The Switch To Subscription Billing
I'll try to make this as concise as possible because it doesn't really affect current Patrons unless you use an iPhone, but there is a fair bit of information to cover. If you do use an iPhone and are already a Patron, read on or scroll to the bottom of the post.
Before now, I've kept my page on "first of the month" billing. Shortly after this post goes up, I'll be switching to "subscription-style" billing. So, what's the difference, and why does it matter?
The big difference that Patreon likes to push is that it'll make your subscription here function like it does for a good chunk of other subscription-based platforms. You get billed the day you sign up, and an equivalent day of the month for every following month.
I say "equivalent" because you'll still get billed on months that only have 30 days if you sign up on the 31st of a month. There's no "sign up on leap day and only pay once every four years" exploit to be found here.
There are other differences, but those are mostly for me, not for you. If you're already a Patron, nothing will change. Pricing isn't changing, the day you pay won't change unless you cancel your subscription and restart it, none of the benefits I provide are changing - everything you like about supporting me is staying exactly the way it's always been for you.
If you see something change without me explicitly calling it out or running a poll about it first, it might be due to the second half of this post.
Answering the "why does it matter?" part, there are a handful of reasons. It matters to me because Patreon is hiding features behind the switch. Most of these features only apply to new members, but as much as I adore those of you that are already here, I need new members if I'm going to be able to continue development.
It matters to you because now you don't have to worry about getting the most out of your money. With the "first of the month" model, if you signed up a day before the end of the month, it might look like you're being double-billed, when really that first "access payment" only applied to that one day that was left before the new month. With the subscription model, you don't have to worry about that. You'll get a full month of access regardless of the day of the month you sign up.
But a third reason that I think matters a lot despite it not really being talked about is Apple. If you're not familiar, Apple takes a 30% cut of everything that moves through their app store. I'm not going to go on a rant about their business practices and what I think about them in this post, so the important thing to take away from this is that if you have an iPhone (or other Apple device) and use the Patreon app to support creators on Patreon, know that you're either paying 30% more than you should be or you're taking 30% of what you're paying away from the creator you're trying to support. As a quick PSA, for your benefit and for the benefit of creators you support - use literally anything else. Even the Safari mobile browser should let you avoid this problem.
So, while I am not changing my pricing, Patreon may adjust it on Apple's behalf if you're on an Apple device. If the pricing seems higher than usual, or is at a weird number, jump on your PC or laptop or use something other than the Patreon iPhone app and see if the prices go back to normal for you.
And of course, if you have any questions, leave a comment and ask.