Would you guys donate to content creators through an US platform? (programming.dev)

submitted 1 week ago by unglueclass23@programming.dev to c/buyeuropean@feddit.uk

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There's some content creators that I get value from and watch on Youtube. From time to time I get the desire to donate a couple of euro to them, however, most of the times they either have Patreon or nothing at all. Sometimes they have Ko-fi - then there's no problem.

I try to avoid giving money to US businesses as much as realistically possible. But I'm wondering whether I should make an exception here. What are your guys' thoughts on this?

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[-] quediuspayu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 6 days ago

Do whatever you feel like doing.

Take buy european as a best practises not as law from god, you could end up renaming lakes and shit.

[-] roserose56@lemmy.zip 14 points 6 days ago

Nope

[-] Cyber@feddit.uk 4 points 6 days ago

Maybe, but perhaps contact them and say you'd prefer to suppport another way... they just might not be aware

[-] Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org 4 points 6 days ago

I'd buy some merch from their direct webshop.

Why feed a "platform"s greedy throat instead?

[-] punkki@sopuli.xyz 3 points 6 days ago

It's a bit like credit cards, there is seldom alternative.

I take it practically. I use android instead of sailfish mobile device, at work need to use windows, and I use credit cards. So I use also US based platforms to support content creators when there is no alternative.

[-] maam@feddit.uk 3 points 6 days ago

Message them to use european platforms and reward the ones that do.

[-] FiniteBanjo@feddit.online 8 points 1 week ago

I never really thought about it but there are patronage and crowdfunding options from Europe such as Liberapay.

[-] dudesss@lemmy.ca 2 points 4 days ago

I heard Liberapay and OpenCollective uses Paypal in the backend, but I would need to verify.

[-] FiniteBanjo@feddit.online 0 points 4 days ago

Oof. I might even consider a bitcoin wallet over paypal.

I wonder if Kofi or Steady use american backend systems? Most of the world's fintech is built on some ancient proprietary IBM COBOL libraries, it's kind of annoying at times.

[-] Vittelius@feddit.org 3 points 6 days ago

Ko-Fi is British and Steady is German

[-] Kennystillalive@feddit.org 5 points 1 week ago

I mean you are already ln youtube... Maybe they have merch shops and you can use that as an option to contribute to them or use their codes when it's a reasonable European brand, they advertice. And sometimes just commenting and liking the vid helps them out to boost their algorythms.

[-] FiniteBanjo@feddit.online 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

TBF there is hardly an alternative to YT unless you like roving packs of trolls and white supremacists who frequent the decentralized alternatives (becuse they're a beacon ti people banned from the main site and also crypto bros)

And given the cost of servers and storage right now, probably won't be for a while.

That said, I oersonally deleted a 13 year channel and never look back.

[-] cerebralhawks@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 week ago

Is the content creator European? Does the US-based payment processor take fees? Those are the questions I'd ask. If you don't like the answers, I'd reach out directly to the content creator and ask if they'll take a donation via a more acceptable payment system. Though, be warned, that's kind of a red flag. "Hey, sign up for this thing you aren't using, link your bank account to it, and I will send you money." I'd probably ignore that message. So, maybe if there are a few you use, ask them if they take any of those.

[-] unglueclass23@programming.dev 6 points 6 days ago

Just checked Patreon's fees:

on Patreon's standard plan you pay a 10% platform cut on everything you earn plus payment processing of 2.9% + $0.30 per charge.

So if I donate 5 eur roughy 1 eur will be going to Patreon.

I also thought about reaching out but I feel it's a bit... weird asking them to do such a thing for a small donation.

this post was submitted on 01 Oct 2026

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