TikTok Shop rolls out digital gift cards in the U.S. as it pushes deeper into e-commerce
The new feature signals the platform’s growing ambition to compete with Amazon and eBay beyond social shopping.
TikTok Shop is stepping up its e-commerce ambitions with a new digital gift card feature, just in time for the holiday season. You can now buy gift cards ranging from $10 to $500, making it easier to treat friends and family to the millions of products available on the platform. Unlike traditional gift cards, TikTok’s version comes with a personal touch; you can pick from animated designs for birthdays, weddings, thank-yous, and more.
For now, gift cards can only be purchased in the U.S., and recipients need a TikTok account to redeem them. Once redeemed, the balance is instantly added to their TikTok Wallet, and they can even reply with a thank-you note or send a gift card back.
Ogbonda Chivumnovu
Does TikTok want to challenge Amazon and eBay?
This move is clearly designed to put TikTok Shop in direct competition with e-commerce giants like Amazon and eBay, both of which have long offered digital gift cards. Beyond that, TikTok has been pushing into higher-end retail, signaling that it wants to be taken seriously as a full-fledged online marketplace, not just a place to scroll and shop.
And the timing couldn’t be better. TikTok Shop recently hit a major milestone: over the four days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, U.S. sales surpassed $500 million. That’s a huge vote of confidence in the platform’s ability to drive real commerce.
Emmanuel Umahi
TikTok isn’t stopping at animated designs. By early 2026, users will be able to attach video messages to their digital gift cards, giving them a far more personal, interactive feel. TikTok even teased an “interactive unboxing” experience that captures recipients’ reactions in real-time, though details are still under wraps. The company wants gift-giving on TikTok to feel more like a social experience than a simple transaction.
Even as TikTok Shop expands, its future in the U.S. is still uncertain. The company is in the middle of negotiating a potential sale of its U.S. operations to an American investor group. If the sale doesn’t happen, the app could face a ban in the country. The deadline has been extended to January 23, 2026, leaving a cloud of uncertainty hanging over this ambitious expansion.
The takeaway
TikTok Shop’s digital gift cards show just how far the platform is willing to go to compete with traditional e-commerce giants. By blending shopping with social interaction, TikTok is turning gifts into a personal, shareable experience. But with the U.S. operations still in flux, the success of these innovations will depend on whether TikTok can maintain its presence in the world’s biggest market. For now, social commerce is only getting bigger and more creative.
Louis Eriakha
