Snapchat Plus is official for $3.99, but it doesn't let you turn off ads

[NelsonG]

A few weeks ago, Snapchat started testing a paid subscription tier called Snapchat Plus, allowing users access to some extra perks for a monthly fee.

Next week, according to The Verge, who confirmed the news with Snapchat, Snapchat Plus is going live at a price of $3.99 a month.

The features haven't changed that much from the test version: Users still get exclusive Snapchat icons, special profile badges, and the ability to pin a friend as their number one BFF. Other features of note include the ability to see who rewatched your stories (hello, reverse stalking).

The Verge got some details on what's coming from Snap's SVP of product, Jacob Andreou, who said that some of these features, such as the BFF pin, will probably remain exclusive to Plus subscribers, while features that "rely on interactions with others" will eventually make their way to all users.

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With most of the changes being cosmetic, one has to wonder whether there are other perks subscribers get for their money? Unfortunately the ability to remove ads from the service isn't one of them. As Andreou puts it, “Ads are going to be at the core of our business model for the long term."

Snapchat Plus is Snapchat's first notable revenue stream besides ads, so it's no wonder the company is reluctant to get rid of ads very easily. Still, if you're paying for an upgraded tier of an otherwise free service, you'll want something in return, right?

Right now, it appears that Snap is opting for a direction similar to the one taken by Twitter, whose Twitter Blue subscription service also gives users a few cool perks but does not grant them an ad-free experience.

Snapchat Plus is rolling out next week in the following markets: United States, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

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