How to Claim your Bits on Twitch

Jamie Read more April 14, 2021

Bits are one of the Twitch currencies that streamers use to make money from the platform. Usually donated by viewers in various amounts, these Bits accrue until you have enough to withdraw, and then they get transferred to your bank account. If you want to know how to claim your Bits on Twitch, you’re in the right place!

Twitch has been around a while now and is currently at the height of its popularity. The ease of use, simplicity in setting up a stream, and the sheer variety of content have ensured Twitch’s continued success. The ability for streamers to make a little cash while they are streaming doesn’t hurt either.

There are multiple ways to earn money on Twitch, direct donations, sponsorship, affiliates, merchandise, and all kinds of stuff. As a beginner streamer, it will be Bits that make up much of your earnings. You can also add “PayPal.me” links to your streams for direct payments. Regardless, Twitch Bits are still king.

What are Twitch Bits?

Twitch Bits are a currency donated to streamers by viewers to thank them for their work. It’s a donation system that is purely down to your generosity. Streamers are not allowed to beg or ask directly for donations. Instead, they have to deliver consistently good content that makes you want to cheer them.

Viewers buy Bits using Amazon Payments or PayPal. Once registered with Twitch, you can add either option as a payment method and then purchase your Bits. Bits are available in 100, 500, 1000, 1500, 5000, 10000, and 25000 amounts. Each bit package corresponds to a cash amount that varies slightly, depending on exchange rates.

Buying Bits is simple.

Log in to Twitch and go to any channel.
Select Get Bits in the top right of the stream.
Select the number of Bits you want to buy and choose a payment method.
Pay the given amount and wait a few seconds for your inventory to get updated.
The number of Bits you bought should appear.

Cheering with Bits on Twitch

Once you have Bits in your Twitch account, what do you do with them? You Cheer streamers to thank them for their work. While you buy in blocks, you don’t have to Cheer in identical amounts. If you’re unsure what to Cheer, watch a stream for a while to determine the averaged Cheer amount, then go from there.

To Cheer, type ‘cheer200 keep up the good work’ or something similar. The ‘cheer200’ part is the number of Bits you’re donating, and it is required. In the above example, the donation amount is 200 Bits. The rest of the message is entirely up to you and purely optional.

Just remember to check the amount before pressing Send. All donations are irreversible, so if you accidentally put ‘cheer2000’ instead of ‘cheer200,’ you’ll send quite a tip to the streamer!

Claiming your Bits on Twitch

Getting paid from Twitch is not as simple as it should be. Rather than just withdrawing money as you make it, Twitch has a convoluted system that keeps your money for 15 days before paying it out. It used to be 60 days, so some things have improved, but it is still more complicated than it should be.

You don’t ‘claim’ your Bits in Twitch; they get collected and paid out regularly for you. Twitch Affiliate, as one type of earning option gets called, requires $100 in earnings before the user receives a payout. When you don’t make that much in the earlier days of your Twitch Affiliate account, your monthly payments get rolled over (month to month) until you hit $100. Then, 15 days after that point, you get paid.

The system is called Net-15 and succeeds Net-45, which took 45 days to pay you, which replaced the original 60-day payment term. Twitch’s payment system is getting better, but when banks and other payment systems can perform immediate payments, it is still prolonged.

Twitch supports payments via bank transfer, PayPal, wire transfer, eCheck, and check. Exact payment methods depend on where you live. There is also a payment cost, and it isn’t cheap. Twitch guides on fees and payments provide more information if interested.

In closing, Twitch Bits are a great way for viewers to support their favorite streamers and an excellent inducement for streamers to maintain quality and consistency. It’s a feedback loop that actually works. Alongside other ways to earn on the platform, Bits add a little extra spending money to your life with minimal effort, especially if you play games anyways!