Twitter rolls Tips out to users globally and adds support for Bitcoin

Twitter has announced it will roll out its tip jar feature to users globally and will also let them send and receive tips in Bitcoin.

The feature, first introduced back in May, lets Twitter account holders receive in-app payments using their preferred payment platform.

“Whether you want to tip your favorite account because you adore their commentary, send some love to an emerging comedy creator for their hilarious Tweets, help a small business owner through a difficult time, give to an important cause — whatever you want to support (and we know you already have some ideas), Tips is here to help you do it,” Twitter Staff Product Manager, Esther Crawford, wrote in a blog post.

How Tips on Twitter work

Twitter accounts that have Tips switched on are marked with a money bill icon next to the Follow button.

When users tap the icon, they will see a list of payment platforms the account has enabled and they can select which one to use.

Currently, Twitter offers several payment platforms with Tips. They include Venmo, Patreon, Bandcamp, Cash App, Razorpay, Wealthsimple Cash, and Chipper.

In the rollout, Twitter will add GoFundMe and PicPay, a Brazilian mobile payments platform, to the list of available services.

Going forward, people can also send Tips with Bitcoin using Strike, a payment platform built on the Lightning Network.

Strike is available to users in the US and El Salvador. El Salvador recently recognised Bitcoin as legal tender.

Users that enable Tips on their accounts can also add their Bitcoin address which people can then copy and paste into their wallets.

“We want everyone on Twitter to have access to pathways to get paid,” Crawford wrote.

Users must be over the age of 18 to use Tips and they must agree to Twitter’s new General Tipping policy.

Twitter said it will roll Tips out to iOS users first. It will then introduce it to Android over the coming weeks.

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Featured image: Unsplash/freestocks