Websites using Flattr

Okay, let s break down Flattr, its revenue, alternatives, pricing, and customer care.

What is Flattr?

Flattr was a micro-payment service aimed at enabling users to easily support content creators online. It was essentially a social micropayments system, allowing users to distribute a monthly budget among the content they consumed on the web.

How Flattr Worked (Historically):

1. Monthly Budget: Users would set a monthly budget they were willing to spend on content they liked.
2. Flattr Button: Content creators would place a Flattr button on their websites, blogs, podcasts, or other online content.
3. Clicking the Flattr Button: When a user liked a piece of content, they would click the Flattr button.
4. Distribution of Funds: At the end of the month, the user s monthly budget would be distributed proportionally among the creators whose buttons they clicked.
5. Transparency: Users could see how their funds were being distributed, and creators could track how much they received.

Flattr s Revenue Model (For the Company):

• Commission: Flattr would take a percentage of each user s monthly budget as a commission to cover their operational costs. This percentage varied over time but was typically around 10%.

Flattr s Revenue (For Creators):

• Micropayments: The revenue creators received was based on the proportion of a user s budget their content attracted. It was typically small per Flattr click, but could accumulate if a creator had a lot of support.
• Variable Income: The revenue was variable and depended on the popularity and engagement with the content.

Current Status of Flattr:

• Acquired by AdBlock: Flattr was acquired by AdBlock in 2019. The original Flattr service was shut down in 2020.
• Flattr Plus: AdBlock introduced a new service called Flattr Plus as part of their Brave browser. This operates similarly, allowing users to reward content creators directly, but it s a different implementation than the original Flattr.

Alternatives to Flattr (Original Service):

Since the original Flattr no longer exists, here are some alternatives that serve similar purposes of online content monetization and support for creators:

1. Patreon: A membership platform where fans can subscribe to creators for exclusive content and perks, often with monthly recurring payments.
2. Buy Me a Coffee: A simple platform for one-time or recurring payments directly to creators, often used by artists and writers.
3. Ko-fi: Similar to Buy Me a Coffee, with options for direct payments, commissions, and shop functionality.
4. Liberapay: An open-source platform for recurring donations, emphasizing transparency and community support.
5. PayPal.me: A straightforward way for creators to receive direct payments via PayPal.
6. GitHub Sponsors: Specifically for developers who want to support open-source projects and other developers.
7. YouTube Membership/Super Chat/Thanks: Directly built into YouTube, allowing creators to monetize their content.
8. Twitch Bits/Subscriptions: Specific to the Twitch streaming platform.
9. Brave Rewards (including Flattr Plus): Brave browser s integrated tipping system, with Flattr Plus being a related offering.

Pricing:

• Original Flattr: Users set a monthly budget, and Flattr took a commission.
• Flattr Plus (Brave Browser): Part of the Brave Rewards system, where users earn Basic Attention Tokens (BAT) for browsing and can choose to automatically distribute them to content creators they engage with. Users can also purchase BAT to reward creators.
• Alternatives: Pricing for alternatives varies:
  • Some have a commission structure similar to the original Flattr (Patreon).
  • Others offer a small fee per transaction (Buy Me a Coffee).
  • Some are free and rely on voluntary donations (Liberapay).

Customer Care Details:

• Original Flattr: Since it s discontinued, there s no official support anymore.
• Flattr Plus: Support is likely integrated into the Brave Browser support channels. Refer to the Brave website for help.
• Alternatives: Each alternative platform has its own customer support channels, usually including help articles and contact forms. You ll need to consult the specific platforms websites for their support options.

Key Takeaways:

• The original Flattr service is no longer active.
• Flattr Plus now exists as part of the Brave Browser s rewards system.
• There are numerous alternatives available that offer various models for supporting online creators.
• It s crucial to check the specific pricing and support options for each platform you are considering.

In summary, if you were looking for the original Flattr, unfortunately, it s no longer available. If you re interested in supporting creators, explore the various alternatives listed above, as they all offer different approaches to micro-payments and monetization.