specification: API Commons Plans
specificationVersion: '0.1'
schema: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/interface-research/main/schema/api-commons.yml#/$defs/Plans
provider: Buy Me a Coffee
providerId: buymeacoffee
created: '2026-07-05'
modified: '2026-07-05'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Creator Economy
- Memberships
- Subscriptions
- Tips
- Payments
- Plans
description: >-
  Buy Me a Coffee has no monthly subscription fee for creators. The platform
  monetizes with a flat 5% platform fee applied to transactions (tips /
  coffees, memberships, and shop / Extras sales); creators keep 95% before
  payment processing. Standard payment processing (Stripe) is charged
  separately - roughly 2.9% plus 0.30 USD per successful transaction, plus a
  small Stripe payout-processing fee. Payouts are transferred to the creator's
  connected Stripe account (typically weekly, once a balance threshold is met)
  and then deposited to the creator's bank. The developer API itself is free to
  use with a personal access Bearer token; there is no separate API charge.
notes: >-
  The 5% platform fee and no-monthly-fee model are the headline terms; exact
  Stripe processing rates vary by country and can change. Verify current fees
  on the Buy Me a Coffee help center during reconciliation.
sources:
- https://buymeacoffee.com/
- https://help.buymeacoffee.com/en/articles/8105744-how-to-calculate-charges-on-your-payment
- https://help.buymeacoffee.com/en/articles/4539170-frequently-asked-questions
- https://developers.buymeacoffee.com/
plans:
- id: buymeacoffee-creator
  name: Creator (No Monthly Fee)
  type: usage
  description: >-
    The single creator plan. No monthly or setup fee. Accept one-time tips,
    recurring memberships, and shop / Extras purchases. Buy Me a Coffee takes
    a flat 5% platform fee per transaction; the creator keeps 95% before
    payment processing.
  entries:
  - label: Platform Fee
    name: platform_fee
    type: usage
    metric: transaction
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: month
    geo: global
    unit: 1
    price: 5% of each transaction (tips, memberships, and shop sales)
    userMultiplied: false
  - label: Monthly Subscription Fee
    name: monthly_fee
    type: flat
    metric: subscription
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: month
    geo: global
    unit: 1
    price: $0 (no monthly fee)
    userMultiplied: false
  elements:
  - name: One-Time Tips (Coffees)
  - name: Memberships / Subscriptions
  - name: Extras / Shop
  - name: Developer API (personal access token)
  - name: Webhooks
- id: buymeacoffee-payment-processing
  name: Payment Processing (Stripe)
  type: usage
  description: >-
    Standard third-party payment processing charged in addition to the 5%
    platform fee. Collected by Stripe, not retained by Buy Me a Coffee as
    platform revenue. Rates vary by country.
  entries:
  - label: Processing Fee
    name: processing_fee
    type: usage
    metric: transaction
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: month
    geo: global
    unit: 1
    price: ~2.9% + $0.30 per successful transaction (Stripe; varies by country)
    userMultiplied: false
  - label: Payout Processing
    name: payout_fee
    type: usage
    metric: payout
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: month
    geo: global
    unit: 1
    price: ~0.5% Stripe payout processing (varies by country)
    userMultiplied: false
  elements:
  - name: Stripe Processing
  - name: Weekly Payouts
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com