TikTok could soon make it easier for users to send money to each other without leaving the app.
The company is reportedly exploring a new feature that would let people send payments directly through TikTok direct messages.
According to Bloomberg, code found in the current US iPhone app points to the possible payment feature.
If launched, users could send money in a DM, while the recipient would simply “tap to accept” the payment. Senders may also be able to add a message, much like the experience offered by Venmo.
TikTok Pay could handle the transfers
The feature is reportedly linked to TikTok Pay, the company’s existing payment service.
TikTok Pay is already used in parts of Southeast Asia, mainly for TikTok Shop purchases.
But there is no guarantee that the new money-transfer feature will actually launch.
TikTok told Bloomberg that the payment function is not currently being tested. That means there is no confirmed launch date or guarantee that users will ever get access to it.
TikTok wants to be more than a video app
The move would fit into TikTok’s broader push beyond short-form videos.
The platform has expanded into shopping, search, local discovery, games and hotel bookings. It is increasingly starting to look like an all-in-one app rather than just a place for watching videos.
TikTok has also explored financial services in other countries. Reuters reported earlier this year that the company had sought approval from Brazil’s central bank to operate as a fintech offering lending and payment services.
Could TikTok take on Venmo and Zelle?
If TikTok eventually adds peer-to-peer payments, it could find itself competing with established services such as Venmo and Zelle.
Other social platforms are making similar moves. X, formerly Twitter, has already launched X Money in the United States, allowing users to send money to one another.
For TikTok, putting payments inside DMs could bring social networking, shopping and money transfers even closer together.
And if the feature becomes reality, sending money could become just another thing people do while chatting on TikTok.
