The Beginner’s Guide to Twitch Gifted Subs: Top 15 Burning Questions!

Wondering how you can gift a sub on Twitch or what to do with a Twitch gifted sub notification you’ve received?

In this article, we’ve curated your top 15 most frequently asked questions about Twitch gifted subs and everything you want to know about it.

Starting with –

What are Twitch gifted subs?

Gifted subs are subscriptions given by a Twitch viewer in a stream to other viewers, as a gift. The viewer can choose to gift the sub(s) to a specific person or to random people in the stream. Gifted subs are an excellent way to support talented streamers who deserve more watch time.

Gifted subscriptions bring the same benefits as any other regular subscriptions. They can be Tier-1, Tier-2, or Tier-3 level subscriptions.

Benefits for the viewer who receive a gifted sub includes:

1. Access to subscriber-only chat
2. Access to subscriber-only stream
3. Subscriber-only custom emotes in chat
4. Subscription tenure badge
5. Ad-free viewing
6. Other benefits as defined by the streamer

Whereas the viewer who has gifted sub(s) would get a Sub Gifter Badge and show up on the Sub Gifter Leaderboard of the streamer.

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Do streamers prefer gifted subs or donations?

Many would argue that a gifted sub is better than a donation. A gifted sub can go a long way in building the streamer’s channel. It indicates that people like the streamer’s content and want more people to join the community.

Gifting a sub not only cheers the streamer but also viewers on the receiving end. It is a great way to spread the joy of streaming around the world. You should definitely consider gifting a sub when you like the streamer’s personality and his/her content in general.

It’s worth noting, 100% of the donation amount can go to the streamer, whereas only 50-70% of the subscription amount is received based on the streamer’s partner or affiliate status.

So, donations are also cool but should be used as a “hurray” when your streamer does something cool or interesting.

How much is a gifted sub on Twitch?

Gifting a Tier-1 sub costs $4.99, a Tier 2 sub costs $9.99, and Tier 3 sub costs $24.99. You may have to pay additional applicable taxes based on your location. You can gift a maximum of 100 Tier-1 gifted subs, 100 Tier-2 gifted subs, and 40 Tier-3 gifted subs at one time.

You can also gift someone a Tier-1 sub for multiple months. For example, you can gift a Tier-1 sub to a viewer for 6 months and it will cost you close to 6 x $4.99 = approx. $30.

This way a viewer can be engaged with a community for a long period of time. You can choose from either 1, 3, 6, or 12-month gift subscription. This feature is not available for Tier-2 or Tier-3 subs though.

You also can’t set recurring gifted sub(s) every month. You will need to purchase the subscription for all months at once. i.e. $30 one-time payment for a 6 month Tier-1 sub.

Pro Tip: Twitch does run some promotional events from time to time, like the SUBtember event in September, when you can get around 20% off of your subscription or gifted subs.

How much are 5 gifted subs on Twitch?

Gifting 5 Tier-1 Sub will cost you $24.95, 5 Tier-2 Sub costs will cost $49.95, and 5 Tier-3 Sub will cost you $124.95. You may have to pay additional applicable taxes based on your location.

How much are 20 gifted subs on Twitch?

Gifting 20 Tier-1 Sub will cost you $99.80, 20 Tier-2 Sub costs will cost $199.80, and Tier-3 Sub costs $499.80. You may have to pay additional applicable taxes based on your location.

Remember you can only gift a maximum of 40 Tier-3 Subs at once which will cost you around $999.60.

Do Streamers get money from Gifted Subs?

Streamers do earn from gifted sub(s). They would receive 50% of the subscription price and Twitch takes the other 50%. For example, if you gift a Tier-1 Sub for $4.99, the streamer would receive $2.49.

If the streamer is a Twitch Partner, they can negotiate their own contract with Twitch and can get up to 70% of the subscription amount. Know more about Twitch Partner vs Affiliate and how much they can earn here.

How to give gifted subs on Twitch?

Follow the steps below to gift a sub.

1. Go to the bottom right corner of the stream. You can select the “Subscribe” button in case you are not a subscriber else it will appear as the “Gift a Sub” button.
2. In case you have not subscribed, you will get a button “Gift a Sub” besides the “Subscribe button”. For viewers already subscribed, they would directly be taken to the gift page.
3. By default, your gifted sub(s) would go to the community. In case you want to gift sub(s) to a specific viewer. Click the “Gift a specific viewer” link and select the viewer.
4. Select the Tier and the number of Gifted Subs. If you want to gift anonymously you can tick the box for “Gift Anonymously”.
5. Complete the payment on the final page.

Notifications would appear on the chat that you gave a gifted sub to the community or the viewer.

If the streamer has kept a subscription alert, it will be notified on the screen as well.

How to gift a sub to a specific person on Twitch?

After you have clicked the subscription button, you will see the “Gift a Sub” button inside the sub modal. Click it to gift sub(s) and then click the “Gift a specific viewer” link. To gift a sub to a specific viewer, you will need to search the viewer by their Twitch ID.

(Faster Method): There is another way to gift a sub to a specific person by clicking the viewer’s name in the chat. In case they have not subscribed yet, you will see a “Gift a Sub” button in their profile. You can click it then select the tier and number of months of subscription to proceed.

Can you refund gifted subs on Twitch?

No, you can not get a refund for gifted subs as these are upfront one-time payments. In case of any fraudulent activity or mistakes, you can contact them by using their Contact Us page or drop in a mail to purchasesupport@twitch.tv, but they do not guarantee a refund or even a mail-back timeline. Make sure to provide as many proofs as possible to strengthen your case.

Do gifted subs on Twitch auto-renew?

No Gifted subs do not auto-renew. Gifted subs on Twitch last for a month in general, unless you have gifted a multiple months subscription to someone.

If you have gifted a multiple months subscription to someone then it would expire once the tenure has ended. For example, if you have gifted a 6 month Tier-1 subscription, they are subscribed to the channel for 6 months and no charges would be applied to you when the 6 months expire.

They would need to re-sub to the channel on their own post that. You do not have to worry about any extra charges on your credit card.

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How to know if you got gifted a sub on Twitch?

When you receive a gifted sub, you will get a notification when you log in. It will appear in the top right corner of the page under your notifications icon.

Make sure to check the notification panel often so that you don’t miss any.

How long does a gifted sub last on Twitch?

All gifted subs last for 1 month only unless you have chosen or have received a gift for multiple months subscription.

To gift multiple months subscription to someone, you will need to select the “Gift a specific viewer” button when you are gifting a sub. You will see an option to “Select months to gift”, you can then chose to gift a 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months subscription.

How to get gifted subs on Twitch?

You can get a sub by getting lucky or sheer hard work. In most cases, it depends on the community of the streamer and how generous they feel that day.

Below are some methods you can try to get yourself a free sub.

1. Be active and supportive in the community. If you get recognized, then you might get lucky
2. Follow a lot of channels, you might end up getting a sub in a few of them
3. By not being a Troll. Trolling is seen in a negative light by the Twitch algorithm and hampers your chance of getting a sub
4. Find out a channel with a competitive sub gifter leaderboard and be a part of the community
5. Participate in giveaways
6. Ask politely for a sub, though may not be the best way to get a sub
7. Keep a watch for any hype train in any channel. Being a part of the community during hype trains leads to unexpected gifts

Follow these 7 methods to boost your chances of getting a gifted sub.

Can you upgrade a Twitch gifted sub?

Yes, you can upgrade your gifted sub to a higher tier anytime but the benefits of the higher tier would enable when your gifted tier subscription ends.

For example, if someone gifted you a Tier-1 sub that ends on 1st January. You then decide to upgrade it to Tier-2 before 1st January. Your Tier-2 upgrade benefits will start post 1st January.

You will also retain the tenure badge even though your 1st month’s subscription was gifted.

In case you want to start the benefits of the upgraded tier immediately, then you can disable Gift Subscription benefits from your subscriptions management page. You will need to re-sub the channel again with an upgraded tier.

Are gifted subs on Twitch random?

Gifted subs to the community seem random but they run on an algorithm where gift recipients are chosen from eligible viewers in chat, then followers, mods, and other factors which help identify members of the community.

The algorithm also avoids giving subs to trolls. Twitch is constantly updating and improving the algorithm to promote a safe and enjoyable streaming environment.

What next?

Now that you are an expert in Twitch Gifted Subs, gift more to earn more respect and attention from the streamer and the community. Earn Twitch gifted sub badges – power up in a stream!