Patreon Apple tax: How to avoid the 30% iOS fee before Nov 1, 2026

People noticed this the same way they notice most platform taxes: their bill went up, or a creator hinted that “web is cheaper.” The Patreon Apple tax story is basically that, scaled up into an official deadline and a forced product migration.

If you only care about the practical part, here it is: the cleanest way to avoid the Patreon Apple tax as a supporter is to subscribe on Patreon’s website (desktop or mobile web) instead of paying inside the iOS app. That’s the move commenters keep repeating because it reliably dodges Apple’s in-app purchase commission.

Creators have a parallel version of that reality: if your membership checkout runs through Apple’s iOS in-app purchase rails, Apple takes a cut. Patreon’s documentation and reporting around this points to the familiar App Store commission structure, with the widely cited “up to 30%” headline rate.

Patreon Apple tax: What people are doing right now to avoid paying more

The most concrete “user experience” thread is blunt and consistent:

A user subscribes to something on iOS, later realizes the iOS price is higher, cancels, then re-subscribes via browser or desktop to avoid the uplift that comes from Apple’s commission being baked in.

Another variation is switching payment behavior for Patreon specifically: stop paying through the Patreon app (or Apple Pay inside the app), and instead pay with a card on Patreon through Safari or desktop web.

This isn’t magic or a hack. It’s just choosing a checkout path that isn’t processed as an iOS in-app purchase.

Patreon Apple tax: The technical solution that actually works

If you want a repeatable method that doesn’t depend on vibes:

1. Cancel your membership that’s billed through Apple on iOS (if that’s how it’s set up).

2. Open Patreon in a browser (desktop, or mobile web).

3. Re-join or re-subscribe there.

That’s the “worked for me” pattern people cite, and it matches Patreon’s own framing that web-based signups can bypass Apple’s iOS fees.

Patreon Apple tax: What changed and why this is happening now

This wave is attached to a hard deadline: November 1, 2026.

Patreon’s support docs state that creators still using “legacy billing” must switch to subscription billing by that date, and Patreon will automatically transition creators who don’t switch in time.

Reporting adds the why: Apple reinstated a requirement that subscription billing is the only billing model supported for iOS in-app purchases for Patreon, and the iOS app’s App Store availability is tied to compliance.

Patreon Apple tax: The timeline that matters

• Apple first pushed this kind of mandate in 2024, then the timeline changed after court-related policy shifts, then it came back again.

• The current version sets Nov 1, 2026 as the transition deadline.

• Patreon’s migration FAQ notes creators effectively have until Oct 31, 2026 at 11:59 pm PT to complete the switch.

Patreon Apple tax: Who gets hit by the change

This isn’t “all creators are suddenly forced into a new tax overnight” in the same way. It’s specifically about the remaining creators still on older billing models.

Patreon says the change affects creators still using legacy billing and pushes them to subscription billing, with roughly 4% of creators impacted by the “still on legacy” detail in reporting.

That number matters because it explains why some people are hearing about it as a massive shift while others shrug and say “this already happens with every iOS IAP.”

Patreon Apple tax: What “legacy billing” vs “subscription billing” means in practice

The practical difference is iOS support and compliance. Patreon’s own language is clear that subscription billing is the model supported for iOS in-app purchases, and legacy billing must be migrated to keep the iOS app situation stable.

Patreon also lists subscription-billing-linked capabilities it treats as part of the tradeoff: free trials, gifting, discounts, tier repricing, and other billing features.

Patreon Apple tax: How the 30% fee actually shows up

The word “tax” in Patreon Apple tax is rhetorical, but the money effect is real.

On iOS, when a purchase is processed through Apple’s in-app purchase system, Apple applies its commission structure. Reporting around this story summarizes it as “up to 30%,” with the usual subscription commission mechanics in the background.

From the user side, this tends to appear as:

• iOS price is higher than the web price, because the platform fee is being passed through.

• Or the creator raises prices to net the same post-fee revenue. Patreon explicitly notes creators can choose to adjust pricing to account for Apple’s fee or absorb it.

Patreon Apple tax: Why apps “can’t tell you” and why that’s shifting

One of the most practically useful bits buried in comments is the reminder that iOS apps historically couldn’t openly steer users to cheaper web checkout options without risking App Store enforcement. Commenters note this has been changing under legal pressure and policy updates.

That matters because it explains why people often learn the web path is cheaper from Reddit, not from the app UI.

Patreon Apple tax: What creators and supporters are asking for

Once you strip out the rage-posting and brand tribalism, there are a few repeated, clear “needs” in the discussion:

Creators want pricing stability and predictable rules, because sudden reversals force product, pricing, and messaging changes. Patreon itself frames the situation as policy whiplash and argues creators need consistency.

Supporters want transparent pricing differences between iOS and web, because paying more for the same membership feels like a penalty for using an iPhone.

Creators also want a way to keep iOS discovery and convenience without losing a giant chunk of revenue to platform fees. That’s where the tension lives: iOS is where a lot of users are, but iOS in-app purchase rules are expensive.

Patreon Apple tax: The “just use the website” demand

A practical demand that keeps resurfacing is essentially: don’t make the app the billing hub. Use the app for content and community, use the website for checkout. People say this because it’s the simplest way to avoid handing Apple a cut.

Patreon Apple tax: The broader controversy in one paragraph

Apple’s position is consistent with its long-running App Store model: if a digital subscription is sold in an iOS app via Apple’s system, Apple takes a commission. Patreon’s position is that creator businesses need stable policies and that repeated reversals are disruptive, especially when only certain billing models are considered compliant for iOS in-app purchases.

Users, meanwhile, experience it as price discrimination by platform: web is cheaper, iOS is pricier, and the path that costs more is often the default for less technical people.

Patreon Apple tax: What this means for pricing over the next year

If creators choose to keep net revenue steady, some tiers may rise in the iOS app or “iOS-inclusive” contexts. Patreon explicitly describes pricing decisions around Apple’s fee as something creators can choose to pass on or absorb.

If creators choose not to raise prices, their take-home per supporter can drop on iOS-driven payments. That’s the income-side version of the same math.

Patreon Apple tax: What to watch between now and Nov 1, 2026

The boring-but-real answer is migration execution.

Patreon says legacy billing creators must move, offers a window for support assistance (including a “contact support by” date), and plans automatic transitions by the deadline.

So the things to monitor are:

• Whether your favorite creators change tier pricing.

• Whether your membership is billed through Apple or through Patreon web.

• Whether Patreon updates how the app surfaces checkout options, especially as rules and legal decisions evolve.

Patreon Apple tax: The subtle but important user-side implication

This is going to widen the gap between “people who know how app payments work” and everyone else. The informed group will pay on web. The default group will pay in-app if the UI nudges them there, and they’ll blame either the creator or Patreon when the number looks higher.

That difference shapes creator revenue, churn, and how much creators feel forced into turning their membership into a constant “billing education” exercise.

Patreon Apple tax: FAQ

Patreon Apple tax: What is the Patreon Apple tax?

The phrase Patreon Apple tax refers to Apple’s App Store commission applied when Patreon memberships are purchased via iOS in-app purchases. It’s commonly described as “up to 30%,” based on Apple’s standard in-app purchase fee model.

Patreon Apple tax: When is the Patreon Apple tax deadline?

Patreon’s support documentation states creators still on legacy billing must switch to subscription billing by November 1, 2026, with an effective cutoff of Oct 31, 2026 at 11:59 pm PT for completing the switch.

Patreon Apple tax: How do I avoid the Patreon Apple tax on iPhone?

The common workaround is to subscribe via Patreon’s website (desktop or mobile web) instead of paying inside the iOS app. Commenters describe canceling an iOS-billed subscription and re-subscribing via browser/desktop as the reliable fix.

Patreon Apple tax: Does the Patreon Apple tax affect all creators?

It’s tied to creators using legacy billing and iOS in-app purchase compliance. Reporting estimates roughly 4% of creators are still on legacy billing and are directly impacted by the forced migration.

Patreon Apple tax: Can creators raise prices because of the Patreon Apple tax?

Yes. Patreon’s materials describe that creators can choose to adjust pricing to account for Apple’s iOS fee, or absorb the cost instead.

Patreon Apple tax: Why can’t apps just tell users “pay on the web”?

Historically, Apple restricted “steering” users to alternative payment methods from inside iOS apps, with enforcement risk. Commenters note this has been shifting due to lawsuits and policy changes, but it’s still a sensitive area that affects product design.

Patreon Apple tax: Where can creators find the official migration rules?

Patreon maintains an iOS in-app purchases FAQ and a migration FAQ that spell out the subscription billing requirement and deadline details.