X/Twitter monetization: How does it work?
X, formerly known as Twitter, updated its monetization offering in 2026. Here’s how it works.
Today, we’ll cover:
- Does X/Twitter have official monetization?
- How does X/Twitter monetization work?
- How to make money on X/Twitter
- X/Twitter monetization requirements
- Does X/Twitter pay you for viral posts?
- How much can you earn on X/Twitter?
Does X/Twitter have official monetization?
Users can make money on X/Twitter via Original Content Rewards and Subscriptions. The platform featured no formal monetization until 2023, when it introduced Creator Subscriptions and Creator Revenue Sharing.
X/Twitter updated its monetization model in September 2026, replacing Creator Revenue Sharing with Original Content Rewards. The previously introduced Creator Subscriptions remains intact, simply renamed Subscriptions.
How does X/Twitter monetization work?
Subscriptions and Original Content Rewards are X/Twitter’s official monetization methods. Both require an X Premium, Premium+, or Premium Business subscription.
Subscriptions offer fans bonus content and perks for a monthly fee, which is paid to the creator. Original Content Rewards pays creators for qualified impressions on their original content.
How to make money on X/Twitter
1. Subscriptions
X/Twitter Subscriptions bring fans closer to the creators they love. For a fixed monthly fee, you can offer subscriber-exclusive posts, conversations, replies, badges, direct messages, and more.
US-based creators are paid through X Money; those outside the US need to use Stripe.
2. Original Content Rewards
Original Content Rewards pay creators for qualified impressions on original, high-quality content. Copied, reposted, aggregated, automated, misleading, monetization-focused, and inappropriate content isn’t eligible.
Payouts are processed every two weeks with a minimum balance of $30. As with Subscriptions, US creators are paid with X Money, while everyone else needs Stripe.
3. Affiliate links
Third-party affiliate marketing is a popular choice for small-to-medium creators, providing them with specific links that take users to a purchase/signup page.
Most affiliate links leave cookies, meaning they’ll track the user’s activity on the destination page. That way, even if a user doesn’t complete the purchase right away, you’ll still receive a commission if they buy later.
4. Create sponsored content
If you have existing brand partnerships, you can create sponsored posts. Everything is usually handled outside X/Twitter’s walls, making it even more important to double-check all sponsored content stays within the platform’s guidelines.
In May 2026, X/Twitter announced Creator Connect. This program uses AI to match creators with like-minded brands, going on to support outreach, content creation, and the distribution process. Creator Connect isn’t yet available to the majority of X/Twitter users.
X/Twitter monetization requirements
The threshold for X/Twitter monetization isn’t as high as other social media platforms, but it still requires work.
Here are the criteria you need to hit:
Original Content Rewards
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Live in a country where X/Twitter’s monetization program is available.
- Have a Personal or Business Account. Accounts associated with political or government organizations aren’t eligible.
- Have at least 500 followers, all of whom are active and verified. This discounts bots, inactive accounts, and bought followers.
- Have at least 500,000 verified Home Timeline impressions in the last 90 days. This doesn’t include impressions on replies.
- Post original content.
- Be in good standing with X/Twitter’s rules and regulations, including the Terms of Service and Creator Monetization Standards.
- Have an active Premium, Premium+, or Premium Business subscription.
Subscriptions
- Everything needed for Original Content Rewards, plus:
- Have 2,000 or more active followers with Premium subscriptions.
- Have at least 5 million impressions on your posts over the last three months. This replaces the 500,000 impressions needed for Original Content Rewards.
- Have had an active X/Twitter account for at least three months, and posted in the last 30 days.
- Follow X/Twitter’s Subscriptions Creator Terms.
Once you’ve checked these boxes, you can apply for Original Content Rewards and Subscriptions in your X/Twitter account’s Creator Studio.
Meeting all the requirements doesn’t guarantee approval, though; decisions are made at the platform’s discretion. To stay monetized, you’ll need to maintain the above standards.
You also can’t repeatedly ask users to like, reply, follow, repost, or otherwise engage with your account or content. This is because Original Content Rewards payouts are based on impressions; the aforementioned engagement could “rig” it in your favor.
Does X/Twitter pay you for viral posts?
X/Twitter doesn’t directly pay you for viral posts. However, if you’ve activated Original Content Rewards, you’ll make money when verified users leave impressions on your content.
Views from non-Premium users, multiple views from the same account, and impressions from paid, promoted, or bot users don’t count. This makes a viral post’s worth in real money depend on which type of account sees it.
How much can you earn on X/Twitter?
Subscriptions
Creators keep up to 97% of revenue from Subscriptions, and the platform doesn’t take a cut. Any deductions come from variables like in-app purchase fees. If you reach a lifetime X/Twitter monetization total of $50,000, earnings drop to a maximum of 90%.
Original Content Rewards
Revenue breakdowns for Original Content Rewards aren’t publicly available. The old Creator Revenue Sharing program saw creators with 7,000 followers reportedly earn around $300 per month, but that was a completely different payment model. X/Twitter hasn’t published a per-impression rate sheet for Original Content Rewards, so treat any figures you see as unverified.
X/Twitter’s updated monetization rules highlight the power of originality. However, the platform’s Original Content Rewards rules are separate from its intellectual property policy.
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Frequently asked questions about X/Twitter monetization
Is the X/Twitter Creator Revenue Sharing program still available?
No. X/Twitter stopped accepting applications on August 7, 2026 and retired the Creator Revenue Sharing program on September 7 the same year. It was replaced by Original Content Rewards.
What’s the difference between X/Twitter Creator Revenue Sharing and Original Content Rewards?
Creator Revenue Sharing paid users based on engagement and ad impressions from verified users. Original Content Rewards pays for impressions on original content, meaning “engagement bait”-style content can’t be monetized.
What does X/Twitter count as “original content”?
X/Twitter classifies content you’ve created yourself — whether it be written, filmed, animated, hand-drawn, photographed, spoken, and so on — as “original.” If it reflects your own personality and expertise, it should be deemed original.
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This article has been updated to reflect changes in X/Twitter’s monetization policies.