Twitter Introduces ‘Tip Jar’ To Allow Users Support Favourite Tweeps With Cash Beyond Follows, Likes, Retweets

By Edna Wande On May 7, 2021

Twitter has launched a new feature called ‘tip jar’ that lets users send and receive money from others on the social network.

The company says the feature is “an easy way to support the incredible voices that make up the conversation“.

The Tip Jar feature is rolling out to select users globally on Android and iOS versions of the app. Payment services which are supported include Bandcamp, Cash App, Patreon, PayPal and Venmo.

Twitter says it will not take any cuts for any tips that users receive on the platform. On Android, tips can also be sent within Spaces, which is Twitter’s live-audio chat feature like Clubhouse.

show your love, leave a tip

now testing Tip Jar, a new way to give and receive money on Twitter 💸

more coming soon… pic.twitter.com/7vyCzlRIFc

— Twitter (@Twitter) May 6, 2021

According to a Twitter blogpost, since users “drive the conversation on Twitter”, the company wants to make it easier for them to “support each other beyond Follows, Retweets, and Likes,” and that’s why they are introducing Tip Jar.

It added;

This is a first step in our work to create new ways for people to receive and show support on Twitter – with money.

Everyone using the platform in English can send tips, though Twitter says it plans to expand this to more languages soon.

The social network added;

For now, a limited group of people around the world who use Twitter in English can add Tip Jar to their profile and accept tips.

Twitter says select creators, journalists, experts, and nonprofits will see the Tip Jar feature on their profile, and it will soon give this capability to more users.

Now you can do more to support the many amazing voices who add to the conversation on Twitter –– send them tips.

You can send someone a tip through several payment services by tapping the new Tip Jar icon on their profile, testing on Android and iOS. https://t.co/oSrfY2sJ8b

— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) May 6, 2021

How to Use Tip Jar

The icon appears next to the Follow button on someone’s profile. Anyone interested in leaving a tip can click on that and choose the payment service or platform they’d like to use.

The user will then be directed to that app to make a payment in any amount through the supported payment options.

Meanwhile, the feature has been criticised for exposing personal information such as email addresses. As payment is made through external systems, some Twitter users noticed that tipping a PayPal account lets the recipient know the email address of the tip sender.

In other cases, the recipient’s email address could be seen, whether or not any money was sent.

After security expert, Rachel Tobac highlighted the issue, Twitter product lead Kayvon Beykpour thanked her for the “good catch” – but said Twitter could not control how PayPal handled that information.

Instead, Twitter said it was updating the information around the tip jar to make clear that some details might be shared.

Huge heads up on PayPal Twitter Tip Jar. If you send a person a tip using PayPal, when the receiver opens up the receipt from the tip you sent, they get your *address*. Just tested to confirm by tipping @yashar on Twitter w/ PayPal and he did in fact get my address I tipped him. https://t.co/R4NvaXRdlZ pic.twitter.com/r8UyJpNCxu

— Rachel Tobac (@RachelTobac) May 6, 2021

The tip jar function also has support for Bandcamp – widely used by musicians – and Patreon, used by all sorts of independent digital creators such as YouTubers and podcasters.

Twitter says the addition was inspired by people who added payment links or Patreon ads in replies to viral tweets.

“We $ee you – sharing your PayPal link after your Tweet goes viral, adding your $Cashtag to your profile so people can support your work, dropping your Venmo handle on your birthday or if you just need some extra help,” wrote Twitter’s senior product manager Esther Crawford in the blog post announcing the feature.

It said more people would be able to add the function to their profile “soon“.

The tip jar is the latest in a string of experiments from the social network, which has seen user growth slow in recent years.

Earlier this month, it acquired Scroll, a subscription service that removes adverts from participating news websites – and announced it would be part of Twitter’s upcoming subscription service.

As part of that deal, Twitter also pitched paying Twitter as a way of supporting journalism, saying;

As a Twitter subscriber, picture getting access to premium features where you can easily read articles from your favourite news outlet or a writer’s newsletter from Revue, with a portion of your subscription going to the publishers and writers creating the content.