On Wednesday, Snapchat announced the launch of a new Snapchat+ tier called “Lens+.” The new tier is priced at $8.99 per month, and as the name suggests, it focuses on providing users with access to exclusive lenses and AR experiences.
Lens+ allows users to use hundreds of lenses that allow users to “play, create, share” with others, in addition to being unlocked at a standard $3.99 per $3.99 per month.
“Starting with lenses built by Snapchat, select creators, including exclusive new AI video lenses, brand new Bitmoji game lenses, and more. We'll add a new AR experience each week,” Snapchat explained in a blog post.
A SNAP spokesperson emailed TechCrunch that he had not previously obtained free lenses.
In the coming months, Select Lens Creators will be able to monetize exclusive lenses, the company says. This means creators can unlock new ways to increase revenue on the platform. Snapchat did not share details on what revenue splits might look like for creators.
Released in 2022, Snapchat+ has over 14 million paid subscribers. Social networks believe that the paid subscription class is the major driver of revenue growth.
In April, SNAP reported first-quarter revenue of $1.36 billion, up 14% year-on-year. The company said at the time that the rise was driven by the growth of Snapchat+ subscription services and the progress it made in advertising solutions.
By launching another subscription tier, SNAP is considering increasing revenue even more by locking in the more sophisticated lenses and AR experiences behind the paywall. Of course, not everyone wants to pay to access these features.
Please note that Snapchat also offers a $14.99/month Platinum Snapchat+ tier that removes ads and allows you to access all the perks in the standard Snapchat+ and Lens+ tiers.