Understanding TikTok Coins: Prices and Purchases
Viewers of TikTok Live have a lot of fun sending gifts, including roses and pandas (not to be confused with the creatures), and maybe even a coveted ‘TikTok Universe’ gift. If you’ve seen gifts before, you’ve seen the TikTok Coins. How are they purchased, how do they make it to the creators, and is it worth it? We have the answers you are looking for here at Wallpostmedia!
What are TikTok Coins?
Coins are the first of their kind, ‘virtual currency’ to hit the TikTok platform. They are bought with real money and used to purchase gifts for creators, during Live streams. Live gifting gives the fans a quick and direct method to financially support creators. Additionally, coin gifting opens a new pathway for creators to support their monetization activities aside from brand deals and the Creator Fund.
What is the cost of TikTok Coins?
As a general rule, you can think of a TikTok Coins as costing $0.01 to $0.015 in the US, although there are regional, payment methods, and package size variations.
The following is some typical package pricing:
| Coins | Approx. Price (USD) |
| 65 coins | ~$0.99 |
| 330 coins | ~$4.99 |
| 660 coins | ~$9.99 |
| 1,321 coins | ~$19.99 |
| 3,303 coins | ~$49.99 |
| 6,607 coins | ~$99.99 |
Coins are packaged in bundles, with the cost for each Coin decreasing with greater number of Coins, but there is nominal price difference with bulk purchasing, as is the case on other platforms.
Why Prices Vary by Region and Purchase Method
There are 2 key underlying factors at play that affect how much you pay:
1. Your country: TikTok Coins pricing is impacted by currency conversion and pricing control in each country. A TikTok Coins bundle that sells for $10 in the US may not sell for the same price in the UK, EU, etc.
2. Coins purchased through the TikTok app on iOS and Android typically sell for a higher price. This is due to Apple and Google both taking a cut of the in-app purchases (about 30% in most cases). TikTok Coins purchased through the mobile browser or the desktop site are less expensive. This is due to the absence of the mobile app markup.
Reality of Creator Payments
This is the thing that most users never think about. When you send a gift, TikTok does not send the creator the full coin amount.
Here’s the basic outline of how gifting works:
- You purchase Coins with real money.
- You send a gift in a Livestream, spending those Coins.
- TikTok changes the gift into Diamonds for the creator (usually in a 1:1 or 2:1 format, depending on the source).
- Diamonds have an approximate cash-out value of $0.005 (half a cent) each.
- Once Creators reach a minimum threshold (usually $100), they can withdraw their Diamonds via PayPal.
In the end, creators get about 50% of the Coins purchase value in actual money, with the other 50% going to TikTok for using their platform. So, if a viewer spends $1 on a gift, the Creator gets about $0.25–$0.50, depending on the gift and the fees at the time.
What is the Most Expensive TikTok Gift?
Generally, the TikTok Universe is thought to be the most extravagant gift in the TikTok cosmos. It costs 44,999 coins, which is about $560+, depending on which part of the world you’re in. This gift goes viral during a Livestream, because of how over-the-top the animation and the price both are.
In contrast, the Rose is the cheapest gift on TikTok, costing just 1 coin (about a cent) and is also one of the most frequently sent gifts since it’s so inexpensive.
How to Buy TikTok Coins for Les
These tips will help you save a bit of money:
- Try purchasing from TikTok’s official website on Desktop as opposed to Mobile. This helps you avoid app store purchase markups.
- If you are able to, compare how TikTok Coins are priced in different regions. They do have different prices by country.
- Note any TikTok promotions. They may sell more Coins for the same money in specific regions.
- Do not buy from resellers. They are not safe and most of the time the Coins are not actually cheaper.
Do You Need TikTok Coins?
That is up to your specific circumstance:
It is worth the money if you enjoy Live videos, want to support the creators, and find it entertaining.
Skip purchasing them if you have no interest in Live videos, you want to grow your own TikTok account (the algorithm is not impacted by Coins), and you have a limited budget. Coins purchases are not refundable.
Conclusion
There are a lot of factors when it comes to the value of TikTok Coins. The value Changes in each region and the difference in how much the users pay compared to how much the creators are paid makes the value difficult to calculate. Purchasing through the TikTok website helps you avoid paying more for them.
