TikTok Might Soon Let Users Send Money Directly in DMs

TikTok is laying the groundwork to allow users to send money directly to one another within direct messages. Developers found code in the latest version of the US iPhone app that describes a payment flow similar to apps like Venmo. Users would be able to send funds with a short note and recipients would tap to accept the transfer before it expires.

While the company currently confirms that no features are being actively tested, the infrastructure appears to build on TikTok Pay, the wallet system already used in several Asian markets for shopping checkouts. This move would represent a significant shift for the app, which currently keeps financial transactions mostly limited to creator gifts and storefront purchases.

Adding peer to peer payments would keep users on the platform longer rather than driving them to third party apps to settle up. However, the company faces significant legal hurdles, including ongoing scrutiny from state attorneys general regarding money transmission laws and user safety. Whether this becomes a core part of the app or remains an experimental project depends on how the company manages these complex regulatory challenges.