OpenTipJar Guides · Getting started
Tip page vs donation page vs payment page
Tips, donations, and payments can share the same checkout flow but mean different things to supporters and your records. Choose the framing that matches how people use your page.
The short answer
The checkout can look similar, but the words matter. Tips express gratitude for service. Donations support a cause. Payments settle a specific charge for goods or services.
Tips
Best for hospitality, personal services, and creators receiving spontaneous support. Copy emphasizes thanks, not a tax receipt or product delivery.
Donations
Common for nonprofits, teams, and community fundraisers. Copy explains what donations help fund without implying a purchase.
Payments
Used when you are collecting a defined amount for something sold — often with stricter account requirements because it behaves like commerce, not gratuity.
Common misconceptions
Tips, donations, and payments are framing choices on the same kind of checkout — not three separate products.
Calling something a donation on your page does not automatically make it tax-deductible for the payer.
Published by OpenTipJar — practical guides for anyone accepting cashless tips.
Try it yourself
Create a free tip page, download a QR code, and share it anywhere guests already pause — counter, room, or link in bio.