How to price PPV
Pay-per-view messages earn most creators more than subscriptions do. Price them too high and almost no one unlocks. Too low and you train fans to wait for a discount. Here’s how to find the middle.
6 minute read. Updated October 2026.
The only maths you need
What a message earns is the price multiplied by the number of fans who unlock it. Unlock rate is the share of fans who received it and paid.
Here’s the same set sent to 1,000 fans at three prices, with unlock rates of the kind creators commonly see:
| Price | Unlock rate | Fans who unlock | Fans spend |
|---|---|---|---|
| $8 | 6% | 60 | $480 |
| $15 | 4% | 40 | $600 |
| $30 | 1.5% | 15 | $450 |
The middle price wins here, but the numbers on your page will differ. The point is that the cheapest price rarely earns the most, and neither does the highest. You find the best one by testing, not guessing.
Build a price ladder
Fans who spend a lot rarely start that way. They buy something small, like it, and buy something bigger. A ladder gives every fan a next step:
| Step | What it is | Typical price range |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | A short clip or a few photos, sent to new subscribers | $5 to $10 |
| Core | A full set or a longer video | $15 to $35 |
| Premium | Your best or most explicit content | $40 to $100 |
| Custom | Made for one fan, to their request, within your limits | Priced per request |
The ranges are a starting point, not a rule. Creators with a smaller, more devoted audience can often charge more at every step.
Mass messages vs one-to-one
Mass messages go to every fan, or a large group. They reach the most people, so prices sit lower and unlock rates matter most. Send too many and fans start ignoring them, or unsubscribe.
One-to-one messages are sent in a conversation, to a fan who is already engaged. Prices can be higher because the offer fits the fan. This is where most of a good chatting team’s sales come from.
Treat them differently. A set that sells for $15 by mass message might sell for $25 in a conversation with a fan who asked for exactly that.
Testing a price
- Pick one set and split your fans into two groups of a similar kind, for example by when they subscribed.
- Send it to each group at a different price, on the same day and at the same time.
- After a few days, compare what each group spent in total, not how many unlocked.
- Keep the winner, then test it against a new price next time.
Small groups give noisy results. If you have fewer than a few hundred active fans, change one price at a time and compare over several weeks instead.
Mistakes that cost the most
- Discounting by habit. If last week’s $25 video is $10 today, fans learn to wait. Discount rarely, and for a reason fans understand.
- Selling the same thing twice to one fan. Nothing loses trust faster. Keep track of who has bought what.
- Previews that give it all away. A preview should show what the content is, not replace it.
- Pricing everything the same. A flat price leaves money with your biggest fans and puts off new ones.
- Pushing after a no. A fan who says no and is pushed rarely buys again. A fan who says no and is treated well often does.
Set a floor
Decide the lowest price you’ll accept for each kind of content, and write it down. If anyone else sends messages for you, they should work within those floors and never go below them without asking.
Floors protect your income, and they protect the fans who paid full price last week.
How our chatters sell
At prices you approve, never below your floor, and never past a fan’s no.