TikTok explores the payment feature between users through direct messages

TikTok, the social media application, is analyzing the possibility of introducing a payment feature between users through direct messages, a move that would expand the platform's financial services.

According to Bloomberg, this feature would utilize TikTok Pay, currently available in Southeast Asia, to manage transactions. Evidence of this feature has been found in the code of the TikTok app for iPhone in the U.S., suggesting that users could accept payments before a due date and could receive notifications about the transaction status. Although a spokesperson for TikTok stated that the feature is not being tested in any market, its development suggests that ByteDance Ltd. is exploring this option.

TikTok Pay is already used for purchases in TikTok Shop in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand. Peer-to-peer payment features could help TikTok retain and engage users within its ecosystem, similar to other social media applications that integrate financial services.