Samantha Busch, wife of NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, recently launched Instagram subscriptions with tiers reportedly going up to $20.99/month. Instagram introduced its subscription feature in 2022, allowing creators to offer exclusive posts, live streams, and Q&A access. Samantha has built an online following of nearly 500,000 Instagram followers, often centered on her family life, infertility journey, and philanthropy through the Bundle of Joy Fund.
While her work in fertility advocacy is well-documented, she became a Certified Fertility Coach in 2025, and her nonprofit has distributed more than $2 million in IVF grants. Some fans criticized monetizing personal conversations on infertility, arguing it places sensitive support behind a paywall. Similar backlash has hit other influencers using subscription models, but the $20.99 price point especially drew attention for being one of the higher tiers allowed on the platform.
Instagram allows creators to offer subscriptions to followers via preset tiers. The pricing options include $0.99, $1.99, $2.99, $4.99, $9.99, $19.99, $49.99, and $99.99/month. Once a subscription is set up through a Creator or Business professional account and after meeting eligibility requirements (follower thresholds, content standards, etc.), creators can offer subscriber-only content like exclusive posts, stories, live broadcasts, etc.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Instagram does not take a cut from subscription revenue (creator keeps revenue), though platform/app store fees (like iOS / Android in-app purchase fees) apply. Comparison: Are there similar examples in NASCAR / sports creators or other influencers? There’s Kara & Nate, travel/lifestyle creators, having an Instagram subscription for $9.99/month. While not NASCAR-related, this shows creators in other fields charging mid-range subscription fees on Instagram.
There’s also a note in a guide (“The New Instagram Subscription Model”) that many creators’ subscription tiers cap out around $19.99/month; higher tiers exist but are less commonly used.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Assessment: How does the $20.99 claim stack up? $20.99/month is slightly above typical tiers listed ($19.99), but Instagram’s preset tiers include $19.99 and also allow higher ones like $49.99, etc. If Samantha Busch is charging up to $20.99, that’s slightly above the common preset price points. It might be a custom or region-adjusted price (currency conversion), or it might be rounding or markup. But it is not wildly out of the realm of Instagram’s subscription system.
Fans on Reddit are running wild because of this.
Fans are not happy
Samantha Busch’s Instagram subscription launch has Reddit in a frenzy, with fans torn between support for her advocacy and frustration over the paywall on personal topics. One user tied it to Kyle’s slump, “Kyle goes winless for too long, and this is what happens.”
Kyle Busch’s winless streak and struggles have fans connecting his on-track drought to off-track headlines like Samantha’s venture. The timing feels off, with Kyle’s longest winless streak in years amplifying scrutiny on the family’s moves.
Another called it trivial: “If anyone ever asks me what the most trivial and obscure NASCAR fact I know is, tell them it costs (or used to cost) $20.99 a month to have ‘conversations about infertility’ with Kyle Busch’s wife on Instagram.”
Samantha’s Certified Fertility Coach status and Bundle of Joy Fund, which has funded 107 IVF babies with over $2 million in grants, are genuine, but the $20.99 tier for direct chats on infertility feels tone-deaf to some. It’s one of Instagram’s higher presets, above the common $9.99 like travel creators Kara & Nate, but fans see it as putting sensitive support behind a fee.
The skepticism ran deep, “If you think she is responding and not some intern, ya a big dingus.” Samantha’s 500,000 followers mean she likely has help managing DMs and stories, a standard for influencers.
Her podcast Certified Oversharer and family posts show her hands-on style, but with Q&As and lives, an assistant handling replies isn’t surprising. It’s a fair jab at the “ask me anything” vibe, where fans expect direct access for the price.
The economy angle stung, “Samantha needs to read the room. Paying her for that content? In this economy?” Samantha’s philanthropy is real, but monetizing infertility talks hits hard when many struggle to afford IVF. Her fund’s impact is huge, but the subscription tiers, up to $20.99, are higher than the typical $19.99, and feel out of touch amid rising costs.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
One fan mocked the openness, “Ask me anything!” Samantha’s podcast and Stories Q&As build her approachable image, sharing family and NASCAR life. But the subscription paywall for deeper chats shifts that, turning casual engagement into a premium service.
A fantasy twist, “‘Is Kyle a lock for my fantasy lineup this weekend?’” Kyle’s 2024 slump, four top-10s, makes him a risky pick, and fans jokingly ping Samantha for intel. It’s lighthearted, but it shows how her platform blends family support with racing talk, drawing fans who see her as a window into Kyle’s world.