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Patreon widens currencies to euros and pounds

The change is designed to give fans and creators outside the US more certainty about payments.

Joan E. Solsman Former Senior Reporter
Joan E. Solsman was CNET's senior media reporter, covering the intersection of entertainment and technology. She's reported from locations spanning from Disneyland to Serbian refugee camps, and she previously wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. She bikes to get almost everywhere and has been doored only once.
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Joan E. Solsman
2 min read
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Patreon capitalizes on internet fandon, letting people open their wallets for their favorite creators in return for rewards.

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Patreon, the platform that enables content creators to turn internet fans into subscribers, is widening the currencies it lets people use to pay on the service. The company is expanding beyond US dollars to include euros and British pounds, Patreon said Tuesday in a blog post. More currencies and payment methods, like direct debits, will come by summer. Patreon said there are no changes to its fee structure. 

While Patreon already had fans and creators around the globe using dollars to trade patronage for rewards, the new currencies will simplify payments for fans outside the US. Previously, creators had to price all their subscriptions in dollars regardless of the native currency of creators or fans. That created complications with currency conversions and instability in the amount paid every month.

Patreon CEO Jack Conte said the addition of new currencies has been one of the most requested features from creators, both current and prospective ones. 

"Creators have been asking for this specifically for six years," he said in an interview last week. "The creators in Europe are incredible, and it's about time that they're able to ... do this more easily and more native to what they're used to."

The currency expansion starts with new creators on Patreon, who will be able to price memberships in pounds and euros so patrons can pay in those currencies. Patreon will widen the initiative to current creators and allow fans to pay in the currency of their choice down the road. 

In addition, Patreon is opening an office in Berlin to serve as a hub to build relationships with European creators. It's also working to widen merchandise shipping to support more countries and continuing to localize its service with more languages. 

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