Going to up-front payment (after a delay)

Simple concept, lotsa words. Don't let the length of this post fool you, it won't affect 90% of people and is pretty simple.

When SkinRays was a little over a year old, in March, a good year of updates was in the pipeline. The plan was to go to up-front payment. Then the pandemic stuff. So that decision was delayed so people could continue to sample the content.

In the last month or so, SkinRays gained about 30% more patrons, which was exciting. But then SkinRays lost them all in the same month. Since it was arguably the best month in history as far as the amount, length, and quality of the content, it wasn't because there wasn't anything going on. The pattern of join-download-leave (before being charged) was starting to get serious.  So it was time.

How does it work?

Up-front works like this: you are charged when you sign up, then the first of the month after that.  Accounting-wise, you are paying for "upcoming content" whereas before you were paying for "past content." But that's more a way of accounting than anything else. The only real difference is for people signing up-- you pay when you sign up and then again when the 1st of the month comes. Before you would only pay when the first comes, and get the days until the first as a kind of free trial period.

What does this mean for you?

Existing Patrons, for more than a month

Nothing much! Your next payment will be at the usual 1st of the month. Accounting-wise, it is payment for the "next month" not "the previous month." But that's just a technicality. You aren't charged more often, or anything. If you are for some reason, please message SkinRays, because then the info was mis-read somehow.

Recent Patrons who have not been charged the first time yet:

If you have signed up but haven't been charged for this month yet, you might be charged asap (the change happened June 22 2020), and then, like everyone else, on July 1 for July. Sorry if that's more than you bargained for, it's just the way Patreon set it up. No hard feelings if you decide not to stay on. If you are seriously upset message SkinRays and will see if can refund you, since the change (a one-time thing, it can never change again) happened at a bad time for you, and you could not have predicted it.

Update: Looks like if the change happened after you joined you of course aren't affected by it and are charged the old way, first charge first of the next month.

Everyone else (future Patrons): You'll be charged at time you sign up, and then 1st of the month after that. So...

Potential New Patron: I suggest you sign up early in the month rather than late in the month. You are charged when you sign up, and then the 1st of the month after that. So that could be two charges close together if it is late in the month now. Which if you aren't expecting, can be a shock. But it only happens once, when you sign up. The time of the month when you sign up is pretty much forgotten after the first month, which is how Patreon has always worked, up-front or not. Before up-front you just didn't pay for the days before the first of the next month (well you technically did retroactively but that's just words.)

If you have questions or concerns message SkinRays anytime.