Discord is a platform that has a lot going for it over other methods of digital communication in 2023. In one place, you can send text messages, make voice and video calls, send images, and play games with friends. While Discord was originally created for gamers to communicate while playing their favorite games, the platform can be (and has been) used for pretty much anything – from organizing hangouts with friends and family to facilitating book clubs and even serving as the hub for some businesses to make sales.

One way both individuals and organizations commonly use Discord is to launch subscription-based communities that are centered around a given topic. For example, users might pay a monthly fee to access a community of experts or pay to use bots that track sports betting data or stock market information. For many people, joining paid Discord servers is a great way to connect with other extremely passionate hobbyists in a safe and fully relevant environment.

While monetizing your Discord server can be extremely beneficial as a second stream of income (or as a first if you are truly dedicated), many people don’t bother to create one because they believe it will be too challenging. Thankfully, it’s much easier than it seems to create a Discord server with an amazing community and monetize it on Whop Marketplace.

1. Create your Discord server

Before you take any other steps, the first thing you should do is create an account with Discord. After registering and confirming your email address, you can choose to either use Discord entirely in your browser or download the app. After creating your account, you should set a profile picture, add a biography, and otherwise make your profile your own. You can even set a custom status containing a link to your server. Discord Nitro members can add other personalization options, too, like a profile gradient color and cover image. It is important to make your personal profile reflect your personality, as people will be more inclined to join your server if they see that it is moderated by real people rather than bots.

After you’ve set a profile picture, added a biography, or anything else you need to make your profile yours, you can begin creating your server. Of course, if you already have a server you want to monetize, you can skip this step and move on to the next one.

Dashboard of creating a paid discord server using Whop

Click the green plus sign (+) on the left side of the app to initiate the process (you may need to scroll down if you are a member of other servers already). You’ll then be asked what you plan to use the server for, using a short list of options. Select whichever option is most relevant to your server.

Depending on your answer, it’ll give your server a different list of pre-generated channels, but don’t worry, you can edit these anytime. Each channel represents a different topic of discussion, so you should add channels that are relevant to the subject of your server. For example, if you started a server for a book club, you might have the following channels:

  • #general
  • #book-discussion
  • #book-suggestions
  • #off-topic
  • #voice-chat

After you’ve added what you plan to use the server for and added or removed channels as you see fit, you can edit the name and icon of your server in the top left. This is one of the biggest chances your server has to make a first impression, so choose these wisely! Remember, though, that you can always change them later. It is best to use logos, icons, or photographs that best represent your community, business, or organization.

2. Create a Whop account

Before adding your Discord server to Whop Marketplace, you'll need to create a Whop account and add your company. It’s easy to get started with Whop, and it takes less than 5 minutes to create an account for your business. Whop is cheaper and easier to use than alternatives like Launchpass, making it a great option for amateurs and experienced Discord server creators alike.

How to sign up for a whop marketplace account
Creating your Whop Marketplace account

How to create a Whop account

Just follow these simple steps to create your Whop account and begin using the marketplace:

  1. Create an account on Whop Marketplace.
  2. From the Whop homepage, click "Sell on Whop" in the upper right-hand corner.
  3. Create a new company or import your existing one.
  4. Choose one category that best describes your business. You can change this at any time, so feel free to pick whichever category is most relevant to your company at this time.
  5. Select the price members will pay to join your company. You can set any price or frequency (one-time, per day, per month, per 6 months, etc.). Be sure to click "free to join" if you don't plan on charging members to join your company outright.
  6. Customize your brand by adding a slogan and logo on the next screen.

Now you’re done creating a Whop account for your organization, and you can move on to adding your Discord server itself to the platform.

3. Add passes and perks to Whop

Once you've created your company and added it to Whop Marketplace, it's time to add your passes and perks, which are the services members pay for on your platform. Passes can either be paid for with one-time fees or monthly subscriptions, though the latter is more common.

There are various types of perks you can add within passes, including:

  • Custom perks (such as gym access, 24/7 server support, and access to giveaways)
  • Discord roles
  • Content
  • Software
  • Links

For monetizing a Discord server on Whop, it’s a good idea to use Whop Bot to add Discord role perks, such as VIP access roles. These paid roles might also give users access to special chats, bots, discussions with experts, and more.

Here is how to add your Discord server to Whop and start monetizing:

Adding discord server and passes on whop
Adding your Discord server to your product offering
  1. From the Whop Dashboard, click “Passes” on the left sidebar.
  2. Click “Add new pass” in the upper right-hand corner.
  3. Give your pass a relevant name; for example, "VIP Discord Access Pass."
  4. On the pass page, click “add perks.” Next, click “Discord roles” on the left sidebar.
  5. Click "Connect Discord" and select your server. You will then be asked to add Whop Bot to your server.
  6. Add Whop Bot and move it to the top of your role list.
  7. Back on the Whop pass page, select the roles that you want to add to the pass. For example, if paying users should be able to access the “VIP” role, add the VIP role to the list.
  8. At the bottom of the page, select a pricing option and save. Select “Visible.”
  9. Continue adding perks within the pass until you are happy with the content of the pass. Note that you can use multiple types of perks within one pass; so, for example, a user could purchase your VIP access pass to get the VIP Discord role as well as access to special resources.

You’ll want to double-check that your pass and page are set to “Visible” before you wrap things up. Otherwise, no one else will be able to see your server on Whop Marketplace without you providing them with a direct link.

Once you’ve finished that, congratulations! Your Discord server – and additional passes, which will give users access to more channels and content, depending on how you set up your server – is now available on Whop Marketplace! You’ll just need to follow a few more simple steps in order to add a payment method to your account and start monetizing.

4. Add the Whop bot to your server

During the process of adding your Discord server to the Whop Marketplace, it is a great idea to add the Whop Bot; not only will it help you with server organization, but it also helps you monetize your server by automatically distributing certain preset roles.

Whop Bot is a general management bot for Discord provided by Whop. The Whop Bot has the capability to add/remove members in your server, as well as the ability to assign and remove roles. For example, if a member in your server owns an NFT, Whop Bot can assign them a role that expresses that possession to other members, as well as reassign the role to another member or remove it entirely if the NFT changes wallets. This is particularly helpful for server owners who only have a little time to manage their server manually or for people who simply enjoy a clean, automated experience.

The Whop Bot is also integral for monetizing your server, as it can be used to immediately give users roles after they are paid for. For example, if you add the “VIP” Discord role to your VIP Whop package, connecting the Whop Bot will ensure that the user instantly gets the VIP role after they make their purchase. This ensures that moderators will not have to manually give users the roles they pay for, shaving hours off of your server maintenance time for you and your moderators (if you have them).

While the Whop Bot isn't essential for running a server with Whop, it will certainly take your server to the next level and offer a user-friendly experience that your members will love. Without it, you won’t be able to monetize Discord roles or automatically give them out to newbies.

5. Sign up for Stripe payments

Signing up for Stripe payments is the final step to adding your server to Whop Marketplace and monetizing your new community. In order to complete this step, you’ll need to create a Stripe account for your business. To do so, you can click “Start now” on the official Stripe website and complete the simple signup process.

To accept and collect payments from users, you’ll need to link a Stripe account to your Whop Business account. If you already use Stripe for another service, you should know your Stripe API key. Simply enter your Stripe API keys in the given field, and the setup will be complete.

If you do not already have Stripe set up with another service, don't fret; Whop makes it easy to get started with Stripe. Click "Setup Stripe Connect through Whop'' and follow the simple setup process.

Now that you have Stripe payments set up with Whop, you’re all set to start making money from your Discord community! While you’re done with setting up your server, there is still some work to be done if you want to turn your paid Discord community into a real second stream of income. Next, you’ll need to promote your server everywhere you can in order to reach out to prospective members.

6. Promote your server

After creating your Discord server and adding it to Whop Marketplace, it’s time to promote your server. It’s a good idea to send the link first to friends and family who might be interested in joining your community; if you created a server about NFTs, for example, it’s definitely a good idea to send the link out to all of your friends who you know collect them. You never know who they will tell about your new server, too, and who might be interested based on their word-of-mouth recommendation.

While you can and should reach out to those close to you to promote your server, your advertisements should not end there. Most people who join Discord servers also use other social media like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. You should promote your server there, too, by creating relevant and useful content and sharing it with prospects. For example, if you start a book club server, as we mentioned earlier, you might create a TikTok about your favorite books of 2022 and plug your server at the end.

Start monetizing your passions with Whop marketplace

No matter what topics you are passionate about, it’s easier than it seems to create a community surrounding them and start monetizing your server. Whop Marketplace provides an ever-growing database of thousands of user-submitted content, including Discord servers, Figma templates, and more.

👉 If you’re ready to upload your own Discord server and get started with monetizing your passions, sign up for Whop Business today and upload your server to the marketplace. Your wallet – and your flourishing community – will thank you!

Article reviewed and checked for accuracy on 09/12/2023 by Colin McDermott