Join us Dec. 1-3 to connect with leaders from CMI Media Group, Publicis Media, Ogilvy and many more

More face swaps are in, in-app purchases are out on Snapchat.
Tucked away in last night’s update that expands its popular face swapping option to include the ability to let people switch faces with their photo roll, Snapchat ditched its latest monetization of selling replays. Now users can replay snaps for free.
Seven months is a long enough time to figure out that people didn’t want to pay upwards of $4.99 to re-watch friends’ goofy snaps. At its launch last September, Snapchat acknowledged that selling replays for few bucks a pop was lame, writing in its blog that it’s a “little pricey — but time is money!”
Snapchat’s proven adept at attracting ad dollars from big brands, many with a serious case of FOMO. But like most media businesses these days, it’s exploring ways to get people to pay up directly. So far, the results aren’t good.
It only took two months before Snapchat shelved its lens store in January, asking people to pay 99 cents apiece for the animated photo filters. “No one is going to buy those filters, losers,” a user said at the time, following a parade of vocal responses from users, again, saying they weren’t going to fork over money. One bright spot: the app’s geofilter store that lets users design filters and activate over certain areas for a set amount of time has been an early success with companies, parties and colleges using them.
Snapchat didn’t immediately respond for comment.
More in Media

The rise of the creator conglomerate
As creators like Dhar Mann and MrBeast reach new heights in terms of both following and investor interest, today’s creator media companies are evolving into something much larger. They’re rapidly expanding into new business units beyond content production — and hiring experienced executives to lead the charge.

A day in the life of Stephanie Wu: How Eater’s EIC uses Slack reminders, a color-coded calendar and Google Docs to stay atop her to-do list
Wu joined the Digiday Podcast for the latest installment of the show’s “Day in the Life” series, in which members of the media and marketing industries share their systems and tips for getting through the average work day.

Watch every session from the Digiday Publishing Summit, Fall 2025
Full video recordings of every session from the latest Digiday Publishing Summit are available exclusively for Digiday+ members.