Recurring Subscriptions

Nostr enables recurring payments through NIP-88, allowing creators to offer subscription-based content and supporters to provide ongoing funding.

Overview

Subscriptions on Nostr work by:

Creator publishes subscription tiers
Subscriber zaps the tier event on a schedule
Subscription status tracked via events

Subscription Tiers (NIP-88)

Tier Event (kind 37001)

Creators define subscription options:

{
  "kind": 37001,
  "pubkey": "creator_pubkey",
  "content": "Support my work with a monthly subscription!",
  "tags": [
    ["d", "premium-tier"],
    ["title", "Premium Supporter"],
    ["amount", "10000", "monthly"],
    ["description", "Access to premium content and early releases"],
    ["image", "https://example.com/tier-image.png"],
    ["perks", "Early access", "Exclusive posts", "Direct messages"]
  ]
}

Tag	Purpose
`d`	Unique tier identifier
`title`	Tier name
`amount`	Sats and frequency
`description`	What subscriber gets
`perks`	List of benefits

Multiple Tiers Example

Creator: @alice

Tier	Price	Perks
Bronze	1,000 sats/mo	Monthly newsletter, Name in credits
Silver	5,000 sats/mo	All Bronze perks + Early access, Exclusive posts
Gold	21,000 sats/mo	All Silver perks + DM access, Monthly video call

Subscribing

Subscription Event (kind 7001)

{
  "kind": 7001,
  "pubkey": "subscriber_pubkey",
  "content": "",
  "tags": [
    ["p", "creator_pubkey"],
    ["e", "tier_event_id"],
    ["cadence", "monthly"],
    ["amount", "10000"]
  ]
}

The subscription event is re-zapped according to the cadence.

Cancellation

To cancel, publish a deletion event:

{
  "kind": 5,
  "tags": [
    ["e", "subscription_event_id"]
  ]
}

Payment Automation

Using NWC

Subscriptions can be automated via Nostr Wallet Connect:

Set up NWC with appropriate budget
Authorize recurring payments to specific pubkeys
Wallet handles payments on schedule

// NWC subscription setup
const subscription = {
  recipient: "creator_pubkey",
  amount: 10000,
  cadence: "monthly",
  maxBudget: 100000
};

Budget Protection

Set Spending Limits

Configure your wallet with:

Daily/weekly/monthly limits
Per-recipient caps
Total subscription budget

Content Gating

Creators can gate content based on subscription status:

Checking Subscription

async function hasActiveSubscription(userPubkey, creatorPubkey) {
  // Get user's subscription events
  const subs = await fetchEvents({
    kinds: [7001],
    authors: [userPubkey],
    "#p": [creatorPubkey]
  });

  // Check for recent zap to tier
  const recentZap = await checkRecentZap(userPubkey, creatorPubkey);

  return subs.length > 0 && recentZap;
}

Gated Content Event

{
  "kind": 30023,
  "content": "encrypted_premium_content",
  "tags": [
    ["tier", "premium-tier"],
    ["preview", "This is a preview. Subscribe to read more..."]
  ]
}

Value-for-Value Alternative

Not everyone needs subscriptions. The V4V model offers flexibility:

Model	Pros	Cons
Subscription	Predictable income	Barrier to entry
V4V (Zaps)	Frictionless	Unpredictable
Hybrid	Best of both	More complexity

Hybrid Approach

Many creators combine:

Free content with zap option
Premium tiers for extras
One-time tips always welcome

Comparison with Traditional Platforms

Feature	Patreon	Substack	Nostr Subscriptions
Platform Fee	5-12%	10%	0%
Payment	Credit card	Credit card	Bitcoin
Censorship	Platform rules	Platform rules	None
Identity	Email/password	Email	Cryptographic
Data Control	Platform owns	Platform owns	User owns

Implementation Status

Draft Specification

NIP-88 for recurring subscriptions is still in draft status. Implementations may vary and the specification could change.

Current Implementations

Zap.stream - Streaming with subscriptions
Nostr.band - Premium features
Various clients experimenting

Best Practices

For Creators

Clear tier benefits - Explain what subscribers get
Reasonable pricing - Consider your audience
Deliver value - Keep subscribers happy
Acknowledge supporters - Show appreciation

For Subscribers

Set budgets - Use NWC limits
Review subscriptions - Cancel unused ones
Understand terms - What you're paying for
Support quality - Vote with your sats

Overview​

Subscription Tiers (NIP-88)​

Tier Event (kind 37001)​

Multiple Tiers Example​

Subscribing​

Subscription Event (kind 7001)​

Cancellation​

Payment Automation​

Using NWC​

Budget Protection​

Content Gating​

Checking Subscription​

Gated Content Event​

Value-for-Value Alternative​

Hybrid Approach​

Comparison with Traditional Platforms​

Implementation Status​

Current Implementations​

Best Practices​

For Creators​

For Subscribers​

See Also​