The Candy Universe is moving away from Sweet Team and launching a new Patreon! This post is here to explain the benefits of Patreon, what’s going to happen with current Sweet Team subscribers, and how you can sign up.

WHY PATREON?

In short, it’s the better option. Fans who already support other creators can get CU content in the same place, without needing multiple apps or websites to keep up. Discord roles and secret channels will become available to new users immediately, with no need for Sugar to manually apply the roles. Users can change plans or even cancel much easier this way, and overall it’s just cleaner and easier for everyone.

IS SWEET TEAM GONE NOW?

No, not exactly. If you currently have Sweet Team you can keep it. Comic pages will still be released on Discord like before, as Patreon shrinks images in posts. Patreon will still have early pages though, for fans there without Discord. No one will be able to sign up for new ST plans after September 15th, but those already signed up can stay signed up for as long as they pay their subscription. All new fans will be directed to Patreon.

I HAVE A SWEET TEAM PLAN NOW. SHOULD I SWITCH TO PATREON?

Yes. That would be a good idea. You can keep your current Sweet Team plan if you want to, but you’ll be limited to the Discord benefits. If you cancel your Sweet Team plan and move to Patreon you’ll get the same benefits for the same price, but with more stuff on all plans. All Patreon subscribers get the same Discord roles and channel access, with the option to view comic pages early on Discord in the same channel as before, OR on Patreon directly (but in a smaller size), plus some exclusive posts for all Patreons, and special behind the scenes posts of WIP (work in progress) for the $5 and up plans. Current Sweet Team subscribers who don’t switch to Patreon lose out on the Patreon exclusive stuff.

WHERE CAN I SIGN UP FOR YOUR PATREON?

Click here to sign up. <3

FAQs:

Q: If I have Sweet Team now, can I keep it?

A: Yes. If you are on a paid plan you will be grandfathered in to your current plan as long as you keep paying through PayPal. If you are on a promotional plan gifted on Twitter, you can keep it for the full length you were promised. In either case you will not have access to Patreon only posts.

Q: If I switch to Patreon mid-cycle from Sweet Team, can I get a partial refund?

A: Ouch. This is all about supporting your favorite content creators, right? Well, yes, if that is what you want Sugar will refund you the difference for remaining unused time on your monthly or annual ST plan. Contact her on Discord or via the email address shown in PayPal.

Q: Does Patreon charge more than PayPal did for Sweet Team?

A: Yes. I do not know if I am allowed to publicly disclose the amounts for Patreon, but they are about 9% more than before. This is not a big deal though, as it is well worth the expanded audience Patreon allows us to reach.

Q: Will the merch store be moving to Patreon fulfillment?

A: No. They want way too much money per post card, poster, mug, etc. I can make these things myself for pennies on the dollar vs what they expect creators to pay. The posters I sell now for $12 cost $17 on Patreon to me, and they suggest selling them to fans for $30. That’s insane! I print on the exact same paper stock with the same quality ink, and my material costs are less than $1 per poster print. The real cost for me is the art, not the paper. We’ll stick to our own merch store here.

That’s about it, thanks again for your support! It really does mean a lot!