How to set up donations on Twitch
Updated August 17, 2026
Twitch has no built-in cash donation button; bits are the only native support money, and Twitch keeps roughly 30% of what viewers spend on them. Direct donations run through an external tip page: create one, add it to your Twitch panels and bio with a clear label, and mention it on stream. The whole setup takes about five minutes and needs no OBS configuration.
Bits versus direct donations
| Bits (native) | Direct tips (external page) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | Built into Twitch chat | A link in your panels and bio |
| Platform cut | Twitch keeps roughly 30% of bit purchases | None; only payment processing |
| Follower requirement | Affiliate status | None, works from day one |
| On-screen alerts | Built in | Via your tip page or alert tool |
| A $10 gesture nets you | Around $7 or less | $10 on a page where supporters cover the fee |
Bits are frictionless for viewers who already have them, so keep them on if you are an Affiliate. But for deliberate support, a direct tip page pays you meaningfully more per dollar given, and it is the only option before Affiliate.
Setting up a donation page in five minutes
- Create a tip page: on Ouish, claim a handle and turn on tips. Your page is creator.ouish.co/yourhandle.
- Set three tip presets plus a custom field. $2, $5 and $10 fit most communities.
- In your Twitch channel settings, add a panel titled "Support the stream" that links to the page, with one sentence about what tips fund.
- Put the same link in your bio, since mobile viewers see the bio before panels.
- Send yourself a small test tip so you know exactly what supporters experience.
Do you need Streamlabs or OBS plugins for this?
No. Alert overlays are a nice layer once you stream regularly, but the payment itself is just a link. Plenty of streamers run donations with no overlay at all and thank supporters by voice, which converts fine. If you later want alerts, tools like Streamlabs or StreamElements can sit alongside any tip page; the comparison is in Streamlabs vs StreamElements.
Making the panel actually convert
- Label it plainly. "Support the stream" beats clever names; viewers scan panels fast.
- Name a goal. A concrete target ("new capture card: 60% funded") gives a reason to give today.
- Thank every tip by name. Acknowledgement is what supporters are buying.
- Avoid stacking five payment links. One page, one link, more tips.
A donation page without the plugin maze
Ouish is a tip jar, wishlist and storefront for streamers and creators. Supporters cover the processing fee, tips arrive in 18 currencies, and setup is one link in your panels.
Create your free tip pageFrequently asked questions
How do donations work on Twitch?
Two channels: bits, bought from Twitch (which keeps roughly 30% of the purchase), and direct tips through an external page the streamer links in panels or bio, where only payment processing applies.
Does Twitch take 50% of donations?
Not of direct donations; those bypass Twitch entirely. The 50% figure refers to the standard subscription split. Bits sit around a 30% effective cut of what the viewer spends.
How do I get a donation button on Twitch?
Twitch does not offer a native cash donation button. Create a tip page, then add it as a panel and bio link; that link is your donation button.
Can I take donations before I am a Twitch Affiliate?
Yes. External tip pages have no follower or affiliate requirement, which makes them the only donation route for new channels.