Channel memberships eligibility, policies, & guidelines

Channel memberships allow viewers to join your channel through monthly recurring payments and get members-only perks like badges, emoji, and other goods you offer. Find out if you’re eligible, and if you are, these are the policies and guidelines that will help steer you out of trouble.

Eligibility requirements

We are currently rolling this feature out to some channels. If you’re in this group, you’ll see this feature at youtube.com/channel_memberships.

To be considered for channel memberships on the main YouTube site and app, you have to meet these minimum requirements:

  • Your channel must have more than 30,000 subscribers
    • Gaming channels must have more than 1,000 subscribers
  • Your channel is in the YouTube Partner Program
  • You are over 18 years old
  • You are located in one of the available locations
  • You (and your MCN, if applicable) have agreed to and are complying with our terms and policies (including the applicable Commerce Product Addendum)
  • You have zero active strikes

Note: You may see memberships on some channels with fewer than 30,000 subscribers. These may be either gaming channels or channels that have helped test memberships. There’s a lower threshold for gaming channels because there were lower minimum eligibility thresholds for channel memberships in the gaming app (which is going away). We want to keep requirements consistent for gaming creators across YouTube.

Availability

Channel membership on the main YouTube site and app is currently available to eligible creators in the following locations:

  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • India
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Macedonia
  • Mexico
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Russia
  • Senegal
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan
  • Uganda
  • United Kingdom
  • United States

Learn how to set your location setting.

Channel memberships policies and guidelines

Channel memberships policies

Participating creators (and MCNs as applicable) must accept and comply with:
All perks or benefits offered to your members, whether listed in your offer window or offered by other means, are subject to these policies. We may update these policies from time to time.
You must also continue to comply with all applicable laws as required by YouTube’s Terms of Service. Money you receive from channel memberships may be treated differently based on laws that apply to you and your activities. You‘re responsible for understanding and fully complying with all applicable laws -- including whether or not you can enable, offer, and receive money from channel memberships.
In addition to our Community Guidelines strike system, all creators should be aware of potential loss of privileges for actions that cause significant harm to the YouTube community.
Channel membership content and perk guidelines

All channel membership benefits you offer — including badges, emoji, perks, videos, live chats, and other content — are subject to membership policies and guidelines.

While you can offer things of value that make your members feel special, the following members-only benefits are not allowed under our policies and terms:

  • Downloads of content (including music) available on YouTube
  • In-person 1:1 meetings
  • Anything that one or some (but not all) of your members are chosen to receive at random including, but not limited to
    • Contests
    • Lotteries
    • Sweepstakes
  • Perks that are marketed, directed, or targeted, to children, or that may be attractive to, or inappropriate for, children (including encouraging children to ask their parents to join your channel membership).

Policy and guideline violations

Paused mode
Channel memberships on your channel will enter "paused mode" if you have 2 Community Guidelines strikes on your account. Paused mode may also apply while you are changing MCNs.

What happens when you’re in paused mode

In paused mode, your members will lose access to membership perks (badge, emoji, members-only Community posts), and their recurring payments will be paused. In addition, the "Join" button will disappear from your channel.
Channel memberships will automatically resume once you drop from 2 strikes down to 1 strike.
If channel membership is paused for more than 90 days, memberships on your channel will be terminated, and you will lose all members on your channel. Note that members may cancel their membership at any time, including while your channel is in paused mode.

Warnings and strikes

All content on YouTube is subject to our Community Guidelines. Anything you offer as part of channel memberships must meet the same policy standards as any content you post.

What happens if your memberships perks violate our guidelines & policies

Channel memberships perks you submit are reviewed by our team before they are seen by the public, and inappropriate perks will be rejected. For minor violations, you’ll receive a warning. For serious or repeated violations, you may receive a Community Guidelines strike.

What happens if you receive a strike

We understand that users make mistakes and don’t intend to violate our policies — that’s why strikes don’t last forever and can be appealed. Each strike expires after 90 days.

While you have a strike on your account, you may not have access to some features on YouTube. You can see what features are active in your account's Status & Features.

Multiple strikes

  • Two strikes: If you have two strikes within the same three-month period on your YouTube account, in addition to other features you may lose, channel memberships will also be paused until your channel drops back to having no more than one strike.
  • Three strikes: If your account receives three Community Guidelines strikes within a three-month period, your account will be terminated.

Appealing strikes

If you believe that the strike was issued without just cause, you can appeal the strike on your account.

What happens if memberships is terminated on your channel

If membership is terminated on a channel (including, by voluntarily disabling it, or as a result of breaching our terms or policies, or being removed from the YouTube Partner Program), all active paid members on that channel at the time of such termination will receive a refund of their last month’s payment for membership on that channel, and the channel’s share of the revenue to be refunded will be deducted from the channel.

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