Instagram Live badges are paid hearts that viewers buy during a Live to support the creator. Instagram's Help Center lists three levels: one heart at 99 cents, two hearts at 1.99 dollars and three hearts at 4.99 dollars. To earn from them, a creator must be 18 or older, qualify for badges and have a professional (creator or business) account. Earnings are paid out through a payout account, around the 21st of each month. This guide covers what a badge is, who can buy and receive them, where to turn them on and how the money reaches you.
What an Instagram Live badge is
Instagram's Help Center says badges are a feature that lets you show support to creators during a live video. When you buy a badge, a heart icon appears next to your name in the comments.
Once badges are bought, Instagram says:
- The badge stays next to your name during that Live.
- Your hearts are highlighted in the comments.
- Your Instagram name appears on a list visible to the creator of that Live for up to 90 days.
- If you ask a question during the Live, it is highlighted to the creator.
- If you comment, the creator may pin your comment.
Instagram adds that once you submit a question or a comment to a creator, you cannot edit or delete it. The Help Center also says badges are not a subscription purchase and only stay active for the duration of that Live video.
Prices and limits for viewers
The Help Center lists these badge levels:
- One heart: 99 cents
- Two hearts: 1.99 dollars
- Three hearts: 4.99 dollars
Instagram says you can buy as many badges as you choose, up to 250 US dollars per Live video. The Badges Purchase Terms add that Instagram reserves the right to change the prices of badge experiences from time to time, so check the price shown in the app. The same terms say that when you buy, you get the badge experience immediately and waive any statutory right to change your mind and get a refund within a cooling-off period.
For checkout, Instagram says buyers pay through the App Store on iOS or Google Play on Android, and that payment methods cannot be changed inside Instagram. Instagram's page on receipts says buyers can view their order history in Google Play or the Apple Store.
What buyers get, and what the creator sees
Instagram describes these perks for people who buy:
- After buying a badge, you receive a thanks notification.
- After buying three or more badges in a Live, your profile photo glows in the comments during that Live.
- If you buy badges in three separate Lives for the same creator in a row, the creator receives a notification about your continued support.
- Your heart icon shows the number of badges you bought.
On the creator's side, Instagram says the creator is notified when someone buys a badge and can see a list of supporters and the badges bought for up to 90 days. Everyone watching the Live can see a viewer's badge next to their comments. Instagram's Creators site adds that during your Live you can tap View to see more detailed earnings, and that after the Live you can find your total badge count under Badges in your Professional Dashboard.
If a creator pins a comment, Instagram says everyone watching can see the name, badges and comment for as long as the creator chooses, and only one comment can be pinned at a time.
Who can receive badges: eligibility and countries
Two Instagram pages describe eligibility, and they do not give identical detail, so here is each one.
Instagram's Help Center says that in order to be eligible for badges, creators must:
- Be 18 years or older.
- Qualify for badges.
- Have a professional (creator or business) account to host Lives featuring badges.
It also says badges are not enabled for all creators, and that creators who host Lives with badges must live in one of these countries: United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, France, Italy, Turkey, Spain, Mexico, Japan or Australia. Supporters can buy and send badges in most countries.
Instagram's Creators site says Badges in Live is available to all eligible creators in the US. To be eligible, you need to comply with Instagram's Partner Monetization Policies and Community Standards, be 18 or older and have 10,000 or more followers, and you can check eligibility in the Professional Dashboard. For the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Japan, Australia, Turkey, Brazil and Mexico, it says access is currently invite-only, and you can check your invite status under Settings, Creator, Badges.
Instagram's page on monetization also says that if a video breaks its Content Monetization Policies, it may be flagged as ineligible to earn through badges. Individual violations may lead to badges being disabled for that video and for going live with badges in the future. Instagram adds that this feature may not be available to you yet.
How to turn on badges before you go Live
Instagram gives two descriptions of the setup.
The Creators site says: go to Profile and tap Professional Dashboard. If you are eligible, you will see a button to Set Up Badges. Once you have access, badges are enabled automatically for your Lives, and you just add a title and go live.
The Help Center says: you need a professional account and a payout account set up in the app. Then, in the Instagram app, toggle to Live and tap Badges to enable badges in your live video.
Instagram's page on setting up payouts adds that when you add badges on a mobile device, you can skip the payout account and start earning immediately, within the caps described below. Practical tip from us: set up the payout account first anyway, because those caps and deadlines apply until you do.
How creators get paid
Instagram's Help Center states that creators receive 100% of their revenue from badges bought during an Instagram Live, minus applicable taxes and fees. It says Google and Apple deduct 30% of all in-app purchases in fees, and that Instagram currently receives no portion of the fees. Instagram words this as "at this time", so the split can change.
For the payout itself, Instagram's page on payouts says:
- Badges are one of four tools that can be paid out, with Bonuses, Gifts and Subscriptions.
- You must meet the Partner Monetization Policies and Content Monetization Policies, set up a payout account and reach the minimum earnings threshold.
- Without a payout account you can earn up to 500 US dollars per monetization tool, with a maximum of 1,500 US dollars across three tools. Instagram's setup page says that if you have not completed a payout account within 5 months of onboarding, or once you reach the 500 dollar cap for a tool, you cannot earn more until you set it up, and that if you have not added one within 6 months, you forfeit your earnings.
- Payouts for tools other than Bonuses are released around the 21st of every month for the previous month's earnings.
- In the US you are paid once a month after reaching a minimum balance of 5 US dollars. Outside the US the minimum is 25 US dollars for most payout methods and 100 US dollars for wire transfers.
- A balance below the minimum carries over to the next payout.
- Depending on your bank, payouts can take 1 to 7 business days to arrive.
Instagram's two pages do not give the same first-payout figure: the Creators site's badges FAQ says you get paid once you have earned at least 100 US dollars, while the Help Center payouts page gives the per-country minimums above. Check the Payouts section of your Professional Dashboard for the threshold that applies to your account.
- Changing payout account details places the account on a 5-day hold, so Instagram says to make changes at least 10 days before the payment date.
The Creators site says direct deposit setup needs your SSN or EIN plus bank or other payout-method details, and that you can change your payout account in the Professional Dashboard under Badges, then Payout Account. That page asks for an SSN or EIN, which are US tax IDs; Instagram's payouts page links separate guides for business, personal, banking and tax ID requirements.
Do badges still exist, and could that change?
We found no Instagram Help Center page or Creators page that says badges have ended in any country. The Badges Purchase Terms do say Instagram may change or stop offering Badges at any time, and Instagram's pages say availability differs by country and creator, so check the Badges option in your own app before you plan around them.
Tips and related ways to earn
Instagram's Creators site suggests reminding viewers at the start, middle and end of a Live that badges are enabled, pinning a goal as a comment, thanking supporters during the Live and afterward with the Thank You sticker in Stories. Our guide to Instagram Live Rooms covers hosting guests, and our guide to Instagram Gifts covers another way fans can support you. If sponsorships are your goal, see how to get sponsored on Instagram.
Badges only reward the audience that already watches your Lives. If you want help reaching more of the right people, UpGrow's Instagram growth service targets people you choose and does not need your Instagram password.
FAQ
How much do Instagram Live badges cost?
Instagram's Help Center lists three levels: one heart at 99 cents, two hearts at 1.99 dollars and three hearts at 4.99 dollars. Buyers can spend up to 250 US dollars per Live video.
How do you earn money from Instagram badges?
Turn on badges before a Live, then viewers buy them during the Live. Instagram says creators receive 100% of badge revenue minus applicable taxes and fees, and that Apple and Google deduct 30% of in-app purchases. Payouts need a payout account.
Who can use Instagram Live badges?
Creators must be 18 or older, qualify for badges and have a professional account. For US creators, Instagram's Creators site also lists 10,000 or more followers, and it says access is invite-only in the other countries on its list (UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Japan, Australia, Turkey, Brazil and Mexico). Supporters can buy badges in most countries.
When do badge payouts arrive?
Instagram says payouts for tools other than Bonuses are released around the 21st of each month for the previous month, once you pass the minimum balance. The Help Center puts that at 5 US dollars in the US and 25 or 100 US dollars elsewhere, depending on the payout method; the Creators site's badges FAQ says 100 US dollars, so check the Payouts section of your Professional Dashboard.
Do badges last after the Live ends?
No. Instagram says badges are not a subscription and only stay active for the duration of that Live video. The creator can still view the supporter list for up to 90 days.
