Patreon is raising fees for patrons and there is nothing I can do about it
Added 2017-12-06 23:41:54 +0000 UTCHi everyone,
Today Patreon emailed me to say that they were going raise fees for all patrons. Previously, creators like me paid for credit card processing fees out of the money we took in from patrons. Starting on December 18, you now will pay those fees directly. I had no say in this and I was fine paying the fees as a business expense.
A new service fee of 2.9% + $0.35 will be paid by patrons for each individual pledge starting on December 18th.
For a $2 pledge, you will now pay $2.41.
For a $5 pledge, you will now pay $5.50
For a $10 pledge, you will pay $10.64
For a $25 pledge, you will now pay $ 26.08.
(assuming my math isn't wrong. Not sure how they round numbers)
This FAQ should answer all of your questions about it.
I am sorry if this puts you in a tight situation. I understand if you have to cancel or modify a pledge because of this new fee.
I appreciate all of your support over the years. Every dollar means a lot to me, just knowing that you are willing to spend *any* amount of money on keeping RPPR alive is deeply gratifying and humbling. Thank you for everything!
If you have questions that are not answered in the FAQ above, please let me know. I will try to answer them or pass them on to Patreon.
Comments
@Matthew It's a classic power move. They think they can get away with it because "what's 35 cents" but I don't think so. Complain loudly, delete small pledges, and tell creators why. I was backing a few people for very small amounts and I deleted all of them and reached out to the creators to offer to pay them via alternate means.
Darth
2017-12-10 08:13:00 +0000 UTCSo, for those of us that use our debit cards (which comes straight from the bank account, so no Credit Card fees) and Paypal (similar) I'm getting charged fees for processing that doesn't even take place? What the fuck is that about?
Beanzoboy
2017-12-10 06:36:19 +0000 UTCThat's the conclusion a LOT of people are coming to, apparently. Basically everyone who makes a webcomic and supports it on patreon is doing it on the backs of people who back at the $1 level, and they're hemorrhaging backers right now.
McKinney
2017-12-09 02:51:17 +0000 UTCI hear many creators are switching to Drip now: <a href="https://d.rip" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://d.rip</a>
Christopher Reed
2017-12-08 23:59:06 +0000 UTCI have no problem with my larger pledges going up, but yeah. adding a flat charge to each patree you back is murder on people who depend on tons of small donors, which is...a lot of people. like if everyone in the US and Europe gave $1 a month to 10 or 20 creatives they enjoy a lot of problems would be fixed, I really thought that was the direction we were moving
sevrl bats
2017-12-08 08:54:31 +0000 UTCThanks for the heads up Ross. I'm sticking with RPPR but I have certainly cut down on $1 Patreons.
Twisting H
2017-12-08 05:01:50 +0000 UTCAgreed, RPPR has been great. You guys will have my money till I die.
Gary R
2017-12-08 00:23:49 +0000 UTCwell I guess they don't want folks who offer a $1 per post pledge...and here pateron can't even keep me the in the right VAT zone.
Paul Hudson
2017-12-07 19:03:10 +0000 UTCIt's not gonna stop me backing rppr & mixed 6, of course haha. But I wonder what the logic is. Maybe patreon got some gambling debts and needs a little cash
[brackets]
2017-12-07 17:38:11 +0000 UTCBruh this is so stupid. It's literally just going to cut the amount of patrons on the platform
[brackets]
2017-12-07 17:36:15 +0000 UTC...wait, hang on, but I support like 25 different people at the $1-to-$5 a month tier. does this mean my Patreon charge is gonna go up almost $9? ...guess I get to cut down on supporting some randos.
sevrl bats
2017-12-07 07:15:59 +0000 UTCThanks for the heads up.
Sean Britcher
2017-12-07 03:24:57 +0000 UTCI don't object to creators getting more money, but the last time I saw a credit card processing contract, 3% + a flat fee was the worst arrangement available. If they're going to hang their negotiating prowess out there, maybe they should have some first... Happy to spend the cash, though. RPPR got me through some really socially isolated times - hearing people interact as friends and have fun was as close as I was getting myself, but it kept me going.
Kevin L. Nault
2017-12-07 02:40:59 +0000 UTCThe thing is, that means Patreon has just screwed over the people who pledge. "a little extra" taken from the pledge giver means that there will be pledge givers who stop pledging, which means less money to Patreon and to the creators. This does not seem like a smart idea.
Burnsidhe
2017-12-07 02:15:16 +0000 UTCThank you for the heads up Ross.
Just Jacob @ Bikers Dice & Bars Podcast
2017-12-07 01:52:35 +0000 UTCI can understand the logic. The point is to support creators and having the transactional fees taken out of their end undermines that goal. It's not a big impact for me so I'm unlikely to change anything on my end.
Barac Wiley
2017-12-07 00:10:28 +0000 UTCOof, thanks for letting us know. This sounds like a bad business decision for Patreon, but I guess they ought to know better than me. Don't worry, I'll be keeping my pledge the same.
Ethan Cordray
2017-12-06 23:48:54 +0000 UTCThanks for the heads up on this. Keep doing what you’ve been doing and you’ll always have my support.
Luke Woods
2017-12-06 23:46:50 +0000 UTC
