Medium is developing a suite of tools for engaged readers to support their favorite publishers directly. We’re building these tools based on industry-leading examples, active input from world-class publishers and years of experience studying how readers interact with quality content.
Initially, we’re launching a membership program that allows readers to contribute a fixed amount every month toward their favorite publications on Medium. Publishers will be able to set a membership price and “lock” certain stories, creating exclusive premium content that only paying members receive. In time, we’ll continue to work with publishers to develop an even more diverse suite of reader-support products.
How much should I charge for monthly membership?
Publishers can set their own monthly membership prices in $1 increments, but we recommend starting out modestly – at $5 or $10. At this time, publishers won’t be able to set multiple membership prices, or change the price after it has been set. We intend to offer support for annual memberships.
What percentage of membership payments does the publisher receive?
For the first 500 members, publishers will only pay fees for payment processing. For subsequent members, they will pay a flat rate of 20 percent.
Transparency is important at Medium, so every reader will see a clear breakdown of fees per the following schedule before deciding to become a member of a publication.
|
Price/Month |
Payment processor* |
Medium |
|
$1 |
20.0% |
Waived for first 500 members |
|
$2 |
14.0% |
Waived for first 500 members |
|
$3 |
10.7% |
Waived for first 500 members |
|
$4 |
9.0% |
Waived for first 500 members |
|
$5 |
8.0% |
Waived for first 500 members |
|
$6 |
7.3% |
Waived for first 500 members |
|
$7 |
6.9% |
Waived for first 500 members |
|
$8 |
6.5% |
Waived for first 500 members |
|
$9 |
6.2% |
Waived for first 500 members |
|
$10 |
6.0% |
Waived for first 500 members |
|
$11+ |
Included |
20.0% |
*Payment processors typically charge a small flat fee and a small percentage of the transaction. This chart presents those combined fees as a single percentage. Processing fees are included in Medium’s fee, unless it is waived.
How does Medium process payments?
We work with Stripe to process credit card payments. Stripe processes billions of dollars in payments every year, from 24 countries around the world, and your information will be secure. Learn more about Stripe’s security policies.
How do members-only stories work?
Publishers will be able to selectively “lock” certain posts, which means they’ll be available to paying members only. A preview of each members-only story will appear in the Medium feed and on the publication’s homepage, along with simple instructions for how to become a member.
Can I offer additional membership benefits, beyond access to content?
Yes! Members-only posts can be used in a variety of ways. In addition to stories, these posts can include other offers: invitations to events, instructions for receiving physical products and more. Members will also be able to engage in exclusive conversations around posts, via Medium’s responses feature.
We’ll continue to collaborate with publishers for input on future product direction.
What information does Medium provide about my publication’s members?
Publications will be able to view their members’ names through a Medium dashboard. If publishers choose to provide additional perks beyond members-only content, they will be responsible for collecting fulfillment information, such as addresses. In the future, we intend to offer additional features for publishers to connect directly with members.