Snapchat Introduces $8.99 Lens+ Subscription Tier

On Wednesday, Snapchat said that “Lens+,” a new Snapchat+ tier, would be available. As the name implies, the new tier, which costs $8.99 a month, is focused on providing customers with access to premium Lenses and augmented reality experiences.

According to the firm, Lens+ allows users to use hundreds of Lenses that let them to “play, create, and share Snaps” with others, in addition to the benefits unlocked with the basic $3.99/month Snapchat+ tier.

“We’ll be adding new AR experiences every week,” Snapchat stated in a blog post, “and we’re starting with Lenses built by Snapchat and select creators, including exclusive new AI video Lenses, a brand new Bitmoji Game Lens, and more.” 

In a response to TechCrunch, a Snap representative stated that the firm will not be restricting any Lenses that were previously free.

According to the firm, a few Lens designers will be able to make money off of unique Lenses in the upcoming months. This implies that creators will have access to a new avenue for increasing their platform revenue. Snapchat did not disclose any information regarding the creators’ revenue split.

More than 14 million people have paid for Snapchat+ since its launch in 2022. The paid subscription tier has been identified by the social network as a major contributor to its income development.

Snap announced $1.36 billion in first-quarter revenue in April, a 14% rise from the previous year. At the time, the firm claimed that the increase was fuelled by the expansion of its Snapchat+ subscription service and advancements in its advertising solutions.

By putting its more sophisticated Lenses and AR experiences behind a paywall, Snap hopes to increase its income even further by introducing a new membership tier. Not everyone will want to pay to use these features, of course.

Notably, Snapchat also provides a Platinum Snapchat+ tier for $14.99 per month, which removes advertisements and grants you access to all of the benefits of the regular Snapchat+ and Lens+ levels.

Bundles, creator-focused perks, or other Lens+ price tiers could be possible. We may see AI-generated lenses, interactive 3D effects, and real-time augmented reality enhancements that are exclusive to Lens+. If Lens+ is successful, it might grow into a sizable creative subscription layer, especially when paired with the ability to design AR lenses.