What are subscriptions?
Subscriptions are contributions that any user can make to the Star Citizen Project. They represent a regular payment of either $10 or $20 per month – either automatic, through a Plan, or manual, through Passes (see below), and confer a special “Subscriber” status to the user, giving them access to various exclusive content and perks. Subscriptions are now entering their third year, the very first subscriptions were proposed to the public in late 2012.
What does my subscriber money go toward?
Subscription revenue contributes to Star Citizen project development by funding behind-the-scenes shows like Around the Verse, Reverse the Verse and the “10 For the” series in addition to Jump Point, the monthly digital magazine about Star Citizen. This revenue also funds the development and release of subscriber-exclusive perks like the monthly hangar flair series and exclusive subscriber merchandise!
How do I change the card associated with my subscription?
The best way to update your payment information associated with a running subscription is to cancel the current one, and then wait for it to near it’s renewal/expiry date. Once near, simply pledge for a new subscription as you would from the store.
This will then allow the old subscription to go back to back with the old one and avoid any overlap or lapses of membership.
If you are using Stripe as a payment method, and it has saved your card information, simply clear your cookies and cache from your browser. This will permit you to enter new details.
What are the different kinds of subscriptions?
What are the Perks?
What are the perks? Both Centurion and Imperator level subscribers will receive the following…
-Exclusive access to Jump Point, Star Citizen’s official digital magazine. A full-color, lengthy (40+ pages) monthly newsletter including updates from the team, in-universe fiction serials available nowhere else and behind-the-screens information about Star Citizen’s development. Subscribers can access the entire collection of Jump Point back issues at any time.
- Subscribers receive an exclusive digital flair item every month. In the past, we’ve offered everything from ship models to space plants and many other exciting collectibles created exclusively for subscribers! Subscriber flair is awarded on the second Friday of every month. Subscribers also have exclusive access to the subscriber flair store, where previous issues are available for purchase.
-The subscriber Test Pilot program gives you the chance to try out a new ship each month! Subscribers get automatic access to a new ship that changes on the first of every month. Past ships have included the Gladius, Sabre and Starfarer!
-VIP Access to purchase CIG event tickets! Active subscribers will get a head-start on being able to purchase tickets for upcoming CIG events. We’ll allot a special amount of tickets available exclusively to subscribers before tickets go on sale to everyone else! (Please note: this only applies to events produced by CIG, we cannot guarantee early access for convention appearances.)
-Unlock ‘The Vault’! The Vault is a collection of Star Citizen concept and work-in-progress artwork generated by the team that would otherwise never be seen, including ‘paths not taken’ discarded concept art for the true collector. The Vault is updated weekly, every Wednesday. The Vault also includes access to full resolution versions of all imagery used to create Jump Point.
-Access to the Subscriber’s Den! The forum and the subscriber-only chatroom. Meet like-minded individuals, and even interact with CIG staff in a more intimate environment.
-The subscription program helps to fund behind-the-scenes shows like Around the Verse, 10 For the Chairman, Subscriber’s Town Hall, Loremaker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Happy Hour Friday, Citizens of the Stars and Bugsmashers. Subscribers also have exclusive access to submit questions for Chris Roberts’ “10 for the Chairman” quarterly sessions as well as our monthly Town Hall and weekly Quantum Questions.
-Physical merchandise discounts and special digital sales! You’ll be eligible for discounted Star Citizen physical merchandise and Subscriber-exclusive limited ship sales through the RSI store.
-Access to discounted annual subscription plans! If you purchase an annual Centurion or Imperator plan or pass, you’ll receive 12 months for the price of 11. Please note, this only applies to the 12 month annual plans and passes and not to monthly plans and passes.
Centurion ($10/monthly) subscribers also receive:
-A monthly allotment of 20,000 Rental Equipment Credits (REC) for use in the Electronic Access store! Test Pilot REC may be used for renting ships, weapons or even saved for the future.
Centurions ($10/monthly) who subscribe for a full year will receive:
-10% off a future digital purchase! Once you accumulate 12 months of Centurion subscription time, you’re eligible for a 10% off coupon! (Valid for any accumulated Centurion subscription time starting in January 2015 through present. Coupon is good for a one-time use only. Please note: Discount cap is $50.)
What do Imperator level subscribers get on top of these? The Imperator subscription, at $20 per month, includes the base perks listed above as well as the following…
-Make mine a double! After subscribing, Imperators get two copies of all future monthly digital flair items. One for you, and one to share. Flair is awarded on the second Friday of every month.
-Imperator subscribers have access to test fly all newly flight-ready ships and variants when patches go live, for a duration of one week.
-Alien Test Pilot Access a monthly allotment of 40,000 Rental Equipment Credits (REC) and access to rent limited ships like the Vanduul Scythe and Glaive. Test Pilot REC may be used for renting any other ships or weapons or even saved for the future.
For every 12 months of Imperator time, you’ll receive these perks…
-20%-off a future digital purchase! Once you accumulate 12 months of Imperator subscription time, you’re eligible for a 20% off coupon! (Coupon is good for a one-time use only and cannot be used on physical merchandise. Please note: Discount cap is $100.)
Each level of subscription can be paid for monthly or annually through the store.
Plan vs. Pass
There’s two ways to become a subscriber : through a Plan or through Passes.
A Plan is a recurring payment that you subscribe to through your Payment Processor. It can be a monthly-recurring payment or an annually recurring one. Every time a payment is processed, your subscription is automatically expanded by one period (month or year, depending on the plan).
A Plan can be cancelled either through your Billing and Subscriptions page or through the Payment Processor itself. Although cancelling a Plan doesn’t cancel or refund any payment that has already been processed. If you’ve already paid for a month, and you cancel your subscription, you’ll remain a subscriber with all perks intact for the remainder of the month. Cancelling a sub simply cancels all future payments.
A Pass is a one-off payment that grants you Subscriber access for a limited time. They’re an excellent alternative if you can’t or don’t want to subscribe to a recurring payment plan. Passes also don’t require a Credit Card to be purchased. You can even buy them with Store Credit.
A Pass gives you exactly the same perks as a regular Plan, and also contributes to your subscriber history. You can even buy a bunch of them at a time and not worry for a while.
Can I have both Passes and Plans in my account at the same time?
CAUTION : passes should NOT be bought while you still have an active subscription. You’ll end up paying twice for the same amount of time. If you want to buy a Pass, make sure to cancel any active subscription first.
When is Jump Point released? When is Subscriber Flair released? How often is the vault updated?
Jump Point is released once a month, usually the third Friday of every month. The Vault is updated every Thursday. New Subscriber flair is issued on the second Friday of every month.
I paid for a year up front, do I get my perks immediately? What perks do I get now vs. at the end of the year?
Some perks take effect the moment you subscribe :
- Access to the Vault and Jump Point
- Access to subscriber-exclusive merchandise
- Access to exclusive in-game items
Others will need you to accumulate a certain amount of months of subscriptions to unlock :
- Coupon to the store (1 year of subscription time required)
When will I get my coupon?
The coupon will be awarded to anyone who has accumulated at least a year of Centurion or Imperator time. The coupon will be single-use, on any transaction in the store, capped at a maximum discount of $50 USD or $100 USD (Imperator level.)
How do I upgrade my subscription from Centurion to Imperator?
Unfortunately it is not possible to upgrade an active Centurion plan to an Imperator Plan. You need to cancel any active subscription and buy a new one with the Imperator Plan.
Can I instantly become a long-time subscriber?
It’s a dangerous thing to ask, but yes you can! But first you need to cancel any active subscription you may have. Once this is done, you can buy any number of month- or year-passes from the store. As soon as you’ve paid for them, their cumulated time will be added to your personal Subscriber history. DO NOT re-subscribe with a recurring plan until the passes have run out their course, or you may end up paying twice for the same time period.
I subscribe with Amazon, why am I receiving emails telling me that I have authorized payments to RSI?
This is because of a system change in RSI’s payment interfaces, you will now be receiving emails from Amazon once a month, confirming your subscription payment to RSI. No new costs, simply a notification of the transaction occurring.
