# Gating system similar to Scribd

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/gating-system-similar-to-scribd/389943
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [November 29, 2025, 9:55am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/gating-system-similar-to-scribd/389943 "2025-11-29T09:55:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 5

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![thaidb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/thaidb/32/68488_2.png) [@thaidb](https://meta.discourse.org/u/thaidb)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2025, 4:10am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/gating-system-similar-to-scribd/389943/5 "2025-11-30T04:10:01Z")

</div>

Thank for advising on **Subject:** Implementing a Scribd-like Pay-Per-Document / Upload-to-Unlock Credit System on Discourse.

I am Implementer setting up a specialized student community platform focused on detailed academic documents (PDFs, project reports, past exams). My monetization and contribution model requires a system where access to high-value file attachments is controlled **per document** , not per category.

I need the system to function as follows:

1. **Credit/Point System Required:** A mechanism to track user credits (a consumable currency).
2. **Payment Option:** Users can purchase these credits (e.g., via Stripe integration, outside of standard subscriptions).
3. **Contribution Option (Upload-to-Unlock):** Users who successfully upload and have a new, approved document (PDF) grant them a specific amount of these consumable credits.
4. **Gating Mechanism:** When a user attempts to view or download a protected PDF/attachment, their credit balance is checked, and a specific number of credits are deducted to unlock access to that _individual file_.

**My question is:**

Are there any existing, stable, or third-party plugins (commercial or open-source) that specifically handle a **consumable point/credit system** and can **gate access to individual attachments** (PDFs/DOCX) on a pay-per-view/download basis?

The standard **Discourse Subscriptions Plugin** only handles category-level access for recurring fees, which does not meet the per-document credit exchange requirement. I am trying to avoid extensive custom development if an existing solution or integration already exists.

---

_[View the full topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/gating-system-similar-to-scribd/389943)._