marycapaldi
patreon
Switching to "Charge Upfront"?
🕑 Added 2017-07-30 03:09:10 +0000 UTC So I'm thinking of switching this campaign's setup to charge pledges upfront, when pledged, rather than only processing new pledges during the next cycle. This will let new patrons access content faster and protect me better against fraudulent pledges! What do you folks think? Here's a little more info:- Existing pledges won't charge any differently than they do now. Ongoing patrons will see it go through the first of the month as always.
- New pledges will charge right away, granting access to online pledged rewards (such as patron-only posts) at that time. So if you pledge at $5 on August 12th, you get to see the sketchbook & WIPs feed as soon as that goes through, and you count as an August patron.
- If you're a continuing patron but decide to increase your pledge, it'll charge the difference from your previous pledge (and give you access) right away. If you decrease your pledge, that goes into effect for the following month.
(You can read Patreon's explanation of it here.)
The main difference I foresee from the fulfillment end of things is that up until now, I've had a solid count of patrons for each tier at the beginning of each month. I know July 1st how many postcards and Bug Club rewards need to be mailed for pledges made in June. Because this change could mean I gain additional folks in the physical reward tiers during the month itself, it would make more sense for me to send those rewards out at or close to the end of the month as practice. (That has been the case for some months before now, depending on the reward, but would become standard.) Is that OK with you folks?
The way Patreon is set up, this would be a permanent change to the campaign, so I do want to invite any feedback for a bit before making a final decision. I would not be switching over until August if I do switch.
Thanks!
