First decide where the money should go. If viewers are paying you, set up a creator tip page such as Streamlabs and connect its supported payment provider. If the money is meant for a charity, use the platform’s charity fundraiser instead; a viewer payment sent to you and donated onward is not the same as a donation made directly to the charity.
Choose the right kind of payment
| What viewers are paying for | Use | Where the money is directed |
|---|---|---|
| A creator tip | A creator tip page, such as Streamlabs | You, through the payment provider connected to the page |
| A charitable donation | A platform charity fundraiser, such as Twitch Charity or an eligible YouTube Giving campaign | The charity through the platform’s charity experience |
On Twitch, money viewers give to a streamer through donations, subscriptions, Bits, or similar tools does not become a charitable donation merely because the streamer later gives it to a charity; Twitch says those payments are not tax deductible as charitable donations. Use a charity fundraiser when the charity should be the recipient. Twitch: Charitable Donations
Set up credit-card tips with Streamlabs
Streamlabs’ credit-card tipping guidance says you need to connect a PayPal Business account in tip settings for the credit-card option on a Streamlabs tip page. The available providers and controls can vary by country and account, so use the options shown in your dashboard as the final check.
- Create or sign in: Open your Streamlabs account and go to its dashboard.
- Connect a payment method: Open Settings > Donation Settings > Methods, choose a provider available to your account, and follow its connection flow. For Streamlabs’ tip-page credit-card option, connect a PayPal Business account in tip settings. Streamlabs: Setting up Credit Card Donations and Streamlabs: Stripe Tipping FAQs
- Configure the page: If the controls are available to your account, set the minimum and suggested tip amounts, currency, and page details.
- Find and share the tip-page link: Copy the URL generated for your account. Put it somewhere viewers can find it, such as a channel description or a visible channel panel. Streamlabs’ quick guide also recommends reviewing PayPal’s current account and receipt settings if you want to limit what personal information viewers see; do not assume a display name alone guarantees privacy. Streamlabs: Quick Guide to Setting Up Tipping
- Verify before promoting: Open the page as a viewer and check that the payment options, currency, and recipient are what you intend. This is a practical check, not a guarantee that every viewer or card will be supported.
Check country availability and processing fees
Streamlabs’ Stripe tipping FAQ lists Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States as supported countries for its credit-card tip option. It says users outside the supported list need another payment option, such as PayPal. Check the current setup screen because availability can change.
#1 Best Overall
- With Square Terminal, you can ring up sales, accept payments, and print receipts, all with one device. Use it at the counter or ring up customers anywhere in your store.
- Accept all major credit and debit cards and pay one low rate with no hidden fees and no long-term contracts.
- Process chip cards in just two seconds.
- Get your money as soon as the next business day.
- Use it cordlessly with the built-in battery, designed to last all day.
The same FAQ states a standard card processing fee of 2.9% + US$0.30, while noting that actual fees vary according to the countries of the streamer and donor. Treat that as Streamlabs’ stated standard, not a guaranteed rate for every payment. Review the current terms for your account and the payment provider before setting suggested tip amounts. Streamlabs: Stripe Tipping FAQs
Streamlabs says it does not take a cut of tips and that creators pay payment-processing fees; this is Streamlabs’ description of its service. Streamlabs: Setting up Credit Card Donations
Rank #2
- Get your money as soon as the next business day.
- Get set up quickly with no long-term commitments. Download the Square Point of Sale app for free, create an account, and start taking payments anywhere.
- Run your business all in one place with the free Square Point of Sale app. Track your sales, manage inventory, accept tips, send receipts digitally, and more.
- Works with Apple devices with a Lightning connector.
Run a charity fundraiser instead of collecting tips for a cause
Twitch Charity
Start a fundraiser with Twitch’s Charity tool. During the fundraiser, Twitch surfaces a “Donate to Charity” button for viewers. Twitch says viewers can donate by card or PayPal and that Twitch does not take a cut of the donations. Check Twitch’s current help and account interface for eligibility and availability. Twitch: Charitable Donations
YouTube Giving
YouTube Giving provides a Donate button in live chat when an eligible creator is fundraising. YouTube’s cited FAQ says the nonprofit must be a US-registered 501(c)(3) public charity and that YouTube covers credit-card transaction fees for Live Chat Donations. Confirm YouTube’s full current eligibility requirements before planning a campaign or promising the button will appear for your channel or chosen charity. YouTube Giving FAQs
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Rank #3
- MSR90 is a USB emulation keyboard interface that not need any driver or software,USB simply plug and play
- Reads up to 3 tracks of information,can reads ISO7811, AAMVA, CA DMV and most other card data formats
- Threaded inserts for mounting. LED indicator, green light is on when connecting,green light blinks when cards swiped
- Bi-directional swipe reading, superior reading of high jitter, scratched, and worn magstripe cards, reliable for over 1,000,000 card swipes
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Streamlabs Charity
Streamlabs describes a separate charity-campaign workflow: create a charity account, select a registered charity, create and publish a campaign with its title, description, date, and goal, then share the campaign page. Its setup guidance also describes linking a campaign with a Streamlabs account for charity alerts. Streamlabs states that its goal is to send 100% of each donation to the charity; that is the company’s stated goal, not an independent audit finding. Verify the campaign’s current terms and recipient details before sharing it.
What viewers should see—and what you should check
- Recipient: A creator tip page pays the creator through the connected payment provider; a charity Donate button is for a charity fundraiser. Label each link and button accurately.
- Payment choices: Do not promise that every viewer can pay by card or that checkout never requires an account. Options depend on the provider, geography, and account setup.
- Currency and amounts: Confirm the currency and any minimum or suggested amounts shown on the live page before you promote it.
- Fees: Tell viewers or donors about fees only when the applicable platform or processor terms establish them. For creator tips, review the payment provider’s current fee terms; charity platforms may handle fees differently.
- Tax treatment: Do not describe a creator tip as tax-deductible charitable giving just because you intend to donate the proceeds later. Refer viewers to the charity platform and applicable tax guidance for their circumstances.
Troubleshooting common setup problems
- The card option is missing: Check that the required payment account is connected in tip settings and that the provider is supported in your country. Streamlabs’ Stripe FAQ lists its supported countries; an unsupported location may require another available method.
- The provider connection does not complete: Reopen Settings > Donation Settings > Methods, check which provider the account offers, and follow that provider’s authorization flow. If the problem remains, consult the provider and Streamlabs support rather than sharing credentials with viewers.
- The tip page shows the wrong currency or recipient: Pause promotion, review the account’s payment and page settings, then reopen the page as a viewer and verify the displayed details.
- A YouTube Donate button is absent: Check that the channel and nonprofit meet YouTube Giving’s current requirements and that an eligible campaign is active. The cited YouTube FAQ specifies a US-registered 501(c)(3) public charity, but the platform may impose additional requirements.
- Viewers think tips go to the charity: Change the link label and on-screen wording. Use a charity fundraiser’s Donate button when funds should go to the organization directly.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your YouTube channel also needs a pre-recorded video stream to keep running while you are away, StreamNeo is a separate cloud streaming service—not a donation processor. Upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; uploads stream as made up to 4K 60fps at one price per slot, and the service automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month. Start the free day at StreamNeo.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Pay one transparent rate per swipe for Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express.
- Works in conjunction with most downloadable Square point-of-sale apps on your device. Customers can pay, tip and sign directly on your device. Track payments in cash, gift cards and more. Also lets you send receipts via e-mail or text message, makes it easy to apply discounts, keeps a data and sales history log and more.
- Accepts magstripe credit card payments, including those from Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express (fees apply).
- App sends deposits to your bank account within 1 to 2 business days, or enjoy instant deposits (fees apply).
Rank #4
- USB interface, keyboard emulation, no need to install software to read, configuration software for changing settings available.
- Read data from all 3 tracks, high and low coercivity cards, ISO7811, AAMVA, CA DMV and most magnetic card data formats.
- Work on Windows, Mac and other USB capable systems. Work with TXT, notepad, Word, Excel, POS systems and son on.
- Compact size, with 145cm USB cord, two 3mm-diameter screw holes for fixing at the bottom, a LED indicator light
- Perfect for POS, Banking, Loyalty, Access Control, ID verification and other applications.
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