Snapchat just added a freemium feature to its service that could make the company a lot of money — but some are wondering whether it should share any of those dollars with creators.
The company introduced paid replays on Tuesday, allowing users to purchase credits to replay past snaps before they disappear from the platform. Snapchat users can usually only view a snap once. The company first introduced replays close to two years ago, allowing users to replay just one snap per day.
With the new paid feature, users can access more of those lost snaps — for a fee: Three paid replays cost $0.99 Here’s how the company’s blog post puts it: “You can use a Replay on any Snap you receive, but you can only Replay any Snap once. They’re a little pricey — but time is money! ;)”
The addition of paid replays could be a substantial new revenue opportunity for the company, which is expected to generate $50 million with advertising this year.
However, it has also made some observers wonder whether Snapchat should add monetization features to its platform to give users a cut when their snaps are replayed for a fee. One marketer took her critique to Twitter:
A Snapchat spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
