Custom products, global reach
Learning how to make money on Snapchat is easier than you might think. Snapchat now gives creators plenty of ways to earn, from Spotlight payouts and ads to affiliate links, product sales, and brand deals.
If you already have a Snapchat account or you’re testing the platform, consider turning your fun, engaging content into real income.
Keep reading as we explore the main ways influencers profit from their Snapchat account, how the Monetization Program works, and what you need to qualify.
Can you really make money on Snapchat? (Short answer: yes)
Yes, you can make money on Snapchat, and for many influencers, it’s becoming a serious income channel.
Snapchat’s Monetization Program lets eligible influencers earn through ads placed in Stories and Spotlight content. This unified Monetization Program brings multiple earning tools into one system, making it easier to generate revenue as your audience grows.
Beyond built-in payouts, Snapchat also supports creative ways to earn, including affiliate marketing, selling products, and promoting services. Even without in-app payouts, creators can still turn audience attention into income.
Snapchat’s renewed growth makes this a great time to start. Spotlight uses the same short-form video format that performs well elsewhere, but with less competition, and creator posts have grown by more than 40% since 2023.
7 Ways to make money on Snapchat
Let’s break down the most effective ways to earn on Snapchat. From built-in tools to external income streams, these seven methods explore how to monetize Snapchat using views, stories, and engagement.
Join Snapchat’s Monetization Program for creators
Snapchat’s new Monetization Program brings the Spotlight Rewards Program into one unified system. It’s the main built-in way for creators to earn money on the platform.
Once approved, Snapchat places ads within your public Stories and eligible Spotlight videos, with revenue shared based on views, engagement, and performance. Since you don’t need to create or manage ads yourself, this is a low-effort way to monetize Snapchat content.
To get invited, you must meet all of the following criteria:
1. Audience and engagement
- Have at least 50,000 followers
- Meet one of the following in the last 28 days:
- 10 million Snap views
- 1 million Spotlight views
- 12,000 hours of view time
2. Consistency
- Post at least 25 times per month to Saved Stories or Spotlight
- Post to Spotlight or Public Stories on at least 10 of the last 28 days
3. Compliance
- Be at least 18 years old or the age of legal majority in your country
- Publish original, advertiser-friendly content that follows Snapchat’s Community Guidelines and Content Guidelines for Recommendation Eligibility
- Reside in an eligible country
- Become a verified Snapchat creator (Snap Star)
- Comply with Snapchat’s Monetization Terms and Creator Monetization Policy
Check out Snapchat’s official video introducing the Monetization Program.
Promote and sell your products or services
Building an audience can take time, so selling your own products or services is a practical way to start earning sooner. Think high-margin items like apparel and home decor, digital downloads, or coaching or creative services.
If you don’t know where to start, Print on Demand offers an easy entry point. Printify lets you design and sell custom products without holding inventory or managing shipping. We also integrate with popular eCommerce platforms, making setup simple even for beginners.
Once your store is live, Snapchat becomes your traffic source. Link product pages to your Snapchat content or embed your store’s URL in your bio. This approach gives you full control over pricing, branding, and profit, while turning Snapchat engagement into consistent sales.
Check out our top picks of the most profitable POD products for inspiration.
Sponsored content and brand deals
If you have a knack for creative content creation, brand partnerships are one of the most direct ways to make income on Snapchat.
With sponsored content, companies pay to feature their product or service in creators’ Stories or Spotlight videos. This can include reviews, product mentions, or Snapchat takeovers, depending on the agreement and campaign goals.
These deals usually depend on your audience size, engagement rate, and niche rather than follower count alone. Businesses look for influencers who can connect with their target audience and deliver authentic, relevant content that increases conversions.
The revenue generated varies based on reach and performance, but it can become more consistent as your Snapchat presence grows and your account builds credibility.
Turn on the Brand Partnerships toggle in your Public Profile settings. This lets Snapchat share your profile insights with approved third-party creator discovery partners, helping companies find you and assess your account for a paid partnership opportunity. Keeping this on can increase your chances of landing brand deals as your audience grows.
Affiliate marketing with Snapchat
Affiliate marketing lets Snapchat creators earn money by promoting products or services from partner brands. You share an affiliate link or code in your Snapchat Stories or Spotlight videos, and earn a commission when someone makes a purchase.
If sponsored content usually pays a flat fee upfront, affiliate marketing is performance-based. You only earn when your promotion leads to a sale, which means income depends on engagement and conversions.
To get started, choose affiliate programs that match your niche and audience. For ideas, check out our guide on the best affiliate marketing programs for beginner creators. We also compiled the best affiliate marketing content ideas to help you start.
Only promote affiliate products you genuinely use or believe in. Trust boosts conversions, and your audience can tell when a recommendation feels forced.
Create and monetize AR lenses
AR lenses on Snapchat are interactive filters and effects that users can apply to their images and videos using augmented reality. They can change how a person looks, add virtual objects to the environment, or create playful, immersive experiences.
Creators can monetize AR lenses through brand partnerships, where companies pay for custom lens experiences, including localized sponsored lenses. Sephora is one example of a brand using this feature to showcase products and drive engagement.
Snapchat now pays creators through the Lens+ Payouts program, which replaces the Lens Creator Rewards program. To qualify, you must be at least 18 years old and reside in an eligible country.
Design lenses with repeat use in mind. High usage and engagement improve your chances of qualifying for Lens+ Payouts and brand interest. Remember to test your lens on different devices before publishing.
Sell access to premium content
Since Snapchat doesn’t handle subscriptions directly, creators can use a third-party platform like Patreon or Fansly to manage recurring payments. Subscribers pay a monthly fee for exclusive content that isn’t available on your public profile, turning this into a reliable recurring revenue stream.
To keep things organized, it’s best to set up a separate, private Snapchat account just for premium content and paid subscribers. This makes it easier to manage brand partnerships and other monetization strategies without overlap.
You can also use Snapchat’s Private Story feature to lock premium content and grant access only to active subscribers. Give members a clear reason to stay subscribed by delivering exclusive, high-value content on a consistent schedule.
Be upfront about what subscribers get before they pay. Clear expectations lead to happier subscribers and fewer cancellations. To attract more supporters, tease your premium content in your public Stories.
Sell shoutouts in your stories
Selling shoutouts on Snapchat means getting paid to mention or feature another account, brand, or product in your Stories. It’s quick and works well when you have an engaged audience that trusts your recommendations. Companies use shoutouts to reach niche audiences and increase conversions, while smaller creators use them to gain exposure.
Take advantage of Snapchat’s disappearing messages feature to make shoutouts more exclusive and time-sensitive. Since Snaps and chats disappear after they’re viewed and Stories vanish after 24 hours, shoutouts create urgency and encourage faster action, especially for premium content or limited promotions.
To make this work long-term, set clear pricing for paid shoutouts based on your reach and engagement.
You can also offer occasional free shoutouts for followers as a way to show appreciation, support your community, and keep your content feeling authentic. However, limit them to a predictable frequency, such as once a month. This helps paid placements retain their value while keeping your Stories balanced and audience-friendly.
Always label paid posts clearly, including shoutouts. Transparency protects your account and builds credibility.
Best types of content that make money on Snapchat
When it comes to Snapchat monetization, these types of content perform best:
- Short-form vertical videos. Fast-paced, entertaining clips work especially well on Spotlight and help attract new followers quickly.
- Behind-the-scenes content. Casual, real moments build trust and work well for driving affiliate sales, premium subscriptions, and brand interest.
- Product demos and tutorials. Showing how a product works in real life increases conversions for affiliate links, shoutouts, and your own products.
- Story-based content. Consistent Snapchat Stories keep your audience engaged and are effective for Snap ads, shoutouts, and promoting offers.
- Educational or niche tips. Quick tips, hacks, or how-tos attract a loyal audience and position you as an authority in your niche.
- Interactive content. Polls, questions, and AR lenses encourage engagement and increase visibility across the platform.
How many views do you need to get paid on Snapchat?
The number of views you need depends on how you’re monetizing your Snapchat account. It also varies based on whether you’re using Snapchat’s built-in programs or external income methods.
For Snapchat’s Monetization Program, eligibility is tied to audience size and recent performance. Creators need at least 50,000 followers and must meet one of the following thresholds within the last 28 days: 10 million Snap views, one million Spotlight views, or 12,000 hours of view time.
Even then, earnings vary based on engagement, ad performance, and posting consistency.
If you monetize through affiliate marketing, product sales, shoutouts, or premium content, there’s no minimum view requirement. Smaller creators can still earn by reaching the right audience and driving action. In these cases, engagement and trust matter more than raw view counts.
Sell custom products to your Snapchat followers with Printify
Instead of relying on one-time payouts or campaigns, consider creating your own branded product line and promoting it directly to your Snapchat followers.
With Printify, you can register for free, test ideas quickly, scale designs and product offerings, and focus on content while fulfillment runs in the background.
Follow these steps to get started:
- Choose products based on your niche and audience. Pick items from our Catalog of 1,300 customizable items, and run a poll on Snapchat to get feedback before launching.
- Create your designs. Upload your artwork, add text, or make designs from scratch using Printify’s beginner-friendly Product Creator.
- Connect your store. Build a store on a platform that integrates with Printify so orders and fulfillment are handled automatically.
- Promote on Snapchat. Share your products through Stories and Spotlight videos, then direct followers to your store using links.
When you make a sale, Printify takes care of production and shipping, so you can focus on growing your audience.
Frequently asked questions
Snapchat doesn’t publish a fixed rate per 1,000 views. Earnings depend on factors like engagement, ad performance, content type, and audience location.
For creators in Snapchat’s Monetization Program, payouts can vary widely, and external methods like affiliate marketing or product sales are not tied to view-based rates.
Yes. Eligible creators can make money directly through Snapchat’s Monetization Program via ads placed in Stories and Spotlight content. Creators can also earn money using external methods such as affiliate marketing, selling products, brand partnerships, or offering premium content.
For Snapchat’s Monetization Program, creators need at least 50,000 followers to qualify. However, there is no minimum follower requirement to make money through affiliate marketing, product sales, shoutouts, or premium content.
To become a Snapchat creator, set up a public profile, post consistently, and focus on building an engaged audience within a clear niche. Explore trends for fresh content ideas and track your viewing insights to see what resonates with your followers.
Every well-known influencer started somewhere, and with consistency and effort, you can unlock your full potential for growth and monetization.
Ready to monetize your Snapchat account?
Learning how to make money on Snapchat comes down to choosing the right mix of monetization methods for your goals and audience. From Snapchat’s built-in Monetization Program to affiliate marketing, shoutouts, and AR lenses, creators have more revenue options than ever.
The best part? You don’t need millions of followers to start earning.
If you want a scalable way to turn your Snapchat audience into long-term income, selling custom products is a strong next step. With Printify, you can create and sell products without upfront inventory or logistical hassle. Just build products your followers love and turn Snapchat engagement into real sales.
