Naughty Road

Patreon and iOS in-app purchases.

Added 2024-08-17 11:34:11 +0000 UTC

You may or may not have heard about Patreon making a few big changes after being told by Apple they had to conform or risk having their iOS app removed. A lot of people are unhappy about it. Here's a short post about that which will hopefully help put some questions you may have to rest.

If you're not using Patreon's iOS app, you can stop reading now, nothing changes for you as a Light of my Life subscriber. Or continue on so you can gloat at those Apple users and their fancy-schmancy devices.

If you are using Patreon's iOS app, nothing much changes for you either, for your running subscriptions. But some things may change for your future subscriptions.

In short

Apple told Patreon that all in-app purchases will have to go through the apple store. That means Apple starts taking a 30% cut from that subscription, and that Patreon has to ditch subscription models that doesn't conform to Apple pricing models (e.g. the "per creation" billing method, which is not relevant for us). These changes will be implemented starting November 2024, and be complete Q1 2025.

I use the iOS app. What changes for my existing subscription?

Nothing. Everything stays the same as it is now.

I use the iOS app. What changes for subscriptions I start after November?

If you purchase those subscriptions through the iOS app, you'll be paying 42% extra (so Apple can take it's third of the cake and the creator still ends up with the normal amount). Other creators might opt to absorb the costs (I won't), so they just get a third less of your money.

And Tier changes after November?

Changing tiers on an existing subscription while using the iOS app should not change anything for you, only new subscriptions are subject to the change.

Where can I check to be sure?

Apparently, after November, new subscription made through the iOS app will show up under your Apple subscriptions, so if they do, you know Apple's taking a cut.

But I'll still be able to use the iOS app to engage with creators I subscribed to earlier?

Yeah. If there's an existing subscription, nothing changes and you can use the iOS app to engage with their content.

Wait, you said purchases made through the iOS app? So if I don't purchase in the app?

That's right. If you close the app, and then browse to the creator's webpage on the internet, and subscribe there, Apple doesn't take 30% of your money, and you get an instant discount.

I'll be sure to note that in the tier description by the way.

Only purchases made in the iOS Patreon app will have 30% go to Apple.

So why doesn't Patreon tell people to do that in their app?

Apple will remove their app if they direct users to payment methods outside of the app, and deny them their pound of flesh.

So, why doesn't Patreon tell Apple to stick their... effing app?

Because that iOS app is apparently the largest platform for people interacting with Patreon content. A lot bigger than the Android app and web platforms. So Apple has them by the short and curlies. They either comply or lose the largest driver of their platform's user engagement.

This is terrible!

It probably is for some creators. But I think the impact is limited for creators of adult content. Patreon doesn't promote adult content creators on their site or in the app, so my guess is most of the discovery of adult creators comes through the web from external sources, and if that is so, that probably means we won't be as affected as others.

Apple sucks. Or Patreon sucks. Or they both suck.

Platforms either die heroes of unfulfilled potential, or live long enough to become villainous machines who's sole purpose it is to squeeze their user base for shareholder value. It's the circle of big tech life.

If you are planning to stick it to the man, make sure to avoid the in-app payment method inside iOS apps and go directly to creator web pages if you can, so your money goes to support creators and not shareholders.