Billing & Monetization FAQ

How money flows in and out of your community.

How do I charge for access?

Create paid tiers in Admin → Membership Tiers. Each tier can gate spaces, channels, or courses. Members pick a tier at checkout. Before you can collect money, connect your own Stripe account in Admin → Payment Setup.

What are the transaction fees?

Bonfire takes 0% platform fee on member payments. Stripe's standard processing fees still apply, and they settle directly with your connected Stripe account.

How is my own subscription billed?

Your Bonfire plan — what you pay Bonfire — is billed via Freemius. Manage it in Admin → Billing. This is separate from member payments: money your members pay you flows through Stripe Connect, configured in Admin → Payment Setup.

How do members pay me?

Members check out through Stripe. Connect your Stripe account in Admin → Payment Setup (Publishable Key, Secret Key, Webhook Secret), and member payments land directly in your Stripe balance.

Can I offer discounts?

Yes. Create coupons in Admin → Coupons to apply a fixed or percentage discount at checkout.

What are patron perks?

Patron perks are extra benefits (badges, exclusive spaces, recognition) you attach to paying members to reward and retain them.

Can the AI Copilot manage billing?

The AI Owner Copilot can help configure tiers and run revenue analytics, with confirmation gates and an audit log. It surfaces MRR, churn, and revenue trends on request.

Where do I see revenue?

In Admin → Analytics: revenue, MRR, and churn alongside member growth and retention.

Set up paid tiers in Admin → Membership Tiers
Connect your Stripe account in Admin → Payment Setup
Create and share coupons in Admin → Coupons
Manage your own Bonfire plan in Admin → Billing

FAQ

Does Bonfire take a cut of member payments? No platform fee — Bonfire takes 0% of member payments. Stripe's standard processing fees still apply.

Can I run a free community? Yes. Monetization is optional; leave paid tiers off.

Can a member upgrade or downgrade tiers? Yes, members change tiers from their account; billing is prorated by Stripe.

Do coupons work on every tier? You choose which tiers a coupon applies to when you create it.