WeChat restores money tips for content creators in Apple devices
WeChat users who use iPhones will be able to send money to their favorite content creators once again, announced Tencent through its WeChat official account on Wednesday, ending a year-long conflict between Apple and the largest social network in China.
“It’s about time,” a 20-something author of a travel-themed blog hosted on WeChat told the Global Times. “Getting direct tips from users provides income, and it also signals the approval and recognition of my readers. It’s good to be able to get tips from users of all platforms.”
The feature, which allows users to send “tips” to bloggers and other authors who publish on WeChat, China’s largest social network, was removed from the iOS version of WeChat in April 2017. The move came after Apple tried to take a 30 percent cut of every transaction, as it does on all in-app purchases for all apps on its App Store platform.
The restoration of the tipping function follows a change in Apple’s developer guidelines last September that allowed users to send monetary “gifts” for free.
Tencent and Apple had not responded to comment requests by the Global Times as of press time.
Experts said that the agreement will give a boost to the thriving new media industry in China.
“Obviously, this is good news for maintaining a healthy ecosystem of WeChat content creators,” Matthew Brennan, founder of WeChat-focused tech consultancy China Channel, told the Global Times on Thursday.
More than 3.5 million official accounts are hosted on WeChat, according to Tencent’s 2017 WeChat Data Report.
The new media industry in China as a whole employed 3 million people and raised more than 5 billion yuan ($789 million) from investors in 2017, according to a report by new media research firm TopKlout, which noted that the industry is entering a phase of consolidation after years of rapid growth.
The agreement is likely to contribute to the maturity of the industry. “iPhone users tend to be
more affluent and better-educated, and they are willing to spend more on content consumption, so this is good news for content creators on WeChat,” Zhang Yi, CEO of iiMedia Research Institute, a mobile internet consulting firm, told the Global Times on Thursday.
“Right now, most new media authors rely on ads for their income, which is detrimental to the user experience. A stronger reliance on direct tips from users will help the industry move toward better quality and service,” noted Zhang.