Discord is making it easier for app developers to make money

Discord is introducing new tools and monetization features that aim to make it easier for app developers to make money by selling premium perks via storefronts on the platform. After rolling out support for premium app subscriptions last year, Discord is now halving the 30 percent platform fee for the first $1 million that developers make in cumulative gross sales.

Described in its announcement blog as a new “Growth” tier for Discord’s monetization terms, the 15 percent fee will be available starting June 6th. The communications platform is also adding the ability to offer one-time purchases, allowing developers to sell products like games, cosmetic skins, and other premium assets without requiring a subscription.

These can be provided as both “durable” one-time purchase SKUs — which offer permanent benefits — or consumables that can expire or be used up. Developers can now also list their creations via a new store surface, which can be found via the app directory or profile on Discord. These changes follow the company’s decision to steer its app back to gaming after previously attempting to develop itself into a more generalized chatting app during the covid pandemic.

All of these new tools are currently being rolled out in the US, UK, and European Union but will be expanded to additional regions “later on.” Support to enable Discord developers to offer multiple subscription tiers for their products is also currently being developed, though Discord hasn’t mentioned when this will be available.