I'm Kir, and I run Pennygood, a small monthly-support site. Patreon's Nov 1 billing change has a real deadline on **Oct 15, so here is the checklist I wrote for creators, straight from Patreon's own help pages.
- If your Patreon page launched before Sep 27, 2022, you may still be on first-of-the-month or per-creation billing.
- Everyone has to be on subscription billing by Nov 1, 2026.
- First-of-the-month: you can switch yourself in Billing and payouts.
- Per-creation: ask Patreon Support by Oct 15. If you don't, Patreon switches you in November and pauses your billing until you review your new prices.
Settings → Billing and payouts → "Billing schedule" tells you which model you're on.
I run a small monthly-support site, so I read Patreon's update closely. Here is what it says, in order, with the dates that matter. Everything below comes from Patreon's own pages, linked at the end.
Who this affects (and how to check in 30 seconds)
Patreon says the change is driven by Apple: Apple's requirement that all creators use subscription billing takes effect on November 1, 2026, and Patreon needs it to keep its iOS app in the App Store.
It only applies to the two legacy billing models: first-of-the-month and per-creation. If you launched your page on or after September 27, 2022, you're already on subscription billing and nothing here applies to you.
- Open Settings.
- Go to Billing and payouts.
- Look at the top, under "Billing schedule". That's your model.
Key dates: your checklist
- Today: check your Billing schedule. While you're in Settings, also note your plan name under "monetization".
- By Oct 15, 2026: if you're on per-creation, send your request to Support.
- Find Patreon's multiplier email (per-creation). Your multiplier was sent to your account email.
- At least one month before your switch: post to your members (per-creation).
- Before Nov 1, 2026: if you're on first-of-the-month, switch yourself.
- November: if you were switched automatically, review your prices and resume billing.
Old billing vs new billing
First-of-the-month
- New members: charged when they join and then on the 1st, or nothing when they join and then on the 1st.
- Existing members: charged on the 1st of each month.
- Payouts: withdraw anytime, or auto-payout on the 5th.
Per-creation
- New members: charged when you publish a paid post, up to their limit if they set one.
- Existing members: charged for each paid post, up to their limit.
- Payouts: withdraw anytime, or auto-payout on the 5th.
Subscription billing
- New members: charged when they join, then monthly on that same date (join Apr 12, next charge May 12).
- Existing members: still charged on the 1st.
- Payouts: unchanged. Withdraw anytime, or auto-payout on the 5th.
If you're on per-creation billing
You can't make this switch on your own. Patreon's Support team has to do it with you, and you need to reach out by October 15 so they can schedule it.
- Go to Settings → Billing and payouts.
- In the Billing schedule section, click "Get started".
- Read the overview and click "Send request".
- You'll get a confirmation and an email saying Support will be in touch.
If you miss October 15, Patreon switches you automatically in November and emails you when it's done. Your billing is paused: members aren't charged until you review your new tier prices and resume. Members aren't charged later for the paused months.
How your new per-creation prices are set
Patreon multiplies your per-creation price by the highest number of paid posts you published in a single month over the last three months. Patreon's own example: if you published up to 3 paid posts a month, a $5 per-creation tier becomes $15 a month.
Per-creation price × your multiplier = new monthly price. Patreon's example: $5 × 3 = $15 a month.
Monthly limits stay. If a member set a limit lower than the new price, they're only charged up to that limit. In Patreon's example, a member capped at 2 posts on the $5 tier pays $10 a month.
The limit holds as long as the member doesn't edit their membership and you don't raise the price for existing members. If you reprice later and want to keep those limits, apply the new price to new members only.
Patreon asks you to tell your members at least one month before the switch, and it provides a message template on its Help Center page.
If you're on first-of-the-month billing
This one is a few clicks. Patreon recommends doing it before November 1 so you pick the timing.
- Go to Settings → Billing and payouts.
- Click "Switch to subscription billing now".
- Click Save.
Your existing members keep being charged on the 1st, unless they cancel and re-join after their access ends, or move from monthly to annual. Only new members are charged on the day they join.
If you deliver benefits on a schedule, Patreon suggests two ways to keep doing it:
- Batch delivery: weekly or twice a month, to whoever has paid since the last batch.
- End-of-month delivery: pull the list of everyone who paid that month and deliver at the end of it.
After switching you get the Benefit Eligibility Status tool: Creator studio → Audience → Benefits.
Before you click switch
- It's permanent. Once you switch, you can't go back to your old model.
- Don't unpublish your page during the move. If a page on a legacy plan is unpublished, even briefly, it moves to Patreon's standard 10% plan when it's republished.
- Your platform plan doesn't change because of the billing switch. You can check it under Settings → "monetization".
- Decide how to handle Apple's fee. Apple's App Store fee on eligible in-app purchases is 30%. By default, Patreon raises your prices in the iOS app only; you can instead keep prices the same everywhere and absorb the fee.
What your patrons will notice
- Billing dates: existing members stay on the 1st. New members are charged on the day they join.
- Limits: per-creation members with a monthly limit are charged up to that limit.
- Paused months: if your billing was paused, members aren't charged for that time later.
- iPhone: US fans on iOS can still choose web checkout, which avoids Apple's in-app fee.
A new charge date is also a moment when some cards get declined. If a patron's card gets declined, see why supporter payments get declined.
Tell members early, in one short post, before anything changes on their side.
FAQ
Do I have to switch if my page launched after Sep 27, 2022?
No. Pages launched on or after September 27, 2022 are already on subscription billing.
What happens if I'm on per-creation and miss October 15?
Patreon switches you automatically in November and pauses your billing until you review your new prices and resume.
Will members be charged for the paused months?
No. Patreon says paused months aren't charged later.
Can I go back to per-creation?
No. Switching to subscription billing is permanent.
Does my platform fee change?
Switching billing doesn't change your plan. Unpublishing your page would move it to the standard 10% plan when you republish.
Do existing members' billing dates change?
No. They stay on the 1st, unless they cancel and re-join or move from monthly to annual.
Will iPhone patrons pay more?
Only if you keep the default iOS price increase. US fans can also pay through web checkout.
If you also want something simpler
If you'd like a simple monthly page outside Patreon too, that's what I'm building with Pennygood. It starts from $3 a month and takes 8%, so you keep 92% before Stripe processing. By default, supporters also cover the fees, so you get the full amount they chose, and they can turn that off.
Payouts go via Stripe to supported countries (the US, Canada, the UK, the EEA and Switzerland). Sign up with email or Google: start your page.
Sources (read Oct 12, 2026)
- Patreon for Creators, "Reminder: All creators must be on subscription billing by November 1" (Oct 1): https://www.patreon.com/PatreonforCreators/posts/reminder-all-be-170931602
- Patreon Help Center, "How to move from per-creation to subscription billing": https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/27992352573069-How-to-move-from-per-creation-to-subscription-billing
- Patreon Help Center, "How to move from 1st-of-the-month to subscription billing": https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/27992332293517-How-to-move-from-1st-of-the-month-to-subscription-billing
- Patreon Help Center, "Subscription Billing FAQ": https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/8779192853261-Subscription-Billing-FAQ
- Patreon Help Center, "Creator fees overview": https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/11111747095181-Creator-fees-overview
- Patreon pricing: https://www.patreon.com/pricing
Originally published at pennygood.me.
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