Learning how to make money on TikTok means tapping into over 1 billion active monthly users who are eager to discover new brands and shop unique products from their favorite creators.

Ready to dive in and turn your creativity into cash?

Let’s break down the best monetization strategies for earning big on TikTok.

Key takeaways

• TikTok offers multiple ways to make money, from selling custom merch to using monetization tools like live gifts, donation stickers, and shoppable videos.
• Printify helps you easily design and sell custom merch to TikTok followers with no upfront costs or inventory.
• Joining the Creator Rewards Program improves your earnings based on engagement. Other factors like content quality and a large following also contribute to success.
• Partnering with influencers and cross-posting on platforms like Instagram or YouTube can expand your reach and drive sales.
• In-Feed and Spark Ads help you promote products and reach new TikTok audiences with targeted content.

1. Sell custom merch to your followers

TikTok is built for creators, and it’s one of the best platforms for selling custom promotional products. 

Whether you’re selling artwork, launching a niche apparel line, or promoting quirky accessories, TikTok gives you the tools to convert your audience directly within the app.

To maximize your earnings potential:

• Use trending sounds, formats, and challenges to boost visibility.
• Show the product in action – packaging it, styling it, or reacting to fan feedback.
• Upload videos consistently to build hype and turn browsers into buyers.

Make buying easy for your followers by selling directly on TikTok Shop (more on that later). If you have an eCommerce website or online marketplace store, link it to drive traffic. 

When you’re ready to scale, join the Creator Marketplace to connect with influencers who can help promote your drops.

Create custom products with Print on Demand

Skip the upfront costs and logistics. With Printify, you can easily design and sell over 1,300 custom products, from t-shirts and mugs to phone cases and tote bags. Thinking about building a full custom clothing collection? POD makes it simple to launch branded apparel alongside your accessories.

Using a print-on-demand (POD) model means:

• You only pay when you make a sale – no unsold inventory risk.
• We automatically print and ship orders for you.
• Your brand stays adaptable as TikTok trends evolve.

It’s the fastest way to turn ideas into income – perfect for creators who want to test different products and scale quickly without getting bogged down with fulfillment.

2. Set up a TikTok Shop

Start making money on TikTok by letting followers purchase merch directly from your page throughTikTok Shop and shoppable videos.

The integrated in-app checkout streamlines the shopping experience. Plus, you’ll gain access to the TikTok Shop App Store‘s range of powerful tools to advertise your own products.

This also opens opportunities to enter brand ambassador partnerships with thousands of creators through TikTok’s affiliate program.

Head to the TikTok Seller Center to register for TikTok Shop and check the requirements to see if you’re eligible.

Individual sellers

• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Must have a valid government ID, such as a passport or US driver’s license.
• Cannot be a politician or affiliated with political entities.
• Must reside in the United States.

Business sellers

• The owners and representatives of your business must be at least 18 years old.
• Each owner and representative must have a valid US passport.
• Can’t be politicians or representatives of the government or a political party.
• Must have an established business address in the US

3. Try affiliate marketing

Earn money with a TikTok account by promoting brands and their products to get commissions from affiliate links. 

If you’re a registered seller, explore TikTok’s Affiliate Network for brand ambassador partnerships. Choose affiliates that align with your niche for the best results.

Consider also becoming a TikTok Ads Affiliate and earning commissions from promoting TikTok’s advertising platform or posting sponsored content.

Expand your earnings further by joining third-party affiliate networks or referral programs.

As a Printify Affiliate, you’ll earn a 5% commission on every sale your referrals make. With monthly payouts, a 90-day cookie life, and no earnings cap, it’s a top affiliate marketing choice for TikTok.

4. Join the Creator Rewards Program

Looking for more ideas about how people make money on TikTok? Start posting long-form TikTok content with theCreator Rewards Program.

This initiative offers up to 20 times more in rewards than the TikTok Creator Fund to support high-quality content.

Requirements

• You must be at least 18 years old.
• You are registered and based in the US, UK, Germany, Japan, South Korea, France, or Brazil.
• You have a personal instead of a business account.
• You have at least 10,000 followers and 100,000 views in the past 30 days.
• You make high-quality videos that last over one minute and align with TikTok’s mission of inspiring joy and creativity.

5. Collect tips

Accepting tips from followers is one of the simplest ways on how to make money off TikTok.

To receive tips on TikTok, you need a personal account and must be at least 18 years old. Additionally, you must:

• Have at least 100,000 followers.
• Be part of TikTok’s Creator Next program.
• Have a Stripe account to process payments.

TikTok doesn’t take a cut, so you receive 100% of each tip. However, Stripe may charge processing fees to the sender. For details, review the TikTok tips terms and conditions.

How to encourage TikTok users to tip you?

1. Create high-quality content

Create engaging videos that your followers can’t find anywhere else. Your content’s uniqueness helps drive traffic to your channel and motivates viewers to show their support with tips.

2. Reward engagement

Interact with your audience and give them shoutouts, personalized messages, or access to premium content.

3. Be transparent

Clearly communicate to your audience how their tips help you. Transparency drives contributions, whether it’s funding for better equipment or allowing you to dedicate more time to creating content

7. Collect LIVE gifts during video streams

How do you get paid on TikTok instantly? By engaging your audience through TikTok LIVE streams, where followers can send virtual video gifts to support their favorite creators. 

With interactive features like polls and games, you can enhance engagement and earn Diamonds, a TikTok currency convertible to real money.

How to receive gifts during live streams?

Leverage this virtual gift system during LIVE streams by meeting the following requirements: 

• Be in a region where LIVE gifts are available.
• Be at least 18 years old (19 in South Korea).
• Have a minimum number of followers – 1,000 to 10,000, depending on the region.
• Have an account in good standing that adheres to TikTok’s Community Guidelines.
• Have posted a public video within the last 30 days.
• Operate a personal account (business or public interest accounts are ineligible).

Keep in mind that your videos are not eligible if they include:

• Duets and Stitches.
• Ads, sponsored content, or promoted TikTok posts.

To summarize

Whether you sell custom products, join a TikTok rewards program, enter brand partnerships, offer exclusive content, or run ads – there are countless paths for creators exploring how to monetize TikTok.

Want to turn your ideas into income? Partner with Printify to launch your own merch line and sell custom products designed by you, directly to your TikTok followers. It’s free to start, and we handle production and shipping so you can focus on creating.

Mix and match these strategies to find what works best for you. The more diversified your approach, the more you’ll maximize your potential to get paid on TikTok