Following on from a thread a couple of days ago about financial support for SF, I thought it might be helpful to start a separate post.
As you know, SF is entirely free to use and unlike most social media platforms we don’t sell your data, manipulate the algorithm, bombard you with adverts or sneak in sponsored posts!
This has a cost. Not only is there hosting and development but there’s also a cost in terms of my time.
We have tens of thousands of members and hundreds of thousands of readers. Some of you are kind enough to periodically send donations but you are in a (very small) minority.
Hence I have decided to ask nicely and politely, if everyone who appreciates the intrinsic value of the site, let alone what they personally get from it, could see their way to supporting us with a modest monthly donation.
The link is here and I hope you feel able to do this.
It might help others to know that the monthly option is not immediately evident. I put in the amount I wished to contribute monthly first, then, after registration etc a further form offered the choice of monthly or one off payment
Sorry Cat, but your tip page needs some simplifying… in line with specialist car forums and The Guardian, I am trying to give you 1€ per month, but the page is not recognising any of my co-ordinates nor will it throw up the paypal page…
It’s not obligatory to put in your address - I think that’s just if you want Cat to have those details.
I just ran through the process for a monthly donation without doing more than signing up for Tipee with a username and password and entering an amount, then on the second page making it monthly rather than a one-off.
I did pay from my Wise card rather than PayPal though, if that makes a difference.
I’m very aware that it’s less than perfect but it’s a lot better than Patreon and the options are fairly limited for this kind of thing (due to money laundering regs). I’ll see if there are any tweaks that can be made…
Xx
I was confused by the demand to add in the name (and if wished address) of the ‘contrepartie’. I assume that’s me?
Having made my one off payment (it doesn’t offer an annual option, which is my preference) I see it slightly increased the amount chosen, albeit only by a few cents. I validated the CB payment from within my bank app, but Tipeee’s history of payments shows no tip for me. Strange. I hope this is a timing/processing issue only.
I now have the ‘church collection plate dilemma’. I always remember (when I was young) my parents at church anxiously watching the collection plate processing towards them, with the congregation all wondering was everyone else contributing, and if so how much. This would usually prompt frantic searches in pockets as people hurriedly increased what they’d planned to contribute. Others realised they’d paid more than intended and were wondering if they could swap their £x note for a smaller one…
Reminds me of my step-dad, a no nonsense guy who always had his offering in a little brown envelope that he flamboyantly placed on the plate to give everyone the impression that the contents complemented the brand new P6 sitting outside. What the casual onlooker did not know was that he hated the church and in the envelope was just some loose change he rustled up earlier…
My brothers and I once went to one of Ian Paisley’s Sunday services just to hear the old fascist in action. We were horrified however when he announced that there would be a ‘silent’ collection that day: notes only! We made a hasty exit as the plate full of ten bob notes headed our way.
I’ve just tested it and it is dead easy to change the donation from a one off to a recurring payment, see below! No idea why your card was declined @Mik_Bennett but that may well be just down to the vagaries of French banking!
Hi Cat, I very much want to contribute but I’m afraid Tipeee is (seemingly) very much wanting to prevent this happening.
Having been through the various steps, I have now (successfully) validated a number of payment transactions (ie separate attempts) in my banking app. Yet Tipeee stubbornly refuses to acknowledge any of them, saying that there are no payments made. I’ve looked at its FAQs, even one or two videos and none can explain why Tipeee will not process my payment. I am beginning to lose the will to live with Tipeee…I hope others aren’t experiencing similar.
Are there any simple online alternatives, eg making a bank transfer to a Survive France business account, or to your own account if that is appropriate? Grateful for any suggestions…
I sent @cat a cheque which should arrive shortly, hopefully. It never occurred to me to ask about bank transfers. I didn’t like Tippeee so was happier with direct action.
That’s one of the reasons I have tried to pay by cheque. However, the post is more than a bit erratic around here at the moment so I’m just hoping it got through!
