Summer Subscription Discounts Brighten User Options
Meta, X and Snapchat have all unveiled summer subscription discounts to entice new users into their premium plans. Meta offers a steeply discounted first month for Meta Verified. X is promoting a 30% reduction on annual Premium and Premium Plus tiers. Snapchat is giving 50% off for the initial two months of Snapchat+.
Each platform hopes these offers will spark renewed interest and trial—even though many users who value these perks may already be enrolled.
How Each Platform Measures Up
Meta Verified
A heavily discounted first month gives users access to verification, enhanced reach, and priority support. Meta’s “Other” income soared by roughly $358 million following the Meta Verified launch in Q2 2023. At an average price of $13, that suggests about 9 million subscriptions to date—but this remains modest next to Meta’s $31.5 billion quarterly ad revenue.
Snapchat+
With a 50% discount on the first two months, Snapchat+ offers early feature access and AI-powered extras. It has become the most successful of the three in terms of uptake, with around 15 million subscribers contributing approximately $150 million per quarter—yet this still pales compared to Snapchat’s overall $1.36 billion Q1 revenue.
X Premium
X’s 30% off annual deal includes more Grok AI access, fewer ads, and priority replies. However, only about 1.5 million users—less than 0.5% of X’s base—have signed up. Elon Musk’s vision of hundreds of millions of paying users remains far off. Development costs and intense competition—with AI bots from OpenAI and Meta—may hinder growth.
Do These Discounts Deliver?
These summer subscription discounts serve as powerful promotional tools. They could attract new subscribers or re-engage inactive ones—especially in regions where price sensitivity is higher. But realistically, advertising continues to serve as the primary revenue stream for each.
