Summary
- YouTube introduced Super Chat as a way for viewers to stand out during live streams, with longer-lasting comments for higher payments. It has now been streamlined and made easy to use, along with Super Stickers and Super Thanks.
- To send a Super Chat, navigate to the chat during a live stream and click on the dollar-sign icon. For a Super Sticker, select a sticker pack. Users have a $500 limit on purchases per day or $2,000 per week.
- Creators receive 70% of revenue from Super Chat purchases, with deductions for taxes and app store fees. Super Chats and Super Stickers can be removed, but refunds require contacting YouTube support.
Ever wanted to tip a YouTube streamer through Super Chat but didn't know how? YouTube has been experimenting with live-streaming since 2008. Live-streaming boomed in popularity a few years later thanks to Twitch, a stream-only platform that capitalized on the success of YouTube live plays, allowing an audience to follow along with the player as they played. YouTube, seeing competition from Twitch, tried to adapt to the new streaming culture. It overhauled the live-streaming ability and promoted it by incentivizing channels to use the feature.
In 2017, YouTube introduced Super Chat, a tool that lets audience members stand out from the mass of comments scrolling by at lightning speed. A Super Chat message highlights the comment and keeps it on screen for longer. The more you pay, the longer your comment stays up. Today, the Super Chat is much more streamlined, and easy to use. In addition to Super Chat, users can also buy Super Stickers and Super Thanks.
How to Send A Tip With YouTube Super Chat
To begin, you’ll need to find someone live-streaming. This can be done by simply following your favorite channels and waiting for them to go live. If you want to browse all the live channels at any given moment, you can go straight to youtube.com/live. You can send a Super Chat through any internet browser on a laptop, PC, or a Mac. You can also use the YouTube app on Android or iPhone.
Once you’re in a stream, navigate to the chat, and you should see a dollar-sign in a box to the left of the text box. That will give you the option of sending a Super Sticker or a Super Chat. To buy a Super Thanks, select 'Super Thanks' under the video. Once you click on Super Chat, you’ll have the opportunity to write whatever you please in the text box, starting at up to 50 characters including emojis. According to YouTube, purchases less than $5 won't show in the chat ticker, so users will need to make a minimum $5 payment for the Super Chat to be visible. To buy a Super Sticker, find a sticker pack and then choose a sticker.
Users have a $500 limit on purchases per day, or $2,000 per week. These include purchases of Super Chats, Super Stickers, Super Thanks, or all three combined. Once the amount is selected and the message typed, tap 'Buy and Send' to make it public. Depending on your settings, you might have to confirm your banking details with Google.
Once the chat or sticker has been purchased, a countdown timer will appear on the screen showing how long the item will be pinned at the top of the chat. It's worth mentioning that a creator may choose to end the live-stream before the Super Chat or Super Sticker expires, and YouTube doesn't provide any refunds for this. It's also important to note that these purchases can't be transferred between videos.
Remove A Super Chat Or Super Sticker
Any chat messages in a YouTube Live can be removed by the creator or YouTube at any time, and this includes Super Chat or Super Stickers. Users, however, have control over the visibility of Super Chat and Super Stickers they have sent. You can remove either by tapping the three dots next to them and selecting 'Remove.'
It's worth noting that if a Super Chat or Super Sticker is removed by a user, it will not generate refund, and will only remove its visibility from the chat. If you want a refund for either purchase, you will need to contact YouTube support to find out if you are eligible.
Where Does Super Chat Money Go?
YouTube’s Super Chat is a good way to show appreciation to your favorite creators and an even better way to interact with them. Most streamers take the time to thank the paid comments, while some even respond to the message. However, for fans who are willing to pay for items like Super Chat, Super Stickers, and Super Thanks, it's important to know exactly where that money is going.
According to YouTube, creators receive 70 percent of revenue from Super purchases. The deductions include local sales tax, and Play Store and App Store fees. All transaction costs and credit card fees are currently paid for by YouTube. The 70 percent revenue share means that if a user were to pay $10 for a Super Chat, the creator would only earn $7. It's worth keeping this number in mind while making purchases, since higher payments will result in even more revenue going to YouTube instead of the creator.
Source: YouTube