A category, defined
The earned tier is the new freemium.
a SaaS access tier in which users pay with public participation instead of money. When usage credits run out, the user posts publicly about the product, creating exposure. The company verifies the post and refills the credits.
the successor to the free tier. It replaces the free tier rather than sitting beside it.
- Currency
- participation
- Replaces
- the free tier
- Virality
- rewarded
- Who sees it
- people like your users
- Disclosure
- always, in-post
- Marginal cost
- near zero
- Best fit
- AI / credit SaaS
What makes a tier "earned"
Conditional, not free
A free tier gives access away and asks for nothing back. An earned tier gives the same access in exchange for a public post about the product, seen by the people who follow the user.
Participation, never praise
The reward is for posting, not for what the post says. A demo, a complaint, a comparison, and a compliment all earn the same. Posts that spread earn more, because reach is a measure of impact. Sentiment is not.
Disclosed, always
US and EU advertising law requires a paid post to say it was paid. An earned tier builds that disclosure into every post, so the reader always knows the terms.
A tier, not a promotion
Credits run out and have to be earned again, so the posting continues for as long as the user stays. A one-time reward for a one-time post is a campaign. An earned tier is a standing arrangement.
Not to be confused with
referral programs
pay for signups that can be traced back to a user's link or code. An earned tier pays for public posts and does not trace signups at all. cf. vs Referrals →
incentivized reviews
are illegal to reward, even with a disclosure. An earned tier never rewards reviews or ratings. cf. Disclosure Rules →
freemium
gives access away with no conditions and gets no exposure back. An earned tier spends the same on access and gets posts in return. cf. vs Freemium →
Questions founders ask
What is an earned tier?
An earned tier is a SaaS access tier where users pay with public participation instead of money. When a user runs out of usage credits, they post publicly about the product, naming it and disclosing the reward. The company verifies the post and refills the credits. An earned tier replaces the free tier rather than sitting beside it.
How is an earned tier different from freemium?
Freemium gives access away with no conditions and hopes word spreads on its own. An earned tier gives the same access on one condition: a public post about the product. The cost to the company is the same. The difference is that every credit it grants comes with a public post attached.
Is an earned tier a referral or affiliate program?
No. Referral and affiliate programs pay when a signup or purchase can be traced back to a specific user through their link or code. An earned tier pays for the public post itself and does not trace signups at all. It is built to produce exposure for the product, not to measure conversions.
Is it legal to reward users for posting about a product?
Yes, with two rules. First, the reward cannot depend on the post being positive. The FTC bans paying for positive reviews, and adding a disclosure does not make that legal. Second, every rewarded post must clearly say that the poster was compensated. Paying for participation with a disclosure is legal. Paying for praise is not.
Do users have to say nice things to earn?
No. A demo, a complaint, a comparison, and a compliment all earn the same, and a real earned tier does not check which one it got. The only requirements are that the product is named and the reward is disclosed.
Why is a user's post worth more than an ad?
Because of who sees it. The poster is a real user of the product, and people tend to follow others like themselves. A developer's followers are mostly developers. A designer's followers are mostly designers. So the post reaches the people most likely to want the product, with no targeting to set up and no ad spend. It is the closest thing to a pre-qualified audience that money does not buy.
Why would users bother?
Because the ask is small and the deal is clear. Post about a product you already use, and keep using it for free. Users are paid for posting, not for holding a particular opinion, so there is nothing to pretend.