Do Not Use the iOS App Store to Sub to Patreon

These changes only affect new subscriptions, so maybe the existing subscriber list is not the ideal audience for this PSA, but it's worth spreading the word as far as possible about Apple's forced enshittification of Patreon. Starting sometime in November (not sure when as it's rolling out slowly to different accounts), Apple is extorting an additional 30% off the top of every Patreon sub made through its iOS App Store, offering absolutely nothing in return. For comparison, Patreon itself only take 5–8% of subs (and another 5% to the credit card processor), meaning Apple is taking up to SIX TIMES AS MUCH money as Patreon for, again, doing absolutely nothing besides making the process more difficult for creators and subscribers. Apple is enforcing a 75-day delay period on payments from these subs before they reach artists. Artists are no longer allowed to give direct refunds on subs that have been made through the App Store, meaning subscribers will have to deal with whatever byzantine, capricious dogshit customer service Apple provides, and there's nothing we can do about it.

Even if you're on iPhone or iPad, you can use your exact same account on your exact same device, subscribe on web, and avoid all these fees and penalties entirely. All you need to do is avoid the App Store itself.

I know some people are disappointed in Patreon CEO Jack Conte for caving to Apple's extortionary pressure but I have sympathy for his choice given that it puts him in a difficult spot either way (cave to extortion vs. de-list the app). To his credit, I really believe he cares about artists and subscribers, and he's got a philosophy of the internet that is far fairer and healthier than anyone else running any major platform today. I still think Patreon is the best platform out there, it's just sad and frustrating to see Apple do everything it can to make it worse.

Again this only affects new subs through the iOS App Store going forward but I think it's still valuable for everyone to know about this. Especially because Apple explicitly forbids Patreon from giving this advice itself! Hopefully longtime subscriber Lina Kahn is reading this and will be motivated to eviscerate Apple, Meta, Google, Amazon, etc more swiftly and bring some semblance of fairness to this dumb deregulated shithole country.