YouTube Super Chat lets viewers pay to highlight their message in a live stream or Premiere chat, and Super Stickers do the same with an animated image. YouTube pays creators 70% of Supers revenue after local sales tax and iOS App Store fees are deducted, and it covers card fees itself, so YouTube keeps the remaining three in every ten.
Super Chat is the most direct way your live audience can pay you on YouTube. A viewer taps the dollar icon in chat, picks an amount, and their message stands out in colour, sometimes pinned at the top. I've pulled together how it works, how much YouTube takes and who can switch it on, straight from YouTube's help centre.
What YouTube Super Chat and Super Stickers are
Both are paid chat features for live streams and Premieres. A Super Chat is a highlighted text message; a Super Sticker is an animated image that appears in the live chat. When someone buys one, their profile picture can stay at the top of the chat feed, and YouTube says the length of time depends on how much they spent. The more a viewer pays, the longer it stays.
YouTube treats them as fan funding features, the same family as channel memberships and Super Thanks. They aren't donations or crowdfunding, and YouTube says so plainly: you're responsible for understanding how the law where you live treats this money.
How much YouTube takes from Super Chat
YouTube's revenue share page is clear on this. Creators receive 70% of Supers revenue that Google has confirmed. That 70% is worked out after two things come off the top: local sales tax, and App Store fees when the viewer paid on an iPhone or iPad. YouTube currently covers transaction costs such as credit card fees, so those don't come out of your share.
The same 70% applies across the Commerce Product Module, which covers channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers and Super Thanks. Compare that with ads on the watch page, where YouTube pays partners 55% of net revenue, and you can see why fan funding matters for live creators.
A practical note: because iOS purchases lose App Store fees before your share is calculated, the same Super Chat amount can leave you with less if the viewer bought it on Apple's app.
YouTube Super Chat eligibility
To switch Super Chat on, YouTube says you need to:
- Be in the YouTube Partner Program and meet the minimum requirements for fan funding.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Live in a country or region where Super Chat and Super Stickers are available.
- Accept the Commerce Product Module, and keep following YouTube's terms and policies.
In countries with the expanded Partner Program, fan funding opens up earlier: 500 subscribers, 3 valid public uploads in the last 90 days, and either 3,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months or 3 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. The list of places where Super Chat works includes the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, South Africa and New Zealand, so check YouTube's page for your country.
Some videos can't carry Super Chat even on an eligible channel. That covers age-restricted videos, videos made for kids, streams running a YouTube Giving fundraiser, and any stream where live chat is turned off.
Managing Super Chats during a stream
You can filter the live chat to show only fan funding messages, from the Chat filter on a computer or the settings in the mobile app. Filtering only changes your own view; viewers still see the normal chat. To review every purchase afterwards, open YouTube Studio, select Earn and then the Supers tab.
Super Chats follow the same moderation rules as any chat message. If one is removed for breaking the Community Guidelines, YouTube says it donates its own portion of that revenue to charity. Viewers should also know that Super Chat and Super Sticker payments are non-refundable.
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If you use automatic mid-roll ads, there's a nice touch: YouTube temporarily pauses mid-rolls for viewers who've just sent gifts, Super Chats or Stickers, so your most generous viewers aren't hit with an ad straight away.
When Super Chat money reaches you
Super Chat earnings join the rest of your YouTube income in AdSense for YouTube. Finalised earnings for the previous month are added between the 7th and 12th, then paid out by the 21st to 26th, provided you've hit the payment threshold, have no holds and have submitted U.S. tax information. Google withholds U.S. tax on earnings from U.S. viewers, and YouTube says it can't give tax advice, so check your own position with an accountant.
| What | How it works | Source checked |
|---|---|---|
| Creator share | 70% of confirmed Supers revenue | Super Chat management help |
| Deducted first | Local sales tax and iOS App Store fees | Super Chat management help |
| Card fees | Covered by YouTube | Super Chat management help |
| Refunds | Non-refundable for viewers | Super Chat purchase details page |
| Minimum age | 18 | How to earn money on YouTube page |
Getting more from YouTube Super Chat
Viewers send Super Chats when they want to be seen, so the streams that do best are the ones where the creator reads them out, answers questions and thanks people by name. YouTube itself suggests that saying thanks and other small interactions help you build an audience. Plan moments in your stream for it rather than leaving it to chance.
YouTube also has gifts on live streams, bought with Jewels, which earn creators Rubies in places including the United States and the United Kingdom. Pair Supers with that and with product tags, and a single stream has several ways to pay. My guide to the YouTube Shopping affiliate program covers the tagging side.
If you like the idea of fans paying for attention in chat, it's worth seeing how other platforms handle it too. My piece on how earn-while-you-chat platforms work for creators compares the model. And for the bigger picture of building a channel people want to support, my breakdown of a YouTube marketing strategy that built a brand is worth a read.
Frequently asked questions
How much does YouTube take from Super Chat?
YouTube pays creators 70% of confirmed Supers revenue, worked out after local sales tax and iOS App Store fees are deducted. YouTube covers card fees, and keeps the remaining share itself.
Who can use Super Chat on YouTube?
Creators in the YouTube Partner Program who are at least 18, live where Super Chat is available and have accepted the Commerce Product Module.
Can I get a refund on a Super Chat?
No. YouTube says Super Chat and Super Sticker payments are voluntary and non-refundable.
Does Super Chat work on Premieres?
Yes. Super Chat and Super Stickers work in live streams and Premieres where live chat is on, but not on age-restricted or made for kids videos.
What happens if a Super Chat breaks the rules?
You can moderate it like any chat message. If YouTube removes it for breaking the Community Guidelines, YouTube donates its portion of the revenue to charity.
