Hey @mindy. Yeah, I just realized I received the e-mail yesterday. Oversight on my end. Thanks!!
No worries @chris1612, just happy to have you involved
Hey @Temrin, this is correct. We want to give all creators and all patrons the benefit of additional currencies. While there is a cost for currency conversion, the team have added a 4.5% buffer to the converted tier price in other currencies to help balance that out. We expect that if you get new patrons using the new currencies, you will come out ahead since some of them will be patrons who might not have signed up without seeing their own currency available.
I highly doubt this, given what I know about my Patrons, and the source of my Patrons. As noted in a different thread, this shifts the currency conversion fees to the creator, something we are not currently paying, for a choice by a Patron over which we have no control. It also removes 50% of the ‘protection’ against currency fluctuation via the fee.
I also wonder what happens to the rounding difference once it’s paid?
Oh okay! Thank you for clarifying.
Every creator is different, and you know your community best. But we do hope and expect that most creators will come out ahead due to these changes. Our goal is to help you grow by offering more currency choice to your patrons. The rounding difference goes to the creator.
Our research suggests that this feature will increase your income on Patreon, especially if you have a multi-national fanbase. This is because fans are significantly more likely to sign up when they see your prices in their preferred currency.
So let’s see the research then. Because as far as I can tell ‘research suggests’ is far different than ‘research shows’.
And frankly, I’m not convinced that Patreon needs to have in place a system that converts on the front end what PayPal and other payment services are entirely capable of converting on their own at a proper and correct rate on the day.
It seems to me you’ve introduced a double penalty for paying in a currency other than the creator’s home currency. One is an additional 4.5% + Rounding on the people paying outside of the native currency and then a further 2.5% on the creator for the conversion. And it doesn’t matter that one is supposed to cover the other, someone is still paying more than they are supposed to.
If the concern is that it costs money to convert from one currency to the other and that fee needs to be recouped from someone somewhere, either let it lay in the payment method which is where it belongs and can best be handled, or make it clear to the potential patron that here is the converted amount you are paying to the creator in your native currency and here is the amount added for the conversion fee.
To me, this seems suspiciously like two people being charged for the same thing.
Edit:
Furthermore, as I understand the math based on what you have said, the 2.5% we creators will be paying is based not on the original converted tier rate, but rather on the converted rate + 4.5% + Rounding. Meaning that we will be paying for more than the actual converted rate.
It really doesn’t seem right to me. Honestly, things are working the way they are. This only adds a new level of charging. Creators have already lost patreons due to the Covid-19 epidemic, we have had to deal with the new tax issue, and now Patreon is going to implement currency exchange.
Honestly, you are implementing changes that are only making life more difficult for creators.
Hey @Fiddleback, thanks for this feedback. I’d love to share some more context and details to shine a light on how we arrived at this solution. I really hope it helps alleviate some of your concerns with this current setup.
Creators have been asking us for years to offer additional currencies for their patrons, which matches our dreams of building a platform that’s inclusive to all creators and patrons across the globe. This means offering multiple currencies and a more localized experience, and we’re making steady progress towards that goal. You are correct in that this does mean we have costs to offer and manage multiple currencies. Platforms, banks, and payment providers that offer currency conversion typically charge a fee to do so.
Offering currency conversion for recurring monthly payments also presents some unique and extra challenges. Exchange rates fluctuate on a daily basis, but when someone signs up for a monthly membership, they expect that amount to stay the same month after month. In order to provide stable and consistent monthly pricing for patrons, and also protect creators from exchange rate fluctuations, our conversion formula includes a buffer.
There are many publicly available studies cited on the internet that show that people will abandon a purchase if their native currency is not shown on the page, even though it’s completely possible for them to make the purchase and have the currency conversion done by their card or bank (usually for a fee). But past studies are not proof and they can’t predict the future; they’re just one input to help us plan and build.
The Patreon team is working hard to create something that works well for a huge global community, but we know not everyone will be happy with every decision. We really appreciate hearing your feedback, always, and are listening and learning.
Hi hi hi!
This sounds like it would be great! If you’re still open to new people on the beta, I’m so in.
I hope you guys are having a good week!
Nessa
Hey @nessak, great to hear from you! Not too late at all, thank you for your interest and time. @sarah_h can help you get included into the beta this week
Hi @nessak you’re all set! We’ve enabled currency choice on your page: new patrons will now see your tiers priced in their preferred currency of $, € or £.
Note: Nothing changes for your existing patrons - they don’t have to switch currencies unless they want to. If they would like to do this, they can edit their pledge in the Manage Memberships tab of their dashboard.
Once a week for the next 3-4 weeks we’ll send you a diary-style survey to get your feedback on the beta. Also open to any questions/additional feedback in the beta thread here.
Interested! Page is https://www.patreon.com/olympicpistol