# How to make money on Snapchat URL: https://howinfluencersmakemoney.com/how-to-make-money-on-snapchat/ Facts checked: 2026-10-21 Independent and unsponsored: no company paid for, reviewed, or approved this page. Snapchat pays creators mainly through its invite-only Monetization Program, which shares revenue from ads placed between Snaps in Public Stories and in Spotlight videos of at least 30 seconds. Snap looks at creators with 50,000 followers, 15,000 hours of view time in 28 days and Snap Star status. Brand deals and a Creator Subscriptions test add more. Snapchat is easy to post on and hard to get paid on. Its main program, the Snapchat Monetization Program, works by invitation and looks for 50,000 followers before it considers you. Below that line, the money comes from brands. This guide covers how the program pays, what Spotlight needs, how to become a Snap Star, Creator Subscriptions, brand deals, and who should bother. Every rule comes from Snap's help center, newsroom or filings as of October 21, 2026. ## The numbers - The Monetization Program looks for 50,000 followers and 15,000 hours of view time in 28 days, with 3,000 of those hours from Spotlight. - Spotlight videos must run at least 30 seconds to earn ad revenue. - Since May 7, 2026, maximum rewards also need 100 hours of Spotlight view time in 28 days. - You can cash out once you have at least $100 in rewards. - Snap reported 971 million monthly users in Q2 2026, while North American daily users fell from 98 million to 92 million in a year. ## How does Snapchat pay creators? Snapchat pays creators a share of the revenue from ads it places between Snaps in their Public Stories and inside their Spotlight videos. Snap's help center says ads are served mainly based on how much time people spend watching. It publishes no percentage and no rate per view. Snap announced this single Monetization Program on December 16, 2024, and it started paying on Spotlight videos on February 1, 2025. You cannot apply. Snap invites creators who meet all of these: - At least 50,000 followers. - 15,000 hours of view time over the last 28 days, with at least 3,000 of those hours from Spotlight. - An age of 18 or older, or the age of legal majority where you live. - Snap Star status. - A home in an eligible country, which includes the US, UK, Canada, Australia and India. - Original, advertiser-friendly content that follows Snap's Monetization Terms and Creator Monetization Policy. ## How do you become a Snap Star? A Snap Star is a verified creator or public figure, and you apply through a form linked from Snap's help center. Snap looks for a large and engaged audience, an account used mainly to post public Stories, a real person or group behind it, people searching for you, and original content that follows the Community Guidelines. Snap gives no follower number for Snap Star status. Its help center says "No one is entitled to a Snap Star, regardless of the size of the account's audience." Snap may also verify people who are well known off the app. Snap says it does not charge for verification and that no third party sells it on Snap's behalf, so ignore anyone offering to get you a star for a fee. Apply once you post public Stories most days and your audience is growing. Without the badge you cannot join the Monetization Program, and you cannot tag brands in sponsored posts. ## What does Spotlight need to earn money? Spotlight videos must run at least 30 seconds to earn ad revenue, according to Snap's help center. At launch in February 2025, the rule was longer than 1 minute, so Snap has since lowered it. Spotlight now carries more of the bar. At least 3,000 of your 15,000 hours of view time must come from Spotlight. Since May 7, 2026, you also need 100 hours of Spotlight view time on your posts in the last 28 days to qualify for maximum Creator Rewards. Competition is rising. Snap's Q2 2026 prepared remarks say the number of people in the US posting to Spotlight grew more than 115% year over year. Snap also ended its Spotlight Challenges, which paid cash prizes for themed videos, on May 1, 2024, so the Monetization Program is now the main way Spotlight pays. Post Spotlight videos you made yourself, and make them long enough to qualify. Snap's help center requires original content, so clips of other people's work will not earn. ## How do Snapchat payouts work? You can cash out in the app whenever your rewards reach $100, as often as once a day. Payments go through a Snapchat Payout Portal that Hyperwallet runs, and you must file a W-9 in the US or a W-8 elsewhere before your first payout. Do not let rewards sit. Snap's Creator Rewards FAQ says you must request payment within two years of receiving rewards, or within one year of your most recent award. If your account is in good standing and you have at least $100, Snap sends the money to your Payout Portal when that time runs out. If it is not, you lose eligibility for the payment. ## What are Snapchat Creator Subscriptions? Creator Subscriptions let fans pay a monthly fee for extra content from one creator, but only creators Snap invites can offer them. Snap announced the feature on February 17, 2026, and began testing it on February 23 with a select group of US-based Snap creators. Snap said it planned to expand to more Snap Stars in Canada, the UK and France. Subscribers get subscriber-only Snaps and Stories, priority replies to the creator's public Stories, and no ads in that creator's Stories. Creators set a monthly price within tiers Snap recommends, and fans pay through their phone's app store. Snap has not published the creator's share. Snap's help center says the feature is still rolling out, that only select creators can offer it, and that invited creators get an email. Earnings cash out the same way as other Snapchat creator rewards. If you are a Snap Star with a loyal audience, watch for the invite. Everyone else should sell memberships elsewhere, as our guide on [how to sell to your fans](https://howinfluencersmakemoney.com/how-to-sell-to-your-fans/) explains. ## How do brand deals work on Snapchat? Brand deals on Snapchat work like they do anywhere else, with one Snapchat rule on top. Snap's Commercial Content Policy, effective July 2, 2026, says any content you post because you got money or free gifts must name the brand and its commercial nature. You must label it with Snap's Paid Partnership tool. Any creator with a Public Profile can add the Paid Partnership label to Public Stories, Spotlight and Snap Map posts from the Send To screen. Only Snap Stars can go further and tag the brand in the post. Snap's creator pages describe no open marketplace where creators sign up for paid campaigns. Its creator site suggests turning on the Brand Partnerships setting, which shares your Public Profile analytics with Snap's third-party partners so brands can find you. So pitch brands yourself, or add Snapchat posts to a deal you land on another platform. A brand already paying you for a Reel or TikTok may pay a little more to reach your Snapchat audience too. Price Snapchat posts the way you price any sponsored post, using our guides on [how to get brand deals](https://howinfluencersmakemoney.com/how-to-get-brand-deals/) and [how much to charge for sponsored posts](https://howinfluencersmakemoney.com/how-much-to-charge-for-sponsored-posts/). Label every one under the [FTC disclosure rules](https://howinfluencersmakemoney.com/ftc-disclosure-rules-for-influencers/) as well as Snap's own. ## Who should try to make money on Snapchat? Snapchat suits creators who already have an audience elsewhere and can post vertical video every day. Snap's Q2 2026 results, released August 3, 2026, report 971 million monthly active users and 493 million daily active users. The growth is in the region Snap calls Rest of World. Daily users in North America fell from 98 million to 92 million in a year, while the Rest of World region grew from 271 million to 303 million. Skip Snapchat as a first platform. The 50,000-follower bar is the highest of the 11 platforms in our [comparison of platforms that pay creators](https://howinfluencersmakemoney.com/social-media-platforms-that-pay-creators/), and TikTok Shop and Instagram Gifts both open at 1,000 followers or fewer. Build on [TikTok](https://howinfluencersmakemoney.com/how-to-make-money-on-tiktok/) or Instagram first, then post the same videos to Spotlight once they run 30 seconds or longer. There is one niche where Snapchat pays early. Lens Creator Rewards pays people who build augmented reality Lenses in Lens Studio. You must be 18 or older and in an eligible country. Snap's developer site says approved creators get a revenue share based on engagement through Lens+ Payouts, introduced October 16, 2025, plus Top Performer payouts for Lenses that do well within 90 days. Snap publishes no rates. If you can design or code, it is worth a look. ## Questions people ask ### How many followers do you need to get paid on Snapchat? Snapchat's Monetization Program looks for at least 50,000 followers, plus 15,000 hours of view time in the last 28 days with 3,000 from Spotlight. You also need Snap Star status and an age of 18 or older. Meeting the bar does not guarantee an invitation. ### How much does Snapchat pay per view? Snap publishes no rate per view and no revenue share percentage. It says ads in your Stories and Spotlight videos are served mainly based on how much time people spend watching, so view time matters more than view count. ### Can you make money on Snapchat Spotlight? Yes, if you are in the Monetization Program. Spotlight videos of at least 30 seconds earn a share of ad revenue. Since May 7, 2026, maximum rewards need 100 hours of Spotlight view time in 28 days. Spotlight Challenges, which paid cash prizes, ended on May 1, 2024. ### What is the minimum payout on Snapchat? $100. You can cash out in the app once a day whenever your balance is at least $100. Payouts go through a Hyperwallet portal, and you need a W-9 or W-8 tax form on file first. ### Do you need to be a Snap Star to make money on Snapchat? For the Monetization Program, yes. Snap Star status is one of its requirements, and only Snap Stars can tag brands in sponsored posts. You can still do brand deals without it, using the Paid Partnership label that any Public Profile can add. ## Sources - Snapchat Support: About Snapchat's Monetization Program: https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/14669003687444-About-Snapchat-s-Monetization-Program (accessed 2026-10-21) - Snap Newsroom: Snapchat introduces new, unified Monetization Program for creators, December 16, 2024: https://newsroom.snap.com/snapchat-new-creator-monetization (accessed 2026-10-21) - Snapchat Support: In what countries and regions are Snapchatters eligible for a payout?: https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/7012298096788-In-what-countries-and-regions-are-Snapchatters-eligible-for-a-payout (accessed 2026-10-21) - Snapchat Support: How do I become a Snap Star?: https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/7012407611412-How-do-I-become-a-Snap-Star (accessed 2026-10-21) - Snapchat Support: What is a Snap Star?: https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/7012369735316-What-is-a-Snap-Star (accessed 2026-10-21) - Snap: Spotlight Challenges Official Rules: https://www.snap.com/terms/spotlight-challenges-official-rules (accessed 2026-10-21) - Snapchat Support: Creator Rewards FAQ: https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/5909152630420-Creator-Rewards-FAQ (accessed 2026-10-21) - Snap Newsroom: Snapchat launches Creator Subscriptions, February 17, 2026: https://newsroom.snap.com/snapchat-launches-creator-subscriptions (accessed 2026-10-21) - Snapchat Support: How do Creator Subscriptions work for creators?: https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/48009542675604-How-do-Creator-Subscriptions-work-for-creators (accessed 2026-10-21) - Snap Commercial Content Policy, effective July 2, 2026: https://www.snap.com/terms/commercial-content (accessed 2026-10-21) - Snapchat Support: How do I label my sponsored content as a Paid Partnership?: https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/18418085836948-How-do-I-label-my-sponsored-content-as-a-Paid-Partnership (accessed 2026-10-21) - Snapchat for Creators: Brand partnerships: https://creators.snapchat.com/learn-reap-rewards-brand-partnerships (accessed 2026-10-21) - Snap Inc. second quarter 2026 financial results, August 3, 2026, SEC Form 8-K exhibit 99.1: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001564408/000156440826000047/snap-20260803xexx991pressr.htm (accessed 2026-10-21) - Snap Inc. Q2 2026 prepared remarks, SEC Form 8-K: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001564408/000156440826000047/q22026preparedremarks.htm (accessed 2026-10-21) - Snap for Developers: Lens Creator Rewards: https://developers.snap.com/lens-studio/monetization/lens-creator-rewards (accessed 2026-10-21)