Buy Me a Coffee: A Monetization Guide for Creators

What is Buy Me a Coffee?

Buy Me a Coffee is a straightforward and user-friendly platform for collecting donations, managing subscriptions, and selling digital products.

It's an ideal tool for bloggers, podcasters, artists, musicians, and other content creators.

In this article, we will explore in detail all the steps involved in utilizing "Buy Me a Coffee" with specific examples.

We will conclude with a comparison to alternative platforms such as Patreon and Gumroad, helping you select the most suitable option for your needs.

How Does Buy Me a Coffee Work?

For creators, the process involves:

1. Creating and customizing your account.
2. Choosing your monetization method: donations, subscriptions, or digital products.
3. Optionally adding content to your account.
4. Promoting your page.

Here's an example of what a "Buy Me a Coffee" page looks like.

How to Monetize Your Page on Buy Me a Coffee?

You have three options:

1. Support: One-time donations through the purchase of a virtual "coffee." The donation amount is chosen by the donor.
2. Memberships: The ability to create various subscription packages with exclusive content for a monthly fee.
3. Shop: Selling digital goods and services. For instance, you could sell eBooks, courses, and consultations.

What are the Fees for Buy Me a Coffee?

"Buy Me a Coffee" charges a commission of only 5%.

For comparison, Patreon's fees range from 8% to 12%, and Gumroad's are 10%.

How to Create an Account on Buy Me a Coffee?

To create an account:

1. Visit Buy Me a Coffee.
2. Click on the "Start my page" button.
3. Choose the address for your future page.

Upload a photo.

Write a brief description about yourself and your work.

Select how you plan to use "Buy Me a Coffee".

In the future, you can use all features even if you don't add anything at this step.

Choose your country to set up the payment method.

If your country is not listed, click "Skip this step".

For example, I couldn't find Ukraine in the list when I registered on "Buy Me a Coffee", but after registration, Ukraine was available in the payment settings.

That's it!

Your account is created.

Now let's move on to the settings.

How to Enable Monetization?

To start earning, you need to set up monetization tools.

How to Collect Donations?

After creating your account, the donation collection feature is automatically enabled on your page.

Users choose how much they want to donate by deciding how many "coffees" they want to give you.

By default, the cost of one "coffee" is $5.

You can change the default price in the "Supporters → Settings section".

In the "Settings" section, you can set a donation goal.

Having a goal can motivate more donations.

You can also customize the look of the donation button by replacing "coffee" with something else.

For this, go to your page and click "Edit page".

For example, I chose a book.

This is what the donation process looks like.

Users can easily and quickly pay through Apple Pay, Google Pay, or credit card.

When someone makes a donation, you'll receive an email notification.

In the "Supporters" section, you can see a list of all donations and send a thank you message.

You can also issue a refund there.

How to Earn from Subscriptions?

We can create several subscription levels, each offering different bonuses.

Go to the "Memberships" section, enable subscriptions, and create your first level.

You need to decide on:

1. The level's name.
2. The monthly cost.
3. The bonuses that the subscriber will receive.

What Bonuses to Offer?

If you already have an audience, ask them what they would like to receive.

Here are some bonus recommendations from "Buy Me a Coffee".

Once you enable subscriptions, they will appear in your profile.

We can send newsletters to subscribers of a specific level, sharing updates and delivering promised bonuses.

I advise making one of the levels significantly more expensive, even if it doesn't include additional bonuses.

Give your audience a choice in how they can support you.

How to Sell Products and Services?

Moving on to the last monetization tool on "Buy Me a Coffee" – selling goods and services.

To create a product, go to the "Shop" and select the appropriate category.

Come up with a name, detailed description, upload an image, and set a price.

If you're selling a digital product, upload the file.

After adding, your product will appear in your profile, in the "Extra" section.

If you're selling a service and need to contact the buyer after purchase, you can find all your orders in the "Shop → Orders" section.

After setting up donations, subscriptions, and products, your profile is almost ready.

The only thing left is to figure out how to make posts.

How to Make Posts?

Go to your page and click "Create".

You can post a text note, image, or audio.

When posting, you can set who will see this post:

1. Public: the post will be available to everyone.
2. Supporters only: the post will be available to donors and subscribers.
3. Members only: the post will be available only to subscribers.

This way, you can make different posts for subscribers at different levels.

Also, in this section, you can send an email newsletter to everyone who has sent you donations.

Let's summarize!

1. We created and customized the page.
2. Enabled necessary monetization tools.
3. Made several posts to make the page look alive.

Great, our work is done.

Close all tabs, sit back, and wait for the donations to fly in.

‍

(Oh, did we forget something?)

‍

The truth is, no one will find our page just like that.

We need to bring people in.

Let's figure out how to do this.

How to Find Subscribers?

On "Buy Me a Coffee", there's a directory of creators.

I recommend finding creators in your field and analyzing:

1. What content they publish and how often.
2. What subscriptions and bonuses they offer.
3. How they interact with their audience.

This will help find new ideas for your page.

Potential subscribers can also find you through the directory.

But don't rely on it as the main way to attract an audience.

What other options are there?

What to Do If You Have Your Own Audience?

It's simple.

Tell in your blog about launching your page on "Buy Me a Coffee".

How to do it?

1. Place a link to "Buy Me a Coffee" in your blog.
2. Make a QR code. For example, you can insert a QR code in your video, and while viewers watch the video, they can use their phones to visit your page via the code.
3. Add a button or widget to your site.

Example of a button.

Buttons and QR codes are configured in the «Buttons & Graphics section».

Now, let's move on to the more challenging scenario.

What to Do If You Don't Have Your Own Audience?

If you don't have an audience, it's time to start looking for one.

As motivational TikToks say - "One day or day one!".

Here are some ideas:

1. Start a blog where it will be seen: Post your content on popular sites like YouTube, TikTok, or Medium. There's a large audience there, and people are always looking for something new. Thanks to the recommendation system, even beginners get views. Don't forget to link to your "Buy Me a Coffee" page.
2. Collaborate with other creators: Offer partnerships to creators who make similar content. This can help you attract new subscribers and expand your community.
3. Engage in online communities: Participate in discussions on forums like Reddit or Quora. This way, you can draw attention to your work.
4. Write guest articles: Consider writing articles for other sites or participating in podcasts related to your niche.
5. Optimize your site: If you have your own blog, make sure it's well optimized for search engines. This will help attract more users.

Finding your audience takes a lot of time and work.

Unfortunately, there are no secret tricks or easy paths.

People support those who entertain, educate, or inspire them.

Or better yet, all of the above.

How to Grow Your Community?

Recommendations:

1. Personalize your page: Make your "Buy Me a Coffee" page a reflection of your personality. Use creative calls to donate, add humor, and don't be afraid to show your true self.
2. Interact with your audience: Communicate with your subscribers, discuss ideas and new projects. Engaging subscribers in your creative process increases their desire to support you.
3. Transparency and updates: Share how the funds from donations are used, whether for new equipment or new projects. Openness builds trust.
4. Goals on the page: Set and share specific goals, such as reaching a certain number of subscribers or funding a specific project, to motivate the audience to work together.
5. Seasonal promotions: Use holidays and special events to create time-limited and exclusive offers, increasing urgency and stimulating donations.
6. Feedback: Regularly inquire about your audience's preferences and desired content, making subscribers co-creators of your work.
7. Gratitude: Never forget to express appreciation to each supporter, whether through personal messages or special thanks in your content.

Applying these recommendations will help strengthen your connection with the audience and maximize your revenue.

We've covered:

1. How to create and set up a page?
2. How to enable donations and subscriptions?
3. How to find your audience?

What's next?

Create quality content for platforms where your traffic comes from and regularly publish updates on "Buy Me a Coffee".

Eventually, you'll start receiving those long-awaited notifications about new donations!

Over time, little by little, the process will gain momentum.

Now let's talk about how to withdraw the money you've earned from "Buy Me a Coffee".

How to Withdraw Money?

After you've earned your first $10, moderators will review your account.

Make sure your profile is well-designed and includes links to your social media.

To withdraw your earned money, you need to connect a payment system to "Buy Me a Coffee".

Go to "Payout → Withdraw" and select your country.

Depending on your country, you will have access to:

1. Payoneer.
2. Wise.
3. PayPal or Stripe.

If your country is not listed, you can choose the USA.

Using Payoneer, you can obtain US bank details and withdraw to them.

Payoneer

Payoneer is the most popular way to withdraw money from websites.

You can create an account for free, withdraw money from "Buy Me a Coffee" to Payoneer, and from Payoneer to your local bank account or use a Payoneer bank card.

I have a detailed article on how to create a Payoneer account.

Wise

Wise is a service for international payments.

It's usually used for personal transfers between countries.

The fees for Wise and Payoneer differ slightly, but Wise has a delay of 5-10 days until the money reaches your account.

More about how Wise works.

PayPal or Stripe

If you live in a country where PayPal or Stripe operate, you can also choose them to withdraw money from "Buy Me a Coffee".

Unfortunately, PayPal does not support business accounts in Ukraine, and creating a Stripe account is also not possible.

Choose the payment system that is familiar and convenient for you.

I use Payoneer, and I like that I can connect Payoneer to various sites and withdraw with a small commission.

What are the Alternatives to Buy Me a Coffee?

The two main alternatives to "Buy Me a Coffee" are Patreon and Gumroad.

Patreon vs Buy Me a Coffee

Patreon is a popular platform for monetizing your community through subscriptions.

Pros of Patreon:

1. Larger audience: if your audience is already subscribed to someone on Patreon, it might be more convenient for them to have your account there too, instead of subscribing to you separately on "Buy Me a Coffee".

Cons of Patreon:

1. Higher commission, from 8% to 12%.
2. No option to collect one-time donations.

I have an article about earning through subscriptions on Patreon.

Gumroad vs Buy Me a Coffee

Gumroad is primarily aimed at selling digital products.

Pros of Gumroad:

1. It has its own marketplace where your products can be found.
2. More features: automation of newsletters, affiliate program.

Cons of Gumroad:

1. 10% commission.
2. Need a business PayPal or Stripe account to withdraw money.

More about selling on Gumroad.

How to choose?

"Buy Me a Coffee" is a simple and straightforward service, with low commission and plenty of features.

Over time, all mentioned services have become similar in functionality.

For instance, Gumroad added the ability to create subscription tiers, while Patreon introduced the option to sell digital products.

Review the platforms and choose the one that suits you and your subscribers best.

If you already have an audience, ask them which platform they would prefer to support you on.

Wishing you success and lots of coffee!