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Over the years Twitter has made a lot of changes and added new features, some of which it felt not many people were actually clamoring for. But the latest add is certainly interesting: a “tip jar” function that lets people pay others through the social media app, presumably for having good tweets.
Twitter announced the Tip Jar function on Thursday with, as you might expect, a few tweets.
show your love, leave a tip
now testing Tip Jar, a new way to give and receive money on Twitter
more coming soon… pic.twitter.com/7vyCzlRIFc
— Twitter (@Twitter) May 6, 2021
Now you can do more to support the many amazing voices who add to the conversation on Twitter –– send them tips.
You can send someone a tip through several payment services by tapping the new Tip Jar icon on their profile, testing on Android and iOS. https://t.co/oSrfY2sJ8b
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) May 6, 2021
The feature is pretty simple: you can pay people directly through Twitter, using a payment app like Venmo or PayPal. In many ways it’s similar to Patreon or other ways that writers have monetized their work, and as Twitter is often a big part of that work it’s the next logical step in said monetization.
There was a lot of reaction to the news, starting with people who were excited to see that it was enabled on their accounts.
Whoop! I have Tip Jar! pic.twitter.com/eEfRoBTPwN
— Nai, the Internet’s Esthetician (@LaBeautyologist) May 6, 2021
And many saw it as an opportunity to finally cash in on some good tweets.
Twitter’s Tip Jar is coming. Which is perfect, because if you want to argue with me you can issue a payment and I’ll consider replying.
— Wanna (@WannasWorld) May 6, 2021
Or, perhaps, finally log off for good.
the twitter tip jar feature is rolling out y’all already know the drill pic.twitter.com/0OvGPqdFOd
— no (@afroelven) May 6, 2021
The feature was being rolled out slowly starting on Thursday, but some users started to have some concerns right away. Starting with the fact that, according to some users, your address could actually be sent to the person you tip if you’re not careful which payment app you use.
Huge heads up on PayPal Twitter Tip Jar. If you send a person a tip using PayPal, when the receiver opens up the receipt from the tip you sent, they get your *address*. Just tested to confirm by tipping @yashar on Twitter w/ PayPal and he did in fact get my address I tipped him. https://t.co/R4NvaXRdlZ pic.twitter.com/r8UyJpNCxu
— Rachel Tobac (@RachelTobac) May 6, 2021
This is EXACTLY what I was concerned to test when Twitter announced Tip Jar. PayPal needs to make it crystal clear which data is given to money receivers and stop sharing that data, & Twitter needs to educate users who don’t realize what info tip receivers get when using PayPal. https://t.co/BaUDcxpeu4
— Rachel Tobac (@RachelTobac) May 6, 2021
That part is apparently being worked on by Twitter, but it did make for a new round of people making jokes about it, of course.
twitter: we changed the crop ratio on mobile to something that sucks lessusers: *looking around, bewildered* a… a feature? good? good feature? *whispers* can this be…?twitter: *< 24 hours later* we have installed a tip jar that doxxes youusers: oh thank god i was worried
— nbo WOLONG NUTS STAN ACCOUNT (@nobodymovepal) May 6, 2021
tip jar through paypal takes 33%? and… gives your home address to the person you tip? https://t.co/Y704R3eR3L pic.twitter.com/yQVoAlKiV1
— Lauren Chanel (@MichelleHux) May 6, 2021
