Source: NurPhoto / Getty
Folks have been clamoring for years about getting paid for their Tweets, and now finally, Twitter has given them what they wanted.
Thursday (May.6), Twitter announced its new Tip Jar feature allowing users to finally reward their favorite tweeters in a sense for their tweets is rolling out on its iOS and Android apps. Users simply have to press the dollar bill icon conveniently next to someone’s handle when visiting their Twitter profile. As of right now, Android users have the ability to send coins through Twitter Spaces. If you don’t want any random person sending you money via Twitter, you can toggle the feature off.
https://twitter.com/Twitter/status/1390396166496522247?s=20
The Tip Jar feature currently supports payment features and links via Bandcamp, Cash App, Patreon, Paypal, and Venmo, utilizing them as external payment processors. Twitter vows not to take a cut out of the payments. Even though Twitter says the feature is available to all English users of the service, as of right now, only “creators, journalists, experts, and nonprofits” have access to Tip Jar.
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The announcement of Tip Jar shows Twitter has been paying attention as people usually put their Cashapp handles or links to other payment systems under their viral tweets, their blog post proudly revealing “We $ee you – sharing your PayPal link after your Tweet goes viral, adding your $Cashtag to your profile so people can support your work, dropping your Venmo handle on your birthday or if you just need some extra help.”
But with anything new, there are some concerns. Hacker Rachel Tobac pointed out users who send money via the Tip Jar allow them to see the recipient’s address which understandably should concern people.
Twitter responded in an update it shared later that day that it was “updating our tipping prompt and Help Center to make it clearer that other apps may share info between people sending/receiving tips, per their terms,” while promising “more coming soon,” in terms of information and updates as they continue to roll out the Tip Jar feature to users slowly.
As expected, the announcement had Twitter reacting. You can peep those in the gallery below.
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Photo: NurPhoto / Getty
