TikTok Coins: How Do You Buy Them? What Do They Cost?

You don’t have to pay to sign up for TikTok. You don’t have to pay to watch videos, or join TikTok Live streams, or do just about anything else on the social media platform.

So, what are TikTok coins?

The coins are virtual currency, and they can be turned into valuable income streams for TikTok influencers and content creators. The system’s been set up, though, to ensure that the platform gets a very large slice of the pie.

Let’s explain how it works, and how coins fit into the picture.

TikTok Gifts

Popular TikTok users love hosting Live sessions for several reasons. They can increase the loyalty of their fan bases and bring in new TikTok followers by going live. They can promote products on the stream. They can simply have fun along with their audiences.

Perhaps most importantly, though, they can accept tips from appreciative viewers in the form of virtual TikTok gifts. There are hundreds of different gifts TikTok users can purchase to give to Live hosts; they range from roses that are worth about a penny to TikTok Universes that are worth a whopping $562 apiece. (Some users really appreciate their favorite creators.)

Gifts are given publicly in TikTok streams, accompanied by icons or more elaborate graphic displays. The value of all tips is banked and can be redeemed by the stream’s host for cash payments — but unfortunately for the recipients, they don’t get the full value of the gifts they’re given. TikTok keeps about 50% as commissions.

Anyone attending a live session can give gifts, as long as both parties are at least 18. Gifts are sold right in the stream in real time, and payment can only be made with — you guessed it — TikTok coins.

How Do You Buy TikTok Coins?

Ostensibly, the coins are only available through in-app purchases. You can find other sources, though, and we’ll discuss that shortly.

There are three official ways to buy TikTok Coins.

1. From your TikTok profile: Visit your profile page by clicking on the icon at the bottom right of the home screen, then open the profile menu by tapping the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the top right. Choose “Balance” and follow the instructions to “Recharge” your balance by purchasing coins through the app store appropriate for your device. (If it’s your first purchase, it’s still called a recharge.)
2. Directly in a Live stream: Tap the “Gift” button at the bottom of the Live screen, and then click “Recharge” or “Coins” and follow the instructions. (If there’s no “Gift” button, either you aren’t eligible to purchase gifts or the host isn’t able to receive them.)
3. From the TikTok website: Visit tiktok.com/coin, choose the package of coins you want to purchase, click “Recharge,” and follow the instructions.

How Much Do TikTok Coins Cost?

The prices you pay for TikTok coins can vary because they’re sold in packages. There are volume discounts, so the more you buy at a time the less expensive each coin will be. The smallest bundle you can purchase contains 70 coins, and the biggest package contains 17,500.

Generally speaking, though, a single coin is worth about 1.4¢ and costs around 1¢ to purchase, so the smallest bundle costs less than $1.00. Prices do fluctuate from time to time, though, and the cost of TikTok coin packages is different in most countries.

That last point is important to know if you’re trying to find the best prices for TikTok coins. They’re less expensive in nations like Argentina and Malaysia; if you happen to live in one of those countries, you’re in luck — or you can use a VPN to change your virtual location to purchase cheaper coins.

There are also reseller websites that offer cheap TikTok coins. They might be a great way to save money or they might be scammers, though, so be sure to research the sites carefully before pulling out your credit or debit card.