Beer With Kyle: We Are Moving to a SINGLE Membership (A New Era Begins)
Hey Everyone,
I hope you’re enjoying the season and for those who celebrate, that you had a wonderful and Merry Christmas. It’s been a busy and festive time, but I’m excited to share some big updates about Wealthy Affiliate’s membership model.
We’re making some transformative changes next week, and I think you’re going to love the direction we’re heading. Let's get right into things.
This Week’s Beer: Beck’s Lager
Today’s beer is Beck’s, a classic German lager with a history dating back to 1876. At 5% ABV, it’s a crisp, refreshing beer that sits somewhere between a lager and a pilsner in taste.
As usual, I’ve poured it into my trusty Wealthy Affiliate glass, a piece of swag we hand out every year at our Super Affiliate conference in Las Vegas.
Now, let’s get into the exciting updates about our membership changes!
Why the Shift to a Single Membership?
For years, Wealthy Affiliate has offered multiple membership tiers, Starter, Premium, and Premium Plus+ and P+ Accelerated. While these provided flexibility, it has also created a great deal of complexity. Based on a lot of feedback, members often found it challenging to choose between tiers, especially when just starting their online business journey.
The decision-making process became a hurdle, and we want to eliminate that friction. So, starting next week, we are transitioning to a single membership model: Premium Plus+.
What Does This Mean for Current Members?
First, let’s address the big question: Will this affect current members?
- Starter Members: Your membership remains exactly the same.
- Premium Members: Your membership remains exactly the same.
- Premium Plus+ Members: No changes, your benefits stay intact.
- Accelerated Members: You’ll continue to enjoy the same level of service.
This change is focused on simplifying the onboarding process for new members while ensuring that existing members continue to receive the same great service they’re accustomed to.
Key Features of the New Membership
The updated membership experience will streamline the decision-making process and offer incredible value right from the start. Here’s what’s included in the new Premium Plus+ Membership:
- First-Month Discount: New members can try Premium Plus for the same price as the current Premium membership ($49 for the first month).
- Yearly Savings: A 50% discount on the annual plan, bringing it to just $594 (equivalent to $49/month).
- Free Domain: One free domain included to help members kickstart their online business.
- 10,000 Bonus AI Credits: Perfect for diving into content creation with our AI-powered tools.
By leading with our best membership, we’re making it easier for new members to access everything Wealthy Affiliate has to offer without the confusion of multiple tiers.
A New Upgrade Experience
We’ve redesigned the upgrade process to make it clearer and more intuitive. Instead of presenting multiple membership options, we’re showcasing one comprehensive offer.
The new upgrade page will highlight:
- All the benefits of Premium Plus+
- The tools and training included
- A side-by-side cost comparison with other platforms, and ways to start a business online
- Social proof through reviews and success stories
This simplified approach ensures that potential members can quickly understand the value of the membership and make an informed decision.
Why This Change Matters
Back in the day, Wealthy Affiliate started with a single membership model, and it worked well because it removed the guesswork for new members. By returning to this approach, we’re eliminating unnecessary complexity and making it easier for people to focus on what matters most: building their online business.
From a development standpoint, this change also allows us to focus on delivering the best possible experience without juggling the demands of maintaining multiple membership tiers.
What’s Next?
As we roll out this new membership model, we’ll also be introducing exciting updates to the platform in 2025, including:
- Enhanced training environments
- AI-driven content creation tools, including our structured content
- An updated ambassadorship platform
- More intuitive designs across the platform
These updates will ensure that Wealthy Affiliate continues to provide the tools, training, and community needed to thrive in the ever-evolving online business landscape.
Share Your Feedback
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this change:
- Did you find it difficult to choose between memberships when you first joined?
- What do you think of moving to a single membership model?
Jump into the comments below and let me know. Your feedback is incredibly valuable as we continue to shape Wealthy Affiliate into the best platform it can be.
Thank you for being part of this incredible community. Whether you’re a Premium or Premium Plus member, these changes are designed to make Wealthy Affiliate even better for everyone.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday season and take some time to relax and reflect on the year ahead.
Recent Comments
174
I personally liked the options and am someone more likely to buy when given a choice between a few options and price ranges so I quite liked the tiered model.
Overall, I think that simplifying the decision process is a good idea nd could be very beneficial. I do however, wonder if eliminating the started membership is going to cause a lot of issues and lack of trust for new members not having had the chance to try it out. I think going back to the old model of allowing for a 30-day trail with access to the first set of lessons and siterubix before you have to upgrade to premium plus or lose access to training may be a more valuable option.
It is still the same price to 'try' and this way, we are able to offer people the entirety of the platform, without it feeling like there are upsells after the fact. People were getting stuck on the "choice" so though choice is nice for some, it creates a lot of friction and complexity for many others.
We have had both over the years, and there are pros and cons to both. But we feel now is a time where we want to really simplify and streamline the upgrade process, and eliminate those friction points.
We have a forever trial already as well with the Starter, people can test drive the platform here without spending a dime. 30 day trials of Premium don't work, it creates tire kickers and people don't take action and actually build anything unless they actual invest in what they are doing. That is something we have data and great deal of insight with as well. :)
Happy to hear the forever trial is still available, that makes a huge difference and in that case I think the simplified membership is a great idea!
Yeah, anyone can stick around on Starter as long as they like, so when they are in a position to move forward with their business and get the full experience, they can do so.
We have lowered the price of the first month P+, and we have also lowered the price of P+ yearly to make it more affordable than ever (average $49 per month for everything you need to run a business).
Kinda on the fence about this. I get the benefits, but my worry is the cost. Granted, doing business that could potentially change your life should cost something, but many people are looking to start a business on the side BECAUSE they currently have financial issues. While the yearly plan will bring the cost down to normal, many do not have that amount especially when they are completely brand new and still do not know if this will work out. Meaning many will start out monthly and will have to spend some months after the discount before they start seeing any traffic. They may therefore run out of funds before they realize the true benefits of the platform
With that being said, there are programs that are more expensive, and people are still signing up. So, my point of view is anecdotal and biased to when i first joined. When i first came on, sure there were a lot of options i did not understand, but that did not matter. My decision ended up being easy because i went for what i could afford, which is the cheapest option haha.
I will rely on you guys' years of experience in sales and looking forward to how this plays out in the new year. The benefits of this new path are valid either way and the cons of the old way with multiple skews of membership cannot be ignored especially from a maintenance perspective
The cost to try it is now $49, instead of potentially higher. For those that are on the fence, they can try our best service and platform for our Premium price. And if they want to stick around, they can get that same rate of $49/mth average if they invest in a year.
That is to run up to 10 businesses online, all the education, tech, websites, platforms, hosting, and mentorship you need. If people don't want to invest in a business, they won't. But we want to lead with the best service and the best platform in the industry, at just over $1 per day. I would say that is fair value for ANYONE willing to invest.
There are currently 18.1 MILLION college/university students spending $20,000/year in the USA alone. For an education, to one day hopefully get a job. At WA, you can get everything you need to run an online business, establish high value skill sets on anything related to online business and AI, and do so for $49 per month.
We are the lowest cost in the industry, and the most comprehensive..and we continue to get better with every day that passes. We plan to keep it that way. :)
Compliments Kyle,
Thanks for the video presentation and the updates.
In my point of view, I believe that the proposed new membership tier is more direct and helpful.
It is also less confusing, especially for the newcomers in WA. Just like Kyle said in the video, the new membership tier of premium plus would also help in membership faster decision-making while also giving those that wish to test the waters before fully coming on board the chance to do so, especially at a very discounted rate such as this.
To be honest, WA as a brand itself and the benefits it offers are self-selling. I came to this realisation after fully joining and having the opportunity of exploring the platform and the benefits therein.
A newcomer could also face such a scenario of not knowing or grasping the real value of the opportunities here in WA. Because they might not necessarily know the meaning and usefulness of 10,000 AI word credits, the lectures, and other benefits. Not until they take the bold step of becoming full members, which the discounted monthly premium plus membership affords them (to test the waters and also accomodate most of us who are working on tight budgets).
Then, I believe, for those who are genuinely seeking financial freedom tyhrough having a business online, they would go all the way for the wise decision of the yearly membership (because it is more economical).
My humble submiossion is this: the benefits WA offers its members far outweigh the cost of joining, in my perspective, though.
I wish us all a success-filled 2025 and beyond!
Thanks.
- Makinde
That is exactly it, instead of a grid explaining all the features and the benefits (many of which may be overwhelming to cross-reference and cross-compare), we are going to provide an easy-to-understand upgrade page where they are going to see the benefits of WA, and why they should make a decision on the premium membership if they are interested in building a business.
We are going to continue to amplify the benefits of being a member, more excellent education, more programs and platforms, new technology, new designs, and more opportunity for success.
As we evolve and improve the experience here, our price doesn't go up and looking back almost 20 years now, our membership prices are still very much in line with what they once were, in fact taking inflation into consideration, they are much cheaper.
I am new to WA so I can honestly say that I would love the Premium Plus membership. Due to currency exchange rates, the price would be pushed to $856 plus interest on a CC or $881 using Paypal in Canada.
This makes it difficult for those/me who are on a strict budget. As a marketer, WA is not my only program, so I have to look at my entire business and decide what I need to do to keep generating income.
I can do PP but it would have to be on a monthly basis and this is due to a new home purchase in July followed by a three point move that cost us over $10,000, needless to say that this put a dent in our finances.
I understand the need for great quality content for WA and wanting the best for your members. Lots to think about going forward into the new year.
Florence
Your membership price won't go up, you can stay on Premium as long as you like Florence. So no issues there.
In terms of the exchange, I know many countries are being hit hard with this right now, me being from Canada myself. This can be a great time to be an affiliate marketer or online business owner though in these "high exchange" times, because all the money you earn will be in USD as well. So whereas when the dollar is on par, you earn $1 for ever $1, now you earn close to $1.50 for every $1 you earn online.
The price hasn't gone up, the first month is still the same price for newcomers, and we have lowered our yearly price on our Premium Plus+ yearly membership as well. And if you are currently a Premium member, you won't be subject to any price increases.
I planned on doing the PP on monthly, just cannot do it on the yearly right now without canceling other things I am doing. I understand your need to make changes, as I did own a traffic exchange for a bit, and I see your need to streamline and improve the site. I will just need to apply patience and upgrade in a few months time. Lots to learn here so I will not be bored...lol
Sure, no problem. You can still do the PP+ monthly, that hasn't gone anywhere, and you have all the options as well and you can stay on teh Premium pricing.
This is a bigger change, but we make all the changes with our audience in money, not our bottom line. At the same time we made this change, we lowered the first month P+ pricing, and lowered the P+ yearly pricing.
Hi Kyle,
I can totally see the benefits from the administration point of view especially with so many members.
Because I nearly got sucked into another platform to a point where I couldn’t back out, the appeal of the choices when I found WA was to me part of the “credible image “ it gave me of WA.
At the present moment, with all the shifts in the affiliate marketing world, ie. Google, disposable income being a little more constrained, potential new member market is surely going to be tougher to sell. And I do think that as many prefer a monthly deal, that the doubling of that option price will deter many.
Parting with a £20 note here is an easy sell, a £50 is a very cautious and tough sell, a £100 you have to have some fancy bells and whistles and be excellent at sales.
I am sure there are similar marketing limits in the USA and Canada that would be higher than here, but I am not up to date with that sort of info theses days.
Rob
Administration is actually not the biggest reason, it is more the "decision making" which was getting really tough with 3 memberships, based on feedback. People do like choice, but also, choice can lead to them not being able to make a choice.
We used to be $49 only about 14 years ago, and that was a time where conversions were marginally higher, and our product was very much inferior to what it is now. I do know that the economy is not at it's peak, but starting a business and getting a full year of the membership here can be $49/mth average, and for less than $600 you can have EVERYTHING you need to run a business.
I know I am preaching to the choir here, but it is our job to provide enough value and be able to present it in a way for that to make sense to everyone. We are leading with our best foot forward, and offering an immediate discount to try things out, and if people want to stick around for longer, they can do so at that discounted price. ;)
Hi Kyle,
with yours and Carson’s knowledge I am sure you will know with tracking data whether it is the right decision. WA has got a good name, but people are becoming more savvy and wary about anything that takes a regular chunk out of their bank.
Rob
I joined in May 2023, starting with the free intro which worked well for me. I then upgraded to Premium at $49/month, recognizing the value. Six months later, I took advantage of Black Friday, and further upgraded to Premium Plus.
It seems several others in the discussion made their decisions similarly, following the path from free to Premium to Premium Plus.
However, I'm not a fan of the new plan structure:
Premium Membership: This is adequate for most members, including myself. I only went for Premium Plus after experiencing six months of Premium and seeing its value, especially at Black Friday rates. This route was a no-brainer. Without Black Friday, I would still be a Premium Member.
New Membership Path: If I were starting now, I might join for free, and spend $49 on the second month for Premium, but I'd likely bow out at $99/month for the third month. A $600 blind annual membership also would not have been in the cards for me.
The choice would look like this: $0.00 coming in for the first sixty days. The question then becomes, do I risk another month at $99.00 or move on? Maybe one shot at the $99.00 but I need to see income, otherwise, this is my last month.
The Perfect Fit: The $49/month Premium Membership was the perfect option for me during the six months I had it, with the upgrade to Premium Plus on Black Friday deals being a great move.
If I came across the WA with this new pricing structure, it would be
Sorry, just looking...
I agree with you Don. I think the levels we have now make sense and now they’re removing any incentive for people to work their way up to other levels. I went with the Black Friday deal because it was a limited time offer to get to that next level, so I jumped on it.
I understand where you are coming from, especially regarding the value you experienced progressing through the tiers.
The new structure is aimed at simplifying the entrance for new members by removing decision-making friction and ensuring everyone has access to all tools, platforms, adequate AI credits and expert training right away.
While $49/month was a sweet spot for many, the new plan still offers a first-month rate at that level and an annual breakdown of $49/month, making it comparable in cost while getting more value. From experience, people tend to react better to "time sensitive" discounts as well, versus bonus offers that are tied to time.
Black Friday deals will also remain a key way for members to save, and we are going to also have seasonal offers in place as we move through 2025.
The goal is to reduce complexity and focus on delivering the best possible experience for all members. Your feedback is valuable, and I appreciate your perspective as we continue improving the platform. We put a great deal of thought into this from feedback, and also the vision of the platform and community.
You are going to see a lot of positive and exciting change coming soon, and at the end of the day our Premium membership still does exist, though it is not something that we are going to be leading with any longer.
If you have further suggestions or feedback, we are all ears. ;)
Kyle,
One month at $49 does little for budgeting purposes.
My niche is retirees (Baby Boomers basically) on a fixed income, that need assistance to earn extra retirement income. Niche blogging and affiliate marketing are fast becoming the norm to supplement income.
I am specifically targeting people like me who do not have disposable income - YET! The Premium Plan hosting 3 websites and having the core training is far and away enough for my audience in the beginning.
A quick survey of the 60+ crowd here, will more than likely tell you the same thing. Started free, went to Premium, and made a very hard decision to put up the Black Friday money. How many can't - YET?
Budgeting for my audience is tight. I am going to be an advocate for my audience and the $49/month plan.
I understand the company's desire to simplify.
Annualizing the membership makes life easier for money planning from a company standpoint. You don't have to chase as many expired credit cards every month. Through 20 years and 2.9 million memberships, that could be a daunting task.
But I have always had a couple of questions about the actual size of our community.
1. How many active paying subscribers are there?
2. How many are annual?
3. How many are monthly?
4. Of the monthly how many are on premium vs premium plus.
My guess is that collecting from monthly premium members is a PITA every month and if you could get that eliminated it would be a win for whoever does the collecting.
I get it. It is a job that no one wants.
But it is a segment that I use.
I will take the "What's Next for WA Offline in a message for you.
Don
I would love if updated stats were kept on currently subscribed members as well - thats a way betting selling point for us to advertise. I can see way more people being willing to upgrade if told "Over 200,000 members are currently enjoying the benefits of Wealthy Affiliate and building their dream business for less than $2 a day!" than those that can only see "at some point over the past 20 years 2.9 million people have given WA a try".
Hello Kyle,
I agree that a singular membership has its advantages in terms of operations, and I agree with you in theory that this will simplify customer decision-making.
Simplifying things from a decision-making perspective meaning that a customer can easily decide on a "yes" or "no," but not necessarily simplifying the "yes."
I am going to describe my own thinking process, but I might represent a segment, but for sure not all segments.
When I first started, I was extremely happy to find a program that allows me to stay free as long as I wanted. Once I got into the training and I started realizing the benefits of WA, my eye went to check the timer.
I looked at the offers of premium and premium plus, but not to decide between them. When I first start something new I will for sure try it on the bare minimum investment. The other offers gave me a feeling that I still can expand later on if I needed to.
If the offer that you explained was there when I joined, I most probably wouldn't have joined for the following reasons:
1- One month is not enough for one to try a business.
2- 49/ month is a considerable figure. If this will increase the following month, I wouldn't have paid the first 49 because if time or life didn't allow me to really test the program then they would have been a waste.
3- Paying for year for a program that I am still trying is also not acceptable for me even if it will keep my average monthly price at 49. Simply, because I am still testing the program.
Saying all that, maybe a testing period would show the enrolment rate and compare it to the old method, and then make a final decision.
If one of the factors of this decision is that potential clients might not understand the features presented in the different offers, then the solution would be to add hyperlinks to better understand them rather than remove them.
The new members will have premium plus specific features while older premium plus will keep their current features. That means on the database there are two sets of features of the same membership name. (I might have misunderstood that part)
Still, all this is theory and it requires testing. Thinking about it, testing has its disadvantages, as there will be people enrolled on this test, and there needs to be a process if you decide against the test.
Hey Rami, thanks for sharing your thoughts and insights here. I really appreciate you sharing your journey and perspective, as it highlights some key considerations that many members might share, and that we also have considered before we made this decision.
We usually spend many months, sometimes year discussing something behind the scenes before it happens, and we always play "devil's advocate" on it.
I agree that simplifying a decision-making process doesn’t necessarily simplify the "yes" decision. For someone like you, starting small and building confidence over time was a critical part of your experience. This tiered progression has worked well for many, and it’s clear that a singular membership might feel like it removes that gradual pathway.
Let me tackle some of these points that you made here with a more thorough explanation:
(1) The Value of Time to Explore
I completely agree that one month may not feel like enough time for someone to evaluate a program, especially when life can get in the way. That’s why the Starter membership remains in place, so people can explore at their own pace before making any financial commitment. There is no time frame to Starter.
While the $49 first-month offer is designed to ease the transition, I can see how the jump to $99 might feel abrupt for some. This is an area we are keeping a close eye on as we move forward, but a few consideration is that it is $49/mth average for a yearly membership, we still do have a premium membership that does exist if we ever need to offer that, and we plan on running seasonal offers like we have in the past (along with Black Friday).
I guess there is the argument of the alternatives as well, if someone were to look to build a business online they could try to fumble around with Youtube, or forums, or attempting to link the pieces together, or spend a lot of money on many of the higher ticket offers that exist, we still want to keep the pricing the most inclusive in the industry and we feel it is at $49 as an entrance point.
(2) Testing and Adjustments
You’re absolutely right. We test everything. We have immediate data, and we use that data and feedback to make decisions here. Of course community feedback is a big part of this, and it was community feedback and people that weren't able to make a decision that led to us making this decision.
MANY people still elect to go P+ right away, even with the 3 membership model. We wanted to make that cheaper for the first month, to remove some of the initial resistance of making a purchase.
And the Starter doesn't have an end point, so people can stay on the free membership for as long as they like. That is not going to change.
(3) Transparency and Communication
I also love your idea of using more detailed explanations or hyperlinks to ensure potential members fully understand what they are getting, and we plan on having a chart with a full breakdown.
While the simplified structure aims to reduce decision-making friction, clear communication about the entirety of the membership and what is offered is important.
I also want to assure you that existing members, whether Premium or Premium Plus will not lose any features or benefits they already enjoy. Your experience remains intact, and that won't change. We are going to IMPROVE the value, and that is something that has always been a focus here. As time goes on, the value should continue to get better and better or we are not doing our job.
Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts, appreciate it!
Thank you Kyle for the elaborate answer..
I totally like how WA decides to improve and change.. I am also sure of the elaborate process that you and the team go through before making any move. This is very evident and one of the strong points why I like WA.
I endulge my thoughts in the ideas that you present as a way to be a value added contributor, and I have a personal liking to business strategy and tactic.
I am hoping for a smooth transition to the new subscription strategy..
Thanks Rami, we make changes all the time and we evolve as time goes on. We base our decisions on feedback and data, and we get lots of it. This will provide us with a new subset of that, along with all the excellent feedback that we are getting here, which is excellent. :)
I'm wondering now if I have to pay $99/month for my second month, January 2025. I know this ($99/month) is for Premium+, (and I'm Premium-) but the confusion is that my understanding is that we are merging Premium (mine) with Premium+ and P+ Accelerated = Premium.
If this is correct, then we will only have two tiers:
1. Starter (didn't know it's changed to free for life!). In 2016, it was for 7 days.
2. Premium
Please correct me if I'm getting it wrong.
John
No, you do not. You are Premium, so you will not be subject to any price increase at all. You can stay on Premium as long as you like, and you can level up to Premium Plus+ whenever you like as well. This is something that is totally up to you. ;)
So not to worry, but moving forward when we release this to new members next week, there will be a Starter membership, and a Premium Plus+ membership.
Ah, okay. I see now.
There will be two memberships:
1. Starter = free with limited access to training and tools.
2. Premium Plus+ = for new members only.
Any plans to remove Premium Plus+ in the future?
Any plans to remove Premium in the future?
I am still thinking of having only Starter and Premium tiers.
Having two premium memberships (Premium and Premium Plus+) is still confusing.
John
seeing this now that starter memberships are still offered makes the new model much more appealing!
No, none of these memberships are going to be removed. The new Starter to upgrade though is focus on Premium Plus+ now, and that is the singular membership that is offered.
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Sounds pretty good. The only thing ,I think it is better to keep the free starter membership for starters. However, with the free membership you can either trim off some of the features it offers,And/ or set a time limit, like two of three months before the new members will have to get the Premium Plus membership. Nevertheless, sticking with 1 paid membership option is better in terms of simplifying the enrollment process.
Hey Jerry,
The Starter membership is not going anywhere, that is going to be the same. So no worries there. This is just going to be the membership offered to Starter members moving forward, with a $49 first month deal, and also the discounted yearly membership now with $588 Premium Plus+ yearly membership.
I hope this clarifies for you. ;)