Transparency & Compliance

Transparency & Compliance

Built to stay fair, legal, and transparent

At TipLink, recognition should never come with hidden fees, unclear rules, or confusion.

That’s why the platform is built around clarity, fairness, and compliance — so individuals and customers always understand how payments work, where money goes, and what each party’s responsibilities are.

1. Payment Processing & Stripe Fees

All payments made through TipLink are securely processed by Stripe, one of the world’s most trusted payment providers.

When a customer leaves a tip:

  • Stripe applies its standard UK processing fee (currently 1.5% + 20p per transaction)
  • This fee goes directly to Stripe — not to TipLink
  • The fee covers card processing, security, and fraud protection

Individuals can see the full breakdown inside their TipLink dashboard.

Customers also have the option to cover the Stripe fee, allowing the individual to receive the full tip amount.

2. Tax & Income Responsibility (UK)

Tips received through TipLink are classed as taxable income under UK law.

How tips are treated depends on how the individual works.

Employed Individuals (PAYE)

If you’re employed and receive tips directly from customers (not through your employer):

  • You don’t pay additional National Insurance on those tips
  • The income is still taxable and must be declared to HMRC

If your total tips are:

  • Under £2,500 per year – you usually don’t need to complete a Self Assessment
  • You can contact HMRC with your National Insurance number and tip amount
  • HMRC may adjust your tax code to collect tax through PAYE

If you expect to earn £2,500–£10,000 in tips, you should inform HMRC so your tax code can be adjusted.

Self-Employed Individuals

If you’re self-employed, tips count as part of your business income and must be declared through Self Assessment.

Through your TipLink dashboard, you can:

  • View total tips by date range
  • Export transaction history as CSV or PDF
  • Keep accurate records for tax reporting

Tips are subject to standard income tax and National Insurance (Class 2 and 4 where applicable).

Businesses & Employers

If a business allows staff to use TipLink:

  • Tips are paid directly from customers to individuals
  • Payments do not pass through the business
  • Employers do not deduct PAYE or NI on those tips
  • Businesses have no HMRC reporting responsibility for TipLink tips

Each individual remains responsible for declaring their own income.

For official guidance, see: gov.uk/tax-on-tips

3. Customer Names, Messages & Privacy

Customers may optionally:

  • add their first name
  • leave a short message of appreciation

This is completely optional.

  • Names and messages are visible only to the individual receiving the tip
  • Customers can remain anonymous
  • No customer data is shared with employers or third parties

All personal data is handled in line with UK GDPR.

TipLink Ltd. is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

4. No-Commission Policy

TipLink does not take a percentage of tips.

Here’s how it works:

  • Individuals receive 100% of the tip, minus Stripe’s processing fee
  • TipLink earns only from subscription plans that provide platform access and features
  • There are no hidden deductions, markups, or third-party commissions

This ensures appreciation reaches the person who earned it.

5. Our Commitment to Transparency

We regularly review and update this page to reflect:

  • regulatory changes
  • payment provider updates
  • platform improvements

Our commitment is simple:

  • every payment is trackable
  • every fee is visible
  • every user understands their responsibilities

Questions or Clarifications

If you have any questions about payments, compliance, or transparency, you can contact us at: support@tiplink.co.uk

or via the WhatsApp Business chat on our website.