- TikTok is working on a feature to send money between users via direct messages, according to the code in its iPhone app.
- The tool would use TikTok Pay, available in Southeast Asia, and would be in an early stage of development.
- Users are already spending more than $2.900 billion on the platform, which seeks to retain that money within its ecosystem.
- The measure would face regulatory challenges and competition from services such as X Money, Venmo, or Zelle.
The Chinese-owned social network may be taking another step towards becoming a super app. According to reports in recent hours, TikTok is developing a feature that would allow users to send money directly through the app's private messages. If confirmed, this measure would represent a significant advance in the company's strategy to integrate financial services into its ecosystem.
The clue has appeared in the hidden code of the current version of the iPhone app in the United States, as reported by Bloomberg. Internal references suggest that recipients could accept payments with a simple tap before the transaction expires, while senders would receive notifications about the delivery status and could attach a message, much like what Venmo already offers in the US market.
An early-stage feature that would use TikTok Pay
The company has clarified that the feature is not currently being tested in any market , a spokesperson confirmed to Bloomberg. This means it's in a very early stage of development, so there's no estimated release date or guarantee that it will ever be launched. In fact, it's common in the tech world for many tools to appear in code but never reach the market.
If it ultimately materializes, the infrastructure used would be TikTok Pay, the payment system the company already operates in Southeast Asia. Currently, this service is available in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand , where it is primarily used to process purchases made within TikTok Shop . The intention would be to expand this same system so that it could also be used for peer-to-peer transfers.
The company is looking to Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, as a model. Douyin already offers Douyin Pay, an integrated financial system that allows users to link bank accounts, make purchases, pay for live streams, and send tips within the app. The experience gained in the Asian market could serve as a foundation for a future global expansion of these services.
The money business within TikTok
The business logic behind this potential feature is quite clear. Millions of users already conduct financial transactions within the platform , whether by purchasing products in the TikTok Shop, acquiring digital currency to send virtual gifts to creators, or paying for exclusive content. However, many direct transfers between users currently fall outside the app's control.
It's not uncommon to see content creators including their PayPal, Venmo, or Bizum accounts in their profiles so followers can send them money directly. With this new feature, TikTok could keep these transactions within its own ecosystem, allowing it to gather more data on its users' financial behavior and potentially generate new revenue streams for those looking to make money on TikTok.
The company's figures are compelling. According to Sensor Tower data compiled by Bloomberg, users have spent more than $2.900 billion on TikTok so far this year . The platform has been the leading app in in-app purchase revenue since 2022, surpassing giants like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram in the US market.
ByteDance and its commitment to the fintech sector
This foray into financial services is nothing new for ByteDance, TikTok's parent company. The Beijing-based company has been developing and investing in its own payment tools for years, aiming to increase spending and engagement within its apps. Job postings published by TikTok and ByteDance in the United States and other countries confirm their interest in strengthening their financial product teams.
Furthermore, several of the executives involved in this strategy are former executives of JPMorgan Chase, the largest bank in the United States, which has already collaborated with the Chinese company on the development of its payments infrastructure. This connection to the traditional banking sector lends a degree of credibility to the company's financial expansion plans.
Earlier this year, TikTok also applied to Brazil's central bank for approval to operate as a financial technology company offering lending and payment services, according to Reuters. This move demonstrates that the company is exploring different avenues to enter the fintech sector globally, although the pace of implementation will largely depend on each country's regulations.
Competition and regulatory risks
TikTok isn't the only platform exploring this area. Elon Musk's social network, X, has already launched X Money , a user-to-user payment tool that some creators have begun testing. Musk has been working for some time on transforming X into a multifunctional app that includes financial services, following the model of Asian super apps like WeChat.
In the US market, services like Venmo and Zelle maintain strong positions, backed by traditional banking partnerships and established usage habits. TikTok's strategic advantage lies in its ability to capitalize on organic traffic and its user retention algorithm, significantly reducing the cost of acquiring users compared to traditional digital wallets.
However, the expansion into financial services is not without its challenges. Some of TikTok's current payment tools have been mentioned in lawsuits filed by state attorneys general in the United States , alleging that certain features may have facilitated the sexual and financial exploitation of minors, violated money transmission laws, or facilitated money laundering. A direct-to-user payments feature would predictably increase regulatory scrutiny in areas such as identity verification, fraud prevention, and child protection.
The context in Spain and Europe
In Europe, the arrival of these types of features will largely depend on compliance with EU regulations. Payment services are regulated in the European Union , with requirements such as strong customer authentication and the obligation to obtain specific licenses to operate as a payment institution. TikTok would have to adapt its service to these requirements if it wanted to launch it in countries like Spain.
In Spain, the use of social media as a shopping channel is projected to double by 2025, according to the National Observatory of Technology and Society (ONTSI). This figure reflects the growing confidence of Spanish consumers in digital platforms for conducting financial transactions, which could facilitate the adoption of peer-to-peer payments if they are eventually implemented.
For now, the company insists that payments via direct messages remain only a possibility under development. The appearance of the code in the app makes a broader ambition clear: TikTok wants its users not only to watch videos and buy products within the app , but eventually also to be able to transfer money without leaving it. If implemented, the feature would bring the platform even closer to the superapp model, where social media, commerce, and financial services converge under a single interface.
The news comes at a particularly delicate time for the company in the United States, where it recently finalized an agreement to transfer part of its operations to American investors, including Oracle and Silver Lake, in an effort to avoid a nationwide ban. The Trump administration also lifted restrictions on the use of TikTok on federal government devices, concluding that the app no longer poses the same security risk as previously indicated. This new scenario could make it easier for the company to explore more sensitive products, including financial services.
