Are you exploring to get how to set up donations on twitch? This guide shows you how to use the four most famous donation solutions for Twitch streamers: Twitch Bits, a PayPal.me link, cryptocurrencies, and StreamLabs.
Twitch Bits
Bits (also known as cheers) are Twitch’s official donation method. They’re a little more complex than easily sending some cash to a streamer with the push of a button, though, and they’re available only for Twitch associates and partners. Bits are basically a form of digital currency purchased straight from Twitch with real-world money using Amazon Payments.
These bits can then be used within a Twitch stream’s chat box to trigger special audio and visual alerts onscreen. Users earn special badges displayed alongside their names in the stream’s chat as a reward for using their bits. The more bits they use, the greater the rank of the badges they receive. The Twitch streamer earns $1 for every 100 bits (1 cent per bit) used through their stream.
- Twitch enables Cheering automatically for all current Affiliates and Partners.
- The frames for Cheering are following Dashboard > Partner Settings > Bits & Cheering.
- Spectators can now use their bits in your channel by writing cheer and the number of bits they wish to use. For instance, cheer5 would use five bits, and cheer1000 would use 1,000.
How to Set up Donations on Twitch?
PayPal Donations on Twitch
One of the simplest ways to receive donations on Twitch is to use PayPal. A streamer can invite viewers to send money straight using the email address associated with the streamer’s PayPal account. A simpler option is to set up a PayPal.me link, which streamlines the whole process for the viewer with a fresh design and easy-to-understand interface. Here are few practical steps to use a PayPal.me address for receiving donations on Twitch:
- Orally mention your full PayPal.me address while a stream.
- Post your link in your channel’s chat. Not only will this get your viewers’ attention, but it also will be a lot more effective because the link is clickable from within the conversation.
- Add a donation division to your Twitch Channel page by visiting your channel, clicking on the Edit Panels switch, and then clicking on the giant + symbol. Fill in the Panel Title and Description domains and add your PayPal.me link to the description, along with a short message describing why you think viewers should donate.
Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies
The use of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin to transfer and receive funds online raises because of their speed, security, and lower transaction fees. Getting a payment into your cryptocurrency wallet is as easy as sharing your wallet’s address with another user. Here’s how to perform this work with Twitch.
- Open up your chosen cryptocurrency’s wallet app. Bitpay is a famous wallet app for new users.
- Click on the Receive button or link. Each wallet has this choice regardless of currency or app maker.
- You will notice a single line of obviously random numbers and letters; this is your wallet’s address. Touch the address to copy it to your device’s clipboard.
- Generate a donation section on your Twitch profile as outlined above in the PayPal section on this screen.
- Paste the wallet address into the Description box, making sure to consider what cryptocurrency the wallet address is for. Users will be inadequate to send Ethereum to a Litecoin wallet or Bitcoin to an Ethereum wallet, so it’s necessary to label the address accurately.
- While in the Receive section of your wallet application, catch a screenshot of the QR code. This code is the QR version of your wallet address, and spectators can scan it to transfer the money to you. You can attach the saved picture of your QR code to your Twitch profile’s donation section or even as a media component to your Twitch layout in OBS Studio (as you would a webcam window or other image), so your spectators can scan it with their mobile phones while viewing your stream. Don’t ignore to mention which money the QR code wallet address is for.
- You should now be ready to get bitcoin using Bitpay.
Twitch Donation Page Services
Twitch streamers can connect their account to various third-party services activate additional features such as donations and alerts. Some of the most famous include Gaming for Good, Stream Elements, Muxy, and StreamLabs. Each of these services generates a unique donation page for your channel hosted on its server, to which you can direct your viewers to donate.
Here’s how to build a donation page on StreamLabs, which has the most highlights and is the simplest to use for beginners. The runs are very similar to setting up a donation page on the other websites.
- From the StreamLabs Dashboard, press on Donation Settings.
- Press on the PayPal symbol to connect your PayPal account to StreamLabs so that spectators can send donations straight to your PayPal account from the donation page. You also can add other payment alternatives on this page, such as Skrill, Unitpay, and credit cards, but PayPal should be the primary way you activate, given its wide usage among Twitch viewers.
- Inside the Donations Settings > Settings, choose your currency and minimum/maximum donation limits. Setting the least donation to 5 dollars is an excellent idea to discourage users from spamming your account with small contributions.
- Choose Save Settings at the bottom of the mobile’s screen.
- The Settings screen will display your donation page site address. It should look something like https://streamlabs.com/username. Copy this address and paste it to the donation section on your Twitch Channel page.
Should You Accept Donations on Twitch?
Receiving donations and tips on Twitch is a common practice, and neither streamers nor viewers frown on it. Donations are one of the few ways small channels can make profits. However, when you gain more followers and become a Twitch affiliate or partner, it’s essential to learn about Twitch subscriptions. Subscriptions on Twitch have shown very effectively, earning significantly higher sums than one-off donations and giving the potential to grow over time.
Are Twitch Donations Taxable?
Yes. Despite being referred to as donations, tips, or gifts by streamers, this money is considered a good source of income, so you should claim it when filing a tax return.
