You can help out-of-work salon workers by donating to a virtual tip jar

• Tippy, which allows people to tip their favorite beauty professionals, has launched a virtual tip jar program that lets you send tips to salon workers to help support them while they're unable to work.
• Though Tippy typically charges salons a $300 subscription fee, businesses can sign up for its TIPIT >> FWD program for free.
• People using the program can send tips to hairstylists, tattoo artists, pet groomers, and more from their homes, so long as their business signs up for the program.
• At the time of writing, people have donated more than $76,000 in tips.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Salons across the US might be closed, but there are still ways to support your favorite beauty professionals.

At the end of March, virtual platform Tippy launched a free program that allows people to send money to service workers from the comfort of their homes.

Called TIPIT >> FWD, the virtual tipping jar is described by Tippy as "a platform where a secure transaction is made online and the tips go directly into the salon professional's (or other service provider's) bank account along with an encouraging message."

The TIPIT >> FWD program is free to use and doesn't charge businesses to sign up

Tippy is generally used by salons to support hairstylists and other beauty professionals. The program usually requires salons to first pay a $300 subscription fee, after which their clients can use the platform to send tips directly to workers without the salon having to pay extra processing fees. The tips are also deposited to the workers' bank accounts within one day.

But companies don't have to pay anything to sign up for the TIPIT >> FWD program, and any service worker — including pet groomers, tattoo artists, and more — can receive tips. There's also no subscription fee, though the company will first have to sign up for the program so that it can receive a special link to send to clients.

Beauty professionals need the support of their clients now more than ever before

As Insider previously reported, people might become less reliant on beauty professionals as a result of social distancing. Since the coronavirus pandemic hit the US in March, beauty workers and retailers across the nation have struggled to maintain their businesses as usual, according to a report from data company Poshly.

Speaking to Insider, Poshly CEO Doreen Bloch said "the biggest hit will come to the small business owner and the freelancer who literally cannot do their craft at this moment in time." In place of these professionals, many people are now turning to DIY beauty treatments, online tutorials, and other at-home measures.

"I think the reason we're gonna see this have a long-term impact is that even once the COVID-19 crisis is over, what we expect is that people will still be very cautious about their intimate experiences with service providers," Bloch said.

But that's where tips come in. At the time of writing, more than $76,000 has been donated to service workers through TIPIT >> FWD, according to Tippy. As more salons join the program, that number is expected to rise.

To learn more about the program, visit Tippy's website here.

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