X Is Replacing Creator Revenue Sharing With a Program That Rewards Original Work

X is ending its Creator Revenue Sharing program and replacing it with Original Content Rewards, a new system designed to pay accounts for original posts rather than recycled material and engagement bait. The transition creates a firm deadline for existing participants and introduces a different set of metrics for creators deciding whether the platform can remain a dependable income source.

X stopped accepting new enrollments in the old program on August 7. Existing members can continue earning through September 7, with scheduled payments on August 14 and August 28 and a final payout for earnings accrued through the closing date expected around September 11. Beginning September 8, access will start rolling out for those creators to apply to the replacement.

The new program defines qualified impressions more narrowly. Payments are based on unique Home Timeline impressions from Premium users when at least half of the post is visible. Repeat impressions from the same account on the same post do not count, while promoted, artificially generated and fraudulent views are excluded from the calculation.

Applicants must be at least 18, live in an eligible country and maintain an account in good standing. They need an active Premium, Premium+ or Premium Business subscription, at least 500 verified followers and 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users during the previous 90 days. Impressions earned on replies are excluded from that eligibility total.

Meeting the numerical requirements does not guarantee admission. X says it will review applications and notify creators within three business days. An unsuccessful applicant can make one appeal and, if that fails, reapply after 90 days as long as the account still meets the program’s requirements.

The central change is the definition of originality. Eligible work can include reporting, analysis, commentary, writing, photographs, videos, memes and graphics produced by the account. A creator may respond to news or culture and still qualify, but the post must contribute meaningful perspective, expertise or creative work rather than relying primarily on someone else’s material.

Copied posts, lightly edited text, videos reuploaded from another account and compilations without substantial new framing are excluded. Cross-platform reposts made by someone other than the original creator also do not qualify. X separately warns that a post can meet its originality test and still violate copyright, leaving creators responsible for securing the rights to outside material.

The rules also target common growth tactics. Participants cannot use bots or automated tools to manufacture engagement, and repeatedly asking people to like, reply, bookmark, follow or repost can threaten continued eligibility. Content produced or posted through automated means is listed as ineligible for payouts, as are misleading posts and material carrying a helpful Community Note.

That restriction on automated posting could matter to publishers and social teams that schedule large volumes of material. X does not say that every use of publishing software automatically disqualifies an account, but the policy language makes human authorship and authentic participation central. Creators will need to separate legitimate workflow tools from systems that generate or manipulate content and engagement.

Payments are scheduled every two weeks with a $30 minimum. Approved creators must connect Stripe or an eligible X Money account and complete identity verification. The formal terms also give X broad discretion to change payout calculations, modify eligibility, withhold activity it considers fraudulent or end the program.

For creators, the opportunity and risk are intertwined. Accounts that genuinely report, teach, analyze or produce visual work may benefit if the new system redirects money away from aggregators. Yet only Premium-user Home Timeline impressions count, so a post can travel widely and still generate fewer qualified views than its public engagement suggests.

The practical response is to audit content before the September transition. Creators should identify how much of their output is truly original, review rights for outside media, check verified-follower and impression totals, and avoid building forecasts around a payout formula X can revise. Original Content Rewards may improve incentives, but it also confirms a permanent reality of platform work: the platform writes the rules, and creators carry the business risk.