We ran a study — and even we were surprised by the results

We wanted to understand which payment usually marks the beginning of a “repeat customer.”

To find out, we analyzed more than 3 million buyer–creator relationships on Tribute across subscriptions, donations, and digital products.

But the real surprise came from something else entirely.

Among users who paid the same creator a second time, most chose the same format as they did for their first payment:

⭐️ around 98% of those who started with a subscription paid for a subscription again

⭐️ around 91% of those who started with a donation donated again

⭐️ around 84% of those who started with a digital product bought another digital product

These numbers made us reconsider a common approach.

It seems logical to build monetization as a ladder:

donation → low-priced product → subscription → another product.

But user behavior looks less like a ladder and more like several separate paths.

The likely reason is that each format serves a different purpose.

A donation means: “I want to support this creator.”

A digital product means: “I want to solve a specific problem.”

A subscription means: “I want regular access to this content or community.”

So the first payment isn’t just the moment someone takes out their card for the first time.

It also reveals what they’re already willing to pay you for.

This leads to a practical takeaway.

If a subscriber buys a guide, you don’t necessarily need to move them straight into a subscription. Offering another product related to their goal may feel more natural.
If someone makes a donation, another reason to support you may appeal to them more.

And if they subscribe, your main task is to give them a reason to keep that subscription active.

Moving people between formats is possible too. But it requires a new argument because their reason for paying is changing.

Tribute lets you use subscriptions, donations, and digital products at the same time. And it may be more useful to view them not as steps in one funnel, but as different monetization paths for the same audience.