Pasted from the Server Guide on Pretendo’s Discord server (by @Lucario) and slightly adjusted.
What does donating do?
Donating allows us to pay for the hosting costs of game servers, our website, Juxtaposition, and more!
It allows us to provide you with better updates faster, as it is a source of income, allowing development on Pretendo to be a full time job! (This only applies to @PN_Jon, the lead developer. All other developers are volunteers and contribute as a hobby.)
What perks do I get from donating?
For Mario tier, you will be able to view our development channels!
For all higher tiers (Super Mario and Mega Mushroom), you also gain access to Testing servers on Pretendo Network!
How can I access Testing servers on my 3DS?
At this time, whitelisting for Testing servers is not automatic for 3DS consoles. To gain access to these servers, please request access with your 3DS Friend Code in either the #testing-discussion channel in the Discord server or in the 3DS Friend Code Whitelisting thread on the forum.
I can’t see the development channels, even though I donated. Why?
Make sure you’ve linked your account to Discord! You can connect your account near the bottom of your account page.
If you have, and still cannot view them, re-link your account and check again. If that doesn’t work, create a Support thread.
I’m having issues with my donation payments!
Create a Support thread detailing your issue and mention @PN_Jon. Other developers cannot assist with payment related issues.