How does X's Original Content Rewards program change creator payouts compared with the previous revenue-sharing program?

The short version

X is ending its older Creator Revenue Sharing program and replacing it with the Original Content Rewards Program [9][21][36][54][82]. New enrollments into Revenue Sharing stopped immediately, and the old program will be fully retired after September 7, 2026 [1][2][14][28][38]. Creators already enrolled continue earning through that date, then get three final payments: August 14, August 28, and one around September 11 for earnings through the cutoff [3][12][35][45][58][83].

What changed in how payouts are calculated

The old program paid creators a cut of ads served in reply threads, based on an advertising-revenue split [10][46][55]. In March, the formula was adjusted to weight engagement more toward a creator's home region [33][62].

The new program pays based on "qualified impressions" on original content [5][10][67]. A qualified impression is a unique view from someone subscribed to Premium Basic, Premium, Premium+, or Premium Business, on the Home Timeline, with at least 50% of the post visible [7][49][93]. Duplicate, paid, promoted, artificially generated, and fraudulent impressions do not count [11][70]. Impressions on replies are also not counted [43][71][88].

This also changes what the numbers mean. Old per-million impression payout figures from Revenue Sharing do not carry over to Original Content Rewards because the new program measures a different metric [47]. X has not published a rate per impression for the new program, so exact payout rates are not known [48]. Also, analytics impression counts and qualified impression counts are different numbers; only qualified impressions pay [50].

Who can qualify, and what content counts

Under the old program, the requirement was 500 followers and 5 million organic impressions over three months [51]. Under the new program, creators must be at least 18, live in an eligible country, have a Personal or Business account in good standing, subscribe to a paid X tier, have at least 500 verified followers, and have 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users in the last 90 days [31][43][60][85][87]. The new impression target is 10 times smaller, but the evidence notes that does not make it 10 times easier [51].

The new program also limits payouts to original content. Copied or pasted posts, re-uploaded videos, automated content, and lightly edited recycled material do not qualify [32][41][53][90][91]. Reposts can earn only if the creator adds substantive commentary, analysis, or creative editing [61]. Qualifying content includes original reporting, analysis, firsthand accounts, investigative threads, commentary, photos, videos, illustrations, and memes created by the account owner [42]. Engagement bait—repeatedly asking users to like, repost, reply, bookmark, or follow just to boost engagement—may disqualify creators [40], and posts with helpful Community Notes or misleading or false content may be excluded [44].

Timeline and transition

Existing Revenue Sharing creators can apply to Original Content Rewards starting September 8, 2026, if they meet the new requirements [4][13][22][30][59][66][84]. Creators who already completed ID verification and connected a valid payout method do not need to do those steps again [8].

Once in the new program, payouts are issued every two weeks. X's announcement lists the first new-program payout as August 28, 2026; creators moving over from Revenue Sharing after September 8 will receive their first payment on September 25, 2026 [6][68]. Another report dates the official start of Original Content Rewards as September 8 [84].

Why make the switch

X says the old program's incentives had become misaligned, pushing creators toward reposts and engagement farming rather than net-new content [17][19]. The new program is designed to reward "original ideas, expertise, reporting, creativity, and commentary" [23][25][37][89]. Some creators worry payouts will be lower under the new model, while users tired of low-effort content welcomed the change [17]. It is not yet clear whether the new program keeps the regional weighting from the later version of Revenue Sharing [34][63].