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Snapchat monetization: Your guide to requirements, how to monetize, and more

Snapchat monetization is an overlooked path for creators. Learn what the criteria are, how to apply, and start making that Snapchat money.

Alec Chillingworth

• 6 min read
Using Snapchat

If you want to learn how to monetize Snapchat, or are interested in how the process will change, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll cover the essentials today. 

Here’s what we’ll discuss:

Can you monetize Snapchat?

Snapchat may not be the first social media platform you associate with monetization. That prize almost certainly goes to YouTube, which is now a multi-billion-dollar business and the world’s second-largest search engine. However, Snapchat has built a solid stable of monetization methods over the years. 

When did Snapchat start monetizing?

Snapchat opened for monetization much earlier than you’d suspect. In fact, the platform first introduced paid brand placements in 2014. That same year, it rolled out Snapcash, which allowed users to send and receive money directly, pinging straight from one bank account to another. 

Browsing Snapchat

How does Snapchat monetization work?

Before we dig into the Snapchat monetization requirements and payment structures, we need to break down the different types of Snapchat monetization methods. Let’s take a look at those now.

Snapchat Revenue Share Program

The Snapchat Revenue Share Program is the platform’s most ‘traditional’ monetization pathway. Creators earn money by posting Snaps and Story content, between which ads will appear. Part of the revenue generated from viewers watching these ads trickles down to the creator. 

Spotlight Rewards

Snapchat Spotlight is the platform’s discovery page. Snapchat dishes out monthly Spotlight Rewards to a limited number of creators, based on the quality of their Snaps. It’s worth noting that Snaps from Business accounts, brands, and ads aren’t eligible for Spotlight Rewards. 

Looking at Snapchat

Creator Gifts

Viewers can buy Creator Gifts to send to their favorite creators. If they choose to do so, their Story Reply receives pride of place on their chosen creator’s feed, showing their support and bumping up the chances of an interaction. The creator can then exchange Creator Gifts for cash. 

Brand Partnerships 

Activating the ‘Brand Partnerships’ option in your Profile Settings shares your content and profile with third-party brands. This can lead to monetization opportunities both on and off the platform. Brand Partnerships are only available to verified public figures, celebrities, and popular creators —  known on the platform as ‘Snap Stars’.

If you’ve partnered with a brand, you can toggle the ‘Paid Partnership’ label. Snap Stars can just tag brands directly in their content.

Payment on Snapchat is handled with Snapchat Crystals, which are tokens that can be exchanged for ‘real’ money. Payouts are managed in-app, and can be triggered at the creator’s convenience. The minimum payout sits at $100. 

Creating Snaps

What are the Snapchat monetization requirements?

Now that we’ve covered the different types of Snapchat monetization, let’s look at the specific requirements for each. 

Snapchat Revenue Share Program

To activate monetization for the Snapchat Revenue Share Program, you must:

Spotlight Rewards

To monetize content with Spotlight Rewards, you must:

  • Live in an eligible country
  • Have at least 1,000 followers on your public profile
  • Have published qualifying Snaps with at least 10,000 unique video views
  • Have submitted at least 10 unique Snaps across a minimum of five different days; at least five of these Snaps must have used Snapchat Creative Tools
  • Have a Snapchat account that’s at least one month old
  • Follow Snapchat’s Community Guidelines, Terms of Service, Content Guidelines for Recommendation Eligibility, Music on Snapchat Guidelines, and Spotlight Terms
Creating Snapchat Stories

Brand Partnerships 

To kick off monetization with Brand Partnerships, you need to be a Snap Star. If you feel that you’re a match and would like to submit a verification request, you can do so here. 

As long as you’ve agreed to unique Paid Partnership terms with the brand you’re repping, you should be fine. Once you apply for the Paid Partnership tag, the brand just needs to approve it. 

What are the new Snapchat monetization requirements for 2025?

From February 1, 2025, Snapchat will roll out new monetization terms and requirements. The new Snapchat Monetization Program will bundle the Snapchat Revenue Share Program and Spotlight Rewards into one tight package, paying creators for ads viewed on Story and Spotlight content longer than 60 seconds.

To reach the new Snapchat monetization criteria in 2025, you must live in an eligible country and follow the relevant policies we touched on earlier. You should also have:

  • 50,000 followers on a public profile 
  • 10 million Snap views, one million Spotlight views, or 12,000 hours of public watch time in the past 28 days
  • Posted to saved Stories or Spotlight at least 25 times in the past 28 days
  • Posted to public Stories or Spotlight on at least 10 of the last 28 days 

Those Spotlight Rewards requirements are much higher than the current criteria, which is worth taking into account. Until February 1, 2025, you can monetize Snapchat as usual. 

Scrolling through Snapchat

How to apply for Snapchat monetization

You don’t formally apply to monetize Snapchat — you just have to update your payment details and hit the criteria we mentioned earlier. If the platform considers you for the Snapchat Revenue Share Program or Spotlight Rewards, you should receive an invitation. 

Naturally, you have to apply or agree to terms before entering into an official partnership or sponsorship. But for the Snapchat Revenue Share Program and Spotlight Rewards, you don’t need to ‘do’ anything. Likewise, the new Snapchat Monetization Program will be invite-only. 

Does Snapchat pay you for views?

Snapchat doesn’t pay creators per view in the same way other platforms do. Spotlight Rewards are sliced up from a set amount, while the Snapchat Revenue Share Program is based on multiple factors, including views. For this reason, and the fact that Snapchat doesn’t publish the breakdown, we can’t say how much the payment relies on pure views.  

Now that you know the basics of Snapchat monetization, it’s time to put it into practice. If you’d like to monetize content on other platforms, we can help you there, too.

Commercial music usage on Snapchat isn’t allowed, but it plays a key role on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. After all, the soundtrack can make or break your content — why let one needle-drop derail your project?

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