Twitter tests Tip Jar feature for sending and receiving money – CNET [CNET]

Twitter on Thursday unveiled a new way to send and receive payments on the social media platform. Tip Jar lets accounts add an icon to their profile page listing payment services through which people can send money. Anyone using Twitter in English on iOS and Android can now send tips, while a limited group of people around the world using Twitter in English can add Tip Jar to their profiles. That includes creators, journalists, experts and nonprofits, Twitter says, with more availability and languages coming soon. 

The Tip Jar icon appears next to the Follow button on someone’s profile. Anyone interested in leaving a tip can click on that and choose the payment service or platform they’d like to use. They’ll then be directed to that app to make a payment in any amount. Currently available services are Bandcamp, Cash App, Patreon, PayPal and Venmo. Twitter says it won’t take a cut of the money being sent.

Android users can also send tips through Spaces, Twitter’s audio chat room feature which mimics popular iOS app Clubhouse. Earlier this week, Twitter expanded availability for Spaces to anyone with 600 or more followers.

“Tip Jar is an easy way to support the incredible voices that make up the conversation on Twitter,” Senior Product Manager Esther Crawford said in a statement. “This is a first step in our work to create new ways for people to receive and show support on Twitter – with money.”