.png){kind=small}
Brief SummaryTikTok has launched its first-of-its-kind native digital gift card on TikTok Shop, making it seamless for users to purchase from millions of products available on the app. The TikTok Shop Digital Gift Card positions TikTok as a direct competitor to major e-commerce companies such as Amazon, Walmart, and eBay. The gift cards, which range from $10 to $500, can only be redeemed and used within TikTok Shop. Once redeemed, the value is added to the user’s TikTok balance. TikTok Shop is an integrated e-commerce feature built directly into the TikTok app, allowing users to discover, browse, and buy products without leaving the platform.
TikTok introduced its own native digital gift card program—the first of its kind—within its marketplace, TikTok Shop. These gift cards are designed to compete with those offered by Amazon and eBay and can only be used on TikTok Shop to purchase millions of products available on the platform.
Before this official launch, TikTok Shop did not support gift cards as a payment method in its checkout. Even general-purpose gift cards, like Visa Gift Card, sometimes failed due to processing restrictions. You had to use supported payment methods like credit or debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay to make payments on the platform.
But now, users can purchase (or receive it as gift) the TikTok's gift card, load it to their TikTok balance and use it to order any product on the TikTok Shop. This feature was introduced strategically during a busy holiday shopping period so that it can be used to gift TikTok Shop credit to friends and family, and expand TikTok’s e-commerce reach.
The gift cards ranges from $10 to $100, and they're being sent by email as a code that the recipient can redeem. Once redeemed, the value is credited to the user’s TikTok Balance for shopping on TikTok Shop. If the card is gifted, then gift recipients must have a TikTok account to redeem and use the card's value.
Furthermore, cards designing and personalization are another amazing features that come with the gift card. Buyers can choose animated designs for special occasions such as birthdays, holidays, celebrations, thank you card, wedding, and many more. However, it's important to note that these gift cards are for the purpose of gifting shopping credit rather than virtual coins.
TikTok Gift Cards vs. TikTok Coins Gift
The differences between TikTok gift cards and TikTok coins are common questions people ask, and it worth putting some clarities on the two separate “gift cards” concepts that are available on the TikTok app.
TikTok Coins are a virtual in-app currency you buy with real money to support creators by sending them virtual gifts during live streams or on videos. The creators can then convert these coins into diamonds and cash them out in their local currencies, making it a core part of TikTok's creator economy for fan engagement and monetization.
These coins can be redeemed on TikTok’s coin redemption page and users receive coins in their TikTok coin account. You can only purchase these coins on TikTok or through third-party sellers who are also available on the TikTok app itself.
The differences between the TikTok Coins and TikTok Gift Cards are:
- Coins are not gift cards for buying products on TikTok Shop. Instead, they’re for in-app gifts that's only useful for gifting creators and giving engagements during Livestreams.
- Gift Cards, on the other hand, are official TikTok Shop gift cards for purchasing goods on TikTok Shop. They are redeemed into a TikTok Balance that can be used at TikTok Shop checkout, rather than virtual coins.
For now, the TikTok’s digital gift cards are only available for people in the United States to buy. The company also says this is just the beginning, as it plans to improve the gift card experience over time. One of the main updates is giving users more options to customize their gift cards.
In addition to that, the company also says users will be able to record or upload a video message along with the digital gift card by the beginning of 2026. The company also mentioned that recipients will get a special “interactive unboxing” experience that shows their reaction instantly whenever they receive gift card as a gift from family or friends.
