How to Make Money on Snapchat

Snapchat is a messaging and social media app with a Mission Impossible twist: the posts and messages - aka “Snaps” - sent by Snapchat users self-destruct after a specific amount of time (they can still technically be screenshot and saved in other ways, but that’s the basic premise of Snapchat.)

Opening immediately to its camera, the Snapchat app lets users snag photos and videos that they can then share via Chats (direct messages), or on Stories or Spotlight, where their Snaps can be seen by a wider audience. Avatars, live video chatting, and a lot of photo and video filters and AR Lenses give users the ability to really get creative with their Snaps.

The fact that everyone’s Snaps disappear after a limited amount of time makes them ephemeral, adding a sense of urgency and assuring fast turnover of Snaps with fresh content to see. Snaps are even used in some circles for another kind of communication; don’t be surprised if you meet someone new, and you’re asked for your Snap instead of your number!

You can even sign up for Snapchat+, Snapchat’s paid subscription service, to get even more features, like early access to features, special backgrounds and emoji, and access to Snapchat Solar Systems, a kind of Snapchat friends hierarchy system.

Snapchat’s “Solar Systems” identify the eight Snapchat friends that you Snap and Chat with the most, each taking on the Solar System identity of a planet.  

Surprisingly, you don’t need an insane amount of followers on Snapchat to start making money; just a few thousand followers can really get things rolling. But how exactly do you make money from Snapchat?

Get Set Up to Earn Money on Snapchat!

Snapchat is perfectly poised for you to make money through its huge user base of Millennials and Gen Z users, the two heaviest user groups on the platform. But as with all socials, earning money from Snapchat starts with your eligibility. 

Different levels of monetization have different requirements, but at the base level, you’re required to be at least 18 years of age (or the age of legal majority in your country); have a Snapchat account that’s at least one month old; have 1,000 or more followers on a public profile; be following all of Snapchat’s platform and community guidelines; and hit Snapchat’s views and content minimums.

Once you’re a Qualifying Creator, you can take advantage of several different types of opportunities to earn money on Snapchat. Snapchat pays creators in Crystals, which are how to get paid on Snapchat; Crystals are a virtual good that work as Snapchat’s way to track earnings on the platform. 

Once you onboard your account to set up payments, you can then manage your Snapchat payouts right in the app, cashing out your Snapchat Crystals at a minimum of $100 daily. 

Next, you’re probably wondering, “how much does Snapchat pay?” Well, that depends on how you choose to earn your Snapchat money. Each revenue opportunity has its own pay ranges that are only really determined when you start working with them, factoring in the type of content, audience engagement, and where the views are coming from (Snaps, Stories, Spotlights, etc.) 

8 Ways to Earn Money on Snapchat 

Ads in Stories

Ads in Snapchat Stories are now part of Snapchat’s new, unified Monetization Program that’s kicking off in January, 2025. The Program will allow creators to have ads placed within their Snapchat Stories for monetization. If you consistently share stories on Snapchat and meet the criteria, this could be a great option for you! 

Spotlight Videos

Spotlight viewership has increased by 25% over the past year at Snapchat, which is why Snapchat is also rolling Spotlights into their Monetization Program (February, 2025). This will allow creators to monetize Spotlight videos longer than 1 minute with Snapchat ad placement, similar to Ads in Stories. 

You’ll have to be invited to the program by meeting specific criteria (at least 50K followers, a minimum of 25 posts per month to Spotlight or Saved Stories, living in a qualifying country, and either 10 million Snap views, 1 million Spotlight views, or 12K hours of view time) to participate.

Lenses and Filters

Snapchat Lenses and AR (augmented reality) Filters are a big part of the Snapchat experience, letting users change their hair color, place themselves into mystical backgrounds, or turn themselves into sad anime characters right on their Snaps. 

If you know how to create lenses/filters from scratch, you can get started by sharing them for others to use on Snapchat; to earn from your lens/filter skills, you can contract to customize them as sponsored lenses for influencers, small business owners, brands, or even big companies if you can catch their eye.

Affiliate Promotions

Affiliate marketing is a proven way to snag some cash via Snapchat. You’ll choose an affiliate program - a couple of good ones to start with include Amazon Associates and Rakuten - and creatively promote products from their brands, including an affiliate link to that product, in your Snaps. When someone buys one of those products using your affiliate link, you’ll earn a commission.

Your Own Products or Services

If you’ve got another gig besides being the amazing content creator that you are, you can use Snapchat to promote your own products or services. 

For instance, if you have an online T-shirt shop, you can share your new tees, invite pals to wear/model them on your Snapchat, and show behind the scenes peeks at how you create your shirt designs. This helps hype your product/service so it can reach new customers, bringing you more sales and more income.

Paid Partnerships and Collaborations

Teaming up with a brand is another great way to bring extra revenue in from Snapchat! Pitch your Snapchat to brands you’d like to work with, and strike a paid partnership with them where you’ll create Snaps and Stories just for them as their brand partner. 

You can also team up with a fellow creator for a collab - this is especially effective if you’re both promoting the same brand - and create something unique around the product showcasing the both of you (check with your sponsor first, of course!)

Do make sure you add a “Paid Partnership” label to your public Snaps, though, so that people are aware it’s a sponsored post. If you’re a Snap Star (see below!), you can even specifically tag a brand right in your Snaps for certain types of content.

Become a Snap Star!

If you consistently create high-quality public content; grow a large and engaged audience; and stick to Snapchat’s TOS, you might qualify to potentially become a Snap Star. Snap Stars are Snapchat creators who get verified by Snapchat, meaning they’re genuine “Snap Stars” and can become part of Snapchat’s Snap Stars and Snapchat Shows ad revenue sharing program. 

You’ve gotta be pretty big to be a Snap Star, though - Snap Stars are most often well-known public figures, celebrities, or Snapchat creators who have become very popular on the platform.

But Wait, There’s More!

Here are some bonus tips for earning money on Snapchat!

• Create engaging content and post it on Snapchat consistently to maintain visibility and grow your Snapchat audience.

• Make good use of Snapchat’s own onboard features, like Filters, Lenses, and Stories. 

• Catch viewers’ eyes and ears by using emoji, entertaining captions and titles, stickers and doodles, and trending music.

• Keep an eye on your viewership - note which Snaps they engage with the most, and then work on creating more Snaps and Stories in a similar format or with a similar vibe.

• Bring even more viewers to your Snapchat by sharing some of your Snapchat stories outside the app - just share the story and paste it into other social media platforms like Twitter (X) or Instagram.

There’s no time like the present - get started creating Snapchat content now, so you can get those numbers up and make money on Snapchat! And keep on top of all the latest Snapchat and social media tips by subscribing to the Creator Logic newsletter, which will help you turn streaming into a career on Snapchat and beyond. Join 37,000 other creators getting business insights, tactics, case studies, and more in under 7 minutes a week!