Snapchat is giving its subscribers a new way to spread the word about its premium tier. The platform has introduced Buddy Passes, a feature that lets Snapchat+ members gift their friends a free week of Snapchat+ access at no additional cost.
Also Read | Snapchat and McDonald’s Bring ‘McDonaldland’ to Life in AR
Here’s how it works: on the first day of each billing cycle, Snapchat+ subscribers receive three Buddy Passes they can share with friends. Annual plan members get their passes monthly, while monthly subscribers receive them with each renewal. Each pass unlocks seven days of Snapchat+ for the recipient.
As explained by Snap:
“If you’re a Snapchat+ subscriber, you can give your friends free access to Snapchat+ using a buddy pass. On the first day of each month (on an annual plan) or the first day of each billing cycle (on a monthly plan), you’ll get three Buddy Passes to give to friends that will allow them to use Snapchat+ for free for 7 days.”
With more than 15 million people already paying for Snapchat+, the math is interesting: if each of them were to use all three Buddy Passes, that’s up to 45 million additional users trying out Snapchat+ every month. Even if only a fraction converts, that’s a big funnel for Snap to grow its paid audience.
The timing makes sense. Snap’s revenue for Q2 came in below expectations, while its investments in AI and AR continue to push costs higher. Ads remain the company’s main source of income, but Snapchat+ has quietly become the most successful of the new wave of social subscriptions, outpacing X Premium and Meta Verified in relative uptake.
And Snap is doubling down. Beyond Buddy Passes, the company has also launched Snapchat+ gift cards in retail stores and recently partnered with McDonald’s to let customers trade McDonald’s points for Snapchat+ access.
Buddy Passes aren’t yet available in all regions, but where they are, subscribers can share them directly from their Snapchat+ management page. For Snap, the move is simple: turn loyal subscribers into brand advocates, and turn free trials into long-term paying users.