Apple has announced a new November 1, 2026 deadline for all Patreon creators to switch from the creator platform’s legacy billing system to the in-app purchase system powered by the App Store for subscriptions in the app on the iPhone and iPad, according to a TechCrunch report.
Patreon provides a platform for creators, such as YouTubers and TikTok-ers, to receive monthly payments from fans, allowing them to receive income in addition to the usual ads and sponsorships. Apple considers those payments to be digital goods that it is entitled to receive a commission on.
Apple wets its beak to the tune of a 30% commission on in-app purchases and subscriptions, although the percentage drops to 15% for ongoing subscription of more than a year.
Apple had originally told Patreon that creators must make the move to the App Store’s in-app purchase system by November 2025, or risk removal of the app from the App Store. However, that deadline was pushed back to the current November 2026 deadline. Only 4% of Patreon creators are still using the platform’s legacy billing system, with the rest having already switched over.
Patreon creators have the option to either increase subscription prices in the iOS app, or they can absorb the fee to keep the prices the same across all platforms.
Patreon users on iPhones and iPads can support their favorite creators by completing their payments on Patreon’s website, avoiding giving Apple its cut.
As you might expect, Patreon is taking issue with Apple’s new mandate that forces all creators to move to a subscription billing model.
Patreon said it is disappointed with how Apple has navigated this policy. The company says that Apple’s lack of consistency around its changing terms has made it hard for creators to build healthy, long-term businesses.
“We strongly disagree with this decision,” in a blog post.
“Creators need consistency and clarity in order to build healthy, long-term businesses. Instead, creators using legacy billing will now have to endure the whiplash of another policy reversal — the third such change from Apple in the past 18 months. Over the years, we have proposed multiple tools and features to Apple that we could’ve built to allow creators using legacy billing to transition on their own timelines, with more support added in. Unfortunately, Apple has continually declined them,” it says.
Patreon has shared a FAQ to provide more details for creators.
