“I thought that the simplicity of a cash tip jar — just drop your dollar bill in — should have a credit card equivalent. That’s how the idea for DipJar was born.” Ryder Kessler, DipJar co-founder
2008
It all started with coffee
After frequent visits to a local coffee shop and conversations with baristas, Ryder Kessler found that the new wide acceptance of credit cards, even for small amounts, caused a decrease in cash tips. Customers were no longer dropping their change into the tip jar and point of sale systems for credit card payments didn’t allow for easy tipping.
2012
The First DipJar
After finishing graduate school, Kessler found that the problem he identified four years prior still had no solution, and it had actually gotten worse.
Kessler worked with Simon Enever, an industrial engineer, to create the first prototype of the DipJar. Kessler then consulted co-founders Judd Kessler and Jordan Bar Am to determine the tipping dollar amount for DipJars. Their research on charitable giving suggested that people are more likely to be generous when the amount to give is clear. So, the DipJar founding team decided to keep it simple and eliminate the decision-making process by telling people ‘this is the amount you can tip’.
DipJar rolled out two dozen DipJars in the New York City area in the summer of 2012. The success of these first DipJars fueled the future of the product.
“We intended to do a short trial, but once they were on the countertops the stores didn’t want to give them back,” co-founder, Ryder Kessler
2015
Lights, Sound, Dip & Tip!
With more DipJars being used by small businesses and charitable organizations, it was time to make a few upgrades to the hardware device. In order to provide a better dipping experience, lights and a “cha-ching” sound were added to the next generation of the DipJar.
Additionally, the DipJar customer was now able to choose the amount displayed on the Jar for the tip or donation, allowing them more control over their DipJar than the previous model that was pre-set by DipJar.
2016
Dip to Donate
As newer point of sale systems finally allowed for easy credit card tipping, founder Kessler noticed that the nonprofit sector was now experiencing a very similar problem that he identified eight years ago. Many charitable organizations were not equipped to accept credit card donations easily and donors were becoming less likely to carry cash or checks. So, DipJar made a small pivot to focus on helping nonprofit organizations Create More Giving moments.
2020
Spark Impact
In early 2020, DipJar launched Spark, a customizable display campaign that connects seamlessly with the DipJar device. Spark campaigns help DipJar customers create an engaging and educational experience for their donors.
With online and mobile donations becoming increasingly popular, DipJar released SparkVirtual in September 2020. SparkVirtual builds on Spark’s display capabilities by extending it to allow DipJar customers to accept online and mobile donations.
Today and Tomorrow
Creating More Giving Moments
DipJar continues to innovate to develop products and features that help nonprofit organizations fundraise in a fun and memorable way.