Paid messages (PPV): how to earn more from chat without spamming your fans
Chat is where creators earn the most per fan. How paid messages (PPV) work, what to send, when to send it, how to price it, and how to avoid annoying your subscribers.
For many creators, subscriptions pay the rent – but chat pays for everything else. Paid messages let you earn from the fans who want more than your feed, without raising the subscription price for everyone else. Done well, they feel personal and fans love them. Done badly, they feel like spam and people unsubscribe.
Here's how to do it well.
How paid messages work
A paid message (often called PPV, pay-per-view) is a photo or video sent in chat with a price on it. The fan sees a blurred preview and decides whether to unlock it.
On SHEDANX:
- You attach photos or videos in any chat thread – free or locked from €1 – with no upper limit.
- The fan sees a blurred preview and unlocks it with their credit.
- You keep 85 % of every unlock (90 % as a founder).
- Unlocks belong to the file: if a fan has paid for something once, they keep access – even if you send it again later.
What to send
Not every message should have a price. A healthy chat mixes three kinds of messages:
| Type | Example | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Free & personal | "Thank you for subscribing! What brought you here?" | Builds the relationship |
| Free teaser | A short behind-the-scenes clip from your next shoot | Builds anticipation |
| Paid | The full set, an extended video, a special photo series | Earns money |
A good rule of thumb: for every paid message, send at least one free one. If every notification from you costs money, fans stop opening them.
When to send paid messages
- When something is new. Fresh content has the highest unlock rate.
- When your fans are awake. Look at when your subscribers are most active and send then.
- Not too often. Most fans are happy with a few paid messages a week. Something paid every single day tends to drive unsubscribes.
- Around live streams. A message before you go live ("live in 30 minutes 🖤") is free reach; a thank-you afterwards is a natural moment for a paid follow-up.
How to price paid messages
- Price by value, not by file count. A five-minute video with a story is worth more than ten similar photos.
- Offer a range. Small, impulsive unlocks (a few euros) alongside premium sets.
- Reward subscribers. Send subscribers something a non-subscriber has to pay more for – it makes the subscription feel worth it.
- Learn from your numbers. If something sells far below your other messages, it's probably the price or the preview, not the content.
For a full pricing framework, see our guide on how to price subscriptions, PPV and VIP sets.
Make the preview do the selling
The blurred preview and the text are your sales pitch. A few tips:
- Write like a person, not an ad. "Shot this on the rooftop last night – it got cold fast 😅" beats "NEW SET 20 PICS UNLOCK NOW".
- Say what's inside. Number of photos, video length, the theme. Surprises are fun, disappointments are not.
- Pick a strong first image. It's what shows (blurred) in the preview.
Keep track
The media vault shows every file you've sent in chat with what it earned. In a chat with a fan you can see what they already have from you – so you never accidentally charge someone twice for the same content.
Don't hand your chat to a stranger
Some agencies offer "chatters" who reply to fans in your name. Before you consider it, think about what fans are paying for: a connection with you. If fans find out they were talking to a hired chatter, trust is hard to win back. Read more in Do you need an OnlyFans agency?
Frequently asked questions
What is a paid message?
A paid message (PPV) is a photo or video sent in chat with a price. The fan sees a blurred preview and pays to unlock it. On SHEDANX, you set the price per attachment yourself – from €1, with no upper limit.
How often should I send paid messages?
Most fans are comfortable with a few a week. Mix in free, personal messages – at least one free message for every paid one – to keep fans opening your messages.
Do fans keep access to media they paid for?
Yes. On SHEDANX, unlocks belong to the file, so a fan who paid once keeps access even if you send the same file again.
