If you’re researching Discord monetization solutions, you’ve probably noticed something frustrating: most platforms charge hefty fees on top of Stripe’s standard rates. Some take 5%, 10%, or even 15% of your hard-earned revenue.
PayBot is different. We don’t charge Stripe fees. We don’t take a percentage. We don’t touch your money at all.
Here’s how we do it—and why it matters for your Discord community.
The Problem with Traditional Discord Monetization Platforms
Most Discord monetization solutions work like this:
- You connect their platform to accept payments
- Payments go to their account first (they’re the merchant of record)
- They take their cut (5-15% typically)
- Then they pay you (usually on a schedule)
- You lose control of the customer relationship
Let’s say you charge $10/month for a premium Discord role. With a platform that takes 10%, you’re only seeing $9. Stripe’s standard fee (~2.9% + 30¢) comes out of your remaining amount. That’s almost $1.20 in fees per subscriber before you see a penny.
With 100 subscribers, you’re paying $120/month just for the privilege of using their platform. That’s $1,440/year in unnecessary fees.
How PayBot Works Differently: Stripe Connect
PayBot’s Discord payment bot uses Stripe Connect, which is fundamentally different from traditional payment platforms. Learn more about our Stripe Discord integration.
Your Stripe Account, Your Payments
When you set up PayBot, you connect your own Stripe account using Stripe’s secure OAuth flow. This means:
- ✅ Payments go directly to YOUR Stripe account
- ✅ PayBot never touches your money
- ✅ You see payments instantly in your Stripe dashboard
- ✅ You control refunds, disputes, and customer support
- ✅ All transaction data stays in your Stripe account
Think of PayBot as a smart assistant that helps you manage subscriptions—not as a middleman taking a cut.
The Technical Architecture
Here’s what happens when a member subscribes using PayBot’s /subscription command:
1. Member runs /subscription in Discord
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2. PayBot creates a Stripe Checkout Session on YOUR Stripe account
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3. Member completes payment (funds go directly to your account)
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4. Stripe notifies PayBot via webhook
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5. PayBot assigns the Discord role automatically
At no point does money flow through PayBot. We’re simply the technical bridge that connects Discord to your Stripe account.
What You Actually Pay
Let’s break down the real costs of using PayBot:
PayBot’s Fee
$0/month — PayBot is completely free. We take zero percentage of your revenue.
Stripe’s Fee
You pay Stripe’s standard processing fees, which go directly to Stripe (not to us):
- 2.9% + $0.30 per successful transaction (U.S. cards)
- International cards have slightly higher rates (set by Stripe)
Example Cost Breakdown
Let’s compare that $10/month subscription from earlier:
| Platform | Revenue | Platform Fee | Stripe Fee* | You Keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PayBot | $10.00 | $0.00 | $0.59 | $9.41 |
| Typical Competitor | $10.00 | $1.00 (10%) | $0.56 | $8.44 |
*Stripe fee = 2.9% + $0.30
With PayBot, you keep an extra $0.97 per subscriber per month.
Over 100 subscribers: You save $97/month or $1,164/year. Over 1,000 subscribers: You save $970/month or $11,640/year.
The larger your community grows, the more money you save.
You Control the Customer Relationship
When payments go directly to your Stripe account, you own the relationship with your subscribers. This means:
Complete Transaction Data
- View every transaction in your Stripe dashboard
- Export data for accounting and taxes
- Analyze subscriber trends and revenue
- See detailed payment methods and history
Direct Refund Control
- Issue refunds directly from Stripe
- Handle disputes and chargebacks
- Set custom refund policies
- No waiting for a middleman to process refunds
Compliance and Taxes
- You’re listed as the merchant on credit card statements
- You handle your own tax reporting (as you should)
- No confusion about who’s responsible for what
- Easier to comply with local regulations
Customer Communication
- Access to subscriber email addresses (via Stripe)
- Ability to send receipts and invoices
- Direct control over billing communications
- Export customer data if needed
Security and Compliance
You might be wondering: “If PayBot connects to my Stripe account, is that secure?”
Absolutely. Here’s why:
Stripe’s OAuth Flow
PayBot uses Stripe’s official OAuth Connect flow, which means:
- You never give PayBot your Stripe API keys
- Stripe handles all authentication securely
- You can revoke PayBot’s access anytime from your Stripe dashboard
- PayBot only gets the minimum permissions needed (creating checkout sessions and reading subscriptions)
PCI Compliance
- Stripe handles all sensitive payment data
- No credit card information passes through Discord or PayBot
- Members enter payment details on Stripe’s secure checkout page
- Stripe is PCI Level 1 certified (the highest standard)
Data Encryption
- All API communications use TLS encryption
- Stripe tokens are stored encrypted in our database
- We follow industry-standard security practices
- Regular security audits and updates
But How Does PayBot Make Money?
Great question. We don’t—yet.
PayBot is currently completely free because we’re focused on building the best Discord monetization tool possible. Our roadmap includes optional premium features in the future (like advanced analytics, custom branding, and priority support), but the core functionality will always remain free.
Why free?
We believe in empowering Discord communities to monetize sustainably. Taking a percentage of your revenue creates a conflict of interest—we’d be incentivized to push you to charge more or restrict features to drive our own revenue.
Instead, we’re building a tool that genuinely helps you succeed. Happy server owners tell their friends, and PayBot grows organically.
Real-World Examples
Here’s how real PayBot users benefit from zero platform fees:
Gaming Community (200 Premium Members)
- Revenue per month: $2,000 (at $10/member)
- PayBot fee: $0
- Savings vs. 10% platform: $200/month ($2,400/year)
- Result: Extra $2,400 to reinvest in servers, prizes, or content
Educational Discord (500 Students)
- Revenue per month: $7,500 (at $15/student)
- PayBot fee: $0
- Savings vs. 8% platform: $600/month ($7,200/year)
- Result: Hire an additional instructor or improve course materials
Creator Community (50 Supporters)
- Revenue per month: $1,000 (at $20/supporter)
- PayBot fee: $0
- Savings vs. 12% platform: $120/month ($1,440/year)
- Result: Significantly more take-home income for the creator
What About Features?
You might think: “If PayBot is free, are we missing out on features?”
Not at all. PayBot offers everything you need for Discord monetization:
Core Features (Free)
- ✅ Unlimited membership tiers
- ✅ Automatic role assignment and removal
- ✅ Subscription and one-time payment support
- ✅ Native Discord
/subscriptioncommand - ✅ Stripe Checkout integration
- ✅ Webhook-based role management
- ✅ Payment polling for instant role assignment
- ✅ Subscription cancellation handling
- ✅ Payment link generation (coming soon)
- ✅ Portal pages for showcasing all tiers (coming soon)
Advanced Features (Coming Soon)
- 📊 Analytics dashboard
- 🎨 Custom portal branding
- 💬 Custom success messages
- 🎟️ Coupon code management
- 📧 Email integration
- 🏷️ Tier groups and hierarchies
All of this without taking a single cent of your revenue.
Comparison with Other Platforms
Let’s look at how PayBot stacks up against common alternatives:
Building Your Own Website + Stripe
Pros:
- You control everything
- No platform fees
Cons:
- Requires technical expertise ($1,000-$10,000 development cost)
- Ongoing maintenance and hosting
- Manual role management
- Complex webhook setup
- Security responsibilities
PayBot gives you the same zero-fee benefit with zero technical work.
Patreon
Pros:
- Well-known platform
- Built-in community features
Cons:
- 5-12% platform fee (depending on tier)
- Manual Discord role syncing (or $1-2/month per patron for bots)
- Subscribers need to link Discord accounts
- Data locked in Patreon’s ecosystem
PayBot costs $0 and handles Discord roles automatically.
Ko-fi / Buy Me a Coffee
Pros:
- Low/no fees for one-time tips
- Simple interface
Cons:
- 5% fee for memberships
- Limited Discord integration
- Manual role management
- Basic subscription features
PayBot is free and built specifically for Discord.
Getting Started with PayBot
Ready to keep 100% of your revenue? Here’s how to set up PayBot:
Step 1: Invite PayBot to Your Server
Add PayBot to your Discord server (requires Manage Server permission). Follow our complete setup guide for detailed instructions.
Step 2: Connect Your Stripe Account
Run /setup in Discord and click “Connect Stripe”. This opens Stripe’s secure OAuth flow where you’ll:
- Log in to your Stripe account (or create one—it’s free)
- Authorize PayBot to create checkouts on your behalf
- Get redirected back to Discord
That’s it. No API keys, no complex configuration.
Step 3: Create Your Membership Tiers
Still in /setup, create membership tiers:
- Name your tier (e.g., “Premium Member”)
- Set the price ($5, $10, $25/month)
- Choose the Discord role to assign
- Add a description of benefits
PayBot automatically creates the corresponding Stripe product and price.
Step 4: Share with Your Community
Tell your members to run /subscription in Discord to see available tiers and subscribe. That’s it—no website needed.
Common Questions
”Can I use PayBot with an existing Stripe account?”
Yes! PayBot works perfectly with both new and existing Stripe accounts. If you already have products, customers, or subscriptions in Stripe, PayBot operates alongside them without any conflicts.
”What if I already have a website?”
Perfect! You can use both. PayBot’s upcoming payment links feature lets you share subscription links on your website, social media, or anywhere else—still with zero platform fees.
”Does PayBot work internationally?”
Yes! As long as Stripe operates in your country, PayBot works. Your subscribers can pay from anywhere in the world. Stripe handles currency conversion automatically.
”What happens if I want to stop using PayBot?”
Simply disconnect PayBot from your Stripe account (via Stripe dashboard) and remove the bot from your server. Your Stripe subscriptions continue unaffected—you just won’t have automatic role management anymore.
”Is there a catch?”
No catch. We genuinely believe that your revenue should stay your revenue. We’re building PayBot to be the best Discord monetization tool by focusing on features and user experience, not by taking a cut of your earnings.
The Bottom Line
Most Discord monetization platforms take a percentage of your revenue because they’re built around being the middleman. PayBot eliminates the middleman.
By using Stripe Connect, we give you:
- ✅ $0 platform fees - you keep 100% (minus Stripe’s standard rates)
- ✅ Direct payments - funds go straight to your Stripe account
- ✅ Full control - you own the customer relationship
- ✅ Complete transparency - all transaction data in your dashboard
- ✅ Zero manual work - automatic role assignment and management
Whether you’re running a gaming community, an educational server, a creator hub, or any other Discord community, you deserve to keep what you earn.
Try PayBot today and see the difference zero platform fees makes.
Ready to Stop Paying Platform Fees?
Questions? Join our support Discord or check out our documentation.
Related Resources
Getting Started:
- Setup Guide - Connect your Stripe account in minutes
- Creating Membership Tiers - Configure your pricing
- Discord Payment Bot - Complete bot feature overview
Technical Details:
- Stripe Discord Integration - How Stripe Connect works with PayBot
- Discord Payment Processor - Payment security and processing details
- Discord Server Monetization - Revenue strategies and examples
Related Articles:
- Monetize Large Discord Communities - Scale to 1,000+ paid members
- The /subscription Command - How members subscribe
- High-Ticket One-Time Purchases - Sell premium offerings for $500+