Do you have a Patreon account? Patreon, a membership platform that provides business tools for artists and content creators to run a subscription service, might be something you no longer need.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- How to Delete Your Own Patreon Membership
- How to Delete Your Own Patron Creator Page
- How to Delete a Deceased Loved One's Patreon Membership
- How to Delete a Deceased Loved One's Patreon Creator Page
In that case, let us help you delete your Patreon account. We will also help you if you need to take care of the digital afterlife of a deceased family member.
How to Delete Your Own Patreon Membership
Patreon gives the user clear instructions on how to delete a membership account. Learn the steps you need to take.
First, you must realize what “deleting your account” actually means.
If you no longer wish to support a specific creator but want to make donations to others, you should not delete your account. Instead, look for instructions on how to cancel a membership.
You may not want to receive any emails about the creator’s content and wish to sever all ties with the individual. Instead of deleting your Patreon account, learn how to unsubscribe from all of the notification emails from that specific creator.
The following instructions involve those who no longer wish to support creators through the Patreon platform.
Step 1: Cancel all your active memberships.
Patreon’s website says that it may take up to 30 days to delete your account. Because of this time lag, it recommends that you cancel all of your memberships before submitting your account for deletion.
Learn how to cancel memberships to your creators by visiting the Patreon help center.
Step 2: Visit Patreon’s online Privacy Policy Center.
Once you get to this page, click the “Take Control” button, located in the top right corner.
Step 3: Click “Erase.”
Once you wish to take control of your privacy, you have two options:
- Download a report that contains all of your personal data through Patreon’s systems.
- Erase the personal data from Patreon’s systems.
Step 4. Log into your Patreon account.
Of course, you need to verify that it is actually you when you request to delete an account. This verification will complete once you log into your account.
Step 5. Click “Allow.”
Patreon works with Transcend, a company that works to erase personal data that lives online. Clicking “allow” from Patreon’s website gives Transcend access to your Patreon account.
Step 6: Confirm that you wish to erase your account.
Patreon will ask that you give your final confirmation to erase your account and the data that comes with it. If you have second thoughts about deleting your account and data, you have 14 days to stop the process.
Step 7: Look for emails regarding the status of your request.
You will receive notifications throughout the data erasure process. Patreon carefully states that it may need to keep some data to comply with anti-fraud regulations.
How to Delete Your Own Patreon Creator Page
You may wish to delete your creator page on Patron. Learn the steps here.
Step 1: Send a message to your patrons.
If you have decided to suspend your creative pursuits for the time being, consider sending a message to those who support you.
Does this decision make the most sense for you? You may consider taking a break by using Patreon’s "pause billing" feature. This way, your patrons will not be charged as you consider other pursuits.
Step 2: Pay out your remaining balance.
Do you still have funds in your account with Patreon? Transfer them out before closing your account.
Step 3: Visit the account settings page for your creator account.
Once you get there, scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Step 4: Click on “Unlaunch Your Creator Page.”
Click “Confirm.”
Once you have unlaunched your page, you can't receive payments or new memberships. You can use your account to act as a patron for other creators.
Step 5: Repeat the preceding steps if you wish to delete your creator account completely.
If you wish to sever your ties with Patreon completely, go through the steps in the preceding section.
How to Delete a Deceased Loved One’s Patreon Membership
You may feel overwhelmed with the task of deleting your loved one’s online accounts and memberships. In fact, you may have a difficult time understanding what accounts your loved one created if you don’t have access to your loved one's email through a password manager or some other means.
Note that your loved one's bank or credit card company may take care of these concerns. Once the bank and credit card company know about your loved one’s death, they flag those cards. This means that the account cannot incur additional charges.
Still, you may wish to let those that your loved one supported through Patreon know why they will no longer receive funds.
Unfortunately, Patreon does not offer a customer support phone number or chat options on its website. Learn more about your two options. From here, it's a good idea to follow our complete post-loss checklist for more ideas about how to handle your loved one's digital legacy.
Option 1: Email Patreon’s support team.
Patreon’s support is called the “Community Happiness Team.” It offers support via email on Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST. Visit Patreon’s website and click on the button at the bottom that reads “Email Patreon Support.”
Option 2: Send a message through Twitter.
You can also send a message through Twitter Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST.
No matter which option you choose, explain that your loved one has died and that you wish to have your loved one's account deleted.
How to Delete a Deceased Loved One’s Patreon Creator Page
Patreon’s Terms of Service does not explain what happens if a creator dies. You may want to reach out to its customer service department. You can tap into two options for reaching Patreon’s customer support team.
Option 1: Email Patreon’s support team.
Patreon offers support via email on Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST. Visit Patreon’s website and click on the button at the bottom that reads “Email Patreon Support.”
Option 2: Send a message through Twitter.
Send a message through Twitter Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST.
If your loved one had a positive account balance, you might have to provide a copy of their death certificate to receive the funds in the account.
Take Care of Accounts
The executor of an estate has many responsibilities when someone dies. Taking care of the deceased’s online accounts doesn't involve these responsibilities unless a balance due exists to the estate.
Learn more about your loved one’s digital afterlife by looking through the resources that CAKE’s blog provides.
Source:
- “Delete My Patreon Account.” Patreon. https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/204605915-Delete-my-Patreon-account