Apple's third billing reversal in 18 months forces Patreon creators into subscription chaos by 2026

Patreon creators will be required to switch to subscription billing by November 1, 2026, due to a mandate imposed by Apple. The company announced the change, stating that it strongly disagrees with the decision, which will affect creators using legacy billing models. Apple initially introduced the mandate in 2024, with a deadline of November 2025, but later lifted it, only to reinstate it. Patreon noted that only 4% of its creators are using the affected billing models, and fans can still bypass Apple's fees on iOS by joining via their web browser. The move is part of Apple's efforts to enforce its billing requirements, which has been a point of contention between the two companies. The change will impact Patreon's operations, as it will need to comply with Apple's rules to remain in the App Store, which is used by millions of fans to access Patreon content.