How to Set Up Donations on Twitch
If you haven’t heard about Twitch, which is quite less likely, then let us tell you that it is a popular online video streaming and broadcasting service. Back in the day, when this platform was first founded, it was entirely dedicated to video games. However, it gradually expanded and started including videos and streams related to music, artwork creation, some TV series, and talk shows, etc.
With more than 2 million users getting on to this service every month, Twitch has gained a lot of popularity in the world of the internet. After being purchased by Amazon in 2014, the service has gained even more users than before, and a good portion of these users now earns money by streaming on Twitch. The modes of payments include microdonations, affiliate sales, paid subscriptions, sponsorships, and regular donations.
All in all, Twitch has turned out to be one those popular platforms that help users make money along with being a source of their entertainment – a lot like YouTube.
If Twitch rings a bell with you or if you already use it, here is some information for you. If you’re looking for ways to earn from this online service and want to know how to donate on Twitch and how to get donations, read on!
- ALSO READ : How to Host Someone on Twitch
How to get donations on Twitch
The donations on Twitch were not a part of this platform from the very beginning. However, this feature was made accessible to make sure that streamers who stream their videos free of cost on Twitch can stay motivated.
The free streaming videos bring a lot of users to this platform. This is why it is one of the most popular videos streaming platforms. To keep the free streaming videos flowing, the option of donations is given to the users.
These donations help streamers earn money and make a living through their content.
If you’re a streamer and want to get these donations, you need to set up a ‘donation box’ that will help you get money from the users or donors. Here are different ways through which you can add the option for donation on your account:
How to enable bits on twitch for donations
The official donation system on Twitch is called Twitch Bits, also known as cheers.
The Twitch Bits are a complicated way to send donations to the streamers and are available only for Twitch Partners and Twitch Affiliates. The Twitch Bits are used by users to ‘cheer’ the streamers. Besides donations, the Bits are also used by users to stand out in a chat or on Twitch, using leaderboards, animated emoticons, leaderboards, and streamer acknowledgements. The usage of bits helps users win special badges. The rank of these badges gets higher with more and more bits used by them. For 100 bits used by a user, $1 is earned.
Cheering with Twitch Bits is another name given to donations that you make to the streamers and show your support to them. Here is how you can enable bits on your Twitch channel:
- Open your dashboard and go to the Partner Settings tab.
- Go to the Cheers settings and select the option to Enable Cheering with Bits.
Now, you can get donations in the form of cheers by the users. The donations are made by typing the word ‘Cheer’, followed by the number of bits to be donated by the user like Cheer10 for 10 bits, Cheer25 for 25 bits.
How to set up PayPal for Twitch donations
The easiest way to get donations on Twitch is to add a PayPal button on your Twitch channel. The idea behind this kind of donations is that users use the email address attached with the streamer’s PayPal account to make donations.
Now, a few things to know about this medium of sending and accepting donations is that PayPal considers donations as non-profit transactions. Sometimes, viewers try to chargeback the donations made using PayPal, and this doesn’t work well for the streamers.
In context to this, PayPal says that by adding a PayPal donations button to their channel, the streamers change the meaning of this service. As per them, the donations button is exclusively for non-profit organisations and is not intended for getting profits or incomes.
However, if you consider this option, an easy way to get donations through it is by using PayPal. me link. The link redirects users to the process of donation which is accessible and interactive. Here is how you can set up PayPal.me:
During a stream, the streamers have to speak their PayPal.me address out. It should be verbal and bright.
The link should be posted in the chat of your channel. It will make it easier for the users to click on the link and start the process of donation.
By going to the Edit Panels menu of your Twitch Channel, you can add a donation section to it. Here, you can paste your link for PayPal.me. Make sure the linked PayPal account is active and is receiving payments efficiently.
This is an easy method of receiving donations, and through this method, you can ensure more payments as there are some PayPal users on Twitch.
Setting up donations on Twitch with StreamLabs
StreamLabs is an additional service that can be availed within Twitch to add more features to the channel. It also allows you to receive donations and alerts.
The process of setting up StreamLabs donations is natural. It can be done by opening the StreamLabs dashboard and going to the Donation Settings. Then, connect StreamLabs and PayPal accounts by clicking on the PayPal icon. When you do this, you will be able to receive direct payments to your PayPal account right from the donation page. Other payment methods can also be linked to the StreamLabs account, but as it is more famous and widely used, PayPal should be your primary choice.
The next step is to set the currency and limitations of donations. This can be done through the Settings option in Donation Settings. Click on Save Settings, and you’re done! The link of your donation page will appear that can then be used to promote it!
So, if you’re looking forward to starting earning from Twitch, getting donations is the best bet! There are different methods of setting up the donations, and you can pick the one that suits you the best!
Donations are the best way to start earning with Twitch. They allow small channels to grow and encourage more and more quality content streaming from their end. However, with certain limitations like chargebacks, a lesser amount of money, one-time payments, etc., donations can prove out to be best only for a shorter run.
If you want to keep earning through Twitch, turning your channel into a partner or affiliate one can help! This way, you can earn subscribers too
For people excited about joining Twitch to earn money, it is advised that they start by setting up a Twitch Donation Button and then moving on to the next level of success on Twitch. All in all, it has turned out to be one of the best platforms for streamers. So, get on board and start earning!
