TikTok Shop has introduced a new digital gift card feature, allowing users to send shopping credits to friends and family directly through the platform, in a move that strengthens its challenge to established e-commerce players such as Amazon and eBay.

The rollout comes during the holiday shopping season, a critical period for TikTok’s rapidly growing commerce arm as it seeks to demonstrate long-term value and competitiveness in the global retail market. By adding digital gift cards to its offerings, TikTok Shop is expanding beyond impulse-driven social shopping and positioning itself more firmly as a full-scale e-commerce destination. The development follows the platform’s recent expansion into luxury retail, signaling broader ambitions in the online marketplace.

The digital gift cards can be loaded with amounts ranging from ten to five hundred United States dollars. Users are able to personalize their gifts with a variety of animated designs tailored for occasions such as birthdays, weddings, thank-you messages, and celebrations. Once purchased, the gift cards are delivered via email, and recipients must have an active TikTok account to redeem them.

After redemption, the card’s value is instantly credited to the recipient’s TikTok Balance, which can be used to purchase products available on TikTok Shop. Recipients also have the option to respond with a thank-you message or send a gift card in return, adding a social and interactive layer to the gifting experience. At present, the gift card feature is only available to users in the United States.

TikTok has indicated that further enhancements are already in development. According to the company, users will soon be able to personalize gift cards even more deeply. By early 2026, the platform plans to introduce the ability to record or upload video messages to accompany digital gift cards. A company spokesperson also hinted at an upcoming “interactive unboxing” experience designed to capture recipients’ reactions in real time, though specific details were not disclosed.

The launch follows a major sales milestone for TikTok Shop in the United States. During the four-day Black Friday and Cyber Monday period, the platform reportedly generated more than five hundred million dollars in sales, underscoring its growing influence in the competitive e-commerce landscape.

Despite this momentum, uncertainty continues to surround TikTok’s future in the U.S. The company is under pressure to finalize the sale of its American operations to a U.S.-based investor group. Failure to complete the deal could result in a nationwide ban. Former President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for a resolution to January 23, 2026, leaving the platform’s long-term status in the country unresolved.

Source: Techcrunch