Snapchat finally allows 100% original filters, but there's more than one catch
People and businesses can now buy location-specific filters
Snapchat is bringing custom geofilters to the picture-sharing service, allowing users to make their own, 100% personalized frames locked to a specific location.
The service's past geofilters, created by artistic members of its community, could only promote public areas, such as a city landmark, or be tied into a specific occasion, such as a holiday or The Super Bowl. (Even then, they had limits on what type of artwork could be used, e.g. brand logos.)
Starting today, however, Snapchatters in the US, the UK, and Canada can make On-Demand Geofilters for private use, such as a throwing a wedding, hosting a party, or promoting a sale for their local business.
That boundless creativity will cost you
Users now have the control to create their own designs from scratch, as well as determine exactly where and for how long their custom tags will be active. The custom geofilter can exist for a length of anywhere between an hour to 30 days.
Naturally, Snapchat isn't allowing for custom geotags from the kindness of its heart. On-Demand Geofilters start at $5 (about £3.53) a pop, with the final price reflecting how big a location and how long a duration you'd like to publish your filter for.
While the feature could be a boon for promoting smaller festivals, local businesses or private events, there is no telling if Snapchat's latest attempt to make money will just go the way of the quickly-cancelled Lens Store.
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