TikTok Shop Introduces Digital Gift Cards to Rival Amazon and eBay
TikTok Shop has unveiled a new feature that enables users to purchase digital gift cards, enhancing the ease with which friends and family can shop from the app’s extensive product range. This strategic launch during the holiday season underscores TikTok Shop’s ambition to solidify its position in the e-commerce sector, directly challenging established platforms like Amazon and eBay.
The digital gift cards, available exclusively in the U.S. at present, can be loaded with amounts ranging from $10 to $500. Users have the option to personalize these cards with a variety of animated designs suitable for occasions such as birthdays, weddings, and expressions of gratitude. Upon purchase, the gift cards are delivered via email, and recipients—who must have a TikTok account—can redeem them to instantly credit their TikTok Balance. Additionally, recipients can respond with a thank-you note or reciprocate by sending a gift card in return.
Looking ahead, TikTok plans to enhance the personalization features of its gift cards. By early 2026, users will be able to attach video messages to their digital gift cards. A company spokesperson mentioned that this update will include an interactive unboxing experience designed to capture recipients’ real-time reactions, though further details were not disclosed.
This introduction of digital gift cards follows a significant achievement for TikTok Shop, which reported over $500 million in sales in the U.S. during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period. Despite this success, the platform faces potential challenges, as the sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations to an American investor group is under consideration. Without a sale, TikTok could face a ban in the U.S., with a deadline set for January 23, 2026, leaving the app’s future in the country uncertain.
