TipVolt and PocketTip solve the same basic problem — accepting a tip without cash, using a link or a QR code instead of a card terminal. Both are Australian. Both keep the payment out of anyone's hands but a real processor. Where they actually differ is who each one is built for, and that's worth being specific about instead of just saying "we're better."
Who each one is built for
PocketTip is built for service workers — baristas, waitstaff, bartenders, delivery drivers. It's designed around a single QR code at a fixed point of service: scan the code on the counter or the till, tip the person who served you, done.
TipVolt is built for creators, performers, buskers, and charities — people whose "point of service" isn't a fixed counter. A busker plays a different corner every week. A streamer's audience never physically meets them. A charity takes donations from people who'll never be in the same room as the collection tin. TipVolt's whole structure — a persistent handle, a link that works the same wherever you are — is built around that.
How they compare
| TipVolt | PocketTip | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | Creators, performers, buskers & charities | Service workers — baristas, waitstaff, drivers |
| Who keeps the tip | 100% to the performer | 100% to the worker too |
| Fee paid by the tipper | Lower — added on top, shown exactly at checkout | Higher than TipVolt's |
| Payout speed | On the schedule you set in Stripe | Weekly |
| Your link | One persistent @handle — works at every gig, every city | QR tied to one location or sign |
| Reach | Tippers anywhere in the world can bookmark it; you're paid in AUD | Tied to a physical location |
| Hardware | None — a link or a printed QR code | None — built around a single QR code |
Both platforms get the busker or performer 100% of the tip — that part isn't the differentiator. The two real differences are the fee the tipper pays on top (lower on TipVolt), and what happens to the code or link once you leave that spot: PocketTip's is built around a fixed location, TipVolt's follows you as a permanent handle, so the same link works whether you're busking outside the same train station every week or somewhere new every night.
Which one should you actually use?
If you're a barista, waiter, or driver tipped by people at one physical point of service, PocketTip's model is built exactly for that. If you're a performer who plays different spots, a creator whose audience is online, or a charity taking gifts from people who'll never stand in front of a collection tin — that's the situation TipVolt is built around: one link, wherever you are, that a fan can bookmark and come back to.
They're not really competing for the same tip. PocketTip owns the counter. TipVolt owns everywhere else.
Try it yourself
Create a free TipVolt page and see what your fans see — it's live in under two minutes, no credit card required.