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In this guide, we will show you how to set up PayPal Tipping with Streamlabs, including accepting credit card payments and one-click tipping to help improve your conversions, which means more money for you. Also, you can find some frequently asked questions regarding tipping towards the end of this guide.
Jump Ahead:
- PayPal Business Tipping
- PayPal Standard Tipping
- One-Click Tipping via Streamlabs Tip Page
- PayPal Tip Page Integration & FAQs
PayPal Business Tipping
More payment types, such as Credit cards, can be accepted with the PayPal Business option, which requires linking a business account.
Step 1: From the Tipping Settings on your Streamlabs Dashboard, select Connect next to PayPal Business. Click the teal button in PayPal Business and follow the onboarding to link your PayPal business account to Streamlabs.
Step 2: Sign into your PayPal account.
Step 3: If the user doesn't have a business account with PayPal, they will be asked to create it (or to convert a personal account to a business account).
More business info will be asked, such as type of business, SSN, business address, monthly sales, customer support number, etc. Then, at the end, the user will be redirected back to Streamlabs. See the following seven screenshots for this flow.
Step 4: To protect against fraud, please enable the below settings in your PayPal Business account. Log in to PayPal and go to Business Tools > Fraud Tools > Get Started (or use this link). Here, you are able to turn on whatever fraud prevention measures are in your account, but we highly recommend "CVV or CVS Mismatch" and all AVS items.
Step 5: If you are having trouble receiving tips, check your settings to allow tips (see this article).
PayPal Standard Tipping
Setting up with PayPal standard (linking a personal or business account) is replacing our legacy tipping option where users only added a PayPal email address (see FAQ).
If you're setting up PayPal using a personal account, it's important to double-check which information is visible to donors.
Step 1: To connect your personal PayPal account using the PayPal Standard option, head to the Tipping window of your Tipping settings on your Streamlabs Dashboard.
Step 2: Next, select Connect next to PayPal Standard.
Step 3: Log in using the PayPal window and accept the terms.
Step 4: What happens next depends on what email account you use. If you enter a business account even when you're doing Standard integration, the account will still be treated as a Business account, and more business info will be asked (like SSN, business address, etc. See Paypal Business onboarding above).
If you enter a personal account, then this screen will be shown:
If PayPal needs more info about the personal account, it might ask for it (it should not be much).
Once the personal account is connected, permissions will be asked. If you agree, you will be redirected back to Streamlabs.
Step 5: That's it! Your PayPal is connected and ready to accept tips.
One-Click Tipping via Streamlabs Tip Page
From your Tip Page (your URL can be found in the Tip Settings of your Streamlabs Dashboard to the right of your screen), supporters can quickly make a one-time or monthly recurring donation to your stream. Below is everything you need to know.
Login Required for Tippers
To reduce and better help you fight chargebacks, we require all users to log in before tipping. This helps us create global blacklists for bad actors and reduce fraud. We have a dedicated team now working on reducing fraud and fighting chargebacks.
More updates are coming on this soon. If supporters don't have a PayPal account, they also have the option to sign in as a guest but must provide an email and phone number.
PRO Checkout
Some viewers enjoy adding PRO effects and GIFs to donations to make their tips stand out amongst the crowd. Please note the PRO effects fee (billed at $5.99 per month to the donor) shows up as "Partner commission" in your PayPal dashboard.
Streamlabs is not taking a cut of your tip- we are and always will be a 100% free platform. This is the optional PRO effects bought by the viewer. You can remove the PRO option from your tip page by navigating to Tipping > Tip Page Settings on your dashboard.
Protecting Your Identity
Many banks and card providers have different requirements when it comes to the information they request about a merchant's (in this case, streamer's) account. This applies to all payment processors, including PayPal, that process transactions for the sender.
To avoid having your personal address appear on a viewer's bank statement, we recommend using a PO box or business address when setting up your account.
PayPal Tip Page Integration & FAQs
Streamlabs and PayPal are partnering to give Streamlabs users the latest in payment and security. Streamlabs offers two ways to connect your PayPal, Standard and Business.
We know you may have some questions regarding tipping with Streamlabs. Below are some frequently asked questions to help you out.
Who can donate to my channel?
Anyone with a PayPal account or accepted credit or debit card can donate to your stream.
When I receive a tip/donation, where does the money go?
When a tip is made to a streamer, the money is processed directly through PayPal from the donor to the creator. The funds are never held by Streamlabs. If you have any issues receiving funds or chargebacks, you should contact PayPal directly with the transaction ID(s) if possible.
How long will it take to receive my tip/donation?
All donations go through your PayPal account, so they will show up instantly on your PayPal account (check your recent activity). If you do not see your tip, it is because PayPal sometimes requires the owner to accept the donation manually inside of PayPal. You can use this guide to force PayPal to auto-accept tips/donations.
Why are my donors receiving an error when they try to donate?
There are some countries that are unable to receive money or payments through PayPal. If there is an error, both the sender and the recipient should check with PayPal or their bank. If the streamer has other donation methods enabled, you can also attempt to donate using an alternate payment option. Check here for a list of countries currently supported by PayPal.
My PayPal email was changed, but I did not change it. What should I do?
If someone has changed your PayPal email on your Streamlabs account, they have either logged in using your Twitch/YouTube/Mixer/Facebook account or have administrator access to your account.
You should check under shared access to see if you have allowed administrator access to anyone. If you believe your account has been compromised, this means that someone has gained access to your platform account (Twitch/YouTube/Mixer/Facebook).
To correct this, you should:
1. Log in and link the correct PayPal email to your Streamlabs account in the donation settings.
2. Change your Twitch/YouTube/Mixer/Facebook password and enable two-factor authentication (if available).
3. Contact PayPal as soon as possible, as we cannot make any changes to the donations that were sent to the incorrect PayPal account. Streamlabs does not have access to your PayPal account as a third-party developer.
Why did my personal address appear on a viewer's bank statement?
Many banks and card providers have different requirements when it comes to the information they request about a merchant's (in this case, streamer's) account. This applies to all payment processors, including PayPal, that process transactions for the sender.
To correct this, we recommend using a PO box or business address when setting up your account.
As always, we'd love to hear your feedback. We're always looking to improve our service, and your constant feedback keeps us motivated. Connect with us on X or submit a ticket with your feedback.