Virtual Items Policy

Charges & Financial Obligations · Company commitment

BD TikTok USA LLC and affiliates are solely responsible for payment or financial obligations

The policy says BD TikTok USA LLC and its affiliates, which it calls TT Commerce & Global Services, are solely responsible for any payment or financial obligations in relation to Virtual Items. Elsewhere it names a different company, TikTok USDS Joint Venture, as the one that gives users access to Virtual Items and sells Coins.

Supporting quotations

BD TikTok USA LLC and its affiliates (hereinafter "TT Commerce & Global Services") are solely responsible for any payment or financial obligations in relation to Virtual Items.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Covers payment or financial obligations in relation to Virtual Items.

Not stated here

• The policy does not say what 'payment or financial obligations' covers.
• It does not explain how the roles of BD TikTok USA LLC and TikTok USDS Joint Venture relate, or which one 'we' and 'TikTok' mean throughout the policy.

Charges & Financial Obligations · Restriction or exception

Virtual Items cannot be exchanged for cash, used as currency or traded with other users

Virtual Items cannot be exchanged for cash or used as currency. They can only be purchased or received from TikTok USDS Joint Venture, not from, to or with other users, and cannot be used to buy, access or activate goods and services provided by a third party.

Supporting quotations

Virtual Items cannot be exchanged for cash or used as currency. Virtual Items can only be purchased or received from TikTok USDS Joint Venture. Virtual Items cannot be purchased or received from, sold to, or exchanged with other Platform users, nor can they be used to purchase, access or activate goods and services provided by a third party.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Applies to Virtual Items generally.
• Purchase or receipt only from TikTok USDS Joint Venture.

Not stated here

• The policy elsewhere says Points may be redeemed for a Reward and mentions a Reward Payment; the Rewards terms that define those are not supplied, so how this rule applies to Rewards is not stated here.

Cross-references

• contrast (model-proposed): Points may be redeemable for a Reward in some cases but do not entitle you to one — Virtual Items cannot be exchanged for cash or used as currency, yet Points, which are Virtual Items, may in some cases be redeemed for a Reward. The Diamonds card also mentions a Reward Payment. The policy does not define Reward, so how the two fit together is not stated here.

Charges & Financial Obligations · Context

Coins are digital items bought from TikTok USDS Joint Venture; buying and using them is voluntary

Coins are digital items used on the Platform to access or activate other Virtual Items or services offered by TikTok USDS Joint Venture. Only users aged 18 or the age of majority, whichever is older, can buy them from TikTok USDS Joint Venture. The policy calls buying and using Coins entirely voluntary.

Supporting quotations

Coins are digital items that can be used on the Platform to access or activate other Virtual Items or services offered by TikTok USDS Joint Venture (each, a “Coin”). Coins can be purchased from TikTok USDS Joint Venture by users of the Platform who are at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in their jurisdiction, whichever is older). The purchase and use of Coins is entirely voluntary.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Buyers must be at least 18 or the age of majority in their jurisdiction, whichever is older.

Charges & Financial Obligations · Restriction or exception

Coins work only on the Platform, for certain Virtual Items and services, and cannot be cashed out

Coins can only be used on the Platform to access or activate certain types of other Virtual Items, such as Gifts and Heart Mes, or services, such as TikTok's Promote advertising service or sending Star Comments, that TikTok may make available from time to time. Like all Virtual Items, they cannot be exchanged for cash or used as currency.

Supporting quotations

Coins can only be used on the Platform to access or activate certain types of other Virtual Items (e.g., Gifts, Heart Mes) or services (e.g., TikTok's Promote advertising service or the sending of Star Comments) that may be made available by TikTok from time to time.

Virtual Items cannot be exchanged for cash or used as currency.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Only the Virtual Items and services TikTok makes available from time to time can be accessed with Coins.
• The Gifts, Heart Mes, Promote and Star Comments named are examples.

Not stated here

• The policy does not list everything Coins can be used for.

Charges & Financial Obligations · Procedure

Coin costs are shown before use, and your account has Coin and Transaction histories

The number of Coins needed for a Virtual Item or service is displayed before you use the Coins, and the policy tells you to check it before buying. Your account shows your Coin total in several places, the money you spent buying Coins in Transaction History, and the Coins you bought and how you used them in Coin History.

Supporting quotations

The number of Coins needed to access or activate other Virtual Items or services will be displayed before you use those Coins. You should check how many Coins you need for any Virtual Items you want to access or activate before you purchase the Coins.

The total number of Coins in your account will be updated each time you purchase Coins or use them to access other Virtual Items or services.

The Transaction History in your account shows you how much you have spent to buy Coins.

The Coin History in your account shows a record of the number of Coins you have purchased and how you have used them to access or activate Virtual Items or services on the Platform.

Qualifications & exceptions

• The number of Coins needed is displayed before you use them; the policy does not say it is displayed before you buy.

Not stated here

• The policy does not say how far back the Transaction History or Coin History goes.

Charges & Financial Obligations · Procedure

Coins can be bought in the app through an app store, on TikTok's website, or with a gift card

Coins can be bought in the app through a third-party app store such as Apple's App Store, Google Play or Amazon's Appstore, or directly on TikTok's website, which the policy calls the WebApp. Depending on your country you may also be able to buy Coins with a gift card redeemed on the WebApp, and TikTok may allow other ways to collect Coins from time to time. If you buy a gift card to redeem Coins, the gift card's own terms and conditions also apply.

Supporting quotations

Coins can be purchased from within the Platform (i.e. an in-app purchase) and handled by a third-party app store such as Apple’s App Store, the Google Play Store, or Amazon's Appstore (each, an "App Store") or directly through TikTok's website (the "WebApp"). Depending on your country, you may also be able to purchase Coins through a gift card, which can be redeemed on the WebApp. TikTok may also allow users additional ways to collect Coins from time to time.

If you purchase a gift card to redeem Coins, the relevant gift card terms and conditions will also apply.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Gift card purchase depends on your country.
• Gift card terms and conditions apply in addition to this policy.

Not stated here

• The policy does not say which countries allow gift card purchases.
• The gift card terms and conditions are not supplied.
• The other ways TikTok may allow to collect Coins are not described.

Charges & Financial Obligations · Company practice

The cost per Coin varies, is charged in the currency shown, and includes taxes; your payment provider may add fees

The cost per Coin differs depending on how many Coins you buy and where you buy them. Charges are made in the currency specified at the point of purchase, and the displayed price includes any taxes or applicable charges. Your payment provider may impose additional fees, for example currency exchange or foreign transaction fees.

Supporting quotations

When you buy Coins, the cost per Coin differs depending on how many you buy and where you buy them.

All charges and payments for Coins will be made in the currency specified at the point of purchase. When buying Coins, the price displayed will include any taxes or applicable charges. Additional fees may be imposed by your payment provider, for example currency exchange fees or foreign transaction fees.

Qualifications & exceptions

• The cost per Coin depends on the quantity bought and where they are bought.
• Additional fees from the payment provider are not part of the displayed price.

Not stated here

• The policy does not give any prices or say how the price differs by quantity or place.

Charges & Financial Obligations · Procedure

For app store purchases, the store's terms also apply and cancellations go to the store, except Google Play refunds

If you buy Coins in the app through an App Store, that store's in-app purchase terms apply in addition to this policy. For questions about these purchases, including cancelling one, the policy says to contact the App Store. The refunds section makes an exception for Google Play, where refund and cancellation requests can go to TikTok.

Supporting quotations

If you buy Coins through an App Store as an in-app purchase, the applicable store’s terms for in-app purchases apply as well as this Virtual Items Policy. If you have any questions about in-app purchases of Coins through an App Store (including if you wish to cancel any purchase of Coins you have made), you need to contact the relevant App Store.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Applies to Coins bought through an App Store as an in-app purchase.
• The refunds section says Google Play requests can go to TikTok directly.

Not stated here

• The App Store terms are not supplied.

Cross-references

• has exception (model-proposed): App store refunds: Google Play requests go to TikTok; other stores handle their own — The app store terms card sends questions and cancellations to the relevant App Store, while the refund subsection sends Google Play refund and cancellation requests to TikTok. The Google Play route is the exception.

Charges & Financial Obligations · Procedure

WebApp purchases use a third-party payment provider and show the total price at purchase

If you buy Coins on the WebApp, a third-party payment provider provides the payment services. The total price is displayed at the point of purchase, and where possible and where applicable laws require it, also on the page where the Coins are advertised for sale.

Supporting quotations

If you buy Coins through the WebApp, a third-party payment provider will be provide payment services to you and the total price payable for the Coins will be displayed at the point of purchase. Where possible, and where required by applicable laws, we will also display the total price on the page where the Coins are advertised for sale.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Price display on the advertising page applies where possible and where applicable laws require it.

Not stated here

• The payment provider is not named.

Charges & Financial Obligations · Restriction or exception

You are responsible for payment issues, and a failed payment can lead to suspension

You are responsible for any issues related to your payments, such as refunds, chargebacks, or fees and related costs, whether or not you authorized the payment directly. If a payment fails, is returned or remains unpaid, TikTok may suspend your account or your access to Virtual Items.

Supporting quotations

You are responsible for any issues (like refunds, chargebacks, or fees and related costs) related to your payments, whether or not directly authorized by you. If a payment fails, is returned, or remains unpaid, we may suspend your TikTok account or your access to Virtual Items.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Applies whether or not you directly authorized the payment.
• Suspension applies where a payment fails, is returned or remains unpaid.

Not stated here

• The policy does not say how a payment you did not authorize is handled.
• It does not say how long a payment must remain unpaid before suspension, or whether notice is given.

Charges & Financial Obligations · Procedure

App store refunds: Google Play requests go to TikTok; other stores handle their own

For Coins bought in the app through Google Play, you can ask TikTok for a refund or cancellation by submitting a feedback ticket through Report a problem in your Profile settings, and TikTok says it will handle requests sent that way. For Coins bought in the app through any other app store, including the Apple App Store, you must contact that store, which considers refund and cancellation requests under its own policies. When you submit a refund request, TikTok may freeze the Coins you are seeking a refund for.

Supporting quotations

Coins purchased through an app store

If you purchased Coins from within the TikTok Platform through the Google Play Store and want to request a refund or cancellation, you can contact us directly by submitting a feedback ticket through the TikTok Platform via "Report a problem" in your Profile settings. We will handle any feedback or request submitted via this channel, including but not limited to refunds, defects, performance issues and customer complaints.

If you purchased Coins from within the TikTok Platform through any other app store (including the Apple App Store), you will have to directly contact the relevant app store for any refund or cancellation requests. They will consider your refund and cancellation requests subject to their own policies.

When you submit a request for a refund, we may freeze the corresponding number of Coins for which you are seeking a refund.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Google Play purchases: request goes to TikTok through Report a problem.
• Other app stores, including the Apple App Store: request goes to the store, under its own policies.

Not stated here

• The policy does not say whether the freeze applies to refund requests made to an app store or only to ones submitted to TikTok.
• Whether requests to TikTok will be granted is not stated; the policy says only that it will handle them.

Cross-references

• exception to (model-proposed): For app store purchases, the store's terms also apply and cancellations go to the store, except Google Play refunds — The app store terms card sends questions and cancellations to the relevant App Store, while the refund subsection sends Google Play refund and cancellation requests to TikTok. The Google Play route is the exception.

Charges & Financial Obligations · Company practice

On a refund request TikTok may freeze the Coins, and if granted deducts them, including from future purchases

When you submit a refund request, TikTok may freeze the corresponding number of Coins. If the request succeeds, TikTok deducts those Coins from your account. If your account does not have enough Coins left, TikTok reserves the right to deduct the amount from your future Coin purchases. This paragraph sits under the refunds subsection for Coins bought through an app store, after the Google Play and other-store rules.

Supporting quotations

2.4 Refunds

When you submit a request for a refund, we may freeze the corresponding number of Coins for which you are seeking a refund. If your refund request is successful, we will deduct the relevant number of Coins from your account. If the remaining number of Coins in your account is insufficient for deduction, we reserve the right to deduct the applicable amount from your future Coin purchases.

We will handle any feedback or request submitted via this channel, including but not limited to refunds, defects, performance issues and customer complaints.

If you purchased Coins from within the TikTok Platform through any other app store (including the Apple App Store), you will have to directly contact the relevant app store for any refund or cancellation requests.

If you have any questions about in-app purchases of Coins through an App Store (including if you wish to cancel any purchase of Coins you have made), you need to contact the relevant App Store.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Appears in the refunds subsection (2.4) after the app store rules; the text does not name which channel it covers.
• Deduction from future purchases applies only if the remaining Coins are insufficient.

Not stated here

• The policy does not say whether the freeze and deduction apply to requests made through an app store, to requests sent to TikTok about Google Play purchases, or both.
• It does not say whether they apply to Coins bought directly from TikTok.

Charges & Financial Obligations · Restriction or exception

Coins bought directly from TikTok are not refundable and cannot be cancelled once the order is complete

Coins bought directly from TikTok are not returnable or refundable. They are available as soon as the purchase or order is complete, and you have no right to cancel or withdraw after that. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, you will not be refunded once the Coins have been made available to you on the Platform.

Supporting quotations

Coins purchased directly from TikTok

Coins are not returnable or refundable. You acknowledge and agree that Coins are available to you immediately upon completion of the purchase or order, and that you have no right to cancel or withdraw the transaction once your order is complete.

Except as otherwise required by applicable law, you will not be provided with a refund once your Coins have been made available to you on the Platform

Qualifications & exceptions

• Applies to Coins purchased directly from TikTok.
• Except as otherwise required by applicable law.
• Coins are also treated differently if defective (see the waiver card).

Not stated here

• The policy does not say whether 'directly from TikTok' includes WebApp purchases and gift card redemptions in so many words.
• The policy does not say what applicable law, if any, would require a refund.

Cross-references

• qualified by (model-proposed): You waive any statutory right to cancel once Coins are available, with exceptions — The no-refund rule for Coins bought directly from TikTok is qualified by the waiver paragraph, which excludes defective Coins and cases required by applicable law.
• contrast (model-proposed): Gifts are not returnable or refundable in any circumstances — Gifts are called non-refundable 'in any circumstances', while the Coins rule is stated 'except as otherwise required by applicable law' and excludes defective Coins. The Gifts paragraph has no such wording; the policy does not say how the two fit together.

Charges & Financial Obligations · Context

Gifts are digital items activated with Coins and available only on the Platform

Gifts are digital items accessed or activated using Coins and available only on the Platform. The policy describes gifting as a way to express your personality and appreciation for content with a unique or specialized reaction, and to interact with content you enjoy. The number of Coins needed to activate a Gift depends on the type of Gift.

Supporting quotations

Gifts are digital items that can be accessed or activated using Coins and are exclusively available on the Platform (each, a “Gift”).

is a way to express your personality and appreciation for the content with a unique or specialized reaction; and

allows you to interact with the content you enjoy.

The number of Coins required to activate a Gift will depend on the type of Gift.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Gifts are accessed or activated with Coins.
• The Coin cost depends on the type of Gift.

Not stated here

• The policy does not list Gift types or Coin costs.

Charges & Financial Obligations · Restriction or exception

Gifts are not returnable or refundable in any circumstances

The policy says Gifts are accessed with immediate effect and consumed immediately upon activation, so they are not returnable or refundable in any circumstances.

Supporting quotations

Because Gifts are accessed with immediate effect and consumed immediately upon activation, they are not returnable or refundable in any circumstances.

Qualifications & exceptions

• The reason given is that Gifts are accessed with immediate effect and consumed on activation.

Not stated here

• Unlike the Coins refund paragraph, this paragraph does not mention an exception for what applicable law requires, and the policy does not say whether any applies.
• The policy does not say whether the Coins used for a Gift can be refunded.

Cross-references

• contrast (model-proposed): Coins bought directly from TikTok are not refundable and cannot be cancelled once the order is complete — Gifts are called non-refundable 'in any circumstances', while the Coins rule is stated 'except as otherwise required by applicable law' and excludes defective Coins. The Gifts paragraph has no such wording; the policy does not say how the two fit together.

Charges & Financial Obligations · Company practice

Diamonds are one factor for Rewards and do not entitle you to a Reward or Reward Payment

A user's popularity, measured in Diamonds and ranking, is one of several factors TikTok takes into account in deciding the Rewards it may give a user under the applicable Rewards Program Terms and the Rewards Policy. Diamonds do not automatically entitle a user to receive Rewards, including a Reward Payment.

Supporting quotations

A user's popularity (measured in Diamonds and ranking) is one of several factors we take into account to determine the Rewards it may give a user under the applicable Rewards Program Terms and our Rewards Policy.

Diamonds do not automatically entitle a user to receive Rewards, including a Reward Payment.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Diamonds are one of several factors.
• No automatic entitlement to Rewards, including a Reward Payment.

Not stated here

• The Rewards Policy and Rewards Program Terms are not supplied, so what Rewards and Reward Payments are and what the other factors are is not known from this document.

Charges & Financial Obligations · User right or choice

Points may be redeemable for a Reward in some cases but do not entitle you to one

In some cases, subject to applicable Virtual Items Terms, Rewards Program Terms or Rewards Program-specific provisions, users may be eligible to redeem Points for a Reward. Points do not automatically entitle a user to claim any Reward. The number of Points needed and the available Rewards depend on the applicable Rewards Program.

Supporting quotations

In some cases, subject to applicable Virtual Items Terms, Rewards Program Terms, and/or applicable Rewards Program-specific provisions, users may be eligible to redeem Points for a Reward. However, Points do not automatically entitle a user to claim any Reward.

The number of Points required to redeem a Reward, and what Rewards are available for redemption, will depend on the applicable Rewards Program.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Only in some cases, and subject to the applicable terms.
• No automatic entitlement to any Reward.

Not stated here

• The policy does not say what a Reward is or which programs allow redemption; those terms are not supplied.

Cross-references

• contrast (model-proposed): Virtual Items cannot be exchanged for cash, used as currency or traded with other users — Virtual Items cannot be exchanged for cash or used as currency, yet Points, which are Virtual Items, may in some cases be redeemed for a Reward. The Diamonds card also mentions a Reward Payment. The policy does not define Reward, so how the two fit together is not stated here.