According to The Verge, X will end its current creator payout program and launch Original Content Rewards on September 8, 2026. To qualify, creators must have at least 500 verified followers and 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users over the last 90 days. Payouts are tied to qualified impressions —views from Premium subscribers on the Home Timeline where at least half the post is visible—on content X deems original.
X is narrowing the pool of creators who can earn while shifting the definition of "value" from reach to Premium subscriber engagement. This rewards native analysis, video, and reporting over reposts and engagement bait. Creators who built a business on gaming impressions just lost their playbook. The platform gains tighter control over who gets paid and for what, useful when your creator economy has been unstable and advertisers remain uncertain.
Qualified impressions only count from Premium subscribers viewing your post on the Home Timeline. A massive audience means nothing if most viewers are free-tier users or if your post lives outside the main feed. X is essentially paying for Premium engagement, not reach.
X is tightening the money spigot while calling it an upgrade. "Original content" sounds noble, but it's a cover for platform discretion. X now decides what counts as original, what counts as qualified, and who gets the Premium eyeballs that matter. Creators who post native work get a new gatekeeper. Creators who built on volume and reposts get a warning.
Filed to the Technology desk · 3 days ago