YouTube is expanding its Super Thank You feature to all eligible creators in the YouTube Partner Program, the company announced Tuesday. The feature allows viewers to tip creators for individually uploaded videos. The company says that millions of creators in 68 countries will now have access to the monetization feature. Before this expansion, the feature was available to a random number of creators. Eligible creators can now enable Super Thanks through YouTube Studio.
The feature allows viewers who want to show extra appreciation for a video to pay creators with one of four preset amounts, ranging from $2 to $50. Viewers can now customize their SuperThanks comment as well. Previously, if you sent a Super Thank You, the default message given to the creator was “Thank you!” YouTube says that the option to personalize your message will lead to more meaningful interactions between creators and their fans.
Once you send a Super Thank You, you’ll see an animated GIF directly on the channel video and be able to post a comment highlighting your purchase, which creators have the option to like.
“Every day YouTube creators help me learn or achieve something new, from baking sourdough during the pandemic to fixing my bike last week,” said Samantha Stevens, product manager for Paid Digital Goods at YouTube, in a statement. release. “Imagine if you could give special thanks to your favorite creators or show appreciation for specific videos that have taught you something new or helped you. With Super Thanks, now you can.”
Super Thanks is one of YouTube’s cool digital payment features, which is what the platform calls any product that allows fans to pay creators directly. YouTube also has a Super Chat monetization feature, which is a way for creators to earn money from their live streams. There is also a Super Stickers feature aimed at fans who want to show their support and connect with their favorite creators.
YouTube’s previous tools for direct payments to creators were largely seen as a way to catch up with Twitch’s monetization features, but the company was able to differentiate itself from Twitch with the launch of Super Thanks. The feature goes beyond sending payments during live streams and instead allows viewers to support creators of specific uploaded videos.
Even Instagram, which allows users to send payments to creators during live streams through its Badges feature, doesn’t offer a way to send a one-time payment for posts or reels. Interestingly, Tumblr has a monetization feature that allows users to send a one-time payment for posts on the platform.
YouTube says it’s “always looking for new ways for creators to diversify their revenue streams,” indicating that we may see more monetization tools in the future.