Do You Automatically Get Upgraded After Meeting Membership Requirements?

BHW offers both automatic and manual upgrades, depending on the membership level you're working toward.

Automatic Upgrades

Some membership levels on BlackHatWorld are automatically granted as your activity on the forum grows. 

These include:

• Newbie+: After reaching 15 posts, you'll automatically be upgraded from Newbie to Newbie+.
• Registered Member: Achieved after 50 posts.
• Senior Member: As your post count and time on the forum increase, your user title will automatically adjust. 

These are reputation/status indicators and do not provide additional permissions like paid memberships. You can learn more about membership levels in the Support help article here.

For more information, please check the guide Membership levels explained | BlackHatWorld and the table linked here: [UPDATED] BHW Member Levels | BlackHatWorld. 

These automatic upgrades help reflect your growing contribution to the forum, but they do not grant access to premium features like posting in the Marketplace or sending direct messages early.

Manual Upgrades

To unlock advanced permissions, such as selling on the Marketplace, using a custom signature, or posting in the Jr. VIP section, you’ll need to manually upgrade your account to a paid membership.

These memberships include:

Premium Membership ($97/year):

• Access to custom signature features
• Ability to respond to Want To Buy and Hire A Freelancer threads
• Username change once per year
• Does not grant access to the Jr. VIP section or allow you to sell in the Marketplace

Jr. VIP Membership ($147/year):

• Requires at least 100 quality posts and an account that is 60 days old
• Grants access to the Jr. VIP forums
• Allows you to submit Marketplace threads (subject to a $30 per thread fee upon approval)
• Allows you to rent or sell your signature space

Marketplace Seller Membership ($749/year):

• Does not require any post count or time-on-forum minimums - bypasses the requirements for the Jr VIP upgrade
• Grants immediate access to submit Marketplace threads
• Designed for agencies, teams, or users who want to start selling right away 

Your options to upgrade are available here: https://www.blackhatworld.com/account/upgrades