OMG! There's Now a New Way to Make Money on Substack🤑

I tested the new beta feature and screenshotted so you can steal the ideas

made with Canva Magic Studio

OMG. Stop everything.

Substack just shipped something that, in my opinion, is a massive shift for paid newsletters. 🤯

Now, let me be precise, because you know I test and get back to Substack before I drop a story: perks themselves aren’t new. You’ve always been able to list subscriber benefits in your settings, extras like Q&As, courses, or community access. The problem? They were buried. A few lines of text on your checkout page that most readers scrolled right past.

Like this boooooring page here at onlinewritingclub.com/subscribe

👉🏻You can access yours: yoursubdomain.substack.com/subscribe

(** This is a callout block, wanna learn more about the NEW feature? Go here!**)

What just changed

Perks are now visually present: real cards, real images, real unlock buttons, all surfaced on a brand-new Perks tab right on your publication. Your extras finally get the shop window they deserve!

Member Steve Stein and I were talking about TikTok shop a few days back 😃😃

And THAT is the shift.

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Because the difference between a benefit nobody sees and a perk displayed like a gift under the tree? That’s the difference between “meh” and “take my money.”

This is the playbook Lenny Rachitsky, #1 in Business on Substack, used to build one of the most successful publications on Substack, perks alongside the writing.

Now it’s built into the platform. For everyone. Including you.

I tested it, clicking every button, and experimenting with my own perks, to save you time. Here’s everything you need to know.

Why I got early access (and you can trust me on this)

I got an email from Substack telling me about the feature because I’m part of the Substack Product Lab.

Never heard of it? The Product Lab is Substack’s inner circle of writers who get new features in beta before everyone else, test them in the wild, and give the team direct feedback that shapes what ships next.

And here’s why I take that job seriously: I built my audience on this platform from zero to 18,000 subscribers and 34,000 readers. Substack changed my writing life, so when they ask “What do you think?”, I test, I experiment, I break things and then I report back to you so you don’t have to figure it out alone.

So consider this your tested-by-Kristina guide.

How to Add a Perk, Exactly, Step by Step

Ready? This takes about 5 minutes. Here’s exactly where to click:

1. Go to your publication Dashboard and open your Settings.

2. Scroll to the Payments benefits section and open it. This is where your old benefits live — and where the new perks live too.

3. Click to create a perk and choose the perk type. Right now you can pick a discount code, a downloadable resource, or an invite to a special or live session.

4. Add the reward details. This is the actual goodie: paste in your link or your code.

   

   5. Target the perk to a specific audience. All paid subscribers? Founding members? You decide who unlocks what.

   

   6.Save it and you’re live. A brand-new Perks tab automatically appears on your publication site. You don’t build a custom page. Substack does it for you.

   

⚠️ REMEMBER: What visitors see on that tab depends on who they are. Logged-out visitors see the rewards as locked.

🔒Eligible paid subscribers unlock the perk with the link or code. Everyone else sees an upgrade flow nudging them to go paid. Your Perks tab quietly works as a sales page without you lifting a finger.

Today’s post was brought to you by the FREE Substack for Beginners Course.

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Here are some of the the class of 2026 students:

And it’s official: the course is now my perk for annual +founding subscribers. 🎁

Upgrade to an annual subscription and you unlock the complete Substack for Beginners Course, the same course that has helped 700+ writers kickstart their Substack journey.

Jojn me live on Friday, we’ll set up your perks together!

You didn’t think I’d leave you alone with this, did you?

This Friday we’re hosting our first-ever live class about the Substack post editor, and here’s what’s on the menu:

• A full tour of the editor and all the new features (yes, including highlighting!)

• How to make your newsletters better and get more opens and more reads

• A live walkthrough of Subscriber Perks, we’ll set yours up together, step by step

• A Q&A where I answer your monetization questions live

If you want to purchase ONLY the LIVE session, purchase it for $10 (super affordable, right?!) and join more than 50 students:

Bring your laptop and your questions. You’ll leave with a better newsletter and your first perk ready to go.

WOW! Let me register

I teach in English but also can do a session in German for everyone interested!

What to Include: Here’s My Exact Perk Lineup (Steal It!)

“Okay Kristina, but what do I actually offer?” Let me show you instead of tell you. I screenshotted my own benefits so you can see exactly how I structure mine, tier by tier:

Free subscribers: Occasional posts, tutorials + podcasts

Monthly members: Access to EVERYTHING + Weekly Q&As + Monthly Masterclasses

Annual members: The Complete Substack for Beginners Course + Superstars Community

Founding members: My tier is called BEYOND 💎 — because it goes beyond writing. It’s my personal coaching program for a handful of people and businesses: the Substack Bestseller Coaching Retainer (4 x 1:1) + an ALL ACCESS PASS

💡 TIP: See what I did there? Each tier gets a reason to exist. Monthly gets access, annual gets the course, founding gets me. Don't make your tiers different prices for the same thing — make them different promises.

On top of that, I offer:

• DM support: paid subscribers can send me direct messages on Substack for quick help when they’re stuck

• Gift a free premium membership to a friend: my founding members can gift a membership to a writer friend (generosity is the best retention strategy, trust me)

One-on-one consultations, a resource library, office hours, DM support and more.

That’s what the new visual perks experience looks like in the wild. Cards, images, unlock buttons. Doesn’t that make you want to upgrade just looking at it? Exactly. That’s the point.

More ideas if you’re still stuck:

• Checklists, cheat sheets, templates and swipe files

• Discount codes for your course, book, or a partner tool

• Monthly AMAs, office hours, or co-writing sessions

• A bonus PDF chapter, first chapetr of your book, or behind-the-scenes resource

Start with ONE perk that matches what readers already come to you for. A food writer offers a recipe e-book. A finance writer offers a budget spreadsheet. You get the idea.

What perks can and can’t do (right now)

I experimented with the feature so you get the honest picture. Here’s the state of play:

What perks CAN do today:

• Offer discount codes, downloadable resources, and session invites

• Target specific audiences (like annual + founding subscribers only)

• Auto-create a Perks tab with visual cards that adapt to each visitor

• Turn locked perks into an upgrade prompt for free readers

What perks CAN’T do (yet):

• No native digital downloads or e-books hosted by Substack (you link out for now)

• No live sessions with built-in start and expiration dates

• No community invites baked in

• No annual and monthyl subscriber perks!!

Only annual and founding member. But you want to offer both different things.

• And it’s beta-only: Product Lab members can use it today, everyone else gets it soon

• If the perks have significant monetary value, Substack says this:

The good news?

Substack says all of the above is on the roadmap, digital downloads and e-books, scheduled live sessions, community invites. They’ll ship more perk types and keep making it better. And the feedback we give this week decides what comes first. (See the last section, this is where you come in.)

Help shape Substack (yes! you!)

Remember the highlighting story? A writer asked, Zach from Substack built it overnight. Asking works.

This time Substack is asking us.

Jackson from Substack wants to know:

1. What kinds of perks are you offering first?

2. What perk types would you most want Substack to add?

3. How would you use perks?

Your answers shape what Substack builds next. I’ll make sure your feedback gets where it needs to go.

I’ll go first: my perks are the Substack for Beginners Course for annual subscribers and my BEYOND coaching program for founding members. And the perk type I want most? Live sessions with start and expiration dates, so classes like Friday’s can live right in my Perks tab.

Drop your answers in the comments.

Worst case, nothing happens. Best case? Your idea becomes the next “Karena feature.”

Shoot your shot!

Leave a comment

See you Friday! 🎉

P.S. Can’t wait until Friday? Need a FREE Substack for Beginners course? Sooo much to learn… not so much time. Learn from someone who has gone before you, from zero to 18,000 subscribers and helped 700+ Substack writers kickstart their journey. Join the course + the live. Immediate access!