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TikTok is exploring a feature that could let users send money through direct messages after references to peer-to-peer payments appeared in hidden code inside the current U.S. version of its iPhone app.
The feature is not live, and TikTok said it is not currently testing peer-to-peer payments. The company has not announced a launch date or confirmed that the functionality will be released to users.
Recipients Could Accept Payments Before an Expiration Date
The code indicates that recipients could tap to accept money before an expiration date. Senders could attach a short message to a payment and receive notifications about the transaction’s status through push alerts or their inbox.
No fees, transaction limits, supported currencies or launch markets have been disclosed. The presence of the code does not guarantee a public release. App developers can build or retain internal functionality that never progresses to a live product.
TikTok Pay Could Power Direct-Message Money Transfers
The proposed feature would rely on TikTok Pay, ByteDance’s existing payment service. TikTok Pay is already available in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand for purchases through TikTok Shop.
The direct-message code would extend that payment infrastructure to transfers between users if TikTok decides to launch the feature.
TikTok has not disclosed which payment partners, banking infrastructure or regulatory permissions would support peer-to-peer transfers in the United States.
TikTok Says Peer-to-Peer Payments Are Not Being Tested
The app-code discovery comes as TikTok separately expands its financial-services activity in other markets. The company applied to Brazil’s central bank this year for licenses to operate as an electronic-money issuer and direct-credit company.
If approved, those Brazilian licenses would allow TikTok to provide prepaid accounts for users to hold balances, receive funds and make payments, as well as offer certain lending services. The applications are separate from the peer-to-peer feature found in the U.S. app.
For now, the U.S. code establishes only that TikTok has developed elements of a direct-message payment flow. TikTok says the feature is not currently being tested, and no public rollout has been announced.
