UPDATE: In the end, Cricut backtracked on its plans completely, promising free unlimited design uploads forever.
Original Story Follows…
Crafting brand Cricut has made an embarrassing u-turn on its recent announcement to charge owners for cutting, printing, or etching with their machine.
Quite right, too.
Current Cricut Owners Can Continue Cutting Cost-Free
In an open letter to the Cricut community, Cricut CEO Ashish Arora has backtracked on a recent announcement to Cricut owners. That being that Cricut users would have to pay a subscription fee if they intend to cut/etch/print over 20 times/month.
In the letter, Arora says:
We will continue to allow an unlimited number of personal image and pattern uploads for members with a Cricut account registered and activated with a cutting machine before December 31, 2021. This benefit will continue for the lifetime of your use of these machines.
So, this is quite the turnaround. Existing users continue to use their device without limits. Also, anyone who buys a cutting machine—and registers for a Cricut account prior to the end of the year—can benefit from the same terms, too.
Not only that, but if you buy a pre-owned machine and register it with a new Cricut account before December 31st, 2021, Cricut will honor the same terms, allowing you unlimited uploads.
What Happens to Cricut After December 31, 2021?
For existing users, there won’t be any change. You can still upload unlimited designs and cut them with your machine without paying a penny.
If you register for a Cricut account after this date, then you’ll have a limit on how many free uploads you can use each month. The letter says:
We will continue to explore affordable ways for our future users who register machines after December 31, 2021 to allow an unlimited number of personal image and pattern uploads. Of course, paid Cricut Access subscribers will continue to enjoy an unlimited number of uploads along with the other subscriber benefits.
So, it would seem—reading between the lines—that you’ll be paying a subscription fee for unlimited access if you register once 2021 is over.
Cricut Listens to Its Community
Obviously, current Cricut owners didn’t take kindly to the previous announcement. Thankfully, they were vocal about how they feel. As Arora says in the letter:
One of our core values is community — we’re listening, and we took your feedback to heart. The foundation of our Cricut community is one of integrity, respect, and trust. It is clear that, in this instance, we did not understand the full impact of our recent decision on our current members and their machines. We apologize.
This really goes a long way in proving that the collective voice has influence. Cricut users rightfully complained, Cricut heard those complaints, and it has acted upon the concerns of its user base. If only other companies held their hands up and apologized once in a while…
Are You a Cricut Owner?
If so, this turnaround will be good news. If you’re on the fence about investing in the Cricut ecosystem, then this might be the time to strike, seeing as you can still benefit from unlimited uploads.
If you’re looking for some inspiration, then there are plenty of sites out there to help you with crafting ideas, so you can find great projects for anyone; they don’t need to involve a Cricut cutting machine.