Buy Me a Coffee Alternative: Compare Fees and Checkout
PayRequest is a Buy Me a Coffee alternative for creators who want payment links, digital-product delivery and invoicing in one account. Choose by the work you sell, your receiving-account eligibility and total cost—not only the platform percentage.
Which platform fits your creator business?
| Your next task | PayRequest | Buy Me a Coffee |
|---|---|---|
| Receive a one-time tip | A payment link with an eligible connected provider | A creator-support page |
| Sell a file or serve a client | Digital delivery, payment links and invoicing | Review the current shop and membership features |
| Choose receiving methods | Depends on connected provider, country and product | Official FAQ lists cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay |
| Operate a publishing community | Check the tools your content workflow needs | Publishing and emails are included according to its FAQ |
What would 100 tips of €5 cost?
Illustration: €500 collected through 100 successful standard payments, before provider fees, tax, refunds or currency conversion. Buy Me a Coffee’s published 5% platform charge is €25. PayRequest Free is €10. Active Premium is €5 for that month and active Business €20; their standard platform fee is 0%. Compare the features you need and all provider or payout charges separately. These are cost calculations, not a claim about your take-home earnings.
Rehearse one supporter checkout before switching
- Step 1
Create one offer with a clear name, price, currency and delivery promise. Connect an approved receiving account.
- Step 2
Open the saved link on a phone in a private browser window. Confirm the seller name, price and actual payment methods shown.
- Step 3
For a file, check the buyer’s paid-to-download path; for a tip, check the confirmation and receipt. Only use a real paid status as proof of payment.
- Step 4
Update one profile link first. Keep old receipts and handle existing memberships separately; a new link does not move old recurring authorizations.
Will it work in my country?
Check that your connected provider supports receiving and withdrawals for your country and business type. Support for a payment method on a comparison page is not approval of your account. PayRequest cannot bypass provider restrictions. For memberships, confirm which provider supports automatic renewal before promising it to supporters.
Compare standard platform charges
Illustrative estimate for equal-sized successful payments. Provider fees, tax, refunds, FX charges and commission-payment exceptions are excluded. Paid plans must be active.
| Platform / plan | Monthly platform cost |
|---|---|
| PayRequest Free | €10.00 |
| PayRequest Premium (active) | €5.00 |
| PayRequest Business (active) | €20.00 |
| Buy Me a Coffee | €25.00 |
Buy Me a Coffee: published 5% platform charge. Gumroad: published direct-sale 10% + $0.50. PayRequest paid plans are priced in EUR; use your actual conversion rate for USD comparisons. The €25 cap is converted at that same illustrative rate.
Plans and fees
Free is €0/month with a 2% standard platform fee per successful payment, capped at €25 per transaction. Premium is €5/month and Business €20/month, with 0% standard platform fees while active. Payment-provider fees, taxes and commission-payment exceptions are separate. Selecting a paid plan does not activate it; complete setup and checkout.
Receiving payments requires a supported, approved payment-provider account. Available methods depend on your country, provider and product.
This comparison covers payments through your own connected provider. Separately approved PayRequest Merchant of Record membership products have their own eligibility and terms; they are not included here.
Questions before you start
Is PayRequest completely free?
The Free plan has no monthly charge, but standard successful payments carry a 2% platform fee capped at €25. Provider fees are additional.
Can supporters pay without creating a PayRequest seller account?
They open your hosted payment page and use the methods available there. The selected provider may impose authentication or account requirements.
Are my existing memberships moved automatically?
No. Review existing billing agreements, communicate the change and obtain any new authorization required before cancelling the old arrangement.