An Important Billing Change to Patreon — Current Subscribers Price Is Staying the Same
Hi everyone!
As many of you I’m sure have heard, Patreon is discontinuing the Pay Per Creation model on November 5th 2026, which means all creators need to switch over the Per Month Billing before then. You can read more about why here.
I wanted to take a moment to explain clearly what this means, particularly because if you're already a patron, there is nothing you need to do and your current price will not change.
What does this mean for existing Patrons?
If you're already a patron, your current price is locked in.
Provided you are subscribed before October 26th you will be ‘grandfathered in’ from the old subscription model and you will continue paying exactly what you pay now.
The changes I'm announcing today apply to new memberships and anyone who chooses to cancel and rejoin after the switch.
So if you're currently paying $5 per creation capped at $10 a month, for example, you will continue to pay $10 per month. Your existing membership, rewards and caps stay exactly as it is.
Per Creation vs Per Month Billing
Per Creation
Our current model charges subscribers every time I release a ‘paid post’ which I do 4 times per month.
So for example if you are on the $3 tier on the current model you would end up being charged $12 per month.
However Per Creation also allowed you to set a limit where you could choose to cap your spend at 1x, 2x or 3x so you would have been charged $3, $6 or $9 respectively.
This model allowed for greater flexibility for both subscribers and creators particularly as it allowed the former to tailor their spend to their budget.
Per Month
This model is just a flat fee depending on your tier similar to what you would pay for Netflix or Disney Plus.
While it does allow for less flexibility, it is considerably simpler. It also has added benefits / features such as Free Trial Memberships, Discounted Annual Subscriptions, Gift Memberships, Temporary Offers etc
What will the new Tier Prices be for those that subscribe after the switch?
After October 25th the new prices will be as follows:
Initiate Mapmakers - $5/month*
Journeyman Surveyors - $10/month*
Master Cartographers - $15/month*
Curators - $40/month*
Chief Archivist - $60/month*
Royal Sponsor - $100/month*
*plus sales tax/VAT depending on your location
Does this mean prices are going down?
If you don’t set a cap than technically yes for the most popular tiers, the new price is slightly lower than what a current patron would pay. However you always had (and still have) the option to limit your spend anyway, so I am hoping you are happy to continue supporting at your current level whatever that is.
Of course the option to change to the new monthly tiers after the switch will always be open to you.
Will the switch affect the number of maps and other content?
Short answer, no. Slightly longer answer, absolutely not.
Over the years we have gone from releasing 4 maps per month to 10 -12 maps, plus Foundry Modules, Tokens, Adventures, Assets etc and that will remain the case!
What does this mean for the future of The Reclusive Cartographer?
We have been making maps and creating all manner of other TTRPG content for over 6 years on this Patreon and that isn’t going to change!
But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about the short term impact on creators like myself.
Like many of my fellow creators, Patreon is my primary source of income, and while there is nothing to say that this switch will negatively affect that income, any change to how my Patreon operates is a cause for concern.
This fact is particularly jarring as it is a change that is being forced upon us by events outside of our control.
Going forward your support will be more important than ever and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for every one of you.
My hope is that the impact on you, as subscribers, myself and my fellow creators is minimal and we can just focus on the more important business of the day: making maps!
Hopefully I have covered everything you need to know going forward but please drop me a comment on this post or give me a shout on Discord if you have any questions.
I will also post reminders in the lead up to the switch as it gets closer.
Thank you, as always, for supporting The Reclusive Cartographer and allowing me to keep making these maps for you fine folks!
Cheers
George