BBBen
patreon
Patreon fee changes
🕑 Added 2017-12-07 22:36:28 +0000 UTC I just thought I should probably put up a post about this, especially since I haven't received any communication from Patreon as a creator or as a patron about it.This month Patreon will be changing how they charge transaction fees. Up until now each time you pledged money to me or anyone else the payment processor (Stripe, Paypal or whatever) would charge a small transaction fee. Patreon would then pass that fee on to me, so it was taken out of the money I would earn. Patreon has decided to change this, so that rather than creators being hit with all the transaction fees (which, I think, usually adds up to over $100 for me) instead patrons will pay for it.
I'm not sure if that will bother you guys or not - the fees will be low for you, but it does mean you'll be charged a little extra beyond what you've pledged. Patreon's not earning anything extra out of this, they're just charging you guys a fee that they used to charge me. There's actually not a lot I can do about it either way, but I thought it was best to comment on it. Personally, I'm a patron of some other creators too and I won't be changing how I pledge to any of them.
Comments
BBBen
Yeah, maybe they just kind of messed it up, I don't know. I'm a little worried about it, but trying not to get too caught up in the issue. If anyone on here needs or wants to cancel their support I understand, of course, although obviously I don't want that. I've already lost some.
Rex
I know and the creators cannot decide on this changes. With the rules change I could agree or not, but at least I could understand the reasons, but this has been done in the wrong way and when Patreon says "While some patrons may leave in the short-term, we know this will help creators earn more money in the long term" I don't know if creators with less faithful patrons will feel that this is only a momentary loss and that in the future they will recover. Patreon isn't understanding that patrons need to have confidence but also in the site, if they begin to feel to be ignored the only way that they have to protest is to delete pledges.
BBBen
I appreciate your support. :) It seems like a lot of people are unhappy about it and I do think this has been handled poorly. I'm not 100% clear on why they did it, because I don't think creators were calling for it.
Rex
I don't like the change, already for my country the extra taxes on Patreon pledge are already very high, I think that some patrons could mistake how much money they will use and this will hit who pledge many patrons, so it's probably some will delete a couple of pledges. Aside my personal ideas I think that Patreon made a mistake to do this change now, already many patrons aren't happy for the rules changes on contents and now with christmas near people already have less money for christmas gifts so mentally this could give a reasons to save on Patreon, january or february would have been a better moment. I won't change or cancel the pledge that I'm doing, because this money will be for authors and my pledges aren't for buying something (otherwise I could pledge you more bu only every every 4-6 months and save money) and if I was rich I would help more authors.
BBBen
Glad to hear not everyone's worried. :) If it turns out to be a big problem for patrons that winds up being bad for everyone, in the end.
Greent
I'm totally good with it. This site isn't about most product for least cash, it's a way to support art and artists. This change moves a burden from artists to patrons, and the burden is smaller because there are more patrons than artists. Pledge bigger folks, and the flat $0.35 fee will matter less.
