to offer memberships in the iOS app. This will only be possible if creators migrate to Apple’s in-app system.
“We didn’t choose this path, but we’re focusing our resources on making subscription billing an even better experience for creators and fans,” Patreon added in the post. “This will take time, and we’re committed to making it happen for every creator.”
