TipTracer™ FAQ's (including some you might be thinking but are afraid to ask):

Q: The TipTracer fee is 1L for every 80L tipped, so what if someone pays only 70L ?
A: An internal counter is maintained. So 1L won't be charged until that counter hits 80L. For example, if four people pay 20L each, 1L will be deducted only after the 4th person tips 20L.

Q: What if someone pays 200L?
A: Well, 1.25% of 200L is 2L and some fraction. So 2L will be deducted immediately, and 40L (the unbilled overage) will be stored in the internal counter.

Q: So where/who does the 1.25% service fee go to?
A: Payments are made to "MHSDonationJar Clip".

Q: Isn't 1.25% a tad expensive?
O (Opinion): Let's put it this way... Say you have a club that takes in about 25000L over the course of 12 months. And during that time, you're able to analyze who tipped you at what time. You can also sort on amount tipped, how many times a particular person tipped you, what location is most profitable, and if you have more than one Techno Tip Cube on your premises, additional possibilties too long to mention here. For all that -- over that 12 month period -- you'll be paying me a grand total of about $1.20 USD.

Q: But if I make no tips, I'm wasting my money. Isn't that right?
A: No. If you make no tips, then 1.25% of nothing is zero. That's what makes this system so cool -- there is no flat-rate minimum fee!

Q: Can the 1.25% service fee be refunded to me if something goes wrong?
A: Sorry, but no. A lot of design work was put into the TipTracer system to ensure a service fee is applied only after the server has recorded it. For instance, if the server is down, then no service fee is applied. There is also a bit of responsibility on your behalf in ensuring your TipTracer-registered jars aren't regarded as "stale" in the eyes of the TipTracer system (data associated with inactive jars are deleted after 360 days). Refer to the TipTracer Considerations page for more info on this topic. If you are ever concerned that the TipTracer system is not functioning to the level of performance that you expect, simply unregistered your cube(s) from the TipTracer system.

Q: Is there periodic billing, such as weekly or monthly for this service?
A: No. The 1.25% fee is charged after the tip is paid into the cube. You'll see a payment dialog "You paid MHSDonationJar Clip 'x' Lindens" after a tip is received. Your account can never go negative. Consider the TipTracer system like a "sharing" facility whereby you're giving the avatar "MHSDonationJar Clip" 1.25% of your tips.

Q: What if I have sharing enabled for someone else? Is the 1.25% charged before or after the tip sharing?
A: The 1.25% service fee applies to the original tip amount (i.e., before). So if someone tips 160L, then 2L (1.25% of 160) is paid to MHSDonationJar Clip first. Then your recipient shares are based on percentages of the remaining amount (158L). As you can see, at 1.25% the difference is quite small.

Q: What if an employee is logged in? Is the 1.25% charged before or after the employee's share?
A: Same as the previous response -- the 1.25% service fee applies to the original tip amount. So if someone tips 160L, then 2L (1.25% of 160) is first paid to MHSDonationJar Clip. Then the logged-in employee will get your designated EMPLOYEE PERCENTAGE of the remaining amount (158L).

Q: What if your site is down and the data isn't stored?
A: Good question! The cube waits for an acknowledgment that the tip information was successfully stored on TipTracer. The 1.25% fee is paid only after the cube receives a message back from the TipTracer system. (Sidenote: if you have tip sharing enabled, then referring to the preceding example, your shared recipient amounts will still be based on 158L.. the canceled 2L service fee remains in your account to keep!)

Q: Is TipTracer storing my money?
A: NO! TipTracer only stores information on tips made -- who paid, how much, when, and where. The name you've set your cube to is also stored (helpful if you have multiple jars registered). Bottom line: TipTracer is NOT a service account that holds your money.

Q: Do my operators have access to TipTracer ?
A: No. TipTracer is an Admin-only function. Only you -- the exalted owner -- have access to registering/unregistering TipTracer.

Q: If I have more than one cube, how does TipTracer distinguish them?
A: TipTracer can list tips made into all your jars collectively, or provide list details on each cube individually. After logging into the TipTracer viewer, click the tab titled Cube Breakdown. That area provides both a tabular and graphical summary of all jars that you have registered. Internally, they are distinguished from each other by their Linden-assigned object key (also known as a UUID), but you will see them listed in TipTracer by the name that you set in the object's "Name" field. Therefore, I recommend you rename your cube from the default name ("Techno Tip Cube") to something that you can relate to. For example, "Front Entrance Tip Cube ", "Stage Tip Cube", etc. By all means, include the name of your club. Be descriptive!

Q: Regarding the last question on renaming a cube, are you referring to the Hover Text above the cube?
A: No, not the hover text display title. I'm referring to the "Name" field in the Linden edit dialog (Right-click the cube, then select "Edit", then click the "General" tab).

Q: How does TipTracer know that I've changed a cube's name?
A: After renaming your Techno Tip Cube, simply click the cube to bring up the options dialog. That will notify the server of the cube's existence, which includes it's given name. Does that mean TipTracer will never know the new cube's new name if you forget to click it? No. The information will eventually get sent to the server when someone tips into it, or at a minimum via the daily pings the cube sends to the server.

Q: Can others see my TipTracer history log?
A: No. Unless you give out your password, no one else can see your tip history data.

Q: Regarding the name "TipTracer"... is that a typo? (shouldn't there be a "k" in the name?)
A: No. That other name, and derivations thereof, were found too often on the Internet (even some with a "™" symbol), so TipTracer was the chosen name! I have seen references to an executable (EXE) file with the TIPTRACER name, which is sometimes accompanied with unflattering remarks. Please note that my system has nothing to do with that program!

Q: Does use of the TipTracer system compromise my privacy or security?
A: No! Nein! Naddo! Nyet! (What other languages can I answer in? Try here) But seriously, the answer is indeed no. Here's a more concise discussion on web security with Flash-based interfaces from Adobe.

Q: With Flash support in modern browsers being retired on 31-Dec-2020, what will happen to the TipTracer charting system?
A: I am working on a new charting system for 2021. If I am unable to deploy the new system by sometime in mid-December 2020, you will observe that the 1.25% TipTracer fee will be temporarily waived. Tips will still be recorded for eventual viewing on a new charting system. TipTracer fees will then resume, but any tips recorded during the “down time” will be free.