> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.payreque.st/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Coffee Tips

> Turn Donation Mode into a 'Buy Me a Coffee'-style tip jar with a drinks menu, donor messages, GIFs, and automatic X (Twitter) profile pictures.

# Coffee Tips

Coffee Tips is a friendlier flavor of [Donation Mode](/shop-and-checkout/donation-mode) built for creators, streamers, open-source maintainers, and anyone who wants small, casual support instead of a formal "donate" ask. Instead of typing a random amount, supporters pick a drink from a menu — an Espresso, a Latte, a Cappuccino — and it shows up in a public feed as **"Alex bought a Cappuccino"**.

<Info>
  Coffee Tips is a style switch inside Donation Mode, not a separate product or page type. Everything from your [PayRequest Page](/shop-and-checkout/sales-page-styling) — your avatar, tagline, and accent color — stays exactly as it is; only the tipping experience changes.
</Info>

## Overview

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="A Real Drinks Menu" icon="mug-hot">
    Pick from 8 ready-made drinks (Espresso, Americano, Cappuccino, Latte, Mocha, Iced Coffee, Hot Chocolate, and plain Coffee), each with its own fixed price and a hand-drawn cup icon.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Donor Messages & GIFs" icon="comment-heart">
    Supporters can leave a short thank-you note and pick a GIF to go with it, straight from a built-in GIF search.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Automatic X Profile Pictures" icon="at">
    If a supporter shares their X (Twitter) link, their real name, profile photo, and verified badge appear automatically — no upload needed.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Privacy by Default-On" icon="eye">
    Supporters can choose to stay anonymous, but by default their message, GIF, and social link are shown publicly — most people want the shoutout.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## How It Works

<Steps>
  <Step title="Switch to Donation mode">
    Open **PayRequest Page** from the dashboard, scroll to **What to show on your page**, and click the **Donation goal** tab.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the Coffee style">
    Under **Donation style**, switch from **Generic** to **Coffee Tips**. Your goal card, progress bar, and donor feed all switch to the coffee-themed wording ("Recent coffees", "Be the first to buy a coffee!").
  </Step>

  <Step title="Build your drinks menu">
    A **Coffee** entry is added by default. Add or remove drinks from the fixed catalog — each card shows its name, price, and cup icon. There's no free-text pricing; every drink's price is set by PayRequest so the menu stays simple and consistent for supporters.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name your goal (optional)">
    Give the goal a title like "Help keep the servers running" or "Coffee fund for late-night updates" — it appears above the progress bar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set your goal amount and reset period">
    Same as regular Donation Mode: pick a target amount and choose **Monthly** (auto-resets on the 1st) or **One-time**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save and share">
    Your page at `payrequest.me/<your-handle>` now shows the drinks menu instead of a plain amount field.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What Supporters See

Instead of typing an amount, visitors pick a drink card from the menu — each shows its own cup icon, name, and price. After picking a drink and paying, they can optionally:

* **Leave a message** — a short note (up to 500 characters), shown under their name in the feed
* **Add a GIF** — searched right from the checkout page, no external links needed
* **Share a social link** — X (Twitter), Instagram, GitHub, YouTube, Twitch, and more (see below)
* **Choose visibility** — a checkbox, checked by default, for showing their message/GIF/social link publicly. Unchecking it keeps their name, drink, and amount in the feed but hides the message, GIF, and link.

## The X (Twitter) Integration

This is the feature that makes the feed feel alive: when a supporter pastes their X profile link (`x.com/yourname` or `twitter.com/yourname` — with or without `https://`), PayRequest looks them up and automatically shows:

* Their **real profile photo**, pulled live from X — no need to upload anything
* Their **display name**, auto-filled into the name field if they hadn't typed one
* A **blue verified checkmark** next to their name in the feed, if their account is verified

Supporters don't need an X account to tip — the social link is entirely optional. It's simply a shortcut so regulars and fans get recognized properly in the feed instead of showing up as a plain "Anonymous" or a typed name.

<Tip>
  The same auto-avatar trick works for other platforms too — Instagram, TikTok, GitHub, YouTube, Twitch, Discord, Telegram, Reddit, and a dozen more. X is the only one that also pulls the display name and verified badge; the others show the profile picture only.
</Tip>

## The Coffee Feed

Each paid tip shows up as one card in the feed:

```
[avatar]  Alex ✓                              5m ago
          bought ☕ Cappuccino                 €3.50
          "Keep the good work coming!"
          [ GIF ]
```

* **Avatar** — the supporter's X profile photo (if shared), or a generated placeholder
* **Name + verified badge** — clickable through to their profile if a social link was shared
* **Drink badge** — the exact drink they bought, with its cup icon
* **Amount** — the drink's fixed price
* **Message and GIF** — shown only if the supporter left one and kept visibility on. Click any GIF to see it full-size.

Anonymous or privacy-toggled tips still show the drink and amount — only the message, GIF, and social link are hidden, keeping the feed honest without exposing anyone who wants to stay private.

## Best Practices

<Tip>
  **Keep the menu short.** 3–5 drinks is plenty — Coffee, Cappuccino, and one "big tip" option like a Mocha or Hot Chocolate covers most budgets without overwhelming the choice.
</Tip>

<Tip>
  **Ask supporters to share their X link.** A feed full of real faces and names feels far more like a community than a list of "Anonymous — €3.50" rows. Mention it in your page tagline or stream/community rules.
</Tip>

<Tip>
  **Reply to messages publicly.** Since messages and GIFs default to public, screenshotting a favorite one and thanking the supporter (on stream, in a newsletter, in Discord) encourages the next person to leave one too.
</Tip>

<Tip>
  **Pair it with a monthly goal.** "X coffees to cover this month's hosting" is a concrete, relatable ask that resets automatically — no manual bookkeeping needed.
</Tip>

## Frequently Asked Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I set my own drink names and prices?">
    Not yet — drinks come from a fixed catalog (name, price, and cup icon are pre-set) so the menu stays simple and consistent for supporters. You choose which of the 8 drinks to offer, not their price.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do supporters need an X account to tip?">
    No. The social link is entirely optional. Without one, supporters just type a name (or leave it blank for Anonymous) and their message/GIF still appear normally, just without a profile photo or verified badge.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens if I turn off the donor feed?">
    Tips still work exactly the same — supporters still pick a drink, leave a message, and pay. The feed (and the coffee-bought badges) simply won't be shown publicly on your page.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can a supporter hide their message but still appear in the feed?">
    Yes. Unchecking the visibility option keeps their name, drink, and amount in the feed but hides the message, GIF, and social link — a middle ground between fully public and fully anonymous.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I switch from Coffee style back to a plain donation ask?">
    Yes, at any time from the same **Donation style** toggle. Your goal amount, reset period, and past tips all stay exactly as they are — only the wording and drinks menu change.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Which social platforms show an avatar automatically?">
    X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, GitHub, YouTube, Twitch, Discord, Telegram, Snapchat, Spotify, WhatsApp, Facebook, Reddit, SoundCloud, Substack, and Pinterest. X is the only one that also shows the real display name and verified badge.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Donation Mode" icon="heart" href="/shop-and-checkout/donation-mode">
    The base fundraising goal, progress bar, and donor feed that Coffee Tips builds on.
  </Card>

  <Card title="PayRequest Page Styling" icon="palette" href="/shop-and-checkout/sales-page-styling">
    Brand your coffee page with an avatar, tagline, and accent color.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Celebration GIF" icon="face-laugh-beam" href="/shop-and-checkout/celebration-gif">
    See how PayRequest's built-in GIF search works elsewhere in the checkout flow.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Custom Domains" icon="globe" href="/shop-and-checkout/custom-domains">
    Use your own domain for your coffee/tip page instead of payrequest.me.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>