Getting Started with Ko-fi: From Sign-Up to Receiving Support

Ko-fi is a platform for receiving support from your audience. This guide walks through creating an account, connecting PayPal, and customizing your page, in order.

What Is Ko-fi?

Ko-fi is a platform that lets creators receive small donations from their fans. Bloggers, artists, developers, YouTubers, and other creators use it, and the core features are free.

Key features:

• 0% Ko-fi fee on donations (free plan). Memberships, shop sales, and commissions carry a 5% fee on the free plan
• Small donations in units of "one coffee," at a price you set
• Membership and digital goods selling features
• Payouts via PayPal or Stripe

Step 1: Create a Ko-fi Account

1. Go to ko-fi.com
2. Click Sign Up
3. Register with your email or Google account
4. Verify your email address

Tip: Your Ko-fi email doesn't need to match your PayPal email, but using the same one can make account management easier.

Step 2: Set Up a PayPal Account

You'll need a PayPal account to receive donations on Ko-fi. (Stripe isn't available in every country; for example, you can't open a Stripe account in South Korea.)

If you don't have a PayPal account:

1. Go to paypal.com
2. Click Sign Up → select Personal Account
3. Enter your email, name, and password to complete registration
4. Verify your email address

Notes on PayPal by country:

To receive donations on Ko-fi, you only need to connect a PayPal account. Payments land in your PayPal balance, and you withdraw to your registered bank account separately.

Step 3: Connect PayPal to Ko-fi

1. Log in to Ko-fi and click your profile icon in the top right
2. Go to Settings
3. Select the Payments tab from the left menu
4. Under the PayPal section, click Connect PayPal
5. Log in to PayPal and approve the connection
6. Once connected, your PayPal email address will appear

Note: Your PayPal account must have a verified email address for the connection to work properly.

Step 4: Customize Your Ko-fi Page

Basic Profile Setup

1. Go to Settings → Profile tab
2. Fill in the following:
   • Profile Name: Your display name (nickname or channel name)
   • Page URL: Set your custom URL at ko-fi.com/your-url
   • Bio: A short introduction — what kind of creative work do you do?
   • Profile Image: Upload a profile photo
   • Cover Image: Upload a banner image for the top of your page

Set Your Coffee Price

• Set the price of one coffee under Settings → Payments → Coffee Price
• Supporters choose how many coffees, so donations come in multiples of your price

Set a Goal (Optional)

• Use the Goal feature to show a funding target on your page
• Examples: "Help cover $50/month in server costs", "Save up for new equipment", etc.

Step 5: Share Your Support Link

Once everything is set up, share your Ko-fi link to start receiving support.

Ways to share:

• Add a link at the bottom of your blog posts
• Add a Ko-fi badge to your GitHub README
• Include the link in your YouTube channel description
• Add it to your social media profile links

GitHub README Badge Example

[![ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/img/githubbutton_sm.svg)](https://ko-fi.com/your-url)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. When do I receive donations?
A. Ko-fi doesn't hold the money; donations go straight to your PayPal account when they're made. There's no payout schedule.

Q. What are Ko-fi's fees?
A. On the free plan, Ko-fi takes no fee on donations. Memberships, shop sales, and commissions carry a 5% fee, which the paid plan (Ko-fi Gold) removes. PayPal's fees apply on every plan.

Q. How do I withdraw my PayPal balance to a local bank?
A. Register a local bank account in PayPal and withdraw to it, if PayPal supports withdrawals in your country. Check PayPal's fee page for conversion and withdrawal fees.

Q. Do I need Ko-fi Gold (the paid plan)?
A. If you only receive donations, the free plan is enough. Consider Gold when membership or shop sales are large enough that the 5% fee matters.

Wrap-Up

With a PayPal account, you can sign up for Ko-fi, connect PayPal, and set up your page right away.