Become a channel member on YouTube

1. Visit youtube.com or open the YouTube app.
2. Go to the channel of, or a video uploaded by, the creator that you'd like to support and see if they've enabled memberships on their channel.
3. Click Join.
4. Follow the prompts to enter your payment information.
5. Click Buy.

You'll see a welcome announcement once your transaction is complete.

To upgrade

1. Go to the channel page of the membership that you want to change and click See perks.
2. Select the level that you want to join  Change level.
3. Click Upgrade.
4. You'll immediately get access to the higher level. 
   • Pricing note: You'll only be charged the difference in price in levels, pro rata in terms of how long is left of the month until your next payment date.

To downgrade

Currently, you have to cancel your membership and rejoin the channel at a different level.

1. Go to the channel page of the membership that you want to change and click See perks.
2. Select Settings   click End membership & perks.    
3. Go to the channel page of the membership that you want to change and click See perks.
4. Click Join.
5. Follow the prompts to enter your payment information.
6. Click Buy.

Billing and access details for downgrades

• You'll get access to your original level until your next payment date.
• You'll be charged the new lower price at your next billing date.
• You'll retain any accumulated loyalty reflected in your badge if offered by the creator.

Open the membership management screen by clicking See perks on a channel page  select Settings   click End membership & perks.

1. Visit youtube.com/paid_memberships.
2. Click See past purchases.
3. Select Manage purchases and refunds.
4. Find the membership that you want to cancel  select End membership.

New and existing members

When you have an active paid membership, you'll automatically be charged at the start of each monthly billing cycle.

Cancelled memberships

When you cancel a paid channel membership, you will not be charged again unless you reactivate it. You'll continue to receive membership perks until the end of that billing period.

Reactivated memberships

You can reactivate your membership at any time. If you reactivate during the same billing cycle in which you cancelled it, you will not be charged until that current billing cycle ends.

'Paused mode' explained

Sometimes, channel memberships are put in 'paused mode'. This may happen if a channel changes MCNs, or receives multiple Community Guidelines strikes. When 'paused mode' happens, it means that the channel cannot monetise with memberships – this is often a temporary state. If a channel is in 'paused mode', it means that they cannot deliver perks and other benefits.

Payment details

If you're an active paid member of a channel in 'paused mode', your monthly recurring payment, billing cycle and access to memberships will also be paused.  

If membership is resumed by the channel, paid members who were active prior to the pause will resume receiving membership perks and their monthly recurring payment will also be resumed.

Memberships can remain paused on a channel for a maximum of 90 days; after that point, memberships and members' monthly recurring payments will be cancelled.

• Exclusive public-facing membership badge next to your channel name in all comments and live chats that you make on the channel that you're a member of
  • On some channels, the badge will reflect how long you've been a member of a channel, either through different coloured default badges or through different badges uploaded by the channel
• If you become a channel member during a live stream on that channel, a bright green 'New Member' message will be sent in live chat and your profile picture will be pinned at the top of chat for five minutes
• Access to members-only posts on the channel's Community tab (if offered by the channel)
• Access to creator perks that may be offered by the channel and are subject to change
• Exclusive access to members-only live chat (if offered by the channel)
• Exclusive access to a channel's public-facing custom emoji in live chat (if offered by the channel)
• 'Slow mode' – which limits how frequently you can comment in live chat – does not apply to active paid members

By becoming a channel member, your exclusive membership badge will appear in all comments and live chats that you make on that channel.

What do I get for each level and how do I join?

This varies from channel to channel. You can see the different perks when you click Join.

I'm already a member, so how do I see the different perks available?

Go to the channel page that you've already joined  select See perks.

Turn off notifications

If you don't want to know about new members-only posts, you can:

• Opt out of notifications for individual channels that you're a member of.
• Turn off all notifications on your account.

• Your channel URL 
• The name of your YouTube channel
• A link to your profile picture
• When you joined the channel as a member

• All members have a visible badge that appears next to your channel name in comments and chat.
• If you become a channel member during a live stream on that channel, a bright green 'New Member' message will be sent in live chat and your profile picture will be pinned at the top of live chat for five minutes that shows your channel name when hovered over. 
• Some channels may add your information above to a list of 'thank yous' in their videos.
• Some channels may share your information above to provide a service (for example, member-only access to a chatroom hosted by a third-party company).