What just happened? Twitter is making it easier for people to send and receive tips on the social network. Tip Jar is an in-app tipping feature that lets users support others on the platform financially. To send a tip, simply look for the Tip Jar icon next to the follow button on a user’s profile page. Tap the icon to see a list of available payment services to facilitate the transaction.
At launch, Tip Jar supports Patreon, PayPal, Bandcamp, Cash App and Venmo. Notably, Twitter doesn’t take a cut of the proceeds, but the payment processor might, so keep an eye out for any applicable fees on that front.
Twitter in English users can start sending tips from today to applicable accounts on Twitter for Android and iOS. Initially, only a select group of users can add a Tip Jar to their accounts to accept money. “This group includes creators, journalists, experts, and nonprofits,” said senior product manager Esther Crawford. More people will be able to add the feature to their accounts soon, we’re told.
A word of warning for those looking to tip using their PayPal account. When sending money, if you select “goods and services” as the transaction category, the recipient of your tip will also receive your shipping address. A PayPal spokesperson told Engadget that this “is the standard functionality of the PayPal app and we will work with Twitter closely to ensure user awareness.”
To keep your address masked, select “friends and family” as the transaction category during payment.
Image credit stockphotoatinat
