More and more apps are changing their business model to subscriptions in an attempt to have a recurring source of profit. This time, it seems that Snapchat will be the next platform to introduce a paid subscription called “Snapchat Plus” that offers exclusive features to users.
Details about Snapchat Plus were first found by developer and researcher Alessandro Paluzzi. A Snap spokesperson confirmed to The Verge that the company has been doing internal tests of a new subscription plan that will provide exclusive features on the Snapchat app for users, as well as early access to new public features.
We’re doing early internal testing of Snapchat Plus, a new subscription service for Snapchatters. We’re excited about the potential to share exclusive, experimental, and pre-release features with our subscribers, and learn more about how we can best serve our community.
While Snap hasn’t provided details on what these exclusive features will be, Paluzzi’s findings reveal that subscribers will be able to pin friends to the top of their list, gain access to exclusive icons, show a special badge on their profile, and also see how many friends have rewatched their Stories.
Screenshots shared by Paluzzi suggest that Snapchat Plus will cost €4.59 per month (around $4.84), with a discount for those who subscribe to a semi-annual or annual plan. Of course, prices and offers may change until the official launch of Snapchat Plus as these details are yet to be confirmed by the company.
Snapchat is not alone
Snapchat is not the only social network that has been working on subscription plans. Last year, Twitter launched its “Twitter Blue” subscription service that also unlocks additional features for $2.99 per month. More recently, Telegram also confirmed that it has plans to introduce a “Premium” subscription with extra features later this month, although pricing remains unclear.
The move toward a subscription-based business model may be a result of App Tracking Transparency, a feature introduced by Apple in iOS 14 that requires apps to ask users before tracking their data. Companies like Snap and Meta have already said publicly that Apple’s new guideline policies have been affecting their revenue, which is largely based on advertisements.
By introducing new subscription plans, these companies expect to offset losses in advertising revenue by charging for access to exclusive features that won’t be available to free users.
There are no details about when Snapchat Plus will be available for users.
More about Snapchat
- Snapchat introduces new ‘Shared Stories’ so users can create collaborative memories
- Upcoming Snapchat parental controls will offer limited opportunities for chat monitoring
- Snapchat’s Director Mode for iOS brings new camera and editing tools for creators
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