Does Ko-fi take bitcoin?
Rosa draws commissions and sells brushes on Ko-fi. A fan on Nostr zaps her posts most days and asks why her Ko-fi page won't take sats. Rosa goes looking for a setting and doesn't find one.
The short answer: no
Ko-fi pays creators through their own PayPal or Stripe account, and fans pay with whatever those take: cards, PayPal and the wallets Stripe supports. There's no bitcoin or Lightning option in Ko-fi's help pages, as we read them on 26 October 2026.
Ko-fi's pricing is friendly for tips: no Ko-fi fee on one-off tips, and 5% on memberships, shop sales, commissions and monthly tips unless you pay for Ko-fi Gold. PayPal or Stripe take their own processing fee either way.
Put a bitcoin link beside it
You don't have to choose. Keep Ko-fi for the shop and commissions, and give the fans who hold bitcoin one link of their own.
With Bitcoin Tip Jar that link looks like bitcointipjar.com/rosa. A fan who opens it sees your name, a few amounts you choose with their value in their own money, and a box for their name. They tap an amount and pay from their wallet: on a phone the wallet opens with the amount filled in, and on a laptop the page shows a QR code for exactly that amount. The sats go straight to your own wallet, and we take no cut. If your wallet confirms payments, the page says Paid ✓ as the tip lands and your tip list shows the fan's name.
Where to put it:
- On your Ko-fi page itself. Put a line in your About text: "Prefer bitcoin? Tip in sats at bitcointipjar.com/rosa."
- In your Nostr profile and bio links, next to your Lightning address. Zaps come from Nostr apps; the tip page is for everyone else, including fans who don't use Nostr.
- On your stall table at a con. Print the poster the jar comes with; its QR opens the same page.
How it compares
| What | Ko-fi | Bitcoin Tip Jar |
|---|---|---|
| Fan pays with | Card, PayPal, Stripe's wallets | Any Lightning wallet, or a card if you connect Stripe |
| Fee on a one-off tip | None from Ko-fi; PayPal or Stripe take theirs | No cut of bitcoin tips; Stripe's fee on card tips |
| Shop, commissions, memberships | Yes | No |
| Money goes to | Your PayPal or Stripe account | Your own Lightning wallet |
| Fan's name | Yes, with a message | A name box, if your wallet takes notes |
Read on 26 October 2026 from each product's own pages.
Setting it up
- Get a Lightning address if you don't have one: how to get a Lightning address. If you want Paid ✓ and names, pick a wallet from the wallet table.
- Make your tip page and claim a short link: how to make a bitcoin tip jar.
- Add the link to Ko-fi, your bio and your stall.
Comparing other platforms too? We've covered Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee.
Sources: Ko-fi's Does Ko-fi take a fee?, How do I get paid? and Supporter payments FAQ, read on 26 October 2026. Fees and features are theirs to change.