Apple threatens to remove Patreon from the iOS App Store, saying the platform must “switch to its iOS in-app purchasing system.”
Apple told Patreon late last year that the company would have to switch to iOS’s in-app payment system starting in 2024. The deadline is fast approaching, and Apple said the company must remove all other payment options from the iOS app by November 2024.
As Patreon points out, this will impact developers and fans in two ways:
- Apple charges a 30% App Store fee on all new memberships purchased in the Patreon iOS app, as well as on all purchases made in your Patreon store.
- Creators currently using first-time monthly or per-work billing will need to switch to subscriptions to continue earning revenue from the iOS app, as this is the only billing type that supports Apple’s in-app purchase system.
Patreon makes it clear that this only affects new memberships:
Before we go any further, we want to make one thing very clear: Apple’s fee will not affect your existing members. It only affects new memberships purchased in the iOS app starting in November.
Patreon says it is working with developers to provide options that best address the situation:
Based on developer feedback, we’ve built an optional tool that can automatically increase your prices (in the iOS app only) to offset the cost of the Apple fee. This way, you’ll continue to earn at least the same amount per membership as you would on all other platforms.
However, you have the option to decide if you want this. Automatic price increase is the default option, but you also have the option to keep your prices and pay the 30% fee from your earnings. We don’t recommend this as you would then earn less per membership from in-app iOS transactions. Ultimately, however, we believe it’s important to give you the opportunity to make your own decisions.
Of course, none of these solutions are ideal. But remember that Apple’s fees only apply to the iOS app. Your web and Android app pricing will be completely unaffected. You can always direct your fans to this help article that explains iOS in-app fees versus other platforms to help them better understand the impact depending on where they make their purchases.
Apple’s invoicing requirement also creates problems for Patreon and its community:
Patreon is home to an incredible variety of creators, all with unique circumstances and billing needs. Apple’s in-app purchasing system, on the other hand, only supports Patreon’s subscription billing model. Apple has also made it clear that if creators on Patreon continue to use unsupported billing models or disable transactions in the iOS app, we risk having the entire app removed from their App Store.
If you’re on a pay-on-the-first-of-the-month or per-work billing model, starting in November, your membership will no longer be available to fans in the iOS app due to Apple’s billing rules until you switch to subscription billing.
In response to Apple’s guidance and to ensure you can continue to attract new members in the iOS app, we’ve started a 16-month migration process to move all creators to subscription billing by November 2025. This process will be supported by a roadmap of new features and tools to ensure the billing model works for you, your community, and your business. To be clear, this means that the first-of-the-month and per-creation billing models will be retired in November 2025.
Most creators on Patreon use subscription billing. Over the last few years, we’ve rolled it out slowly, overcoming every hurdle that came up to ensure the migration wasn’t disruptive for creators. That’s how we like to launch products. Unfortunately, we can’t continue to do so due to Apple’s schedules and restrictions. Instead of helping creators move to subscription billing when and if they feel it’s right for them, we’re now forced to migrate all creators according to Apple’s schedule.
Patreon says it will continue to work with creators to improve the billing process, and is also leveraging its community of creators who have already made the switch, recruiting them to create how-to videos, how-to articles, and FAQs to help others make the transition.
In broader context, Patreon’s dilemma illustrates why Apple is increasingly under scrutiny for its billing practices on the App Store.
