Tipjoy: Supporting Free Content Through Micropayment Tipping

Tipjoy is a new web startup that makes it easy for people to leave small tips for content they enjoy online. Users have pre-paid accounts and then can leave a tip with only one click anywhere they see the tipjoy button.

The online publishing revolution has given everyone the tools to write, and with these there has been an explosion of freely available personal journals, professional blogs, non-fiction information, and digital fiction literature.

Making content free has given the consumer an unprecedented variety of choice. However, digital publishing has always struggled with how to remain profitable while continuing to provide the free content their readers demand.

Tipjoy is a way for producers to continue to afford to make their content free. Tipjoy taps into fans’ enthusiasm by making them a voluntary contributor. The simple one-click system makes it easy and enjoyable to give back.