How tipping works: tip menus, goals and what a tip gets you

Why tipping exists

Public cam rooms are free to watch, and performers earn from the viewers who choose to tip. Tipping is voluntary: nobody has to tip to stay in a room, and many viewers never do. For the people who do, a tip is a mix of thank-you, request and participation.

Tips are paid in tokens, the site's own currency. If you have not bought tokens before, read tokens explained first.

The three things a tip can do

In interactive rooms, a tip can also trigger an immediate reaction from a device or a game. That format has its own guide: interactive shows explained.

Tip menus

A tip menu is a list the performer writes, showing what they will do for a given number of tokens. It might include a song request, a question they will answer, a dance or anything else they are happy to offer. The menu is usually in the room description or shown in the chat at intervals.

How to use one well:

• Read it first. It tells you what is on offer and what is not.
• Tip the listed amount. Asking for a discount or for menu items for free is poor form.
• Be patient. A busy performer may deliver menu items in order rather than instantly.
• Stay within the menu. Requests that are not listed are the performer's call; ask politely once and accept the answer.

Goals

A goal is a target for the whole room: when the total of everyone's tips reaches it, the performer does what the goal describes. Goals are shown on screen with a progress counter, and performers often set a new one after each is reached.

Goals are a good way to take part with small tips, because your contribution adds to everyone else's. They are also easy to overspend on, because it is tempting to push the counter over the line yourself. Decide your contribution before the countdown gets exciting.

Tipping without a request

Some of the most appreciated tips are the ones with no strings attached. If you have enjoyed a show, a modest tip before you leave is a straightforward way to say so. It also makes a performer more likely to remember and greet you next time, which regular viewers often value more than any menu item.

Habits that keep tipping enjoyable

1. Set a limit before you enter a room Decide the most you will tip today and stick to it.
2. Convert to real money Think of each tip in your own currency, not in tokens.
3. Prefer planned tips One tip you chose on purpose beats a string of impulse tips.
4. Leave when the limit is reached You can keep watching for free; you do not have to keep tipping.

Our guide to setting a cam budget explains how to choose a sensible limit and keep to it.

Check the amount before you send

Tip boxes are quick to use, which makes mistakes easy: an extra zero, a tip sent to the wrong room, or a second tip because the first seemed not to arrive. Tips are usually final once sent, so take a second to check the amount and the room before you confirm. If a tip does not seem to register, look at your token balance and the chat before trying again. Some sites let you add a confirmation step or set a default amount in your settings; if yours does, it is worth using.

Tipping etiquette

• Tip the amount the menu asks for, not less with a request for the full item.
• Do not use tips to pressure a performer into things they have said no to.
• Keep tip notes friendly. A tip does not buy the right to be rude.
• Remember that other viewers are tipping too; the performer may take a moment to respond.

For the rest of the unwritten rules, see cam room etiquette.

Tipping and privacy

Many rooms show tip notifications with the tipper's username. If you would rather tip quietly, check whether the site offers an anonymous tipping option before you send it. Either way, your username is what others see, which is one more reason to choose one that is not connected to your real identity. Our guide to keeping your cam account private explains how.

Where tipping fits

Tipping is the heart of public shows and the trigger for interactive shows. If you want one-on-one time instead, private shows are priced per minute rather than per tip.