• by Colin Kirkland , November 4, 2024

Snapchat is looking to further boost its premium in-app subscription service Snapchat+ this holiday season.

The social media company has decided to build off of last year's holiday push by expanding its gift cards to physical stores, like Target.

“As we approach the holidays, annual Snapchat+ subscriptions are now available for purchase at Target stores across the US and online and via Amazon and Walmart,” the company wrote in a blog post.

Snapchat+ first launched in 2022, offering subscribers access to dozens of early, exclusive, and experimental features in the app, including custom chat wallpapers, seasonal app icons, AI Bitmoji pets and more.

Over the past two years, the paid service has attracted over 12 million subscribers -- reporting the addition of 3 million subscribers between April and August, then 1 million more over the past quarter.

Users' steady interest in Snapchat+ has provided the company with a new revenue stream that is complementary to its ad business, which still makes up over 90% of its overall revenue intake.

The growing number of paid subscribers also makes Snap a leader in verification-based paid services across the social landscape -- surpassing Facebook and X, but still lagging behind premium services from LinkedIn and YouTube.

Now, the company is trying to provide Snapchatters with an easy gift idea. Snap's expansion of its gift card -- which premiered last holiday season digitally via Amazon -- costs $29.99 and can be purchased physically at Target (and digitally at Walmart), and redeemed on Snap’s website for an annual subscription to Snapchat+.