Political donations, now through a Tweet

When people have conversations about politics, they have them on Twitter. It’s what voters learn and share in these conversations that routinely motivates political action. That’s why we’re making it easier for Twitter users to actively support candidates and causes.

We’ve teamed up with Square to enable anyone in the US to make a donation directly to a US candidate through a Tweet, starting today. This is the fastest, easiest way to make an online donation, and the most effective way for campaigns to execute tailored digital fundraising, in real time, on the platform where Americans are already talking about the 2016 election and the issues they are passionate about.

How it works for campaigns

• Candidates can sign up for an account through Square Cash by visiting cash.me, selecting “Business” account, and then emailing campaigns@squareup.com to notify Square of their registration
• Once a campaign has been verified by Square, it can Tweet a unique URL, or $Cashtag, to request donations from supporters
• The Tweet will automatically include an image with a “contribute” button, making it easy for anyone to click to donate directly through the Tweet

How it works for donors

• When you see a Tweet containing a candidate’s $Cashtag and hit the “contribute” button, the Tweet will enable you to select a donation amount and add your debit card and FEC required information
• You’ll then have the option to Tweet the candidate’s $Cashtag to your followers or return to where you were in Twitter

Every day, voters, politicians, and government officials all over the world use Twitter to communicate in creative ways that enrich public discourse and increase government access and accountability.

To complement this process, we’ve developed tools like country-specific notifications that remind people to register to vote, richer Tweets that make email collection for campaigns easier, and real-time audience tailoring so advertisers can better identify and target relevant conversations.

By partnering with Square to enable donations through Tweets, and as the 2016 election season heats up, we’ve upgraded these tools through which citizens can raise their voices to champion causes and candidates they support.