How to apply for X Original Content Rewards program [GUIDE]

X is changing the way creators get paid on the platform, replacing its long-running Creator Revenue Sharing system with a new Original Content Rewards program. Creators are now looking at how the new system works, who can apply, and what X considers eligible original content.

Called Original Content Rewards, the new program pays eligible creators based on qualified impressions their original content receives from X Premium users. The change means accounts built largely around reposting, aggregation or lightly modifying other people’s content may find it considerably harder to generate monetizable views.

X stopped accepting new applications for its old Creator Revenue Sharing program on August 7, 2026. Existing participants can continue earning under that program until September 7, after which X will begin moving eligible creators toward the new system.

So, who can apply, when should you apply and what exactly does X consider “original” content? Here is what creators need to know.

When can you apply for X Original Content Rewards?

The answer depends on whether you are already enrolled in X’s old Creator Revenue Sharing program.

Creators who are not currently part of Creator Revenue Sharing: X’s Help Center now provides an “Enroll in Creator Studio” option for Original Content Rewards. Engadget reports that creators who are not members of the outgoing Revenue Sharing program can apply for Original Content Rewards now, provided they meet the eligibility requirements.

Existing Creator Revenue Sharing members: X says access to apply for Original Content Rewards will begin rolling out on September 8, 2026. Being part of Revenue Sharing does not appear to automatically enroll an account in the replacement program — creators will need to meet the new requirements and apply.

Existing Revenue Sharing creators will continue earning through September 7. X has scheduled the remaining legacy payouts for August 14, August 28 and a final payment covering earnings through September 7 that is expected around September 11.

Creators who already completed identity verification and have a valid payout method connected to their account under Revenue Sharing will not need to repeat those steps when moving to Original Content Rewards.

X Original Content Rewards eligibility requirements

Meeting one or two of the thresholds is not enough. X says applicants must satisfy all of its eligibility requirements at the time they apply.

To qualify, you need to:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Live in a country where Original Content Rewards is available.
• Have an X account in good standing, without a history of repeatedly violating X’s Monetization Guidelines or Terms of Service.
• Use a Personal or Business Account. Political and government organization accounts are not eligible.
• Have an active X Premium, Premium+ or Premium Business subscription.
• Have at least 500 verified followers.
• Generate at least 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users during the previous 90 days. Impressions generated on replies do not count toward this requirement.
• Actively publish content that meets X’s definition of original content.

Meeting these numbers does not guarantee acceptance. X says qualifying creators can submit an application, which will then be reviewed before admission to the program.

The program’s legal terms also contain additional restrictions. Among other things, X employees and certain affiliated-company employees are generally excluded unless specifically approved, while government institutions, elected officials, political parties and accounts engaged in election-related activity face additional restrictions.

How to apply for X Original Content Rewards

The process is handled through X’s Creator Studio.

Step 1: Open Creator Studio

Sign in to the X account you want to monetize and open Creator Studio.

X’s official Original Content Rewards page also includes an “Enroll in Creator Studio” button that directs creators toward the enrollment process.

Step 2: Select Original Content Rewards

Inside Creator Studio, navigate to:

Creator Studio → Original Content Rewards

X says creators can use this section to check their current eligibility status.

If one of the required thresholds has not yet been met, such as the verified follower or impression requirement, you will need to meet it before successfully applying.

Step 3: Submit the application

Once X shows that your account satisfies the eligibility requirements, submit the Original Content Rewards application from Creator Studio.

Applying also involves accepting the program’s terms and conditions. X says satisfying the published requirements makes you eligible to apply, but does not guarantee that the account will be admitted.

Step 4: Wait for X’s review

X says it aims to notify applicants of its decision within three business days after an eligible application is submitted.

If your application is approved, you can proceed with the payout setup where required.

Step 5: Set up your payout account

To receive money, creators must connect either:

• A Stripe payout account, or
• An X Money Account, where that payout option is available.

Creators must also complete identity verification through Stripe. X’s legal terms state that the payment processor may require identity, residence, payment and tax information before payments can be made.

Again, creators moving over from Revenue Sharing who have already completed identity verification and still have a valid payout method do not need to complete those steps again.

What counts as “original content” on X?

This is arguably the biggest change.

X isn’t limiting Original Content Rewards to professionally produced videos or long-form posts. Original material can include writing, reporting, photographs, videos, graphics, illustrations, memes and other formats — provided the creator actually made the content or contributed meaningful original value.

Commentary and reaction posts can qualify too.

For example, covering a breaking news event and adding your own reporting, analysis, expertise or context can still be considered original content. The important part is that your contribution needs to add something substantive instead of merely reproducing what somebody else posted.

That distinction could be particularly important for news, sports, entertainment and commentary accounts.

Quoting or referencing another source isn’t automatically disqualifying. But simply reposting another person’s image or video with a short description is unlikely to satisfy X’s originality standard.

What content will not qualify?

X specifically identifies several types of content that may not generate qualified impressions under the new program.

These include:

• Content copied entirely from another account or source.
• Videos, photos or other material downloaded and reuploaded from X or another platform when you are not the original creator.
• Posts that make only minor changes to someone else’s work, such as changing a few words, adding a filter, changing video speed or adding a basic text overlay.
• Aggregation that mainly combines other people’s work without meaningful new analysis, context or creative input.
• Cross-platform reposts uploaded by somebody other than the original creator.

X also says content may become ineligible for rewards if it is created or posted using automated means, contains misleading information, violates its rules, receives a helpful Community Note, or is focused exclusively on discussing monetization and ways to maximize payouts.

The takeaway is fairly straightforward: crediting the original creator alone does not necessarily make someone else’s material monetizable. Your own reporting, analysis, commentary or creative contribution needs to be a meaningful part of the post.

Engadget similarly noted that simply adding captions or text overlays describing what is already happening in someone else’s content is unlikely to meet X’s standard.

How are earnings calculated?

Instead of focusing on the previous revenue-sharing model, Original Content Rewards pays creators according to qualified impressions generated by eligible original posts.

Not every view visible in your analytics will count.

X currently defines a qualified impression as a unique Home Timeline impression from a Premium user where at least 50 percent of the post is visible on screen. Premium Basic, Premium, Premium+ and Premium Business users can generate qualified impressions.

X excludes:

• Repeat impressions from the same account on the same post.
• Paid or promoted impressions.
• Artificially generated impressions.
• Fraudulent impressions.

This means a post showing one million total impressions in regular analytics should not automatically be assumed to have one million monetizable impressions.

Mashable described the change as a move away from paying creators through the previous advertising-revenue split toward rewarding posts based on qualified impressions from Premium subscribers.

How much does X pay?

X has not published a simple fixed rate such as a set dollar amount for every 1,000 qualified impressions.

Its terms say payments are based on impressions from Premium users, while X retains the ability to change how payment calculations are structured.

For now, X says:

• Payouts are generally processed every two weeks.
• The minimum payout threshold is $30.
• Only eligible qualified impressions contribute toward rewards.
• Processing fees, taxes and other applicable deductions may affect what a creator ultimately receives.

Creators should therefore be cautious about attempting to calculate expected earnings from total post impressions alone.

What happens if your application is rejected?

A rejected application isn’t necessarily the end of the process.

X says unsuccessful applicants are allowed to submit one appeal.

If that appeal is also rejected, the creator can apply again after 90 days, assuming the account still meets all of the eligibility requirements at that point.

Accounts whose monetization is currently paused because of a previous policy violation are not eligible to enroll in Original Content Rewards at this time.

How to improve your chances before applying

Creators preparing to apply should check more than just follower numbers.

Before submitting an application, it makes sense to verify that:

1. Your Premium subscription is active.
2. You have at least 500 verified followers.
3. Creator Studio shows at least 500,000 qualifying Home Timeline impressions from verified users over the previous 90 days.
4. Your recent posts contain a meaningful amount of content that you produced yourself.
5. Reuploads and lightly edited third-party clips are not a major part of your posting strategy.
6. Your account is in good standing.
7. You have the identity and payout information needed to complete payment onboarding.

its manipulating views, followers or engagement using bots or automated tools. Its terms warn that artificially inflating views can result in lost earnings and removal from the program.

Do existing Revenue Sharing creators automatically move to the new program?

No automatic migration has been announced.

X says existing Revenue Sharing members will begin getting access to apply from September 8, meaning creators should expect to go through the new eligibility and application process rather than assuming their existing membership will simply carry over.

The good news is that previously completed identity verification and an existing valid payout method can carry over.

The bottom line

X’s Original Content Rewards program represents more than a simple renaming of Creator Revenue Sharing.

The platform is changing both what generates revenue and what type of content it wants to reward. The headline thresholds — 500 verified followers and 500,000 verified Home Timeline impressions over 90 days — are only part of the equation. Creators must also demonstrate that they regularly produce genuinely original material and continue complying with X’s monetization policies after being accepted.

For creators who are not enrolled in the outgoing Revenue Sharing program, the Original Content Rewards enrollment route is already available through Creator Studio, according to X’s current Help Center. Existing Revenue Sharing participants, meanwhile, should watch Creator Studio beginning September 8, 2026, when X says access to apply will start rolling out to them.