Jun 12, 2019 Some Easy Steps To Donate Money On Twitch: After signing in, first, you need to locate the streamer's Twitch panel. There you will find the creator's donation link. Maybe there would be a custom image saying 'Donate', 'Tip' or 'Support' as shown below or there would be a PayPal link. Play animated stream overlays when your fans donate & tip. Streamlabs processes over $100,000,000 per year for the livestreaming community. Head to Twitch and go to your channel where you'll need to click on 'Edit Panels' to create your Twitch donation panel. Click on the large '+' sign and upload the chosen image for your button Head to Donorbox and copy the 'secure donations page' link which is located under the 'Campaigns' section.
Does anyone like being trolled? In fact, fake twitch donations are one of the worst things you have to face if you offer high-quality streams online.
- I made almost the same topic over on r/letsplay but with litte response so i thought i ask here, since fake donations, charge backs and trolling are mostly connected to Twitch. So i have read an article about fake donations and how it hurts streamers, small ones even more than the bigger ones and i wondered myself - is there realy no protection against scamming?
- Jun 08, 2016 Twitch streamer Lea 'LegendaryLea' May is no stranger to PayPal donations for her streams of popular video games, but even she had to pause last January when someone named iNexusNinja donated.
It is a widely known fact that most of the streamers earn their money through donations predominantly, so every dollar they receive raises their mood and makes them closer to the aim.
However, there are trolls and scammers who get pleasure from making fake donations and then disappoint streamers getting their money back.
This article will explain what fake donations are, the most popular ways of sending fakes and how to know and protect yourself from this experience.
Is There a Way to Fake a Donation on Twitch?
Despite the fact that we live in the era of technology and the biggest investment of most of the online services is the security of its users, nobody is insured against cheating. Twitch has become one of the most visited streaming platforms with thousands of broadcasters and this popularity makes other people envy streamers' success. Moreover, the Internet has an overwhelming number of users who show their nasty upbringing by trolling others and, unfortunately, streamers are ones who have to suffer from these scammers more often than others.
How does it happen? Every streamer can be supported by viewers and one of the most efficient ways to do that is to send money. This way of encouragement is called ‘donation' on Twitch and its main goal is to help broadcasters continue the job they do. However, not all donations are real on the platform. Some users have found ways of how to cheat streamers by making them believe that they were sent money and then take it back or never send it. It is a kind of a joke but not everyone laughs at it. Such fake Twitch donations have become a real problem since they not only lead to disappointment and stresses but even streamer's extra expenses. If you do not want to be cheated like that, continue reading the article and you will learn everything about fake donors and ways how they act.
How Can Twitch Donations Be Fake?
Naturally, when a viewer donates money to a streamer in accordance with all the terms and requirements issued by the platform, it seems that it cannot be a fake one. However, here streamers face the obstacles which cannot be influenced by Twitch. First of all, these are chargebacks which are available both on PayPal and in banks serving credit cards. When a PayPal account holder, for example, has purchased some goods or services (or just send some amount of money to another account – the way donations are made), he or she can turn to the customer support of the e-wallet and claim for a chargeback as if services or goods purchased were not received by the recipient. The same goes for credit cards where you can return the payment made too. You can see that such fake donations cannot be influenced by the platform, though it puts effort to contest such chargebacks and there was a successful experience which has become a real punishment for scammers.
There are also fake donors who register on the platform to make fun of streamers or specially created bots performing the same function. They send fake messages and any complaint about such viewers leads to the account ban.
How to Send Fake Donations on Twitch
In fact, there are several ways to cheat streamers by sending fake donations. Some of them do not require special skills or much effort, while others require the knowledge of special software and tools to be able to do that. Some fake donations can be easily recognized while others may become a real disappointment only in several weeks or even months. Learn basic ways of sending fake donations to be armed in this war.
In the Chat
The easiest way to play a trick with a streamer is to fake a donation in the chat. However, this game can be easily spotted by experienced streamers while young broadcasters can dance joyfully being not aware of the joke.
Twitch users are aware of messages that appear in the chat when a donation is made. Moreover, streamers who have already received donations know that they see not only a donation message in the chat but also a notification in the respective section over the stream. However, there are registered viewers who participate in the chat discussions or join one of them for trolling. How do they achieve their goal? They simply enter the command '/ me donated $ 100. Thank's for donation', where a slash is the name of a user and a figure is a sum of money, and send these messages. It can be colored red to attract attention too.
The main feature of such messages is to choose the right monetary unit since it will not look like a standard Twitch one. It works better on a mobile app because this command was tested there.
Using Bot
It is not surprising to see bots on the channels to interact with viewers. However, some players hide under the names of popular bots and send fake donations in the chat using the method described in the previous paragraph.
How To Fake Donations On Twitch
Donation Generator
There are websites which have donation generator widgets which allow sending donations quickly and easily. They are used different types of charity, public safety, healthcare, animal protection, medics research, and, of course, support of streamers.
In fact, the donations performed via a generator are the same PayPal money transactions. It is enough to enter the sum of money and the email address of the sender's PayPal account to process the payment. You can ask for a chargeback anytime within 3 months.
Donate With Fake Money by StreamLabs
StreamLabs is a third-party service which makes both watching and donating much more exciting. However, if it is a fake donation, it must be prepared. Before trolling takes place a manipulator considers the software and OBS configuration. The capture field can reveal the joke easily so it is preferable to pause broadcasting for several seconds, for example.
Twitch Donation Messages
The further ‘donation' procedure is very simple:
- Open the software management menu and select ‘My donations';
- Click ‘Add a donation' button;
- Enter the sender's name, sum, message to accompany a fake, and the date to be delivered on.
All this can be achieved only if you synchronize the program with OBS. Fake alerts can be created using Donation Alerts service.
Fake Card
One of the ways to manipulate streamers is sending so-called donations from Virtual Credit Cards. They are non-existent ones but used to cheat people by scammers. Naturally, there are websites with validators, though it is not difficult to find resources where you can easily send fake money to another card or e-wallet.
PayPal refund
Despite the fact that PayPal has introduced refunds as a means to secure e-wallet users from fraud, this function is now used in fraudulent activity by trollers. Every person who transfers money to another PayPal account can ask for a refund within 3 months after the transaction made. Consequently, scammers send real money from their wallets, wait for some time, and turn to customer support to receive a chargeback stating that they have not received products or services purchased. As a result, it can lead to accusations of fraudulent activities and freezing streamers' PayPal accounts.
Are Fake Donations Illegal?
Fake donations can be considered fraudulent activity only if a streamer proves this fact. Unfortunately, it is impossible to make an Internet user responsible for a crime if he sends a message which is called a joke by him. However, there are more and more cases when so-called fake donors were punished for their PayPal transactions getting no chargeback.
Streamers should react to such fake money and inform customer support of the platform they use. It may lead to contests, sometimes even court ones, and a possibility not only to punish a scammer but also win money donated.
Biggest Fake Twitch Donations
Could you imagine your reaction if someone dares to donate fake money to you? Will you realize it is a fake from the very beginning? Even experienced streamers who were donated hundreds of dollars cannot always understand immediately that they are cheated. However, many of them have suffered from such a kind of trolling and some fake sums sound unbelievable.
Here are the top 5 of the biggest Twitch donations which turned out to be only a fake:
- KittyPlays has ‘received' $10,000 from Arafant.
- Shroud was ‘given' $100,000 by TurnerThePCGamer.
- B0aty's fake donation from CandyCane was £80,373.
- Summit1g was ‘sent' $2,100 by RustinTimberlake.
- Young Moolah decided to cheat DingleDerper as if sending her $10,000.
How to Know That You Got a Fake Donation
The first thing every Twitch streamer should remember is the fact that fakes do happen and it is important to admit them as a joke. Otherwise, they can become real stress. Secondly, it is very important to understand as quickly as possible if the money you received or advertised to you is a reality or a fake. Here are some tips on how to understand if the donation sent is only a joke.
- If you have seen a message in the chat, check Twitch notifications over the stream screen. If there are no alerts, probably, someone has made fun of you.
- Consider PayPal donations a long-term investment. They cannot be refunded only in three months, so avoid spending money within this period not to lose your savings.
- Donations can be considered unreal if you get several subsequent transfers from one user within a short period of time.
- Don't hurry to celebrate your earnings. You need to wait for some time to understand if money is transferred from a real credit card and whether you will get a notification.
Now you should not look for tips on how to tell if a donation is fake. It is enough to be patient and attentive to understand the origin of the donations received. Chumba casino complaints.
How to Protect Yourself From Fake Donations
Unfortunately, the only way to protect yourself from fake donors fully is to choose only one safe type of donation. It is a proven fact that Twitch Bits donations are absolutely safe and it is impossible to fake them since they are displayed in the chat like animations.
However, it is not a way out for people who earn money by streaming to use only one method since not all users are ready to buy or earn bits. Naturally, there is no need to refuse from StreamLabs, PayPal or Credit Card donations but streamers must be very careful with these methods since credit card chargebacks will take not only money donated but also $15 transaction fee, while other methods have their underwater stones too.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that Twitch security measures are improved constantly, it is impossible to protect streamers from trolls and scams fully. Users find more and more ways how to cheat online and get on the nerves of streamers, in particular. One more reason is the use of other services which are not connected with Twitch but are a necessity for accepting donations. At the same time, it is enough to be informed about fake donations well to prevent yourself from getting into a trap. Even if you suppose a donation to be fake, don't hesitate to contact the support team of the platform. Today, we can see multiple examples of how scammers are punished for their actions and many contests are won in favor of streamers who get real donations instead of fakes.
Learn how to begin earning monetary rewards through Twitch donations
Introduction
Donations are a way that streamers can begin earning money while they run their show. If you are wondering how to set up donations on Twitch then this guide is here to help.
How do Twitch donations work?
As a streamer grows his/her's channel and viewership they may look for several ways to begin monetizing their stream.
Streamers typically create a Twitch donation button that is added to a panel and displayed on their channel's bio. The goal of this button is to grab a viewer's attention and convey to them why they should donate money.
Why do people donate on Twitch?
A common reason why people donate on Twitch usually is due to them discovering a streamer whom they enjoy and wish to see their channel grow by supporting them.
Streamers who create and maintain a positive community and seem to have a bright future on Twitch tend to earn a good amount of donations as viewers wish to further help them improve the quality of their content.
At times a streamer may offer additional incentives for their viewers to donate. This may include merchandise which viewers can earn when they donate, donation tiers with special privileges on their stream, and even fundraisers or charity events for good causes.
How to donate to Twitch Streamers
Look in the stream channel's bio and find their donation button. Reading the provided information should allow you to understand what payment method they accept. You may also click it which will bring you directly to the payment option.
How to set up a donation button on Twitch
In this guide, we will be showing you how to get started setting up donations with Donorbox on your Twitch channel.
Setting up your button with Donorbox
- Save your custom donate image for Twitch or use the provided Donorbox button.
- Head to Twitch and go to your channel where you'll need to click on 'Edit Panels' to create your Twitch donation panel.
- Click on the large '+' sign and upload the chosen image for your button
- Head to Donorbox and copy the 'secure donations page' link which is located under the 'Campaigns' section.
- Paste the link into the 'Image Links To' field and type in a description and title.
- Save it and you are ready to go!
How to make your donation button look good
A donation button should be eye-catching and communicate a convincing message to viewers on why they should donate.
Having basic photo editing and design skills can help you create a great and free Twitch donate button! However, if you do not have these skills you may want to ask a friend to help you design one or hire a freelancer on Fiverr.
You can also head over to NerdorDie and Behance which offer free Twitch donation button design packs to help get you started.
Be sure to set audio to your donation alert box to delight your donors. There are several alert boxes that display customizable text on your stream if a viewer does a certain action such as follow or donate.
To add audio to your alert box first locate where the 'alert box widgets' are. Then locate the box for the specific action you want to edit, for this example edit the donations alert box.
You should see an option to edit the audio for this alert box, click on it and load your custom audio file, save it and you are all set.
Examples of a good donation button
A finished donation button panel will typically look similar to the one in Pewdiepie's bio below.
This button really pops out and communicates a thoughtful message.
Here is an intriguing background design along with text right in the graphic
A bit of a simpler design but with an attractive background that matches the channel's theme.
Pro tip: The amount of effort you put into the button's design, as well as the rest of your channel, may impact its success.
Setting up PayPal and other methods for donations on Twitch
If you wish to use PayPal for your donation option then in this section we will show you how to set up a PayPal donation button on Twitch.
To begin first head over to PayPal and create an account if you do not have one.
Once you have an account you have two routes you may proceed with:
- Putting your associated PayPal email into your channel's description
- Creating a Paypal.me link which can be set up with your button
A Paypal.me link allows viewers to donate money without going to the main PayPal site to wire money to you, which is what they'd need to do with your email address.
The PayPal.me link has a simpler process along with easy-to-follow directions.
During your streams be sure to mention your PayPal option for donations and where it is located in your stream's bio.
When adding your custom button to your channel's bio be sure to switch on panel editing and upload the button graphic to the new panel. Then fill out the panel's title and description fields along with adding the PayPal.me link to the 'Image Links To' field.
Viewers that notice the button and click it will be brought to PayPal to complete the transaction.
Pros
- No need to give out personal banking info.
- Only an email is needed to send and receive funds after an account is made.
- PayPal.me link allows for faster transactions.
Cons
- Vulnerable to chargebacks.
- Has a commission fee (2.9%) when payments are received.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
It is also possible for viewers to donate on Twitch using Bitcoin, Ether, and other cryptocurrencies. With the growing popularity of cryptocurrency, some viewers have preferred to use the digital currency as an alternative method to PayPal.
Cryptocurrency may make certain individuals feel safer when making transactions due to there being fewer paper trails and risks of having their identity exposed.
At one time Twitch allowed Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to be used as donations to streamers. Twitch has since removed this option.
It is still possible for streamers to receive cryptocurrency payments by putting their wallet address into their stream's bio (more on that below).
Setting Up Crypto Donations On Twitch
First, you will need to get a virtual wallet. A few options include Coinbase, Bitpay, and Jaxx wallets.
Locate your wallet's address which will be a random string of numbers and letters. Copy the address and head to your Twitch account.
Paste the wallet address under your donation section and provide the accepted cryptocurrencies in the description. It is important to let viewers know what cryptocurrencies are accepted because if an unsupported currency is sent to your wallet it will fail to transfer.
Twitch Bits and cheers
Cheers are a virtual currency that is purchasable on Twitch using Amazon Payments. Some individuals may prefer this method due to not having to transfer money directly to a streamer.
Streamers have the ability to turn on cheer donations once they reach partner status.
Gambling man lyrics bob seger. A viewer can donate to a streamer by sending them cheers which are valued at 1 cent per cheer.
Twitch will allow the streamer to cash out 100 cheers at a time (1 dollar per 100 cheers).
Pro Tip: Try not to overwhelm your viewers with lots of payment options by just sticking to one!
Pros
- Limited paper trails that cybercriminals can retrieve.
- Your identity is better protected.
- Growing in acceptance and popularity.
Cons
- If your wallet is hacked there is little to no methods of retrieving your funds.
- Many retailers and businesses still do not accept it as a form of payment.
- Considered unstable in terms of value.
Ways to encourage your audience to donate
Mentioning your donation options might not always be enough. You need to use certain tactics to help convince users to donate.
Keep some of these tips in mind to not just get donations but also keep your donors happy:
- Create incentives for viewers to donate like donor tiers, special chat rooms, and exclusive merchandise
- Thank donors live on stream
- Add widgets that show the last donors on your stream
- Have a list of donors on your stream
- Create a goal that you are trying to get funded using donations and display the progress through a donation bar or counter on Twitch
- Add custom alerts when a viewer donates
- Make sure the message in your donation panel will convince viewers to donate.
- Hold fundraisers and events for a good cause
Pro Tip: Always be transparent with what your intent with the donations will be.
Managing your donation activity
Donations is a common practice on Twitch and viewers or streamers should feel fine with accepting or sending donations.
Donations are a key way for small channels to earn revenue, so giving donations really helps small channels start to grow.
Once a streamer becomes a Twitch Affiliate or Partner they can then get started with enabling Twitch subscriptions.
A subscription to a channel allows for the streamer to earn a concurrent source of revenue, while the subscriber can earn perks, such as exclusive emoticons.
Are Twitch donations taxable?
It is a widely known fact that most of the streamers earn their money through donations predominantly, so every dollar they receive raises their mood and makes them closer to the aim.
However, there are trolls and scammers who get pleasure from making fake donations and then disappoint streamers getting their money back.
This article will explain what fake donations are, the most popular ways of sending fakes and how to know and protect yourself from this experience.
Is There a Way to Fake a Donation on Twitch?
Despite the fact that we live in the era of technology and the biggest investment of most of the online services is the security of its users, nobody is insured against cheating. Twitch has become one of the most visited streaming platforms with thousands of broadcasters and this popularity makes other people envy streamers' success. Moreover, the Internet has an overwhelming number of users who show their nasty upbringing by trolling others and, unfortunately, streamers are ones who have to suffer from these scammers more often than others.
How does it happen? Every streamer can be supported by viewers and one of the most efficient ways to do that is to send money. This way of encouragement is called ‘donation' on Twitch and its main goal is to help broadcasters continue the job they do. However, not all donations are real on the platform. Some users have found ways of how to cheat streamers by making them believe that they were sent money and then take it back or never send it. It is a kind of a joke but not everyone laughs at it. Such fake Twitch donations have become a real problem since they not only lead to disappointment and stresses but even streamer's extra expenses. If you do not want to be cheated like that, continue reading the article and you will learn everything about fake donors and ways how they act.
How Can Twitch Donations Be Fake?
Naturally, when a viewer donates money to a streamer in accordance with all the terms and requirements issued by the platform, it seems that it cannot be a fake one. However, here streamers face the obstacles which cannot be influenced by Twitch. First of all, these are chargebacks which are available both on PayPal and in banks serving credit cards. When a PayPal account holder, for example, has purchased some goods or services (or just send some amount of money to another account – the way donations are made), he or she can turn to the customer support of the e-wallet and claim for a chargeback as if services or goods purchased were not received by the recipient. The same goes for credit cards where you can return the payment made too. You can see that such fake donations cannot be influenced by the platform, though it puts effort to contest such chargebacks and there was a successful experience which has become a real punishment for scammers.
There are also fake donors who register on the platform to make fun of streamers or specially created bots performing the same function. They send fake messages and any complaint about such viewers leads to the account ban.
How to Send Fake Donations on Twitch
In fact, there are several ways to cheat streamers by sending fake donations. Some of them do not require special skills or much effort, while others require the knowledge of special software and tools to be able to do that. Some fake donations can be easily recognized while others may become a real disappointment only in several weeks or even months. Learn basic ways of sending fake donations to be armed in this war.
In the Chat
The easiest way to play a trick with a streamer is to fake a donation in the chat. However, this game can be easily spotted by experienced streamers while young broadcasters can dance joyfully being not aware of the joke.
Twitch users are aware of messages that appear in the chat when a donation is made. Moreover, streamers who have already received donations know that they see not only a donation message in the chat but also a notification in the respective section over the stream. However, there are registered viewers who participate in the chat discussions or join one of them for trolling. How do they achieve their goal? They simply enter the command '/ me donated $ 100. Thank's for donation', where a slash is the name of a user and a figure is a sum of money, and send these messages. It can be colored red to attract attention too.
The main feature of such messages is to choose the right monetary unit since it will not look like a standard Twitch one. It works better on a mobile app because this command was tested there.
Using Bot
It is not surprising to see bots on the channels to interact with viewers. However, some players hide under the names of popular bots and send fake donations in the chat using the method described in the previous paragraph.
How To Fake Donations On Twitch
Donation Generator
There are websites which have donation generator widgets which allow sending donations quickly and easily. They are used different types of charity, public safety, healthcare, animal protection, medics research, and, of course, support of streamers.
In fact, the donations performed via a generator are the same PayPal money transactions. It is enough to enter the sum of money and the email address of the sender's PayPal account to process the payment. You can ask for a chargeback anytime within 3 months.
Donate With Fake Money by StreamLabs
StreamLabs is a third-party service which makes both watching and donating much more exciting. However, if it is a fake donation, it must be prepared. Before trolling takes place a manipulator considers the software and OBS configuration. The capture field can reveal the joke easily so it is preferable to pause broadcasting for several seconds, for example.
Twitch Donation Messages
The further ‘donation' procedure is very simple:
- Open the software management menu and select ‘My donations';
- Click ‘Add a donation' button;
- Enter the sender's name, sum, message to accompany a fake, and the date to be delivered on.
All this can be achieved only if you synchronize the program with OBS. Fake alerts can be created using Donation Alerts service.
Fake Card
One of the ways to manipulate streamers is sending so-called donations from Virtual Credit Cards. They are non-existent ones but used to cheat people by scammers. Naturally, there are websites with validators, though it is not difficult to find resources where you can easily send fake money to another card or e-wallet.
PayPal refund
Despite the fact that PayPal has introduced refunds as a means to secure e-wallet users from fraud, this function is now used in fraudulent activity by trollers. Every person who transfers money to another PayPal account can ask for a refund within 3 months after the transaction made. Consequently, scammers send real money from their wallets, wait for some time, and turn to customer support to receive a chargeback stating that they have not received products or services purchased. As a result, it can lead to accusations of fraudulent activities and freezing streamers' PayPal accounts.
Are Fake Donations Illegal?
Fake donations can be considered fraudulent activity only if a streamer proves this fact. Unfortunately, it is impossible to make an Internet user responsible for a crime if he sends a message which is called a joke by him. However, there are more and more cases when so-called fake donors were punished for their PayPal transactions getting no chargeback.
Streamers should react to such fake money and inform customer support of the platform they use. It may lead to contests, sometimes even court ones, and a possibility not only to punish a scammer but also win money donated.
Biggest Fake Twitch Donations
Could you imagine your reaction if someone dares to donate fake money to you? Will you realize it is a fake from the very beginning? Even experienced streamers who were donated hundreds of dollars cannot always understand immediately that they are cheated. However, many of them have suffered from such a kind of trolling and some fake sums sound unbelievable.
Here are the top 5 of the biggest Twitch donations which turned out to be only a fake:
- KittyPlays has ‘received' $10,000 from Arafant.
- Shroud was ‘given' $100,000 by TurnerThePCGamer.
- B0aty's fake donation from CandyCane was £80,373.
- Summit1g was ‘sent' $2,100 by RustinTimberlake.
- Young Moolah decided to cheat DingleDerper as if sending her $10,000.
How to Know That You Got a Fake Donation
The first thing every Twitch streamer should remember is the fact that fakes do happen and it is important to admit them as a joke. Otherwise, they can become real stress. Secondly, it is very important to understand as quickly as possible if the money you received or advertised to you is a reality or a fake. Here are some tips on how to understand if the donation sent is only a joke.
- If you have seen a message in the chat, check Twitch notifications over the stream screen. If there are no alerts, probably, someone has made fun of you.
- Consider PayPal donations a long-term investment. They cannot be refunded only in three months, so avoid spending money within this period not to lose your savings.
- Donations can be considered unreal if you get several subsequent transfers from one user within a short period of time.
- Don't hurry to celebrate your earnings. You need to wait for some time to understand if money is transferred from a real credit card and whether you will get a notification.
Now you should not look for tips on how to tell if a donation is fake. It is enough to be patient and attentive to understand the origin of the donations received. Chumba casino complaints.
How to Protect Yourself From Fake Donations
Unfortunately, the only way to protect yourself from fake donors fully is to choose only one safe type of donation. It is a proven fact that Twitch Bits donations are absolutely safe and it is impossible to fake them since they are displayed in the chat like animations.
However, it is not a way out for people who earn money by streaming to use only one method since not all users are ready to buy or earn bits. Naturally, there is no need to refuse from StreamLabs, PayPal or Credit Card donations but streamers must be very careful with these methods since credit card chargebacks will take not only money donated but also $15 transaction fee, while other methods have their underwater stones too.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that Twitch security measures are improved constantly, it is impossible to protect streamers from trolls and scams fully. Users find more and more ways how to cheat online and get on the nerves of streamers, in particular. One more reason is the use of other services which are not connected with Twitch but are a necessity for accepting donations. At the same time, it is enough to be informed about fake donations well to prevent yourself from getting into a trap. Even if you suppose a donation to be fake, don't hesitate to contact the support team of the platform. Today, we can see multiple examples of how scammers are punished for their actions and many contests are won in favor of streamers who get real donations instead of fakes.
Learn how to begin earning monetary rewards through Twitch donations
Introduction
Donations are a way that streamers can begin earning money while they run their show. If you are wondering how to set up donations on Twitch then this guide is here to help.
How do Twitch donations work?
As a streamer grows his/her's channel and viewership they may look for several ways to begin monetizing their stream.
Streamers typically create a Twitch donation button that is added to a panel and displayed on their channel's bio. The goal of this button is to grab a viewer's attention and convey to them why they should donate money.
Why do people donate on Twitch?
A common reason why people donate on Twitch usually is due to them discovering a streamer whom they enjoy and wish to see their channel grow by supporting them.
Streamers who create and maintain a positive community and seem to have a bright future on Twitch tend to earn a good amount of donations as viewers wish to further help them improve the quality of their content.
At times a streamer may offer additional incentives for their viewers to donate. This may include merchandise which viewers can earn when they donate, donation tiers with special privileges on their stream, and even fundraisers or charity events for good causes.
How to donate to Twitch Streamers
Look in the stream channel's bio and find their donation button. Reading the provided information should allow you to understand what payment method they accept. You may also click it which will bring you directly to the payment option.
How to set up a donation button on Twitch
In this guide, we will be showing you how to get started setting up donations with Donorbox on your Twitch channel.
Setting up your button with Donorbox
- Save your custom donate image for Twitch or use the provided Donorbox button.
- Head to Twitch and go to your channel where you'll need to click on 'Edit Panels' to create your Twitch donation panel.
- Click on the large '+' sign and upload the chosen image for your button
- Head to Donorbox and copy the 'secure donations page' link which is located under the 'Campaigns' section.
- Paste the link into the 'Image Links To' field and type in a description and title.
- Save it and you are ready to go!
How to make your donation button look good
A donation button should be eye-catching and communicate a convincing message to viewers on why they should donate.
Having basic photo editing and design skills can help you create a great and free Twitch donate button! However, if you do not have these skills you may want to ask a friend to help you design one or hire a freelancer on Fiverr.
You can also head over to NerdorDie and Behance which offer free Twitch donation button design packs to help get you started.
Be sure to set audio to your donation alert box to delight your donors. There are several alert boxes that display customizable text on your stream if a viewer does a certain action such as follow or donate.
To add audio to your alert box first locate where the 'alert box widgets' are. Then locate the box for the specific action you want to edit, for this example edit the donations alert box.
You should see an option to edit the audio for this alert box, click on it and load your custom audio file, save it and you are all set.
Examples of a good donation button
A finished donation button panel will typically look similar to the one in Pewdiepie's bio below.
This button really pops out and communicates a thoughtful message.
Here is an intriguing background design along with text right in the graphic
A bit of a simpler design but with an attractive background that matches the channel's theme.
Pro tip: The amount of effort you put into the button's design, as well as the rest of your channel, may impact its success.
Setting up PayPal and other methods for donations on Twitch
If you wish to use PayPal for your donation option then in this section we will show you how to set up a PayPal donation button on Twitch.
To begin first head over to PayPal and create an account if you do not have one.
Once you have an account you have two routes you may proceed with:
- Putting your associated PayPal email into your channel's description
- Creating a Paypal.me link which can be set up with your button
A Paypal.me link allows viewers to donate money without going to the main PayPal site to wire money to you, which is what they'd need to do with your email address.
The PayPal.me link has a simpler process along with easy-to-follow directions.
During your streams be sure to mention your PayPal option for donations and where it is located in your stream's bio.
When adding your custom button to your channel's bio be sure to switch on panel editing and upload the button graphic to the new panel. Then fill out the panel's title and description fields along with adding the PayPal.me link to the 'Image Links To' field.
Viewers that notice the button and click it will be brought to PayPal to complete the transaction.
Pros
- No need to give out personal banking info.
- Only an email is needed to send and receive funds after an account is made.
- PayPal.me link allows for faster transactions.
Cons
- Vulnerable to chargebacks.
- Has a commission fee (2.9%) when payments are received.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
It is also possible for viewers to donate on Twitch using Bitcoin, Ether, and other cryptocurrencies. With the growing popularity of cryptocurrency, some viewers have preferred to use the digital currency as an alternative method to PayPal.
Cryptocurrency may make certain individuals feel safer when making transactions due to there being fewer paper trails and risks of having their identity exposed.
At one time Twitch allowed Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to be used as donations to streamers. Twitch has since removed this option.
It is still possible for streamers to receive cryptocurrency payments by putting their wallet address into their stream's bio (more on that below).
Setting Up Crypto Donations On Twitch
First, you will need to get a virtual wallet. A few options include Coinbase, Bitpay, and Jaxx wallets.
Locate your wallet's address which will be a random string of numbers and letters. Copy the address and head to your Twitch account.
Paste the wallet address under your donation section and provide the accepted cryptocurrencies in the description. It is important to let viewers know what cryptocurrencies are accepted because if an unsupported currency is sent to your wallet it will fail to transfer.
Twitch Bits and cheers
Cheers are a virtual currency that is purchasable on Twitch using Amazon Payments. Some individuals may prefer this method due to not having to transfer money directly to a streamer.
Streamers have the ability to turn on cheer donations once they reach partner status.
Gambling man lyrics bob seger. A viewer can donate to a streamer by sending them cheers which are valued at 1 cent per cheer.
Twitch will allow the streamer to cash out 100 cheers at a time (1 dollar per 100 cheers).
Pro Tip: Try not to overwhelm your viewers with lots of payment options by just sticking to one!
Pros
- Limited paper trails that cybercriminals can retrieve.
- Your identity is better protected.
- Growing in acceptance and popularity.
Cons
- If your wallet is hacked there is little to no methods of retrieving your funds.
- Many retailers and businesses still do not accept it as a form of payment.
- Considered unstable in terms of value.
Ways to encourage your audience to donate
Mentioning your donation options might not always be enough. You need to use certain tactics to help convince users to donate.
Keep some of these tips in mind to not just get donations but also keep your donors happy:
- Create incentives for viewers to donate like donor tiers, special chat rooms, and exclusive merchandise
- Thank donors live on stream
- Add widgets that show the last donors on your stream
- Have a list of donors on your stream
- Create a goal that you are trying to get funded using donations and display the progress through a donation bar or counter on Twitch
- Add custom alerts when a viewer donates
- Make sure the message in your donation panel will convince viewers to donate.
- Hold fundraisers and events for a good cause
Pro Tip: Always be transparent with what your intent with the donations will be.
Managing your donation activity
Donations is a common practice on Twitch and viewers or streamers should feel fine with accepting or sending donations.
Donations are a key way for small channels to earn revenue, so giving donations really helps small channels start to grow.
Once a streamer becomes a Twitch Affiliate or Partner they can then get started with enabling Twitch subscriptions.
A subscription to a channel allows for the streamer to earn a concurrent source of revenue, while the subscriber can earn perks, such as exclusive emoticons.
Are Twitch donations taxable?
As a streamer you are considered a sole proprietor, making you responsible for paying any taxes on the donations you earn.
Streamers in the USA have a progressive rate of tax, which means that the more you earn the more you will have to pay. Each country will have its own differing system so it is important to research how much money to set aside to pay.
Conduct your own research regarding your country's taxation laws in order to determine how much of your donation money you'll need to pay tax on.
Pro Tip: Have your taxes for your stream prepared a month in advance.
Disclaimer: Please be aware that WEARE NOT TAX EXPERTS! Be sure to consult with a professional
Preventing donation chargebacks & spotting fake donations
A chargeback occurs when a donor transfers money to a streamer using PayPal. The donor will then rescind their payment by filing a complaint against the streamer requesting their money back.
Since the payment made to the streamer was as a donation and not for a good or service it tends to be easy for the donor to receive their money back.
These 'fake donations' are a type of trolling that viewers with bad intentions do. This trick involves a large sum of money, sometimes in the 1000s or even 100,000s, being sent to a streamer only for the chargeback to be filed. This results in the streamer losing that large sum of money within a few weeks to months.
Some precautions a streamer may want to consider to prevent chargebacks from occurring would be to not use Paypal but to accept donations through Twitch Bits (cheers) or cryptocurrency.
If you wish to use PayPal as your means to accept donations it would probably be best to immediately refund any large donations that seem sketchy to you, especially if they came from a viewer you are not familiar with.
Watch out for: Regardless of any disclaimers or preventive measures you may take to avoid chargebacks, there will likely be a risk of receiving one when accepting donations with PayPal.
Conclusion
Creating a donation button is only a small part of the process. You, as a streamer, need to articulate the value you can offer to your audience to convince them to donate.
Being aware of the various payment methods at hand and potential risks of receiving donations will make you a much more savvy streamer.
If you are prepared to help other streamers learn more about donations then be sure to share this article.
