How to Get One-off Payments in Substack
Tip Jars and Buy-me-a-Coffee options for Substack Authors
If you want to start a paid month-by-month subscription service, Substack makes it easy.
But if your readers are commitment-phobes, who don’t want to sign up for an on-going subscription, then a one-off payment option is a great idea. With a one-off payment you can get some dollars into your pocket without begging for sign-ups.
What are tip jars and coffee donations?
A tip jar is just a fancy way of saying “a place you can drop a few dollars to say thanks for being awesome”
A buy-me-a-coffee tool is just like a tip jar, it’s a way to ask for one-off payments and donations.
Tip jars and buy-me-coffee tools are different to Patreon. Patreon does not support one-off payments. Patreon demands that donors commit to paying a monthly amount, it can’t be used to collect tips or single payments.
Tools for one-off payments*
PayPal
PayPal is probably the easiest way to set up a tip jar. It also provides a beautifully frictionless way for people to pay. With PayPal, your fans can pay with their PayPal account AND — for those who don’t have a PayPal account — they can pay with a…