As of October 2026, Meta's creator site lists five Facebook monetization tools: Content Monetization, Stars, Subscriptions, Earn from Brands and Earn from Affiliates. Content Monetization is invite-only, while the other four publish requirements you can check against your own Page today.
That second sentence is the bit most guides get wrong. A lot of older posts still tell you to "turn on monetization in settings". Meta's own pages no longer describe it that way, so here's the map as Meta draws it now: what each tool pays for, what it asks of you, and where you see your own status.
The five tools on Meta's creator site
Each tool has its own page on Facebook for Creators, and each has its own entry bar. Bonuses still get a mention on some of those pages, so I've added them as a sixth row with the honest caveat.
| Tool | What it pays for | What it asks of you |
|---|---|---|
| Content Monetization | Public reels, photos, stories and text posts, based on qualified views and watch time as Meta determines them | An invitation from Meta, plus Partner Monetization Policies and Content Monetization Policies |
| Stars | One cent from Meta for every Star a fan sends you, on lives, reels, on-demand video, photos and text posts | 500 followers for at least 30 consecutive days, age 18 or over, a country where Stars is available, and the Stars terms |
| Subscriptions | Recurring monthly payments from fans who subscribe to your Page | 10,000 followers or 250+ Return Viewers, plus 50,000 Post Engagements or 180,000 Watch Minutes in the last 60 days |
| Earn from Brands | Paid brand partnerships, labelled Paid Partnership, and partnership ads when the brand puts ad spend behind your post | Branded Content Policies, Partner Monetization Policies, and a Page or Pro Mode on your profile |
| Earn from Affiliates | Commissions on sales your audience makes through your affiliate links | A Page or Professional Mode profile, registration with participating affiliate partners, and age 18 or over |
| Bonuses | Mentioned on the Stars and Subscriptions pages as rewards for content performance | The Performance Bonus Program ended on 31 August 2025 |
Notice what's missing from that list: there's no single "monetization" switch. Each row is its own product with its own review, which is why someone can have Stars switched on and still see nothing under Subscriptions.
Open, invite-only or somewhere in between
Here's how the five sort, as of October 2026.
- Content Monetization: invite-only. Meta says invitations arrive through official in-product channels: the Facebook app, email, Meta Business Suite and the Professional dashboard. If you haven't been invited, there's an interest form, and Meta says plainly that it's not an application and doesn't guarantee an invite. Meta also says it's sending invitations to millions of creators this year and plans open enrolment in the near future.
- Subscriptions: open in named countries, invite-only elsewhere. The Subscriptions page lists the countries where it's open to Pages. India, Indonesia, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia are on it. Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Egypt and Kenya aren't named on that list as fetched, and Meta says that outside the listed countries, Subscriptions is invite-only.
- Stars: open once you meet the bar. The creator page says you must live in a country where Stars is available, and the country list sits on a separate Business Help Center page. I've covered which countries Facebook's programmes cover in a separate guide.
- Brands and affiliates: open with conditions. Both publish requirements. The affiliates page also tells you to see which affiliate partners are available in your market, so what you can join depends on where you are.
The honest catch: there's no setting, form or link that skips the Content Monetization invite. Meta warns creators not to click suspicious links that aren't from official Meta channels, Messenger included. If a stranger offers to get you in, that's the warning Meta is talking about.
Two rule sets sit under every tool
Every row in the table above leans on the same two rule sets. Partner Monetization Policies judge you and your Page. Content Monetization Policies judge the posts themselves. Meta says Partner Monetization Policies are the renamed Monetization Eligibility Standards, so if you've seen the old name in an older guide, it's the same rulebook.
Meta says publishers, creators and third-party providers must pass these rules and stay compliant with them to use any monetization tool, and that they apply to all Pages, profiles in professional mode, events and groups. Subscriptions adds a twist worth knowing. If your Page isn't already using a Facebook monetization product, it goes through a Page-level review first. That review is separate from the product review, so even if your numbers clear the Subscriptions bar, the Page has to pass first. If it doesn't, Meta says you'll get an email with instructions.
Where you see your own status
Meta's dashboard naming has shifted: what used to be the Professional dashboard now shows as Creator Dashboard or Business Dashboard. If you can't find it, here's where the Facebook dashboard went. Then, as of October 2026:
- On a computer, open Meta Business Suite and click Monetization in the left menu.
- Below Status, click View Page eligibility to see where your Page stands.
- On a profile or Page, open your Creator Dashboard and look under Tools. Tapping Stars there shows your Stars eligibility status.
- For Content Monetization, go to the dashboard, find the Monetization tab and click Content Monetization. If you haven't been invited, that's where the interest form lives.
- If you're eligible for Stars, you switch it on from the Creator Dashboard. Fans see it from their side, which I've explained in how fans send Stars on Facebook.
Trust what your own dashboard says over any list, mine included. Meta changes these programmes often, and the dashboard is the one place that reflects your Page specifically.
What stopped paying on 31 August 2025
Three older programmes closed on the same day. Meta says In-stream Ads, Ads on Reels and the Performance Bonus Program ended on 31 August 2025, the last day creators could earn from any of them, and that eligible creators will be invited to Content Monetization instead. If a guide tells you how to qualify for In-stream Ads, it's describing something you can't join any more.
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Content Monetization works differently from the old ad programmes. Rather than paying for ads placed in your videos, it pays for the performance of public reels, photos, stories and text posts. Reels must be at least 10 seconds and stories at least 5 seconds, and anything with less than 5 seconds of watch time doesn't qualify. Boosted posts, deleted posts, posts with ads switched off and crossposts from a Page you don't own or manage are among the content Meta lists as possibly ineligible. Crossposts from your own Instagram are fine.
One more wrinkle for readers in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland: Meta says your ability to monetize with ads is limited if your account sits in an Accounts Center with a subscription to use Meta products without ads.
Which tool to check first
I'd check Stars and Subscriptions first, because they're the two you can switch on yourself once your Page meets the numbers. Stars has the lower bar at 500 followers held for 30 days. Subscriptions needs a much bigger audience, but if you're in a listed country and you've got it, nothing stands between you and the switch except the Page review.
Skip chasing Content Monetization invites through third-party links. Send the interest form from inside the dashboard, keep posting public reels and photos that clear the length rules, and let the invite come through Meta's own channels. And if brands already approach you, the Earn from Brands route doesn't need an invite at all: it needs a Page or Pro Mode and the Paid Partnership label on every deal.
Frequently asked questions
What monetization tools does Facebook offer in 2026?
Meta's creator site lists Content Monetization, Stars, Subscriptions, Earn from Brands and Earn from Affiliates, as of October 2026. Each has its own requirements and its own review.
Is Facebook Content Monetization open to everyone?
No. Meta says it's currently invite-only. You can send an interest form from the Monetization tab in your dashboard, but Meta says that's not an application and doesn't guarantee an invite.
How many followers do I need for Facebook Stars?
Meta's requirement is 500 followers for at least 30 consecutive days, plus age 18 or over, a country where Stars is available, the Stars terms and Meta's monetization policies.
Can I still join In-stream Ads on Facebook?
No. Meta says In-stream Ads, Ads on Reels and the Performance Bonus Program ended on 31 August 2025, and eligible creators will be invited to Content Monetization instead.
Where do I check my Facebook monetization status?
In Meta Business Suite on the web, click Monetization, then View Page eligibility below Status. On the Creator Dashboard, look under Tools.
