Donations are a great source of income for streamers and this article covers the topic how to donate on Twitch in detail so that you can know the process thoroughly.
How to donate on Twitch
This is a very simple process. When a follower or viewer wants to offer you a donation what he can do is:
- Simply login to his Twitch account
- Open his favorite streamer’s channel (to whom he wants to donate) and
- Click on “donate” so as to make a donation.
Another way to get a donation is that the streamer might share a nonprofit’s donation page directly for his followers or viewers to donate.
If you want some more detail, here’s how you do it:
- Make a Twitch account – First of all, you need to make an account by visiting Twitch.tv. Unless and until you are signed up with Twitch, you cannot donate.
- Login – Once you have made an account on Twitch.tv, the next step is to log in to your account whether on your desktop, laptop, or mobile app.
- Open The Twitch Channel – The next involves going to the fundraising streamer’s channel and opening it up
- Click The Donate Button – Now, there could be two things that you could do here. Firstly, if the streamer is donating a part of their tips you can actually donate to the streamer by clicking the donate button. On the other hand, the streamer could also direct the viewers to the nonprofit’s site. In such a case, you need to click on this donation link. However, there’s a limitation involved here, which is that you need to have a 3rd party payment system set up. If you do not see the donate button, then it is possible that they do not have donations set up.
- Donate – The next step, I guess, does not need much explanation. You need to put in your payment information and complete the donation.
How to donate on Twitch mobile app
Your mobile phone is the most important device these days that simply clings to you day or night. It is thus, necessary to know how you can donate through the Twitch mobile app.
Fortunately, this is also a very simple and easy process that does not require much effort to figure out. So, here are the steps involved:
- Download the Twitch app – The first stop, of course, is to download the Twitch app to your mobile phone.
- Sign in to your Twitch account – The second step is to sign into your Twitch account.
- Go to your streamer’s About page – The next step is to go to your streamer’s About page and there should you be able to see the donate button.
- Fill in your information – The next step involves putting in the desired donation amount or the amount that you want to pay and entering your payment information.
This is all that you need to do to donate through the Twitch mobile app.
Donating on Twitch: what are the options?
Now that you are aware of the process of donating on Twitch, let’s have a look at what you can actually donate, and don’t try to tease the streamer with a fake donation on Twitch.
- Bits – This is the currency that you can actually buy directly from Twitch. In order to get bits, it is essential for a streamer to have a certain number of followers.
- Money – This, of course, refers to real money that needs no introduction. In order to donate money, however, you need to use a third-party processor.
- Paypal – Paypal is one of the most popular payment processors online and it is available in most countries around the world, barring a few. It also happens to be the most popular payment provider for donating on Twitch. It allows you to use your credit or debit card to make payments.
- Credit Card – You can also use your credit card to donate to your favorite streamer.
- Debit Card – You can also use your debit card to pay or donate to the streamer that you want to.
- Cryptocurrency – This is another mode of payment that you can use to pay your favorite streamer provide he accepts cryptocurrency.
- Other 3rd part payment providers – In addition to PayPal, there are a couple of other payment providers such as Venmo or CashApp that you can use to donate to a streamer.
How to donate bits on Twitch/How to tip on Twitch
As mentioned above, Twitch bits, are the virtual currency that you can buy directly from Twitch. Most Twitch users tend to pay, donate or tip their favorite streamers with bits and this is called Cheering. Furthermore, Twitch Bits are also referred to as Twitch Cheer Bits most of the time. Here’s some more information on how to donate in bits:
- But Twitch Bits – Before you can actually donate bits, you need to buy them. The best part is that it is really easy to buy them. All that you have to do is go to any channel to buy them. Now, it is important to know that one bit is worth about a penny but you will have to pay Twitch a commission when you buy bits. Another option is that you can slowly earn your bits by watching ads. Once you have Twitch bits in your account, you can spend them as you like or wish. It’s all upon you how you spend your Twitch money!
- Cheer in the chat – If you want to know how to gift bits to your favorite stream, the first step that you need to take is to go to your chat box Now, you need to look for the bits icon and cheer away. You will have to use emotes or cheermotes and choose the number of bits that you want to donate to the streamer. More often than not, users cheer in 100-bit increments but you can do as you like and spend your bits in the manner that you wish.
- Be Cautious – One thing that I must mention here is that there’s no undo button to reverse a transaction once it is completed. In other words, once you spend your bits or donate your bits, there’s nothing you can do to get them back. What it also means is that you need to check at least twice before you donate your bits.
- Enjoy Badges and Emotes – One of the best things about donating bits on Twitch is that it also pays off for you in the form of badges and emotes. This is something that you get only with bit donations and not with direct donations.
How to donate bits on Twitch mobile
This is not really different from donating on the Twitch website. The only difference is that you need to use the Twitch app on your mobile.
Without much ado, here are some simple steps to donate bits on the Twitch app:
- Open the app and access the channel – As you login to the app, go to the streamer’s page that you want to donate to.
- Head to the chat – Now go to the chat box and click on the bits icon, write a message there, and enter the number of bits. I must mention here that everything is almost the same as it is on the desktop version.
- Send Bits – The next step is to enter the payment information and you are done for good.
How to donate on Twitch with PayPal
Paypal is one of the most convenient ways to make payments online and it is no different with Twitch.
If the streamer has a PayPal account, all that you have to do is log in to your Twitch account and head over to the streamer’s channel (whom you want to pay), and click the donate link. Choose Paypal as the payment method and fill in the payment information and then hit donate. It’s as simple as that! If you’re a streamer then check out how to link your Paypal with Twitch to receive donations.
How to donate on Twitch without PayPal
Paypal is not the only way to donate on Twitch. Even if you or your streamer do not have a PayPal account, you can still pay or donate to him. Here are some simple ways to do so:
- Use Twitch Bits – You can use bits (as mentioned above) to pay your streamer.
- Buy affiliate products – This is yet another way to ensure that your streamer is able to make some money. Actually, what you do is buy affiliate products and your streamer gets a cut when you purchase through his affiliate link. In such a case, it is not just that your streamer gets paid but you too might get a discount.
- Subscribe – By subscribing you can show your support to your streamer and you can use your credit or debit card to pay for the subscription.
- Switch to 1upCoin – This is a cryptocurrency alternative to PayPal on Twitch. I must mention here, that you need a digital wallet first and you must check out Coinbase for all the details on how to set it up.
- Try Venmo, CashApp, or another 3rd Part Service – You can also use these payment providers instead of Paypal.
How to donate on Twitch with a gift card
If you have a Twitch gift card, you can use it in a couple of ways to donate. With the help of this card, you can purchase subscriptions, get bits so that you can donate them to your favorite streamers, or even gift subscriptions to friends. Some of the places where you can buy Twitch gift cards include Twitch.tv or their retail partners such as Amazon, Best Buy, and Gamestop. Check out, how much is 10000 bits on Twitch.
Here, it is important to note that a Twitch gift card can hold as much as $200. Moreover, it is worth knowing that donations from a Twitch gift card are made in exactly the same way as they are without a gift card.
Here are the steps to donate through a gift card:
- First of all, you need to get a gift card.
- The next step is to redeem your gift card. All that you need to do is log in to the Twitch account and enter the code. As you do so, the funds get added to your Twitch wallet. I must say that you can check your balance at any time.
- Donate away – The funds are used automatically for any Twitch purchase that you make on the Twitch.tv website. It’s worth knowing that your funds do not have an expiry date!
How to donate on Twitch anonymously
One of the ways to donate on Twitch anonymously is with the help of cryptocurrency. Furthermore, you can also use Twitch bits to cheer anonymously by hiding your name from the chat. However, it is worth noting that the streamer will still be able to your PayPal name when they get a payment.
Here’s some more info on the same:
Cheer anonymously
In order to do so, you need to select “cheer anonymously” option. In such a case, your name will not appear with the donation that you make. It is also worth noting that when you cheer anonymously, you are not able to use your emotes.
Use Cryptocurrency
Secondly, you can also donate anonymously if you pay through cryptocurrency. Now, this can only be possible if your streamer accepts crypto. This is because, in the case of cryptocurrency, your actual identity is not attached to your wallet. Instead, you get an alphanumeric address for all your transactions.
How much can you donate on Twitch?
Now, this is a question that is often asked. If you want to know if there’s a limit on how much you can donate on Twitch, then let me tell you that you can donate as much as you want to spend. NO limits here!
In simple words, Twitch does not specify any limit on how much you can donate to a streamer of your choice or liking as a way to support him.
Having said that, it is important to know that certain non-profits may set an upper cap on tips. In such a case, you will be able to donate up to the specified amount only. However, if you want to support them beyond this, you can consider subscribing or buying affiliate products.
Moreover, streamers can also set a minimum donation amount, usually, within the range of $2-5 in order to avoid one-cent donation notifications and help offset PayPal processing fees.
FAQs: Donating money on Twitch
Can you donate to small streamers?
Yes, you can donate to small streamers on Twitch directly. However, it is important to know that streamers cannot accept bits until and unless they become a Twitch affiliate which requires them to have a certain number of followers, stream for a certain number of hours or days, or even have an average number of viewers.
Having said that, small streamers also have an option for setting up donations through 3rd party payment sites. If, however, they do not have this option enabled, you cannot donate to them.
Do streamers get the full donation?
This depends upon the payment method used. If a streamer of paid in bit, he is likely to get 100% of the bits donated. However, buying them in the first place means you have to pay a certain charge to Twitch. While Paypal charges streamers for processing fees, the donor does not pay a markup.
How many dollars are 1000 bits on Twitch?
A streamer gets one cent for every one bit. In other words, 1000 bits mean $10 for the streamer. However, buying these bits comes at a charge. At this time, 1000 bits cost $14 on Twitch. It’s worth knowing that there are often sales in which you can buy bits at a lower charge.
Conclusion
I have tried to list various ways in which you can donate to your favorite streamer as a way to show your support to him so that he feels motivated to continue streaming. Try any of the abovementioned methods to donate to your favorite streamer.