Does Patreon Charge a Monthly Fee? What to Know Before Subscribing

Co-authored by Hunter Rising

Last Updated: September 22, 2021 References

If you want to support your favorite creators on Patreon, you’re probably wondering exactly how your contributions show up on your bank statements. There are a few different subscription models that creators might offer, but we’ll walk you through when Patreon charges you and what to expect when you start donating. Keep reading on to find the answers to all your most common questions!

Question 1 of 7:

Does Patreon charge you every month?

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If you’re subscribed to a monthly plan, you’ll pay a set price each month. Monthly plans are the most common type of subscription Patreon users have for their profiles. Every month, you’ll pay a set price depending on the tier you select from the creator’s page. Then, you’ll have access to all of their new and past posts for your tier level.^{[1]
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- Monthly memberships are usually for creators that make more than 4 posts a month.
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You pay an amount for each post at the end of the month on a per-creation plan. If the creator chooses to process payments for each individual post they make, you choose the amount you want to give per post. At the end of the month, Patreon counts up the number of posts the creator made and charges your card.^{[2]
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- For example, if you choose to pay $3 USD per post and the creator makes 4 posts, you’ll get charged $12 USD at the end of the month.
- You can set limits for the number of posts you pay for so you don’t get charged more than expected. For example, you can set it so you only get charged for 3 posts a month.

Question 2 of 7:

Are you charged immediately on Patreon?

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Some creators require an upfront payment when you subscribe. If you’re asked to make a payment right away, the creator decided that they want an upfront payment to access their content. When you pay the price upfront, you’re covering the cost of the current month and you still get charged for the following month, no matter when you started your membership.^{[3]
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- For example, if you start a subscription on August 31st, you’ll get charged for August and then September on the next day.
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You must pay for an annual plan right when you sign up. As soon as you start your annual membership, Patreon will ask you for your payment information. Pay the entire cost of the annual plan right away to gain access to all of the perks the creator has to offer.^{[4]
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- Creators may offer various tiers of annual plans at different price points so there are more affordable options.

Question 3 of 7:

When does Patreon charge?

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Patreon charges on the 1st of every month for monthly and per-creation plans. No matter when you started your membership, Patreon will credit your account immediately at the start of every month. The amount you pay depends on the tier you selected or on how many posts the creator made. You’ll typically notice the bill on your credit card or PayPal account within 2 days of Patreon charging your account.^{[5]
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- For example, if you subscribed at $5 USD per post and the creator made 3 posts within the month, then you’d pay $15 USD on the 1st of the next month.
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Annual plans renew on the first of the month a year after your join date. If you start an annual plan on the 1st of the month, then you’ll get charged exactly 1 year from that day. If you began your annual plan any other later day, then your subscription renews on the 1st of the following month.^{[6]
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- For example, if you start your annual subscription on August 23rd, 2021, then it would renew on September 1st, 2022.

Question 4 of 7:

How much is a Patreon membership?

Each creator sets their own prices, so it depends on who you’re supporting. Patreon lets creators set various tiers on their profile so they have a range of subscription plans. Typically, higher tiers let you access more perks from the person you’re supporting. Since everyone on Patreon can set their own price points, they’re going to vary a lot from page to page.^{[7]
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- Many creators offer a basic $1 USD membership, but you may not have access to exclusive posts for higher tiers.

Question 5 of 7:

Does Patreon have to be monthly?

Some creators offer annual billing plans. Not every creator uses this option, but it could be a way to get a small discount compared to paying month-to-month. Once you pay for an annual subscription, you have access to the creator’s past and future posts for a full year.^{[8]
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- All Patreon billing cycles are either monthly or yearly. There are no one-time donations.

Question 6 of 7:

How long is a Patreon membership?

You keep your Patreon membership until you decide to cancel. Patreon is really flexible, so you can stop your payment plan whenever you need to. Go to the “Account” page on the website or app, and open your list of memberships. Tap on “Edit” to cancel your membership so it doesn’t renew. Depending on the type of membership you have, you may lose or still have access to the membership perks.^{[9]
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- When you cancel a monthly membership, you lose access to the perks immediately.
- If you had a per-creation account, you must pay for any pending charges and then you’ll lose the perks.
- If you cancel an annual membership or one with an upfront payment, then you have access to the creator’s perks until the date it was supposed to renew.

Question 7 of 7:

Will Patreon charge me if I cancel?

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No, not if you cancel before the renewal date. As long as you cancel the membership before the 1st of the month it’s supposed to renew, you won’t have any charges. For example, you can cancel your account any time in August if you don’t want to get charged in September. Just remember that you may lose access to the membership perks as soon as you end it.^{[10]
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You only get charged if you have pending payments on a per-creation plan. If the creator uploaded paid posts while you still have a per-creation account, you still need to pay for them. When you cancel your membership, you’ll immediately get charged for all of the posts that were already made for the month. After that, you won’t have any more charges.^{[11]
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