Patreon and Mastercard
Added 2023-09-16 22:32:18 +0000 UTCHello,
Patreon has required me to send them a personal photo and a photo of my identification (driver's license, etc.) or they are threatening to cut off my Patreon. They are doing this to adhere to Mastercard's adult content rules. As a writer of stories with sex/nudity in them, I am considered an adult content creator and treated the same as a porn video creator, actor, or other entertainer. I am trying to decide whether to comply or shut down my Patreon. I do enjoy how this platform has allowed me to talk more directly to readers who enjoy my content and to get some support for my writing.
I have not made a decision yet, but I don't like the idea of handing my privacy and personal info off to some third party that Patreon has contracted to do this. I may end up shutting down the Patreon. We'll see. If that does happen, I am very grateful for everyone's support over the years.
I welcome any input on this you want to offer or if there are better platforms out there I might consider.
-horuvex
Comments
Yes, I am staying on this platform as I determined it remains the most viable spot for my erotica writing to receive support. You are probably right about Patreon's connection to smut and porn. OnlyFans is 99.9% porn, while Patreon may be something more like 25-50% I would think. Thanks for your thoughts. My productivity level has been low as of late due to personal circumstances, so I have no plans for expanding my distribution any time soon.
horuvex
2024-03-11 17:33:20 +0000 UTCI'm guessing you made your decision to stay on Patreon, good if you did. Sites like Subscribestar require a credit card and many people outside the US don't have one, simply because they normally don't need one. About sharing private data with companies, there's honestly little to worry about. Sure, worst case scenario Patreon gets breached and they leak everyone's info, but Patreon isn't the type of site that's vulnerable to these types of leaks, due to its security culture. And for sites like Patreon and OnlyFans, porn is their bread and butter. They might want to appear reluctant or bashful about erotic content on their platform, but in reality they love it, especially the money part. And please, don't opt for selling PDF copies. It'll end up pirated sooner or later and you'll play whack-a-mole forever. https://youtu.be/IeTybKL1pM4
lolnolol
2024-03-09 04:34:08 +0000 UTCThat sounds about right. Yahoo Groups, GeoCities, and other sites linked together with basic html hyperlinks. Some have disappeared and others have renamed themselves.
horuvex
2023-09-18 15:53:04 +0000 UTCAnd Endolexis, yes I use Gumroad, but just as a sales platform, I didn’t know they had a monthly support option. And honestly, I’ve been trying to diversify away from them, since they’ve been raising the rates they charge creators substantially recently, so I don’t think I’ll look at switching from Patreon to there unless I’m kicked off here. Glad you like the comics, Lady Drasami’s great to work with and does a lovely job bringing my ideas to life.
Groblek
2023-09-18 05:05:47 +0000 UTCHoruvex - yeah, I’m another old-timer, I think we were both posting stories back in the Yahoo groups era, or sometime around then. I’ve been glad to see that you’re still around & writing, so many people have disappeared from back then.
Groblek
2023-09-18 05:02:25 +0000 UTCThanks Groblek. Wow, I think I recognize your name from some unbirthing erotic stories way way back. You may be right about the info. I guess this is just the next level. I have to decide for myself I guess.
horuvex
2023-09-18 04:24:17 +0000 UTCI get being wary of that request, I think they might be doing it for everyone selling adult content. I went ahead with it for my Patreon, because I feel that they already have enough of my personal information for tax purposes that it's minimal additional risk to get verified this way, but I can understand anyone choosing not to.
Groblek
2023-09-17 23:58:08 +0000 UTCHappy to talk through my experiences if you want more info. Just drop me a message on platform of your choice.
Oscar H Harrington
2023-09-17 23:11:20 +0000 UTCThose are both good options. Because this is such a side-hobby for me, I would probably prefer to stick to one platform. It's part of why I got rid of my Ko-fi account. But it is also good to keep my options open.
horuvex
2023-09-17 23:05:59 +0000 UTCMost of us use it for selling comics and bundles which it is great for, but it does have membership options too. Come to think of it, deviant art now have sub options too and they're quite loose about what you can post in paid content. I'm using those now too.
Oscar H Harrington
2023-09-17 21:58:15 +0000 UTCI saw that Joyce Julep moved a bunch of her stories over to that site. I had never heard of it before she mentioned it. I have already reached out to her and other content creators to see what their thoughts are on this whole thing. Thanks for your input!
horuvex
2023-09-17 21:47:37 +0000 UTCI have noticed several content creators in the giantess sphere have chosen to work on Gumroad. They seem to structure their platform more to sell individual content bundles? So it is more a retail thing than a subscription I am guessing. Given that you use it and show visual images of sex, I am inclined to take up your advice.
horuvex
2023-09-17 21:44:45 +0000 UTCI know Joyce Julep was being hassled a bit by Patreon and she set up a subscribestar. I can confirm at least one customer (Me!) followed her over but I don't know how much of the rest of her base did. And I don't know if the experience ended up more pro or con for her. Maybe you can hit her up and see how her experience switching up platforms went? She might have some useful experience to share.
bustyshrink
2023-09-17 21:02:01 +0000 UTCGumroad offer monthly subscriptions. You can likely also sell your existing works in PDF format for one time buyers. None of this ID fuss is needed. I'd suggest moving there as they're well trusted by the community.
Oscar H Harrington
2023-09-17 14:51:33 +0000 UTCThat's a fair point. I really don't think erotica about giant women having sex with shrinking men or whatever should be something that triggers this kind of protocol. I feel like Mastercard/Patreon are using a nuclear option on something that should require more nuance. Like most tech companies, they are desperate to avoid spending money on labour and would rather just find an easy fix. You're probably right. There is just something creepy about sending a scan of my ID to some overseas company. I'm used to doing that for very cases, like getting a visa for travel. Thanks for weighing in. I am probably just overly paranoid.
horuvex
2023-09-17 04:46:29 +0000 UTCI think your concerns are valid, and on principal alone you’d have every right to shut down. However, in your case I would argue that the pros outweigh the cons. Specifically, the motivation a Patreon following provides outweighing an employee or two knowing who you are. Unless you made an enemy of someone, I don’t see you getting doxed. Not with all the liability that Patreon assumes when handling your personal data. It’s fucked up what they’re asking, but it seems to pose very little risk to you personally, unless of course there’s something I’m overlooking.
jsm109
2023-09-17 03:17:37 +0000 UTC
