Pay-Per-Message Pricing: How Much to Charge for DMs
Set your pay-per-message rate by working out how many messages you can realistically answer in an hour and what you want to earn for that hour. Divide one by the other, round to a clean number, and then price extras like PPV media and voice notes separately. Review the rate monthly: if your inbox is overwhelming, it is too low.
Paid DMs are one of the most direct ways fans pay for your attention. Instead of free messages that eat hours of unpaid time, each message a fan sends carries a price. Getting that price right matters: too low and you are working for pennies, too high and conversations never start. Here is how to think it through.
How Pay-Per-Message Works
With pay-per-message (PPM), a fan pays a fixed amount for each message they send you. Your replies are free for you to send. Alongside this, most chat systems let you send paid media inside the conversation, known as PPV (pay-per-view): the fan sees a locked preview and pays to unlock it.
On MyShrine, messaging includes pay-per-message DMs, PPV in chat, voice messages and mass DMs to your fans. You set your own rate, keep 90% of it, and fans see the rate plus the 10% service fee before they send.
Working Out Your Rate
Step 1: Count your replies per hour
Time yourself replying to real messages for an hour. Thoughtful, personal replies might be 20–40 an hour; quick replies more. Be realistic about the kind of reply your fans expect.
Step 2: Pick your hourly target
Choose what an hour of chatting should earn you. Compare it with what you earn per hour from custom videos or sessions; chat should not pay dramatically less, or it will crowd out better work.
Step 3: Divide
If you want £60 an hour and answer about 30 messages in that time, you need roughly £2 per message after fees. Since you keep 90% of your price, set it at about £2.20, or round to £2.50 for simplicity.
| Your rate per message | Fan pays per message | You keep per message | You keep per 100 messages |
|---|---|---|---|
| £1.00 | £1.10 | £0.90 | £90 |
| £2.00 | £2.20 | £1.80 | £180 |
| £3.00 | £3.30 | £2.70 | £270 |
| £5.00 | £5.50 | £4.50 | £450 |
What Affects the Right Price
- Niche. In findom and femdom, paying to message is often part of the dynamic itself, so higher rates are common and expected. See how to start findom for context.
- Reply quality. Long, personal replies justify a higher rate than quick emoji responses.
- Response time. If you promise replies within a few hours, charge more than if replies take days.
- Demand. A full inbox is a signal to raise your rate, not to reply faster.
Pricing PPV and Voice Messages
PPV media in chat should be priced against your store. A reasonable rule: a PPV clip sent in DMs should not be cheaper than the same kind of content in your public store, or you train fans to wait for DM deals. Personalised PPV (made for that fan) can be priced like a small custom.
Voice messages feel personal and take longer to record than a typed reply. Many creators price them as PPV or as a tip-menu item rather than as a normal reply.
Example chat price list
- Message rate: £2
- Voice note (up to 1 minute): £8
- PPV photo set: £12
- PPV short clip: £15
A fan who sends 10 messages and unlocks one clip pays (10 × £2.20) + £16.50 = £38.50. You keep (10 × £1.80) + £13.50 = £31.50.
Mass DMs Without Spamming
Mass DMs are useful for announcing new content, open session slots or custom availability. Use them sparingly: one or two meaningful messages a week works better than daily blasts that fans learn to ignore. Segment where you can, and always give fans a reason to open the message.
Setting Expectations on Your Profile
Fans are far happier paying per message when they know what they are getting. A short note on your profile or pinned in chat should cover your message rate, typical reply time, the hours you are usually online, and what kinds of requests belong on your tip menu or custom menu instead. Clear expectations reduce complaints, cut down on repetitive questions and make fans more comfortable spending. Update the note whenever your rate or hours change, so nobody is caught out.
Protecting Your Time
- Set chat hours and state them on your profile.
- Do not reply to free messages elsewhere. If fans can reach you for free on social media, they will.
- Use a tip menu for requests that take real effort, rather than answering them inside a normal reply.
- Stay on-platform. Moving chats to personal apps means no payment, no record and less privacy.
Common Mistakes
- Charging so little that one chatty fan takes an evening for a few pounds.
- Sending long replies to one-word messages, which teaches fans that short messages get the most value.
- Giving away PPV for free "just this once" — it resets expectations.
- Letting DMs replace custom requests. If a fan's request needs filming, send them to your custom menu.
For the bigger picture of what creators can earn across different income streams, see how much content creators earn.
Worked Example: A Month of Paid DMs
Imagine you charge £2.50 per message and spend around an hour a day in chat, six days a week. If fans send you about 25 messages in each of those hours, that is roughly 600 messages a month.
- Fans pay 600 × £2.75 = £1,650
- You keep 600 × £2.25 = £1,350
- That works out at about £56 for each hour of chat
Add a handful of PPV unlocks and voice notes on top and chat can become a steady, predictable part of your income. The numbers here are purely illustrative; your volume depends on your audience, niche and how active you are. The point is to check the hourly figure against your other work.
Should Your Rate Differ by Fan?
Most platforms apply one message rate to everyone, and that keeps things simple and fair. Rather than special rates for individual fans, reward your regulars in other ways: a free voice note on a special occasion, early access to new clips, or first choice of session slots. This keeps your pricing consistent and avoids fans comparing notes and feeling short-changed.
FAQ
How much should I charge per message?
Divide your target hourly earnings by the number of replies you can write in an hour, then allow for fees. Many creators start between £1 and £3 and adjust based on demand.
Do fans pay for my replies?
With pay-per-message, fans pay for the messages they send. Your replies are free to send.
What is the difference between PPM and PPV?
PPM charges fans per message sent. PPV charges fans to unlock a specific piece of media, such as a photo set or clip, inside the chat.
What do fans see when they message me on MyShrine?
Fans see your rate plus the 10% service fee before sending. You keep 90% of the rate you set.
Should I raise my message rate?
If your inbox is consistently more than you can handle, yes. Raise it in small steps and tell fans in advance.