1Sub is simply a database of information about who subscribes to a developer with the possibility for developers to check whether someone is a subscriber. It does not handle any money or personal information (unless optionally provided). The main reason for this solution is that it lowers the friction (compared to paying each developer) while giving a real reason (compared to donations) for users to give money to developers.
As a developer you sell subscriptions independently; you set the price, handle the money and do all of the interactions with the customer. Then you register the subscription in the system by using a simple API. See the API reference.
Anyone can create a protected link, where the user needs to log in and have an active subscription in order to follow the link. This is the main mechanism used to enforce the subscriptions.
It is possible to pass a limited number of these checks without having a subscription if a user has caused another user to subscribe.
If another user creates an account as a result of your subscription check, your account will be that user's "reference" and you will get a bonus the first time that user subscribes to someone. See prices below.
There is a "currency" in this system called "credits" (c for short). Here are some prices:
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Developer gets a subscriber | Developer loses 100 c. Ref account gets 10 c. |
| Developer loses a subscriber | Developer gets 90 c. |
| User passes check by paying credits | User loses 10 c. |
As a result of this, the number of subscribers a developer can have is the number of credits that developer has divided by 100 and if that developer uses protected links and gets "ref points", they will be able to have more subscribers and can then sell the subscriptions at a lower price.
As more people want to subscribe with time, the developers will get more credits so that they can have more subscribers. How this will happen is not decided yet.