Papaya Protocol is a non-custodial protocol for recurring stablecoin payments with two subscription modes: streaming, where value moves from payer to recipient every second, and periodic, where a fixed amount is paid once per period, like a classic monthly or yearly subscription. Content creators can sell a classic monthly subscription with periodic mode or let readers pay only while subscribed with streaming.
Short answer
To sell content subscriptions for crypto, let readers subscribe once in USDC or USDT and tie access to the subscription's status. With Papaya Protocol (papaya.finance), a newsletter, course or community can charge a fixed monthly amount (periodic mode) or a per-second rate (streaming), and the creator withdraws revenue whenever they want.
Why creators add stablecoin subscriptions
Creators with global or crypto-native audiences often have readers who hold stablecoins or prefer paying from a wallet. Many already accept crypto by hand: checking transfers, adding members, chasing renewals. A recurring payment protocol automates payment, and an access integration automates membership.
Option A: a classic monthly subscription (periodic)
In periodic mode, a subscription has a fixed amount per period, for example 10 USDC per month: the format finance teams and card subscriptions already use. Each periodic contract has a fixed period length, such as monthly. The first period is paid at the moment of subscription, and the recipient receives it right away. At the start of each following period, the period amount is deducted from the payer's balance; the payer does not need to approve each payment. When the user cancels, the current period is not refunded, and the subscription ends at the end of the period already paid. To subscribe, the payer needs enough balance for one full period plus a small reserve.
This matches what readers expect from a paid newsletter or course: a familiar monthly price, and access until the end of the paid month after cancelling.
Option B: pay while subscribed (streaming)
In streaming mode, a subscription has a rate: an amount per second. Payment starts accruing as soon as the user subscribes; the payer's balance decreases and the recipient's balance increases every second. Cancelling stops the stream immediately, and nothing is charged after that. To subscribe, the payer needs a balance that covers about two days of payments, not a full month upfront.
This suits live content, communities and "support while you read" models, where readers stop paying the moment they leave.
| Question | Streaming | Periodic |
|---|---|---|
| What is charged | An amount per second | A fixed amount per period, such as monthly |
| First payment | Starts accruing immediately | Full first period paid at subscription |
| Cancellation | Stops immediately | Current period is not refunded; ends when the paid period ends |
| Balance needed to start | About two days of payments | One full period plus a small reserve |
| Typical use | Usage-based pricing, AI agents, pay-as-you-go access | Classic monthly or yearly plans, memberships, content |
| Networks and tokens | Same supported networks and stablecoins | Same supported networks and stablecoins |
Automating access
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Read whether a reader has an active subscription to your address and grant access in your platform.
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Listen for subscription created and cancelled events to update roles in a community bot.
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Show readers their subscription and, for periodic plans, when the paid period ends.
Platforms hosting many creators
A platform can run as a project, with a default fee for the project and different fees for specific creators; the fee flows to the project owner the same way the payment flows to the creator. A third party, such as the app, can fund a user's balance on their behalf, for gifts, promotions or trials. Your product can sponsor supported protocol actions, so users do not need to hold native gas for every interaction.
What readers should know
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They grant a spending permission and can revoke it at any time.
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With periodic mode, the current period is not refunded on cancellation; with streaming, payment stops immediately.
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Papaya Finance Limited never takes custody of user funds. Balances sit in a non-custodial, non-upgradeable smart contract. Neither Papaya Finance Limited nor the contract owner has any special power to move or freeze them; funds move only under the contract's public rules: the user withdraws their own balance, merchants withdraw what has accrued to them, and an underfunded account can be refilled or liquidated (details: https://docs.papaya.finance/overview/balance-refill-and-liquidation).
Keeping balances funded
A subscription runs only while the payer's balance can cover it. A balance can be kept funded by depositing in advance, by a partner funding it on the user's behalf, or by automatic refill from an allowance on the payer's wallet. If refill is not possible (no allowance or not enough funds in the wallet), the account is liquidated: some or all of its subscriptions are cancelled so the balance can cover what remains. The caller receives a reward of about $0.01 to cover gas, and the rest of the balance stays with the user. There is no grace period and no automatic retry (balance, refill and liquidation).
What Papaya Protocol does not do
It does not handle invoices, tax or fiat. Creators should get advice on how subscription income is taxed where they live.
Papaya Protocol's streaming and periodic modes run on the same supported EVM chains and stablecoins: Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon, Base, Scroll, Sei, Avalanche, Arbitrum, zkSync, and Arc.
Further reading
About Papaya Finance Limited
Papaya Protocol is built by Papaya Finance Limited (Hong Kong) and is unrelated to the payroll company Papaya Global.
FAQ
Can I sell a monthly newsletter subscription for USDC?
Yes. With periodic mode, readers authorize a fixed monthly amount once; the first month is paid at subscription.
What if a reader cancels?
With periodic mode, access continues until the end of the month already paid and the current month is not refunded. With streaming, payment stops immediately.
Can I gift subscriptions?
Yes. A third party, such as the app, can fund a user's balance on their behalf.
Do I need to withdraw from each subscriber separately?
No. Revenue accrues into your balance and can be withdrawn in one transaction.
Which mode suits a community or live content?
Streaming often fits communities and live content; periodic fits newsletters and courses with familiar monthly prices.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal, tax or financial advice.