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Glossary

What is coins?

Coins: Coins are TikTok's virtual currency that viewers buy with real money and spend on gifts during LIVE broadcasts and, in some regions, on videos. For creators, Coins are the input side of tipping: when a viewer converts Coins into a gift you receive, it becomes Diamonds you can redeem. Prices vary by region — check TikTok's official pages.

Where Coins fit in TikTok's money flow

Coins are step one in TikTok's tipping economy. A viewer buys Coins with real money, spends them on a gift during your LIVE, and that gift converts into Diamonds in your account, which you eventually redeem for cash. Coins are purely the viewer's side — you never hold Coins as a creator. This matters because it explains why the money a viewer spends and the money you receive are never the same number: TikTok sets both the Coin purchase price and the later conversion rate, and takes a cut in between.

What this means for creators

  • Focus your energy on the moment of gifting, not the Coin price. You can't control what viewers pay per Coin, only whether your LIVE is worth gifting on.
  • Lower-cost gifts add up. Encouraging many small gifts from a loyal room often beats waiting for one big one.
  • Never quote viewers a cash value for a gift — Coin prices and conversion rates differ by region and change, so point them to TikTok's in-app pricing.

Because TikTok controls Coin pricing end to end, treat gifting income as variable and supplement it with revenue you set yourself, like brand deals or your own products.

Common misconception: the number of Coins a gift costs is what you earn. Coins are the viewer's spend, not your payout. Your side is measured in Diamonds after TikTok's conversion and cut — a much smaller figure than the Coins spent.

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Related terms

Browse the full creator glossary, read the growth guides, or try the free virality score checker.