How Much Does Patreon Take? Every Creator Fee Explained

Patreon's headline fee is simple, but what lands in your bank is shaped by four or five smaller charges stacked on top. I'll take you through each one, using Patreon's own fee pages, so you can work out roughly what you'll keep from every member before you set your tiers.

Patreon's platform fee on the standard plan

Patreon's pricing page says the platform fee is 10% of the income you earn on Patreon. On top of that come payment processing, currency conversion and payout fees, plus any applicable taxes. Its Creator fees overview adds that the fee is worked out on the payment amount excluding sales tax.

For that 10%, you get the core of Patreon: a hosted creator page, monthly and annual memberships, sales of digital products, video hosting, community tools such as chats and polls, and audience insights. There aren't separate tiers to choose between any more for new creators.

Patreon legacy plans and the August 4, 2025 cut-off

If you've been on Patreon a while, you might pay less. Patreon says creators who published their page on or before August 4, 2025 won't see any increase, and its Creator fees overview lists the legacy plans as Founders at 5%, Pro at 8% and Pro + Merch at 11%.

There's a catch worth knowing. Patreon says that if you unpublish your page, even briefly, or if Patreon unpublishes it for any reason, you move to the standard 10% plan when you republish. If you need a break, Patreon points legacy creators to the pause tool instead of unpublishing. That one choice can protect your lower rate for years.

To see which plan you're on, open your Plan details in your creator settings. It's listed at the top under the monetization heading.

Payment processing fees Patreon adds per pledge

Every payment a member makes costs something to process. On the standard 10% plan with a US dollar payout currency, Patreon's rates are:

• Credit card or Apple Pay, from anywhere: 2.9% + 30 cents
• PayPal or Venmo from a US member: 2.9% + 30 cents
• PayPal or Venmo from a member outside the US: 3.9% + 30 cents

Patreon says these rates apply the same way regardless of the payment amount on the standard plan. That flat 30 cents is the part to watch. On a small tier, it eats a much bigger share of each pledge than on a large one, so a very low entry tier can cost you more than you'd guess.

If your payout currency isn't US dollars, Patreon uses a different table for each currency, so check the one that matches your account.

Currency conversion and Patreon payout fees

When a member pays in a currency that's different from your payout currency, Patreon adds a 2.5% currency conversion fee. If they pay in the same currency you're paid in, there's no conversion fee at all. If most of your members are in one country, setting your payout currency to match can save you money.

Then there's the fee for moving money out of Patreon. Patreon says your balance already has the platform, processing and conversion fees taken off, and a payout fee is deducted when you transfer it. That payout fee isn't listed in your earnings dashboard breakdown, which is why it surprises people. According to Patreon's table:

• Direct deposit for US creators: 0.25 US dollars per payout
• PayPal: 1% of the payout, with a minimum of 0.25 and a cap of 20 US dollars, and a 10 US dollar minimum payout
• Payoneer: 1.00 US dollar per payout, with a 25 US dollar minimum payout

PayPal and Payoneer may add their own charges when you move money on to your bank, so factor those in too.

Patreon's iOS app fee

Here's the one that can hurt. Patreon says that for eligible purchases made in its iOS app, Apple's in-app purchase system applies a 30% App Store fee. Patreon doesn't add its own processing fee on those, but the platform fee still applies on top. Patreon also says fans in the US may be able to pay through mobile web checkout instead, and those purchases aren't subject to Apple's fee.

If a good chunk of your members join from iPhones, it's worth gently pointing people to your page in a browser. Your link in bio can go straight to the web version.

What you keep from a Patreon membership

Put it together for a US creator on the standard plan, paid in US dollars, with a fan paying by card: Patreon keeps 10%, processing takes 2.9% + 30 cents, and there's a small fee when you pay out. Add 2.5% if the fan pays in another currency, or Apple's 30% instead of processing if they join through the iOS app.

Patreon doesn't publish what an average creator earns, and I wouldn't trust anyone who claims to know. The useful number is your own net figure after fees, which you'll find in your earnings dashboard. Many creators pair memberships with one-off products; my guide to selling digital products for passive income has ideas that fit well with a Patreon page.

What	How it works	Source checked
Platform fee (new pages)	10% of the income you earn	Patreon pricing page
Legacy plans	Founders 5%, Pro 8%, Pro + Merch 11%	Patreon Creator fees overview
Card processing (US dollar payout)	2.9% + 30 cents	Patreon Creator fees overview
Currency conversion	2.5% when the fan pays in another currency	Patreon Creator fees overview
PayPal payout	1%, minimum 0.25, capped at 20 US dollars	Patreon Creator fees overview
iOS in-app purchases	Apple's 30% App Store fee, platform fee still applies	Patreon Creator fees overview

Checks before you set your Patreon tiers

• Look up which plan you're on before you do any sums.
• Price your lowest tier knowing the 30 cents per payment doesn't shrink.
• Match your payout currency to where most members live.
• Pick the payout method with the lowest fee for your country.
• Never unpublish a legacy page: use the pause tool.
• Ask an accountant how to report membership income where you live.

If you're comparing creator platforms more widely, my look at how much Pinterest pays creators shows a very different model, where reach rather than memberships does the work.

Frequently asked questions

What percentage does Patreon take?

Patreon's standard plan takes a 10% platform fee for pages published after August 4, 2025. Payment processing, currency conversion, payout fees and taxes are extra.

Does Patreon still offer a 5% or 8% plan?

Only to existing creators. Patreon lists legacy plans of Founders 5%, Pro 8% and Pro + Merch 11% for pages published on or before August 4, 2025 that have stayed published.

What is Patreon's payment processing fee?

For a US dollar payout, card and Apple Pay payments cost 2.9% + 30 cents. PayPal or Venmo from outside the US costs 3.9% + 30 cents.

Does Patreon charge a fee to withdraw?

Yes. Direct deposit for US creators costs 0.25 US dollars per payout. PayPal costs 1%, with a minimum of 0.25 and a cap of 20 US dollars.

Why do iPhone members cost more on Patreon?

Patreon says Apple's in-app purchase system applies a 30% App Store fee to eligible iOS purchases, and Patreon's platform fee still applies.