Apple tells Patreon to move creators to in-app purchase for subscriptions by November

Creator platform Patreon is pushing back against a new mandate from Apple that requires all creators to adopt a subscription billing model using Apple’s in-app purchase system. Apple has now set a new transition deadline of November 1, 2026.

According to Patreon, the upcoming change will affect only about 4% of creators who are still using the company’s legacy billing models. However, Patreon said Apple’s shifting policies and timelines have made it difficult for creators to plan and sustain long-term businesses.

The dispute traces back to a mandate Apple announced in 2024, which required Patreon to move all creators to subscription billing through Apple’s in-app purchase system by November 2025. Apple warned that failure to comply could result in Patreon’s removal from the App Store. The decision was based on Apple’s view that Patreon was handling subscription payments for some creators in a way that bypassed the App Store’s commission structure.

At the time, Apple provided Patreon with a lengthy transition period. Patreon said it would begin switching creators to subscription billing in November 2024, giving them the option to raise prices to offset Apple’s fees. Creators were also allowed to delay the change until November 2025 if they needed additional time. However, they would not be able to offer subscriptions in the iOS app without adopting Apple’s in-app purchases.

In May of last year, Patreon took advantage of updated App Store guidelines that followed the U.S. court ruling in Epic v. Apple. Those changes allowed Patreon to add links in its app that let creators process payments online. Following that update, Patreon told creators that the November 2025 deadline no longer applied, effectively giving them more time to decide how to manage their subscription businesses.

Patreon now says that its decision to pause the transition may have added to confusion, as Apple has since reinstated a firm deadline, extending it to November 2026.

While Patreon confirmed it will comply with Apple’s requirements, the company has been vocal in its opposition to the policy. In a blog post, Patreon said it “strongly disagree[s] with this decision,” arguing that creators need stability rather than repeated rule changes.

“Creators need consistency and clarity in order to build healthy, long-term businesses,” the post said. “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.”

Patreon has directed creators to additional details about the transition on its website and said it has built several tools to help ease the shift. These include a benefits eligibility tool to track who has paid or is scheduled to pay, tiered repricing tools, and gifting and discount options to offer greater payment flexibility. Patreon also said it plans to introduce an annual-only membership option ahead of the November 2026 deadline.