Tip Jar

Ever wanted to thank Snopes for helping you find out what whether Donald Trump wore his pants backwards, if Muhammad Ali helped a suicidal man off a ledge, or explaining exactly what is wrong wrong with a viral COVID-19 copypasta?

Now, you can. Snopes is proud to announce an official Tip Jar, where you can directly support our writers and staff. Think of it like a literal jar you’d see at a restaurant — you’re now able to leave some money on top of any contribution or purchase to directly thank the Snopes staff for their service.

If you’ve ever wanted to reward our staff for their great, demanding, and often thankless work, leaving a tip is the best way to do it. One hundred per cent of every tip will go directly to the Snopes staff as appreciation for the hard work they do, whether it’s $1 or $50. By leaving a tip, you will be directly supporting our writers.

So say thanks, and tip your fact-checkers!

FAQ

How does the Tip Jar work?

As you make a purchase or make a contribution through the Snopes store, you’ll be asked if you want to leave a tip during check out. Any additional tip through the tip jar will go directly to Snopes staff as a special bonus.

What’s the difference between a regular contribution and a tip?

Regular contributions are vital for supporting the organization at large. They help us pay the bills and our regular salaries.

Tips, on the other hand, are a special thank you bonus that will be paid to our staffers on top of their regular salary.

Can I leave a tip without making a contribution?

Unfortunately, due to the limitations of our store platform, you can only leave a tip on top of an existing contribution or purchase.

Right now, you can only leave a tip in this way, but we hope to support many more ways for people to show appreciation for their dedicated staffer or their favorite fact-checker.

What if I want to leave more than 100% of my contribution as a tip?

This is again a limitation of the store — we can only accept up to 100% of an existing contribution.

If you’d like to leave a little bit more, though, you’re always welcome to make a slightly larger contribution to Snopes! While it won’t be a tip, all contributions support our newsroom and help our staff in a slightly less direct way.

Why not just pay your staff more?

We believe in paying and supporting journalists. All Snopes staffers get a competitive, fair salary and benefits. The Tip Jar is how tipping is intended to work — as an additional appreciation for a job well done, not as a replacement for salary.

Most importantly, many existing supporters ask for ways to support our individual employees and show their appreciation for the risks they take to report the facts. The Tip Jar allows us to do that!

How can I be sure that tips will be going directly to writers?

All accounting is performed by an outside CPA with direct reporting access. The CPA reports to the company CFO which is currently an independent member of the board of directors. Additionally, at any time, several employees at every level of the organization have access to the liabilities report that includes all tips and gift-card obligations.

Can I tip an individual staffer?

Like many companies that have tip jars, we pool our tips. Tips will be split evenly among the Snopes staff during each pay period. We believe this not only provides transparency but protects our individual staffers — it reduces the overall cost of transactions, so we can ensure that 100% of the tips go to the employees and not platforms.

Can I get a refund on my tip?

Because they're paid directly to our staff, tips are non-refundable. If you'd like a refund for an item included in your order, please contact us.