Donations are a way to support your favorite twitch channels. I guess it’s similar to putting money on a street performer’s hat. But there’s no hat online, so how do you support your favorite streamers on Twitch? Just follow these simple steps to donate on twitch! A quick note, make sure your favorite streamer is currently streaming if you want your donation messages to pop up! That’s half the fun of donating!
How to Donate on Twitch
Donating on Twitch Using the Donation Button
This is the most common way of making a twitch donation. Follow these steps to donate to your favorite streamer.
1. Go to Your Streamers Page
Navigate to twitch.tv and find the page of your favorite streamer. Usually, it will look something like this. www.twitch.tv/ChannelName, where ChannelName is the name of the Twitch Channel.
2. Go to the About Tab
Let’s look at my twitch channel for this walkthrough. A channel’s about tab will be under the channel name, as shown below.
3. Find the Donate Button or Donation Link
Under the about section, there should be many panels that give you details about the channel you are watching. Read and find a panel that has the words “Donations here” or something similar. This is not standardized, so it will differ from channel to channel. For example, my channel has a donation button that looks like this. So, a person would click on the cabbage to be directed to the Donation page. You can also type !donate on your streamer’s chat to see if they have a bot that directly gives you the donation link.
4. Fill the Donation page
Once you have found the donate button and pressed it, it should direct you to a donation page. Fill up the donation page with relevant details. This will include your username and a donation message if you want to include one. Some donation services will allow further customization. Once you are done filling up the form, press Donate.
5. Pay for your donation
A way to pay for your donation should appear. The most common method of donating is through your PayPal account. Some services also offer donations through credit cards. Go through the most convenient payment process and complete any steps that it requires. As soon as you’re done, make sure to tune in to the stream immediately! Your donation should appear live on the stream.
Donating on Twitch Using Bits
Bits are Twitch’s donation feature. Only streamers who are twitch partners or affiliates have access to Bits, but it is very easy to use.
1. Log in to Twitch
Log in to your twitch account by pressing the login button on the top right.
2. Get Bits
Once logged in, press the Get Bits button on the top right, next to your profile picture. A new window should appear. Select the number of bits you want to donate. 1 bit is roughly equal to 0.01$ sent to the streamer. The rest is taken as a fee by twitch. For example, a 500-bit donation is roughly equal to giving a streamer $5. Now complete the purchase to add the bits to your account.
3. Go to Your Streamer’s Page
Navigate to twitch.tv and find the page of your favorite streamer.
4. Make Your Donation
Go to the streamer’s chat and look for the small bits icon on the right. Select an emoji and add a message, and press Donate. Your donation will commence. As soon as you’re done, make sure to tune in to the stream immediately! Your donation should appear on your favorite stream. Top Bit donations will also appear on top of the chat and stay there.
Can I Donate a Streamer By Subscribing?
Yes! Subscribing to a channel is also a form of donation. Subscribing also has a lot of perks based on the tier of the subscription. Some of these perks will be discord roles, special chat emotes, and many more. The higher the tier, the more money a subscription will cost.
How Do I Donate on Mobile?
You can also donate on mobile by finding the donation link. A way to do it is to type “!donate” on a steamer’s chat to have their bot reply with a donation link. You can also purchase and donate using bits on mobile. However, it is a tedious process, and bits even cost more on mobile. It is highly recommended to use a computer for donation purposes.
Does the Streamer Receive All the Money From a Donation?
No. A streamer typically will only receive 66% of your donated money. The rest is spent on processing fees and commission for the donation handler.
I don’t See a Bits Option on the Stream Chat.
You can only donate Bits to streamers who are twitch affiliates. If you are trying to donate to a small streamer, the donation button or link will be the best method to donate. You cannot donate using Bits if the channel you are trying to donate to is not big enough for an affiliate.
I donated to a Channel, But the Donation Message Didn’t Appear.
Your streamer might have donation notifications disabled or might not be taking donations. If the streamer usually accepts donations and your message doesn’t appear, make sure your credit card or PayPal processed your payment. Sometimes a streamer will disable donations so that they can focus on the game or during special events. Watch out for a special post-stream shoutout if that is the case.
