Twitter has just started public tests of a new feature called Tip Jar, where some users can already participate and reward tweeters (whether personal accounts or collective accounts, in the case of associations) with donations. This announcement is in addition to the future possibility that Spaces hosts will be able to start charging tickets for attending their meetings.
For the moment, Twitter has activated Tip Jar for those accounts that are configured in English, and to access it will be necessary to use the app for Android or iOS. And as for who will be able to request tips, for the moment it has been limited to certain account profiles, such as non-profit organizations, experts in certain areas, journalists and reporters, and creators. However, Twitter plans to extend it to new profiles soon, as well as expanding it to more languages.
Users who can already activate Tip Jar in their Twitter account will have to configure their account to set up the service accounts with economic functions in which they can receive donations and tips from their readers. At the moment, PayPal, Patreon, Cash App, Bandcamp, and Venmo have been enabled for this purpose, although it is likely that we will also see this list grow soon.
It does not seem, at least for the moment, that Twitter will receive part of these donations, so it seems to be a measure designed exclusively to encourage accounts in these categories to increase their use of the platform, something from which they also benefit in some way. In addition, in this way, they will be able to have a better understanding of the level of financial support received by their users.
And this is not something particularly new, many Twitter accounts include, in their description or the featured tweet, a link to one of these payment platforms, so that users who wish to do so can make their donations. With Tip Jar Twitter facilitates this integration, allowing spaces currently used for other purposes to recover their original function.
