On Wednesday Snapchat announced that “Lens+,” a new Snapchat, would be available.  As the name implies, the new tier, which costs $8.99 a month, is focused on providing customers with access to premium Lenses and augmented reality experiences.

According to the firm, Lens+ allows users to use hundreds of Optics that let them “play, create, and share Snaps” with others, in addition to the benefits obtained with the basic $3.99/month Snapchat.

In a response to TechCrunch, a Snap representative stated that the firm will not be restricting any Lenses that were previously free. According to the firm, a few Lens designers will be able to make money off of unique Lenses in the upcoming months. This implies that creators will have access to a new avenue for increasing their platform revenue. Snapchat did not disclose any information regarding the creators’ revenue split.

More than 14 million people have paid for it since its launch in 2022. The paid subscription tier has been identified by the social network as a major contributor to its income development.

Snap announced $1.36 billion in first-quarter revenue in April, a 14% rise from the previous year.  At the time, the firm claimed that the increase was fueled by the expansion of its Snapchat++ subscription service and advancements in its advertising solutions.

By putting its more sophisticated Lenses and augmented reality offerings behind a paywall, Snap hopes to increase its income even further by introducing a new membership tier.  Naturally, some people won’t want to pay to use these benefits.

What would be Next?

There would be the possibility of bundles, creator-focused benefits, or tiers of Lens+ pricing. We might witness Lens+-only real-time augmented reality improvements, interactive 3D effects, and AI-generated lenses. If Lens+ is a hit, it may develop into a significant creative subscription layer, particularly when combined with AR lens design capabilities.