Back in the day, if you were able to post a few viral reels, Instagram would pay you up to $8,500 a month for it. It was called the Instagram Play Bonus Program, and it was great.
I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that program has been gone for a long time. Don’t worry, though, because there are plenty of other options for making money on Instagram.
What Happened to the Instagram Play Bonus Program?
The Instagram play bonus program (sometimes called the Reels play bonus) officially ended in 2023, when Instagram moved away from a single, predictable payout program toward multiple monetization methods.
What replaced the old IG play bonus program?
Bonuses are still available on Instagram, but instead of a Reels-focused payout system, the platform now offers multiple bonus opportunities. They’re usually tied to content performance and only available to select creators.
Here’s what we know for sure:
- Bonuses are offered by invitation only.
- Programs are tested for limited periods.
- Availability varies by country.
- Meta can end a bonus program at any time, even if you’re actively earning.
Instagram has also confirmed that an element of random selection is involved during testing phases, which explains why two creators with similar audiences can have completely different access — or none at all.
How bonuses on Instagram work today
Instagram doesn’t publicly share its payout formulas. I did some research, though, and determined that bonus earnings are tied to content performance signals (such as views, engagement, or activity during a bonus period). That said, payout amounts seem to fluctuate significantly between creators.
Additionally, there is some seasonality in bonuses. Facebook has run a few holiday bonus programs in the past, as is verified on the Instagram Help Center and by people who have participated.
In r/Instagram, one user who runs an Instagram meme account with 300K followers said: “I’m in the New Year’s Bonus program, and I’m currently cashing out $1200 to $1500 every two weeks. I post three reels and three carousels every single day.”
Can you expect this kind of payout all the time? Unfortunately, no. One of the most-upvoted responses in the thread was: “My bonus has been horrible the last few months with no explanation…like $10 for a million views or something terrible.”
In other words: Hold on to your day job and/or make sure you diversify your monetization strategies, because Instagram bonuses are not the most reliable income stream.
How to enable bonuses
If you want to participate in an Instagram bonus program, you need a Professional Instagram account(Creator or Business). Once you have that in order:
- Open the Instagram app and head to your profile.
- Tap Professional dashboard.
- Tap the Settings icon in the top right corner, then tap Bonuses.
FYI, you will not see Bonuses if Meta hasn’t invited you. (I personally didn’t see it available.)
- If you do see Bonuses as an option, follow the prompts and tap Activate bonus.
By activating bonuses, you agree to the Instagram Creator Incentives Terms and Instagram Bonuses general program rules. Once enrolled, you’ll receive bonus payouts around the 7th of the month for earnings from the previous bonus period.
Note: You must add a payout account to receive earnings. Without a payout account, your earnings will be capped and forfeited after six months.
Real Talk: Relying on Instagram Bonuses Alone Is Risky
IG play bonus is the perfect example of why you need to diversify your monetization strategy. Platform-run programs of this nature can (and do) disappear, earnings fluctuate heavily, and you don’t own the audience or the income channel. If you want more control and a more consistent income, pair bonuses with other monetization strategies.
Brand deals/sponsored content
Paid collaborations are great for creators who have an engaged audience that trusts them. For instance, mid-size creators (~100k followers) often land sponsorships because their following has a personal feel.
The best strategy for attracting brand deals is to build a solid online presence. Focus on making content that gets likes, comments, and shares, and interacting with your followers. Tag brands you like.
And when you’re ready to do more: How to Land Your First Brand Deal (And Keep ‘Em Coming)
Affiliate links
Affiliate marketing is popular in a few niches — fashion, lifestyle, tech, and travel come to mind. If you’re getting comments like, “OMG 😍 where’d you get that?”, affiliate marketing is a good path for you.
The easiest way to get started is by joining programs that align with your niche and naturally fit into your content. There are many options out there (Amazon Affiliates, Impact, LTK, etc.), so do some research and figure out which one might work for you.
And hey, we have an affiliate program! So if you’re a Manychat user, check it out. (And if you’re not a Manychat user, sign up.)
Subscriptions, memberships, and digital products
Do people love your content? Enough to pay for it? If so, make more of it and put it behind a paywall. Patreon, Substack, YouTube, and Facebook all enable creators to offer subscription-based content.
You’re already creating content, so this is one of the best ways to monetize it. And if you want to maximize traffic, have a distribution strategy. Pair a tool like Linktree with Manychat to make it as seamless as possible for your followers to find the good stuff without going out of their way.
On the topic of good stuff: How to Make and Sell Digital Goods (Without Losing Your Soul or Sanity)
Instagram Play Bonus Is Gone, But Monetization Options Abound
The creator economy is booming. Globally, there are over 207 million content creators, from hobbyists to full-time professionals, and that number gets bigger every day.
Even more exciting, though: The creator economy is estimated to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars today, and it’s expected to continue to grow as creators build revenue streams that go far beyond simple platform payouts.
And that’s the point: Bonuses like Instagram play are fickle. Instagram’s current bonus program is a thing, but participation is invite-only and subject to change at any time.
Creators who diversify their income and build direct relationships with their audiences are the ones who thrive. Brand deals, affiliate revenue, subscriptions, and other direct-to-fan monetization channels give you levers to pull, so you’re not left waiting for the next Instagram holiday bonus program.
TL;DR: IG play bonus is gone, but your opportunity to earn as a creator is bigger than ever.
