Who can use this feature?
This feature is only available to writers enrolled in the Medium Partner Program. Learn more.
Readers can now support you more directly with their Referred Membership, while still getting access to all of the writing on Medium. For every reader that a Partner Program writer converts to a paying Medium member, the writer will receive half of that reader’s membership fee, net of standard payment processor fees. Referral earnings are recurring as long as the reader’s membership plan remains active, and will be in addition to Partner Program earnings based on member read time.
Here is the current Referred Membership earnings calculation as of August 11th, 2021.
| Annual | Monthly | |
|---|---|---|
| Membership price | $50.00 | $5.00 |
| Payment processing percentage fee (2.9%) | $1.45 | $0.15 |
| Payment processing flat fee ($0.30) | $0.30 | $0.30 |
| Net of payment fees | $48.25 | $4.55 |
| Split (50%) | $24.12 | $2.27 |
| Per month for 1 referred member | $2.01 | $2.27 |
| Per month for 100 referred members | $201.00 | $227.00 |
There are two ways you can earn via referrals.
First, every Partner Program writer has a personalized referral landing page where readers can become a paying member for unlimited access to your writing, plus the rest of Medium. Each reader who converts through your page will count as a referred member for you, meaning you'll receive half of their membership fee as long as they are a paying member. You can promote this page however you’d like: Share it on social platforms, link to it on post pages, or include it on your profile. Directing readers to this page is completely optional. Please keep in mind that wherever you drop your referral link or ask people to subscribe to support you, the surrounding language (or a note before the link) needs to disclose that if the reader uses your link to sign-up, then you’ll receive a portion of their membership fees. The Federal Trade Commission requires this disclosure. Here is a helpful FTC FAQ.
Accessing your membership referrals page
- On your homepage, click on your profile picture.
- Click Settings from the menu.
- In the Publishing tab, click Share your membership referral page.
- Copy your membership referral page link and share.
- In the app, tap your profile picture on the bottom bar.
- Tap Settings in the top-right corner.
- Tap Account and payment.
- In the Publishing tab, tap Share your membership referral page.
- Copy your membership referral page link and share.
Second, when a non-paying reader subscribes to your email, they'll be given the option to become a Medium member, which would count toward your referral earnings. Whether you actively encourage readers to become email subscribers, or they subscribe on their own, we'll automatically ask if they’d like to become a member.
You can track the number of Referred Memberships you've converted and retained in your audience stats.
Please note: The data process that updates your referral count runs daily, so there may be lag between referral notifications and your audience page reflecting any referrals.
For more details on how Referred Memberships work see the common questions below, or check out our updated Partner Program Terms.
Customizing your message
Write a personalized referral message to drive membership sign-ups. It’ll show up in places like your membership referrals page.
- On your homepage, click on your profile picture.
- Click Settings from the menu.
- In the Publishing tab, click Customize your membership message.
- Click Preview at any time to see how your message will display.
- In the app, tap your profile picture on the bottom bar.
- Tap Settings in the top-right corner.
- Tap Account and payment.
- In the Publishing tab, click Customize your membership message.
- Click Preview at any time to see how your message will display.
Common questions
As of August 11, 2021, our monthly membership is USD $5/month. Taking into account a standard payment processing fee of 2.9%+$0.30, a writer will earn 50% or $2.27/month per membership on a recurring basis as long as the reader’s membership plan is active and you remain in the Partner Program.
As of August 11, 2021, our annual membership is USD $50/year. Taking into account a standard payment processing fee of 2.9%+$0.30, a creator will earn 50% or $2.01/month per membership for 12 months. Similar to monthly memberships, the payout will be on a monthly basis as long as the reader’s membership plan is active.