Inside Snapchat’s Plan to Expand Revenue Sources With Direct-to-Fan Subscriptions

In Focus

• The new subscription feature allows content creators to earn income from fans
• Creators will be able to set monthly prices of between $4.00 and $19.99
• The subscription tool will be accessible to Apple users in the coming weeks

Snapchat is adding a feature that will enable creators to generate recurring income from their most engaged fans. According to CNBC, the social media firm will start testing Snap creator subscriptions on February 23, 2026. The new feature is part of the social media platform’s strategy to diversify revenue sources.

Snap Users to Subscribe to Favorite Creators

Snap’s creator monetization tools will enable users to subscribe to their favorite creators and access exclusive content at a fee. This content includes direct videos, photos, and subscriber-only Stories. Users will also be able to send text-based responses that can be featured on a content creator’s public Story.

“We want the next step in our long-term creator monetization journey to be one that’s really rooted in real relationships. And help creators expand the ways that they make money in a way that’s predictable and they can make money from their most engaged fans,” Snap’s Head of Content Partnerships, Jim Shepherd said as cited by CNBC.

With Snapchat’s subscription feature, creators will be able to set monthly prices in the range of $4.00 to $19.99. After deducting platform fees, creators will receive about 60% of the subscription revenue.

“We’ve built a place where their income feels really rewarding, consistent, sustainable. Creators consistently say that it’s a great place where they can make a living by being themselves,” Shepherd added.

News of Snap’s creator subscriptions comes months after the social media company signed a $400 million deal to integrate Perplexity AI into the platform.

Snapchat’s Daily Active Users Dropped in Q4 2025

Snap currently offers two subscription plans, namely Memories Storage and Snapchat+. During Q4 2025, the company reported a 71% growth in subscriptions year-on-year to reach 24 million users. Despite this growth, the social media platform’s daily active users stood at 474 million, which was a 3 million drop from the previous quarter.

Snap, which expanded access to its open prompt AI lens last year, is now counting on paid creator subscriptions to diversify revenue beyond its conventional ad-driven model. Snap’s new monetization strategy is designed to build steadier, predictable revenue streams by encouraging fans to subscribe directly to creators.

Snap Sees Spotlight Feature as an Advantage

The social media platform says its Spotlight feature offers it a distribution advantage. The feature allows users to view short-form content shared by other users. According to the social media platform, pricing decisions will be determined by performance data as products evolve beyond the testing phase.

Snapchat is testing the new subscription feature with a group of 15 creators. The social media platform plans to include 10 more in the U.S. during the testing phase. The platform is also conducting outreach in the U.K, Canada, and France.

Snapchat’s creator subscription feature is currently unavailable on Android. The new feature will be accessible to Apple users in eligible countries in the coming weeks.