You can link your PayPal account to your Twitch so that viewers can donate directly to you. You can easily set up PayPal donations by setting up a PayPal.me link and adding it to your Twitch page. Twitch is a video live streaming service operated by Twitch Interactive, a subsidiary of Amazon. Introduced in June 2011 as a spin-off of the general-interest streaming platform, Justin.tv, the site primarily focuses on video game live streaming, including broadcasts of eSports competitions, in addition to music broadcasts, creative content, and more recently, “in real life” streams. Content on the site can be viewed either live or via video on demand.
When it comes to live streaming, Twitch is one of the leading platforms for content creators to share their content for millions to view. From tabletop games to skillful gamers, there is a ton of opportunity on Twitch, allowing streamers to build a brand and their platform.
Twitch is often used for video game tutorials; the nature of Twitch allows mass numbers of learners to interact with each other and the instructor in real time. Twitch is also used for software development learning, with communities of users streaming programming projects and talking through their work.
Accepting donations from viewers is a popular way to earn income while streaming on Twitch. Despite its popularity, though, setting up a donation system is more complicated than simply enabling a “donate” button on a Twitch user profile.
Users are required to think outside the box and use features such as Twitch’s first-party bits/cheers system or one of the many third-party options that other companies have made available. Here are the four most popular donation solutions for Twitch streamers and how to use them.
One of the easiest ways to accept donations on Twitch is to use PayPal. A streamer can ask viewers to send money directly by using the email address associated with the streamer’s PayPal account. An easier option, though, is to simply set up a PayPal.me link, which streamlines the entire process for the viewer with a clean design and easy-to-understand interface. Here are some effective ways to use a PayPal.me address for receiving donations on Twitch:
Verbally mention your full PayPal.me address during a stream.
Post your link in your channel’s chat. Not only will this get your viewers’ attention but it also will be a lot more effective, because the link is clickable from within the chat.
Add a donation section to your Twitch Channel page by going to your channel, clicking on the Edit Panels switch, then clicking on the giant + symbol. Fill in the Panel Title and Description fields and add your PayPal.me link to the description, along with a brief message explaining why you think viewers should donate.
So Twitch streamers with a PayPal account have the option to ask their viewers to donate directly by using the email address that is linked to their PayPal account.
There are a few ways you can go about setting it up, you can either set up a PayPal donation button, or you can link your PayPal.me link to your channel, which makes the entire process simple and transparent.
If you need to create a PayPal.Me account, head over to PayPal.me and follow the steps to set up your account and link.
Click the “Send & Request” link in the top menu on the PayPal app or website on your PC.
Click “More” in the top menu, then click the blue “Get Started” button below “Manage your PayPal.me profile.”
If you previously made a PayPal.me account, you can log onto PayPal and click “More” then Manage your PayPal.me” profile instead of going to PayPal.me
Create (or turn on) your PayPal.me link. To turn on your link toggle the button to the right of “Anyone can see and send money to your PayPal.me” to on – it should turn blue when on.
When creating a PayPal.me link, make sure you find a URL currently not being used. Also make sure to keep the “Anyone can see and send money to your PayPal.me” on.
Copy the blue link at the top of your profile by highlighting it with your mouse and holding “control” + “C” on your PC or “command” + “C” on your Mac keyboard.
Log into your Twitch account and click “Channel.”
Click on your Twitch channel profile picture (located on the top right corner of your screen) to open the drop-down tool.
Scroll down to your channel and turn on “Edit Panels.”
Click the giant “+” symbol located on the screen.
Be sure to fill out all the other relevant information, including “PanelTitle,” an image, and a brief description of why people should donate to your channel.
Paste your shareable PayPal.me link to the “Image Links To” section by holding “control” + “V” on your PC or “command” + “V” on your PC/Mac keyboard. You can also add an image for the button in the “Panel Title” section depicted above.
Once you’ve added your information, click “Submit.”
After a donation button goes live on your page, viewers and fans alike will be able to donate to your channel via PayPal. By clicking on the PayPal panel, the image will open up a new link via your PayPal.Me link which will take them to your PayPal profile.
Once you click “Submit” your new PayPal donation button will be located at the bottom of the channel.