TikTok Explores In-App Payments as U.S. Shopping Activity Grows

TikTok is reportedly exploring an expansion of its in-app payment capabilities in the U.S. as it looks to build on the rapid growth of its commerce business.

According to Bloomberg, the platform is considering bringing TikTok Pay to U.S. users, potentially allowing people to send money to other profiles through direct messages. The payment service is already available in markets including Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand, where users can also pay for products within the app.

TikTok has also introduced TikTok PayLater in some markets, allowing customers to spread purchases across multiple payments. A broader payments infrastructure could further reduce the number of steps between discovering a product and completing a transaction.

The approach is already central to TikTok’s Chinese counterpart, Douyin. The platform promotes Douyin Pay as an option for in-stream transactions, particularly within its growing livestream commerce ecosystem.

That model could be relevant to TikTok as it expands its own shopping business. Research cited in the original report found that livestreams accounted for more than 40% of Douyin’s e-commerce sales in 2024, highlighting the role that integrated payments can play in converting engagement into purchases.

TikTok’s U.S. commerce activity has also been growing. Momentum Works estimated that TikTok generated around $50 billion in gross merchandise value during the first half of 2026, up 92% year over year. The U.S. accounted for approximately $11.8 billion of that total, more than double the previous year’s figure.

Adding payments directly into the platform could therefore be a way to support further growth in shopping, particularly through livestreams and other forms of creator-led commerce.