This guide covers what works for Rust servers, how to price your offerings, and why the platform you choose matters more than you think.

What Rust Players Actually Buy

Rust has one of the most active monetization ecosystems in multiplayer gaming. Players expect professional stores and are willing to pay for perks that improve their experience.

In-Game Ranks

This is your primary revenue driver. Ranks give players perks like increased gather rates, extra home locations, daily kits, and quality of life features. Most successful servers offer 3-4 tiers (Basic, VIP, VIP+, MVP) with escalating benefits at different price points.

Price these as monthly subscriptions. Entry-level ranks typically run $10-15, mid-tier $20-30, and premium ranks can go $40-60+ depending on the perks included. The recurring revenue from rank subscriptions is what makes servers profitable long-term, not one-time purchases.

Queue Skip

If you run a popular server that regularly fills up, queue skip is incredibly valuable. Players who invest hours into your server will pay to avoid waiting in line. This is especially true during prime hours and right after wipes.

For community servers specifically, queue skip is typically the only monetization option available under Facepunch's server hosting guidelines.

Kits

One-time kits (starter kit, farmer kit, PvP kit, raid kit) work well as impulse purchases, especially during wipes. Players know exactly what they're getting and when they'll use it. Depending on what's included, kits can range from $5 for basic starter packages to $100+ for premium raid kits with high-tier weapons and materials.

In-Game Currency

Many servers use virtual currency systems (gems, coins, credits) that players can purchase and spend in-game on items, perks, or services. This works particularly well because it gives players flexibility in how they spend and creates additional engagement with your economy. Players can buy currency in different denominations ($5, $10, $25, $50) and use it as they see fit.

Why Your Payment Platform Matters

Most server owners treat their store as an afterthought. They pick whatever platform their hosting provider recommends or whatever their friends use, then wonder why they're dealing with chargebacks, failed payments, and tax headaches.

Here's what actually matters when you're processing real money:

Chargeback Protection

Chargebacks are brutal in the digital goods space. A player buys a rank, uses it for a month, then disputes the charge with their bank. You lose the money, you get hit with a chargeback fee, and if it happens too often, payment processors can drop you entirely.

PayNow operates as a merchant of record, which means we're the seller on record for all transactions. When a chargeback happens, we handle it completely. You don't deal with disputes, you don't lose money you've already received, and your payment processing stays healthy. Other platforms often pass chargeback liability directly to you, leaving you responsible for both the lost revenue and the fees.

Tax Compliance

If you're selling to customers internationally (and you are), you're responsible for collecting and remitting taxes in dozens of jurisdictions. VAT in the EU, GST in Australia, sales tax across US states. It's a compliance nightmare that most server owners don't realize they're supposed to be handling.

As a merchant of record, PayNow handles all tax collection, calculation, and remittance automatically. We're the entity responsible for compliance, not you. You get paid your cut, and we handle the regulatory headaches. This matters more than you think, especially as tax authorities get increasingly aggressive about digital sales.

Payment Coverage

Your players aren't all using the same payment methods. European players might prefer iDEAL in the Netherlands, Brazilian players use Pix, and some players prefer paying with crypto. Others want cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.

PayNow supports over 75 payment methods from around the world. We use payment routing to intelligently send transactions to the processor most likely to approve them, which means higher authorization rates and more completed purchases. Failed payments aren't just annoying for customers, they're lost revenue for you.

Fraud Detection

Stolen cards and trial abuse are real problems in gaming monetization. PayNow includes built-in fraud detection that blocks suspicious transactions before they become chargebacks. You can also block prepaid cards for subscriptions, which dramatically reduces trial abuse where players sign up with disposable cards and never convert to paying customers.

Trials Lower the Barrier to Entry

Here's something many server owners overlook: offering trials for your ranks.

A 3-day or 7-day rank trial that starts free and automatically converts to the full monthly price lets players test your premium features without any upfront commitment. While conversion rates vary (typically 5-10%), that trial revenue adds up, and the players who do convert often become long-term subscribers.

The psychology is simple. Players are hesitant to spend $30 on a rank they've never tried. But a free trial that they can cancel anytime? That's an easy decision. Once they experience the benefits and invest time with those perks active, canceling becomes harder, and many will let it convert naturally.

Set up your trials with automatic conversion to the full monthly price. Don't make players manually subscribe after the trial ends, most won't. Let them opt out if they don't want to continue, but default to conversion.

Pricing That Actually Works

Don't underprice. If you're charging $5 for top-tier VIP, you're signaling that your server isn't worth much. Players who are serious about Rust (the ones who play regularly and build communities on your server) will pay $20-50+ monthly for a genuinely good experience.

Your pricing should reflect the quality of your server and the value your ranks provide. A well-run server with active admins, regular events, and balanced perks can easily justify premium pricing.

Create bundles. A new player package with a starter kit plus one month of VIP sells better than those items separately. Players perceive more value, and you increase your average order value.

Consider wipe timing. The first 24-48 hours after a wipe is when engagement peaks and players are most likely to purchase. Running a limited-time promotion during this window can generate significant revenue spikes.

Understanding Your Store Performance

PayNow provides detailed analytics that help you understand what's working and what isn't. Your dashboard shows lifetime sales, daily/weekly/monthly revenue, and average order value at a glance.

The weekly revenue charts and sales trackers let you quickly identify trends. Which packages are selling? When do purchases happen? What's your monthly recurring revenue from subscriptions? These insights help you make informed decisions about pricing, promotions, and new product offerings.

You can track individual customer metrics too: how much recurring revenue each customer generates, how many active subscriptions they have, their total payment history. This data is invaluable for understanding your best customers and optimizing your store for similar buyers.

Setting Up Your Store

PayNow makes this straightforward. You connect your Rust server, configure your products, and your store goes live. Purchases are delivered in real-time, and the checkout experience is professional and converts well.

The integration is plugin-based and takes minutes to set up. Our documentation walks through everything, and if you get stuck, we're available in Discord. Your store can match your server's branding, and because we use an embedded checkout, players never leave your site to complete purchases.

You configure what commands execute when players purchase ranks or kits. Everything from granting permissions to delivering items happens automatically.

What High-Earning Servers Do Differently

The servers making real money from monetization don't just set up a store and forget about it. Here's what they do:

They promote actively. In-game messages, Discord announcements, loading screen information. Players need to know what's available. Your store isn't a secret.

They refresh offerings regularly. New kits each wipe, seasonal promotions, limited-time bundles. Giving players a reason to check the store keeps them engaged.

They make ranks feel valuable. If your VIP perks are weak, nobody will subscribe. Stack genuine value into your rank tiers, features that noticeably improve the player experience.

They use analytics to optimize. PayNow's dashboard shows you what sells, what converts, and what doesn't perform. Successful servers adjust pricing and create new offerings based on actual data, not guesses.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don't make everything a subscription. Players want options. Some will subscribe to ranks, others just want a one-time kit. Offer both.

Don't forget about fraud protection. Enable prepaid card blocking for subscriptions. It prevents trial abuse and protects your recurring revenue.

Don't set it and forget it. Your store needs attention. Test new products, run promotions, adjust pricing based on what works. Servers that actively manage their monetization make significantly more than those that don't.

Getting Started

If you're not monetizing your Rust server yet, you're covering costs out of pocket when your players would happily contribute. If you are monetizing but dealing with chargebacks, tax headaches, or poor conversion rates, you're probably using the wrong platform.

Thousands of game servers already use PayNow, including most of the top names in Rust like WarBandits, Atlas, Vital, Rustopia, Brit Rust, Rusticated, Stevious, Hollow Servers, Bestrust Servers, and many more. They chose PayNow because we handle the compliance and fraud protection that other platforms leave to you.

Set up your store at paynow.gg. The integration is straightforward, our documentation covers everything, and you'll be in good company.

Your players want perks. You need revenue to run a quality server. PayNow connects the two without the headaches.

Questions? Join our Discord at discord.gg/paynow.