# What is an online tip jar? > An online tip jar is a button or page where fans send small voluntary payments for your work. How tip jars work, what they cost and where to put one. **Tip jar (online)**: An online tip jar is a button or page where people who like your work can send you a small, voluntary payment, one time or monthly, without buying anything in return. An online tip jar is a button or page where people who like your work can send you a small payment, once or every month, without buying anything. ## The short definition A **tip jar** is the online version of the jar on a café counter: a way for people to say thanks with money. Online it is usually a button, often phrased as "Buy me a coffee", that opens a short checkout with a few preset amounts. Tips are voluntary and buy nothing in particular, which is what separates them from a sale. Many tip jars also offer **monthly support** or **memberships**, which turn occasional thanks into recurring income. See [memberships for indie makers](https://makerhandle.com/blog/memberships-for-indie-makers). ## Common tip jar services - **Buy Me a Coffee**: a support page, memberships and a shop; 5% per transaction, per its FAQ. - **Ko-fi**: tips, a shop and commissions; 0% on one-off tips on its free option, per its help center. - **Patreon**: memberships with members-only posts; 10% for creators who published after August 4, 2025. - **GitHub Sponsors**: for open source; no fees on sponsorships from personal accounts. - **Liberapay** and **Open Collective**: recurring donations and shared budgets. Card processing applies on top of all of them. The side-by-side is in [Buy Me a Coffee alternatives](https://makerhandle.com/compare/buy-me-a-coffee-alternatives). ## Where to put one A tip jar works where people already like your work: your link in bio, your project's README, the footer of your newsletter, the end of a video. The usual pattern is to keep it short and specific. "Buy me a server hour" says what the money does better than "Donate". makerhandle's [support button](https://makerhandle.com/features/support) is a tip jar on your link in bio: any unit, four quick amounts and an optional monthly goal. Today it can open your Buy Me a Coffee, Ko-fi, Patreon or GitHub Sponsors page; built-in payments through your own Stripe account are opening to makers in stages. Walkthrough: [how to add a tip button to your link in bio](https://makerhandle.com/blog/add-tip-button-to-link-in-bio). ## Tips and taxes Calling it a tip does not make it a gift. In many countries money you receive for your work, including tips and memberships, counts as income. Who handles sales tax depends on who the seller is, the [merchant of record](https://makerhandle.com/glossary/merchant-of-record): the platform, or you. Check with an accountant where you live; this is not tax advice. ## Sources - [Buy Me a Coffee: FAQ (5% transaction fee, no monthly fee, payouts in 44 countries, export your supporters)](https://buymeacoffee.com/faq) - [Ko-fi help center: Does Ko-fi take a fee?](https://help.ko-fi.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002506494-Does-Ko-fi-take-a-fee) - [Patreon help center: A standard platform fee for new creators, effective after August 4, 2025](https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/36426991446797-A-standard-platform-fee-for-new-creators-effective-after-August-4-2025) - [GitHub Docs: About GitHub Sponsors](https://docs.github.com/en/sponsors/getting-started-with-github-sponsors/about-github-sponsors) ## Questions ### What is a tip jar on a website? A button or page where visitors can send you a small voluntary payment for your work, usually with preset amounts and often an option to give monthly. ### Is a tip jar the same as a donation? Close, but donation usually means a charity or nonprofit. A tip jar supports a person or their work, and is usually taxable income. ### What is the cheapest tip jar? GitHub Sponsors charges no fees on personal sponsorships, Liberapay takes no cut and Ko-fi takes 0% on one-off tips. Card processing still applies. ### Can I add a tip jar to my link in bio? Yes. On makerhandle the support button sits on your page and links to your existing tip jar, on every plan. --- Source: https://makerhandle.com/glossary/tip-jar makerhandle: makerhandle is a link in bio for makers, creators and small businesses: your links and your work, with optional verified revenue.