[SC] Tip Jar for Posts 1.3.4

Turn useful posts, threads, and resources into an easy way for your community to reward content creators.

[SC] Tip Jar for Posts adds a complete tipping system to XenForo, allowing members to send secure monetary tips directly from supported content using your configured PayPal, Stripe & Other payment profiles.

The add-on is designed to feel like a native part of XenForo rather than a separate payment system. Members can choose preset amounts, enter a custom tip, leave an optional message, send privately, select their preferred payment provider, and complete payment through XenForo's existing payment framework.

Authors receive their earnings after configurable platform fees, while administrators retain full control over permissions, eligible forums, payout requests, transactions, refunds, and reporting.

Features​

Member Tipping​

• Tip authors directly from supported XenForo posts
• Dedicated Tip Author action integrated with post controls
• XenForo Resource Manager support
• Tip eligible resource authors directly from resource pages
• Configurable preset tip amounts
• Custom tip amount support
• Optional message with each tip
• Private tipping option
• Clearly displayed payment breakdown before checkout
• Secure payment-provider selection
• PayPal support
• Stripe support
• Official PayPal and Stripe branding in the checkout interface
• XenForo-native payment processing
• Verified payment callbacks
• Earnings are credited only after payment confirmation
• Failed or incomplete payments do not generate earnings

Smart Author Protection​

• Members cannot tip their own posts
• Thread starters cannot tip themselves
• Resource authors cannot tip their own resources
• Administrators are also prevented from tipping their own content
• Server-side validation prevents direct URL/payment bypasses
• Self-tip restrictions are enforced independently of the interface

Forum & Content Controls​

• Enable tipping only in selected forums
• Permission-based access
• Control which user groups may send tips
• Control which members may receive tips
• First Post Only mode
• When First Post Only is enabled, Tip Author does not appear on replies
• Reply/reaction-area buttons respect First Post Only restrictions
• Normal per-post tipping mode available when First Post Only is disabled
• XFRM resource-page tipping support
• Reliable XFRM action placement across different member/account states
• Proper support for members manually email-validated through the ACP

Tip Amount Interface​

• Administrator-defined preset amounts
• Custom amount field
• Currency clearly displayed
• Clean formatting such as:
  • USD $2
  • USD $5
  • USD $10
  • USD $20
• Selected amount highlighting
• Automatic calculation of:
  • Processing estimate
  • Platform fee
  • Amount the author receives
• Amount calculations update before checkout

Platform Commission​

• Configurable platform commission
• Automatically calculates the site's share
• Automatically calculates the author's share
• Processing-fee estimate displayed separately
• Transparent fee breakdown for members
• Suitable for monetizing a community while rewarding contributors

Author Earnings​

• Author earnings tracking
• Earnings dashboard
• Track tips received
• Track tip amounts
• Track platform deductions
• Track available earnings
• Transaction history
• Payment status tracking
• Private-tip handling
• Optional messages retained with supported transactions

Withdrawals & Payouts​

• Author withdrawal requests
• Withdrawal history
• Administrative payout management
• Review pending payout requests
• Track completed payouts
• Maintain payout records
• Centralized management of author earnings

Administration​

• Detailed tipping controls in the XenForo ACP
• Configure preset amounts
• Configure platform commission
• Configure supported forums
• Configure permissions
• Configure First Post Only behavior
• Manage withdrawals
• View tipping activity
• Review payment records
• Track payouts
• Administrative transaction visibility
• Designed around XenForo's existing payment-provider system
• ACP -> Users -> Tip Jar

Payment Safety​

• Uses XenForo's configured payment profiles
• PayPal and Stripe support
• Payment-provider verification
• Earnings credited only after verified payment
• Protection against duplicate/unconfirmed payment crediting
• Refund and reversal-aware transaction handling
• Chargeback/refund protection for tracked earnings
• Server-side authorization checks
• No reliance on a browser success page alone

User Experience​

• Modern Tip Author modal
• Clean, neutral interface
• Responsive layout
• Works with XenForo light variations
• Works with XenForo dark variations
• Preset amount cards
• Custom amount input
• Optional thank-you message
• Private-tip toggle
• Real-time fee breakdown
• Dedicated payment-provider choices
• Secure-payment indicators
• Mobile-friendly presentation
• Designed to integrate naturally with XenForo rather than replacing its UI

Typical Tipping Flow​

Member clicks Tip Author → chooses an amount → optionally adds a message → chooses PayPal or Stripe → completes payment → XenForo verifies the transaction → author earnings are credited.

The sender sees the processing estimate, platform fee, and estimated amount the author receives before continuing to payment.

XenForo Resource Manager Support​

XFRM integration allows eligible resource creators to receive tips directly from their resource pages.

The add-on accounts for different XFRM action layouts and member states so the Tip Author action remains available to eligible members while still respecting:

• User permissions
• Resource ownership
• Email/account state
• Self-tipping restrictions
• Payment availability

First Post Only Mode​

Communities that want tips tied to the thread itself rather than individual replies can enable First Post Only.

When enabled:

• The thread starter's first post can receive tips
• Replies do not display Tip Author
• Tip actions are removed from reply/reaction controls
• Direct attempts to tip an ineligible reply are rejected

Current Payout Flow​

Board/Admin handles the payouts manually when author requests payout.

Tipper pays through board payment profile → author earnings credited → author requests withdrawal → admin pays the member using their saved payout method/destination.
Future update will include Connected payouts

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Requirements​

• XenForo 2.3
• PHP 8.0+
• A configured XenForo payment profile for the payment methods you wish to offer
• XenForo Resource Manager only required if you want to use the optional resource tipping integration