BeReal is reportedly planning to launch paid features to avoid introducing advertising on the platform, following its recent surge in popularity.
The French social media app now has more than 15 million daily active users but a massive influx of new sign-ups over the summer has put its fledgling infrastructure under strain.
There have been technical issues and internal dilemmas about how best to move forward, with the Financial Times reporting on Monday that payments for extra features are being considered.
BeReal’s popularity stems mainly from its focus on authenticity, as its “Your Friends for Real” tagline attests.
Its main feature prompts users to capture images at a random time each day, without filters.
The introduction of ads and branded content would go against what makes the platform unique.
However, BeReal is also said to be under pressure from investors to add new features to drive further growth.
It raised $30m in a funding round in the summer, which valued the company at around $600m.
The app’s executives are said to be wary about any sudden changes and would instead prefer to continue working as a small team – it has around 40 staff in Paris.
But in-app payments for extra features are seen as the best way to generate revenue at a time when insiders expect daily user numbers to soar to tens of millions by 2023.
While BeReal hasn’t ruled out advertising completely, it believes the ad models used by other social media platforms are too intrusive.
The report also stated that any new paid features are unlikely to arrive until late next year.
