Instead of changing the billing cycle why not inform potential patrons in a POP-up box this,
“This creator charges upfront. You will be charged today for this month and after this Patreon will charge you only on the 1st of each month. The next charge is on February 1st, which is approximately xx days away. Would you like to continue?”
Let this pop up be the FIRST THING THEY SEE when they click Join.
Then do it again before they finalize it. Be sure to make it BIG and BOLD so they can’t miss it.
This way potential patrons have no excuse. They were informed TWO TIMES before paying!!
Don’t show the continue button unless they hit the “I understand” and click continue. There is no need to change the charge days.
This change to the charge upfront will definitely HURT small creators who don’t make too much but still earn enough to pay bills. SO PLEASE CONSIDER MY SUGGESTION before changing a system that works well.
Another suggestion would be to create a waitlist. So if someone wants to join a tier but the date is Jan 27th and the next billing cycle is February 1st. They can sign up for that creator’s waitlist. A reminder email on February 1st will be sent telling them “Hey now’s a good time to join xx on Patreon”
Please don’t hurt creators because potential patrons don’t read
@reyna my input for the billing cycle
18 Likes
ABSOLUTEY %100 AGREED! I only just launched my patreon and am still trying to get used to everything, including billing cycles and monthly rewards. I feel like the options you put out are easy to understand and simple to implement without putting the burden on the creators! Patreon doing anniversary charges treasts us like streaming services, whole COMPANIES, rather than small creators, and that just blows.
Another suggestion is to just sign them up but then don’t yet charge them or give access to private posts until the first. That way they have already gone through the process and are ready to go without needing a reminder.
Basically just loads of options they could take that would be infinitely better.
3 Likes
I like this option a lot. I charge upfront and do warn patrons they will be charged again. Some wait, some don’t. From a sales standpoint it is much easier if you take the money and give the product when the deal is hot. Waiting means lost patrons and double billing creates issues that creators need to spend time on. This is much better than the current solution or any of the others I have seen suggested. It is also ‘normal.’ Many places bill on the anniversary and patrons will not be jolted. Will we be able to opt in or be told when it is happening?
I agree. And as a tithe-based creator, i’ve lost MANY patrons because they wanted to give me a one-time tithe… so they signed up, thought they were charged, then cancelled without ever being charged.
It’s also more familiar to those who have other recurring billing services - like streaming channels - which makes it easier to understand for those who don’t read (and just assume the membership works like all the others they have).
I agree that something like this is a more preferable option. It’s much more courteous to just warn patrons ahead of time, and it removes a little bit of plausible deniability if they turn around later and say “I didn’t see where it said I’d be charged again”.
I don’t make a ton of money on Patreon, but it’s enough to cover a couple of bills that need paying, and the regularity is something that I’ve come to depend on. I’m also a patron of several creators and I’d really hate for the bookkeeping around that to become more of a headache than it needs to be.
Edit: Also, would it kill the staff to add a link to this community somewhere on the creator dashboard? It’s no wonder you feel like you’re dealing with a “vocal minority” when nobody can find this place.
1 Like
I like this. Your subscription begins on the first of the month, when you will have access to patron-only content. End of problems.
2 Likes
