How to set up donations on Twitch

There are a few ways to set up Twitch donations. You could use Streamlabs, PayPal, or something else. In this article, we’ll explain how to add a donations button on Twitch, and cover several of the available payment options (even without PayPal).

We’ll also cover the impact of the Brave browser and the ease of using Brave Rewards to send and receive donations.

How to set up the most popular Twitch donation methods

The first step to setting up your Twitch donations is to decide which donation methods you want to use. These are some of the most popular.

Twitch Bits

Twitch Bits (the official Twitch donation system) are purchased directly via Amazon payments. Bits are Twitch’s version of a digital currency, and can be used to pay for special audio and visual alerts, called “Cheers.” Cheers are also displayed in the special badges in a chat; the more Bits used, the higher the badge. To enable Twitch Bits on your channel:

1. On your channel dashboard, select Partner Settings.
2. Select Bits and Cheering.
3. Viewers can now donate to your channel by typing “CHEER” and the number of Bits they wish to send you. Typing “CHEER10,” for example, into a livestream’s chat tips the creator 10 Bits.

Paypal

Paypal is arguably the easiest way to accept payment on Twitch, but it does have some drawbacks: There’s an increased risk of fraud, and PayPal adds an extra step in the payment process.

To set up PayPal for donations:

1. Set up a PayPal.me link to add to your profile, or post in a channel chat.
2. Go to your channel, click Edit Panels, then click the + button and add your PayPal.me link to the description.
3. Fill in the description section with any further reasons why users should donate to you.

Note: One of the downsides to using Paypal is chargebacks, where scammers pay using Paypal and then file a complaint with Paypal that they never received anything in return. Paypal usually sides with the buyer and withdraws the sum from the account. For many users, chargebacks alone are a reason to avoid using Paypal, despite the popularity and ease of the service.

Cryptocurrencies

Crypto is another popular payment method on Twitch, because crypto transactions are relatively frictionless (i.e. users don’t need to set up any additional accounts if they already have a crypto wallet). Twitch creators can easily share their wallet address directly with viewers to solicit crypto donations. The most common issue with crypto donations, however, is sending the right type of crypto asset to the right type of crypto wallet address. For instance, Bitcoin cannot be sent to an Ethereum wallet, so labeling each address correctly is a must.

To share your crypto address on Twitch:

1. Open your crypto wallet.
2. Navigate to the type of asset you want to receive and click the Receive button.
3. Copy the address.
4. Go to your channel, click Edit Panels, then click the + button and add your crypto address to the description.
5. Use the description section to specify the type of crypto you accept and an explanation of why users should donate to you.

Brave Creator program

The Brave browser’s built-in rewards system—Brave Rewards—makes it even easier for viewers to tip their favorite Twitch streamers with crypto. Brave users can tip Twitch streamers directly with Basic Attention Token (BAT) that they earn from viewing private ads while browsing. By registering as a Brave Creator, viewers enrolled in Brave Rewards can seamlessly tip you with BAT.

Third-party Twitch donations

There are also a variety of third-party services to collect donations for Twitch users. Sites like Muxy, StreamLabs, Stream Elements, and Gaming for Good all create a donation page on their specific server which viewers can visit and donate. To get started:

1. On your third party service page dashboard, click Donation Settings.
2. Click the icon for whichever donation method you’d like to add.
3. In Settings, select your currency and a minimum donation amount. (Using $5 as a minimum prevents lots of small donations.)
4. Click Save Settings.
5. Copy the donation address and save it to your Twitch channel page.

More helpful info about Twitch donations

The best way to solicit donations on Twitch is to verbalize your donation link while streaming. Let viewers know where—and how—they can donate to you. If you’re a small channel, you could also create a list on your channel page for top donors, which publicly thank donors and encourage repeat donations. Keep in mind that while donations are a helpful way to make some revenue on Twitch, larger accounts generally use Twitch Subscriptions to make the majority of their Twitch income.

Twitch and Brave: creating a new, user-driven creator economy

The Twitch platform fits naturally into the new Brave Internet economy. Third-party ads don’t work as well on Twitch; the majority of the ways to make money on Twitch rely on building relationships with audiences.

Brave, with its focus on user security and privacy, provides an easy way for Twitch streamers to draw increased revenue. Brave lets Twitch viewers bypass all the third-party donation systems, tipping their favorite streamers directly.