TikTok Shop launches digital gift cards to challenge Amazon and eBay

3 months ago 44
A laptop keyboard and TikTok logo displayed connected  a telephone  surface  are seen successful  this aggregate  vulnerability  illustration.Image Credits:Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto / Getty Images

6:00 AM PST · December 22, 2025

TikTok Shop has rolled retired a caller diagnostic that allows users to acquisition integer acquisition cards, making it easier to assistance friends and household bargain from the millions of products connected the app.

​The diagnostic was strategically launched during the vacation play — a high-stakes play for the company’s buying part arsenic it aims to beryllium its worth successful the market. ​This determination into integer gifting positions TikTok Shop to vie much straight with e-commerce giants similar Amazon and eBay, some of which connection acquisition paper options. TikTok Shop has besides precocious expanded into luxury retail, different determination to solidify its footing successful e-commerce.

Users tin load the acquisition cards with thing from $10 to $500. What sets these cards isolated is the quality to personalize them utilizing a wide assortment of animated designs. There are besides animations for convey you cards, birthdays, weddings, and different occasions.

Gift cards are delivered via email, and recipients indispensable person a TikTok account. Once redeemed, the card’s worth is instantly credited to their TikTok Balance. Recipients tin reply with a thank-you enactment oregon adjacent nonstop a acquisition paper successful return.

However, the acquisition cards tin lone beryllium purchased successful the U.S. for now.

Image Credits:TikTok Shop

TikTok said it plans to adhd features that fto users personalize acquisition cards more. By aboriginal 2026, users volition beryllium capable to grounds oregon upload video messages to connect to their integer acquisition cards. A institution spokesperson said the acquisition volition besides see an “interactive unboxing that captures their absorption successful real-time,” but declined to stock further details.

The motorboat of integer acquisition cards comes connected the heels of a important milestone for TikTok Shop: Over the 4 days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the app recorded income of more than $500 million successful the U.S.

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However, contempt this achievement, TikTok Shop faces uncertainty arsenic the merchantability of the app’s U.S. operations to an American capitalist radical looms. If a merchantability doesn’t occur, TikTok faces a imaginable prohibition successful the country. President Trump has extended the deadline to January 23, 2026, leaving the app’s aboriginal successful the U.S. hanging successful the balance.

Lauren covers media, streaming, apps and platforms astatine TechCrunch.

You tin interaction oregon verify outreach from Lauren by emailing laurenf.techcrunch@gmail.com oregon via encrypted connection astatine laurenforris22.25 connected Signal.

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