Start with something people already use
A paid feature is easier to explain when it solves a problem your users already have. Look at recurring requests and your largest running costs before choosing a price. A small moderation bot and an image-generation bot will need different plans.
a useful first offer
One plan. One clear reason to buy.
For example: keep basic scheduling free, then charge for more saved schedules and shared team access. Make the limit visible before someone spends time setting up a task.
Seven ways to earn
1. Premium subscriptions
2. Per-server licenses
3. Usage credits
4. Digital extras
5. Vote revenue
6. Sponsorships
7. Affiliate links
Make purchases reliable
Define who gets access
Decide whether a purchase belongs to a user or a server. Explain included features, limits, renewal, cancellation, and support before payment.Verify payment on the server
Use signed payment events or the provider’s entitlement API. A checkout success page alone is not proof of payment. Handle duplicate events without granting duplicate credits.Handle the full subscription life
Test renewals, failed payments, cancellations, refunds, and reinstatement. Give users a way to see their plan and fix missing access.
Keep payment records separate from the bot’s cache. An outage or restart should not erase purchases, and a delayed webhook should not silently charge someone twice.
Check whether the model works
Track how many active users try the paid feature, how many stay subscribed, and what each customer costs to serve. A popular plan can still lose money if it includes unlimited expensive API calls.
- Keep a useful free experience and show upgrade prompts where the extra feature matters.
- Test one offer with a small group before adding more tiers.
- Read cancellation feedback and support requests alongside revenue.
- Measure net earnings after hosting, payment fees, refunds, and support time.
For the tracking side, see our bot analytics guide. You do not need a large dashboard to learn whether the first offer is useful.