Gift subs are a chance for Twitch viewers to give people a subscription to a channel. They come with every typical sub benefit, and the recipient can freely renew them.
But how much do you make off gift subs on Twitch? Can you buy them for your fans? In this blog post, we’ll walk you through this feature and why it matters.
What Are Gift Subs on Twitch?
Twitch gift subs are a way for streamers to reward their viewers. You can give them three to 12 months of premium membership for your channel. Other viewers can also gift them to their friends or to your community at large.
A gift subscription shows your viewers what they can enjoy as a subscriber. They may decide to renew it on their own. Regardless, you’ll still earn the revenue if someone else buys it for them.
Gift subs are available for any Twitch Partner or Affiliate. Likewise, any viewer can buy these for someone else, even if they aren’t already subscribers. Subs come in multiple tiers for one, three, six, or 12 months.
How Much Do You Make Off Gift Subs on Twitch From Other Viewers?
If somebody buys a gift sub for a viewer on your channel, you’ll earn money from it. They have a choice between several “tiers,” each giving different benefits. Each tier also costs more as the number rises.
Tier 1 subs, for example, cost $5.99 per month. Tier 2 costs $9.99, and Tier 3 subscriptions are $24.99. As a streamer, it’s your responsibility to ensure the perks for each are adequate.
Twitch takes half of the subscription amount. Taxes, processing, and conversion fees can leave you with even less. You could earn between $2.99 and $12.49. However, a gift subscriber must keep their subscription so you can see real long-term gains.
Benefits of Twitch Gift Subs for Viewers
There are plenty of benefits that could come with a gift sub. Twitch sets some of these, but you’ll choose the perks for higher subscription tiers. Here are some standard and extra benefits a subscriber can receive alongside their gift:
- Ad-free viewing: Your subs don’t have to deal with ads, no matter how they gained their subscription. They’ll get straight into the action without interruption.
- Extra streams: You could also host streams just for subscribers. These can reward your fans with additional content, possibly letting them pick your next game.
- Exclusive emotes: Subscribers can also access custom emotes. You can find a full gallery of great options online or make them just for your channel.
- No slow chat: If you engage in slow mode, viewers must leave long gaps between their messages. Subscribers can post as many comments as they want.
- Subscriber badges: Your subscribers will earn special badges that they can show off in the stream’s chat. These proudly show that they’re supporting your channel.
- Discord access: You could give your subscribers the link to a private Discord. Here, you can talk to your fans more directly and build a thriving community.
Ultimately, it’s up to you how you reward your subscribers. Your suite of subscription benefits will determine whether they continue paying for more months.
Checking Your Earning Analytics
Your estimated subscription earnings are always visible in your account’s analytics. Here’s how to access this information:
- Click your profile picture in the top right.
- Tap Creator Dashboard.
- On the left-hand menu, click Analytics.
- In the Revenue section, tap Earnings.
You can check your revenue from the past seven days, 30 days, or a specific month. Twitch will show you each income stream. Gifted subs and multi-month gifted subs count separately, letting you estimate income for future months. The data here takes up to 24-36 hours to update.
Generally, gifted multi-month subscriptions are only for the lowest tier. You and your viewers can only gift Tiers 2 and 3 in single-month increments. If a viewer chooses not to renew a gift sub, it expires and stops providing revenue.
How Much Is 100 Subs Gifted on Twitch?
100 first-tier subscriptions cost $499. You could buy these yourself and distribute them among your viewers. Gifting subs to the community randomly assigns them to users who follow/engage with your streams.
You may earn up to $249 if someone else spreads this generosity. Buying subscriptions yourself would mean no revenue, but this can be an investment in your channel. Some viewers may appreciate their favorite streamer’s generosity and keep the subscription active.
When Should You Give Away Twitch Subscriptions?
You might make gifted subs a special reward for your live Twitch viewers. For example, your channel’s 1,000th follower might get an automatic subscription. Alternatively, you might just want to thank viewers who consistently engage. Here are some extra reasons to gift your fans:
- To celebrate your channel’s birthday.
- To commemorate a high view count.
- To encourage participation in giveaways.
- To reward the winner of a party game.
- To thank your moderators for their work.
You can give a sub to any viewer you want for any reason. Members of your community may do so to introduce a friend to your channel. Alternatively, they might just feel generous and want to spread their appreciation.
However, community gifting comes with limits. For example, they aren’t available as multi-month purchases, and they are not even in the lowest tier.
According to Amazon’s stats, 70% of Twitch’s viewers are 18-34. Most of your audience will thus be able to renew their subscription. In fact, they’re in their prime spending years.
How To Buy a Gift Sub on Twitch
You can buy gifts via either Twitch’s chat or the site’s Support Panel. When you’re in the middle of a stream, the former might be more manageable. Here’s how to give someone a gift sub over Twitch chat:
- Click the recipient’s username in the chat.
- Tap Gift a Sub on their Twitch user card.
- Select a tier and the number of months.
- Tick Gift Anonymously to stay hidden.
- Press Gift a Subscription to check out.
If there’s no Gift a Sub option, they’re already subscribers. You can pay for a gifted subscription using the site’s usual methods, including debit cards and PayPal.
To buy community gifts, type “/gift [number]” in the chat. You may buy up to 100 of these subs. If you go this route, however, you can’t be anonymous. You also can’t choose who receives them, but Twitch generally favors active viewers.
Why Haven’t My Gifted Subs Updated in Revenue on Twitch?
Even hours after a new gift sub, you might not notice any uptick in your revenue estimates. You might have to wait up to 36 hours. If nothing comes in after this point, reach out to Twitch’s help team.
Multi-month subs don’t give you all their revenue at once. You must wait for the amount to come in each month. Regardless, contact Twitch if your next payout doesn’t include gifted subs.
Other Ways of Making Money on Twitch
Beyond channel subscriptions, there are many ways to earn extra Twitch income. Even ads can lead to lucrative payouts with enough viewers. If you’re a Partner or Affiliate, you’ll earn up to $5 for every 1,000 views.
Your viewers can also buy “bits” to support you and give their comments extra attention. Each of these bits translates to one cent. The more bits they use, the more dynamic and prominent their comments are.
Brands are also starting to embrace Twitch as part of influencer marketing. Popular streamers in any niche could earn sponsorships. They might even demonstrate a product live to an audience who can’t simply skip ahead.
Gift subs are just one tool in your arsenal for making money as a streamer.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do you get paid for gifted subs on Twitch?
Yes, assuming you didn’t buy them yourself. You’ll earn up to half of any subscription somebody else pays for. If they keep the subscription active, you’ll have a new loyal fan.
How much money is 100k bits on Twitch?
If someone spends 100,000 bits on you, you’ll earn $1,000. Please note that Twitch also takes a cut from this. The user would be paying much more than $1,000 to buy the bits.
Who has the most subs on Twitch?
Kai Cenat has over 720,000 subscribers. Ironmouse takes second place but has less than half of this. Interestingly, Kai Cenat is only the fifth-biggest Twitch streamer in terms of followers.
How does Twitch decide who gets community subs?
When someone buys community subs, Twitch decides on the gift recipients. It prioritizes a stream’s active viewers and mods. Twitch’s algorithm also tries to avoid giving subs to trolls.