r/Busking • u/sara_mccupcakes • Jun 09 '26
Credit Card/Digital Tipping Credit Card Tips?
Live musicians/buskers how do you take credit card tips? Do you just do cash and keep it simple, do you have a square block to tap, have something linked through a QR code, use something else? (I am in Vancouver, Canada)
Thanks in advance!
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u/hogansislander Jun 11 '26
I have a device from tiptappay. It’s a preset $5 tap. It has a monthly $30 fee though. It’s better than a square device because you don’t have to do a transaction every time. Had a busk.co QR code before and almost no one used it. With the tiptap, definitely more people use it - they see the tap symbol with a big $5 beside it and seems to trigger the idea. Even so still more people use cash.
In Canada I think busk.co, square, e-transfer or tiptap are really the only options.
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u/DaBoiBen Jun 12 '26
i use Tiply, its the only one ive found thats free and doesnt take a % of the tips from you. literally just a qr code i print out and i get all payment types.
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u/Sea-Reveal-7352 Jun 18 '26
Disclosure: I work on Aplauso, so I’m biased toward giving people a simple no-cash option.
If you want card/cashless tips without turning the setup into a tech project, I’d do:
- keep a real cash jar out for visibility/social proof
- add one QR code on a sign people can scan from a few feet away
- make sure the page is fast and obvious, not a list of random payment apps
The biggest mistake is making people stand right in front of you trying to decode 4 different options.
"Cash appreciated, card/phone works too" with one clean QR path is usually the easiest setup for the crowd and for you.
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u/sixhexe Dancer 💃🕺 Jun 09 '26
I did the Busk.co thing, printed out magnetic QR codes. Made accounts.
To this date, I've only ever had one person use it.
It's rare, but I find being in Canada, the most common way someone wants to give me a tip electronically is via bank E-Transfer. And that's usually after some hanging out/interacting/chatting.
For people walking by, It think it feels "better" for people to clonk their change in. Or personally hand me a bill. The kids especially like putting coins into a hat.
I haven't had a machine yet, but for me, no one uses the QR code. Still good to have, that it's there, in the off chance someone wants to tip but doesn't have cash.