TikTok seems to be discreetly offering select users the choice of buying ‘coins’ online instead of through in-app transactions, thereby evading the fee that Apple earns on digital purchases. This revelation comes from David Tesler, as reported by TechCrunch. Tesler’s findings suggest that TikTok has been providing a limited number of app users with the option of purchasing coins on TikTok.com, bypassing the app’s payment system.
The app recommends “Saving around 25% with a cheaper third-party service cost.” Users use TikTok coins to send “gifts” to creators. They pay actual money for a set number of coins, which are then used to present producers with small gift emojis.
Apple’s App Store rules mandate in-app purchases for digital products and services, a category that TikTok’s ‘coins’ undoubtedly fall under. If TikTok is indeed offering customers a way to buy coins without going through an in-app purchase, as Tesler’s screenshots indicate, it is in clear violation of Apple’s rules.
TikTok coins are most likely regarded as tips, and Apple has forced other large social networks, such as Facebook, to implement an in-app payment for a creator tipping tool. What TikTok is doing is comparable to the direct purchase options offered to the Fortnite app by Epic Games in 2020, which resulted in the app’s prohibition and a multi-year legal struggle. The option may only be available to people who have already spent a lot of money on coins.