diff --git a/src/app/tip/__tests__/tip-screen.checkout.test.tsx b/src/app/tip/__tests__/tip-screen.checkout.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..792ba704
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/tip/__tests__/tip-screen.checkout.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,191 @@
+/* @vitest-environment jsdom */
+
+import { act } from "react";
+import { createRoot, type Root } from "react-dom/client";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+import {
+  PaymentPlanSchema,
+  type PaymentPlan,
+} from "@/data/schemas/payment";
+import type { PaymentContextState } from "@/stores/payment/payment-context";
+
+const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  payment: null as unknown as PaymentContextState,
+  paymentDispatch: vi.fn(),
+  planClick: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@/app/_components", () => ({
+  BackButton: () => null,
+  CharacterAvatar: () => null,
+}));
+vi.mock("@/app/_components/core", () => ({
+  MobileShell: ({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) => children,
+}));
+vi.mock("@/app/_components/payment/payment-method-selector", () => ({
+  PaymentMethodSelector: () => null,
+}));
+vi.mock("@/app/_hooks/use-payment-method-selection", () => ({
+  usePaymentMethodSelection: () => undefined,
+}));
+vi.mock("@/app/_hooks/use-payment-plan-analytics", () => ({
+  usePaymentPlanAnalytics: () => undefined,
+}));
+vi.mock("@/app/_hooks/use-payment-route-flow", () => ({
+  usePaymentRouteFlow: () => ({
+    payment: mocks.payment,
+    paymentDispatch: mocks.paymentDispatch,
+  }),
+}));
+vi.mock("@/lib/analytics", () => ({
+  behaviorAnalytics: { planClick: mocks.planClick },
+}));
+vi.mock("@/providers/character-provider", () => ({
+  useActiveCharacter: () => ({
+    id: "maya-tan",
+    displayName: "Maya Tan",
+    assets: {
+      avatar: "/images/avatar/maya.png",
+      cover: "/images/cover/maya.png",
+    },
+    copy: {
+      tipHeader: "Tip Maya",
+      tipTitle: "Buy Maya a coffee",
+    },
+  }),
+  useActiveCharacterRoutes: () => ({
+    splash: "/characters/maya/splash",
+    tip: "/characters/maya/tip",
+  }),
+}));
+vi.mock("@/stores/user/user-context", () => ({
+  useUserState: () => ({ currentUser: null }),
+}));
+vi.mock("../tip-checkout-button", () => ({
+  TipCheckoutButton: ({
+    disabled,
+    onOrder,
+  }: {
+    disabled?: boolean;
+    onOrder: () => void;
+  }) => (
+    <button
+      type="button"
+      data-testid="tip-checkout"
+      disabled={disabled}
+      onClick={onOrder}
+    >
+      Checkout
+    </button>
+  ),
+}));
+vi.mock("../tip-coffee-tier-selector", () => ({
+  TipCoffeeTierSelector: () => null,
+}));
+
+import { TipScreen } from "../tip-screen";
+
+const mediumPlan: PaymentPlan = PaymentPlanSchema.parse({
+  planId: "tip_coffee_usd_9_99",
+  planName: "Gilded Heart",
+  orderType: "tip",
+  vipDays: null,
+  dolAmount: null,
+  creditBalance: 0,
+  amountCents: 999,
+  originalAmountCents: null,
+  dailyPriceCents: null,
+  currency: "USD",
+  isFirstRechargeOffer: false,
+  mostPopular: false,
+  firstRechargeDiscountPercent: null,
+  promotionType: null,
+});
+
+describe("TipScreen checkout", () => {
+  let container: HTMLDivElement;
+  let root: Root;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    (globalThis as { IS_REACT_ACT_ENVIRONMENT?: boolean })
+      .IS_REACT_ACT_ENVIRONMENT = true;
+    mocks.payment = makePaymentState();
+    mocks.paymentDispatch.mockReset();
+    mocks.planClick.mockReset();
+    container = document.createElement("div");
+    document.body.append(container);
+    root = createRoot(container);
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    act(() => root.unmount());
+    container.remove();
+  });
+
+  it("creates a character-attributed order without an AuthProvider", () => {
+    renderScreen();
+    const checkout = getCheckoutButton();
+
+    expect(checkout.disabled).toBe(false);
+    act(() => checkout.click());
+
+    expect(mocks.planClick).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      mediumPlan,
+      expect.objectContaining({ entryPoint: "tip_page" }),
+    );
+    expect(mocks.paymentDispatch).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      type: "PaymentCreateOrderSubmitted",
+      recipientCharacterId: "maya-tan",
+    });
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    ["plans are loading", { isLoadingPlans: true }],
+    ["the selected plan is missing", { plans: [], selectedPlanId: "" }],
+    ["an order is being created", { isCreatingOrder: true }],
+    ["an order is being polled", { isPollingOrder: true }],
+    ["the order is paid", { isPaid: true }],
+  ] as const)("disables checkout when %s", (_label, overrides) => {
+    mocks.payment = makePaymentState(overrides);
+    renderScreen();
+
+    expect(getCheckoutButton().disabled).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  function renderScreen(): void {
+    act(() => root.render(<TipScreen />));
+  }
+
+  function getCheckoutButton(): HTMLButtonElement {
+    const button = container.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>(
+      '[data-testid="tip-checkout"]',
+    );
+    if (!button) throw new Error("Missing Tip checkout button");
+    return button;
+  }
+});
+
+function makePaymentState(
+  overrides: Partial<PaymentContextState> = {},
+): PaymentContextState {
+  return {
+    status: "ready",
+    plans: [mediumPlan],
+    isFirstRecharge: false,
+    selectedPlanId: mediumPlan.planId,
+    payChannel: "stripe",
+    autoRenew: false,
+    agreed: true,
+    currentOrderId: null,
+    payParams: null,
+    orderStatus: null,
+    errorMessage: null,
+    launchNonce: 0,
+    isLoadingPlans: false,
+    isCreatingOrder: false,
+    isPollingOrder: false,
+    isPaid: false,
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
diff --git a/src/app/tip/__tests__/tip-screen.helpers.test.ts b/src/app/tip/__tests__/tip-screen.helpers.test.ts
index 59ebaa86..137e365a 100644
--- a/src/app/tip/__tests__/tip-screen.helpers.test.ts
+++ b/src/app/tip/__tests__/tip-screen.helpers.test.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import type { PaymentPlanInput } from "@/data/schemas/payment/payment_plan";
 import {
   findTipCoffeePlan,
   formatTipPrice,
-  isRealLoginStatus,
 } from "../tip-screen.helpers";
 
 function makePlan(input: Partial<PaymentPlanInput>): PaymentPlan {
@@ -74,10 +73,4 @@ describe("tip screen helpers", () => {
     expect(formatTipPrice(null, "medium")).toBe("US$ 9.99");
     expect(formatTipPrice(null, "large")).toBe("US$ 19.99");
   });
-
-  it("treats guest and notLoggedIn as non-real login states", () => {
-    expect(isRealLoginStatus("guest")).toBe(false);
-    expect(isRealLoginStatus("notLoggedIn")).toBe(false);
-    expect(isRealLoginStatus("facebook")).toBe(true);
-  });
 });
diff --git a/src/app/tip/tip-checkout-button.tsx b/src/app/tip/tip-checkout-button.tsx
index f09cffbc..0bd50538 100644
--- a/src/app/tip/tip-checkout-button.tsx
+++ b/src/app/tip/tip-checkout-button.tsx
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ const log = new Logger("TipCheckoutButton");
 export interface TipCheckoutButtonProps {
   coffeeType: TipCoffeeType;
   disabled?: boolean;
-  isAuthLoading?: boolean;
   onOrder: () => void;
   returnPath: string;
 }
@@ -25,7 +24,6 @@ export interface TipCheckoutButtonProps {
 export function TipCheckoutButton({
   coffeeType,
   disabled = false,
-  isAuthLoading = false,
   onOrder,
   returnPath,
 }: TipCheckoutButtonProps) {
@@ -42,8 +40,7 @@ export function TipCheckoutButton({
     characterSlug: character.slug,
   });
 
-  const isLoading =
-    isAuthLoading || payment.isCreatingOrder || payment.isPollingOrder;
+  const isLoading = payment.isCreatingOrder || payment.isPollingOrder;
   const label = payment.isPollingOrder
     ? "Processing payment..."
     : payment.isCreatingOrder
diff --git a/src/app/tip/tip-screen.helpers.ts b/src/app/tip/tip-screen.helpers.ts
index b816b218..abb79f71 100644
--- a/src/app/tip/tip-screen.helpers.ts
+++ b/src/app/tip/tip-screen.helpers.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import type { LoginStatus } from "@/data/schemas/auth";
 import type { PaymentPlan } from "@/data/schemas/payment";
 import {
   getTipCoffeeOption,
@@ -30,7 +29,3 @@ export function formatTipPrice(
   if (currency.length > 0) return `${currency} ${formattedAmount}`;
   return formattedAmount;
 }
-
-export function isRealLoginStatus(loginStatus: LoginStatus): boolean {
-  return loginStatus !== "notLoggedIn" && loginStatus !== "guest";
-}
diff --git a/src/app/tip/tip-screen.tsx b/src/app/tip/tip-screen.tsx
index 8c56136c..8b31470d 100644
--- a/src/app/tip/tip-screen.tsx
+++ b/src/app/tip/tip-screen.tsx
@@ -23,12 +23,10 @@ import {
   TIP_COFFEE_OPTIONS,
   type TipCoffeeType,
 } from "@/lib/tip/tip_coffee";
-import { useAppNavigator } from "@/router/use-app-navigator";
 import {
   useActiveCharacter,
   useActiveCharacterRoutes,
 } from "@/providers/character-provider";
-import { useAuthState } from "@/stores/auth/auth-context";
 import { useUserState } from "@/stores/user/user-context";
 
 import { TipCheckoutButton } from "./tip-checkout-button";
@@ -39,7 +37,6 @@ import {
 import {
   findTipCoffeePlan,
   formatTipPrice,
-  isRealLoginStatus,
 } from "./tip-screen.helpers";
 import styles from "./tip-screen.module.css";
 
@@ -59,10 +56,8 @@ export function TipScreen({
   shouldResumePendingOrder = false,
   initialPayChannel = null,
 }: TipScreenProps) {
-  const navigator = useAppNavigator();
   const character = useActiveCharacter();
   const characterRoutes = useActiveCharacterRoutes();
-  const authState = useAuthState();
   const userState = useUserState();
   const paymentMethodConfig = getPaymentMethodConfig({
     countryCode: userState.currentUser?.countryCode,
@@ -125,7 +120,6 @@ export function TipScreen({
     payment.status === "ready" && !payment.isLoadingPlans && coffeePlan === null;
   const isTierSelectionDisabled =
     payment.status !== "ready" || payment.isLoadingPlans || isPaymentBusy;
-  const isAuthLoading = !authState.hasInitialized || authState.isLoading;
 
   const handlePaymentMethodChange = (payChannel: PayChannel) => {
     paymentDispatch({
@@ -176,16 +170,9 @@ export function TipScreen({
   ]);
 
   const handleOrder = () => {
-    if (isAuthLoading) return;
-    if (coffeePlan) {
-      behaviorAnalytics.planClick(coffeePlan, TIP_ANALYTICS_CONTEXT);
-    }
-    if (!isRealLoginStatus(authState.loginStatus)) {
-      navigator.openAuth(returnPath);
-      return;
-    }
     if (!canCreateOrder) return;
 
+    behaviorAnalytics.planClick(coffeePlan, TIP_ANALYTICS_CONTEXT);
     paymentDispatch({
       type: "PaymentCreateOrderSubmitted",
       recipientCharacterId: character.id,
@@ -249,7 +236,8 @@ export function TipScreen({
             {character.copy.tipTitle}
           </h1>
           <p className={styles.subtitle}>
-            Send a warm coffee tip and keep the private moments glowing.
+            ❤️ Thank you for being here. If you&apos;d ever like to treat me to a
+            little coffee, I&apos;d really appreciate it. ☕
           </p>
         </section>
 
@@ -322,11 +310,7 @@ export function TipScreen({
         <div className={styles.checkoutSlot}>
           <TipCheckoutButton
             coffeeType={selectedCoffeeType}
-            disabled={
-              showMissingPlan ||
-              (!canCreateOrder && isRealLoginStatus(authState.loginStatus))
-            }
-            isAuthLoading={isAuthLoading}
+            disabled={showMissingPlan || !canCreateOrder}
             onOrder={handleOrder}
             returnPath={returnPath}
           />