Subscription

Waymo is launching “Waymo Premier,” a $29.99 monthly subscription for frequent riders in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. This tiered service offers prioritized rides, free cancellations, and loyalty credits. The move aims to boost recurring revenue and support Waymo’s expansion amidst significant investment in the autonomous driving industry. This strategy is crucial as Waymo seeks to achieve profitability in a capital-intensive market.

Meta Platforms is exploring new revenue streams to monetize its AI investments. Options include entering the public cloud market, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirming it’s “on the table” due to external interest in Meta’s compute capacity. Additionally, Meta is launching premium subscription tiers for its Family of Apps and Meta AI, offering enhanced features and paid access to its large language model. These initiatives aim to address investor concerns about capital expenditure and demonstrate a proactive monetization strategy.

Meta is launching paid AI features for its Meta AI app and website, introducing subscription tiers priced at $7.99 and $19.99 per month. This move diversifies Meta’s revenue beyond advertising, directly challenging competitors like OpenAI and Google. The premium offerings will provide enhanced processing power, creative capacity, and advanced functionalities, aiming to “supercharge content” and “automate tasks.” Testing begins next month in Singapore, Guatemala, and Bolivia.

Snap Inc. exceeded Q4 sales expectations with $1.72 billion revenue and announced a $500 million stock repurchase program. While daily active users slightly missed projections, average revenue per user increased. The company anticipates Q1 revenue below estimates, and faces regulatory headwinds. Net income surged nearly 400% year-over-year. Snap is prioritizing profitable growth and expanding its subscription services, while also investing in AR technology through its new subsidiary, Specs Inc., aiming for a 2026 AR glasses launch.

Meta’s $2 billion acquisition of AI startup Manus is under review by Chinese authorities, raising concerns about technology control. This coincides with Meta’s planned subscription models for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, which will offer enhanced AI features and tools, potentially recouping investments and creating new revenue streams. These AI-centric subscriptions are separate from Meta Verified and aim to provide advanced capabilities to a broader user base.

Instacart has agreed to a $60 million settlement with the FTC over deceptive advertising and subscription enrollment practices. The FTC alleged Instacart misled consumers about “free delivery” and refunds. Instacart denies wrongdoing, stating its policies are transparent. This settlement occurs amid a separate FTC investigation into Instacart’s pricing practices, which has previously impacted its stock. The FTC is actively pursuing companies with deceptive billing and subscription schemes.

CrowdStrike posted FY 2026 Q3 results that topped forecasts, with revenue climbing 22% YoY to $1.23 billion and adjusted EPS reaching $0.96. The company recorded its highest operating cash flow, free cash flow and operating income, while net new ARR hit $265 million, lifting year‑end ARR to $4.92 billion—30% of which came from the on‑demand Falcon Flex tier. CEO George Kurtz warned AI is expanding both attack surfaces and defense needs, prompting a raised FY revenue outlook of $4.796‑$4.866 billion and EPS of $3.70‑$3.72. Analysts maintain a “Buy” rating with a $550 price target.

Amazon is discontinuing its Prime Invitee Program on October 1, 2025, ending the ability for Prime members to share free shipping with individuals outside their household. This move aims to encourage separate Prime memberships for those benefiting from the perks. Amazon suggests using Amazon Family, which requires shared residency, as an alternative. The company says Prime membership continues to grow, despite concerns of slowing growth.