How to make money on TikTok, with or without followers

TikTok's own payouts each set a bar: Creator Rewards (18, 10,000 followers, 100,000 views in 30 days), LIVE gifts (18) and TikTok Shop commissions (18, 1,000 followers). Without followers, paid clip campaigns can still pay. We read the rules on October 23, 2026.

We build PaysFair, an earning app that competes with the apps below, so check their numbers yourself. PaysFair is for people 16 and over.

What are the ways to make money on TikTok?

These are the payouts whose rules TikTok and Content Rewards publish. We read each one on October 23, 2026.

Creator Rewards. TikTok's US terms, last updated July 20, 2026, set the bar. You must be 18 or older, with at least 10,000 authentic followers and 100,000 authentic video views in the last 30 days, on a personal account. Only videos of at least one minute count. TikTok then rewards you in its "sole discretion," based on legitimate views and other signals, so there's no published rate per view. Views that were faked, paid for or incentivized don't count. Rewards are calculated the month after you earn them and paid through PayPal's Hyperwallet.

LIVE gifts. On LIVE, viewers buy Coins and send you Gifts, which become Diamonds in your account. TikTok sets that conversion "from time to time in its absolute and sole discretion." When you withdraw Diamonds, it calculates the money in US dollars "based on various factors." Only users 18 or older can receive gifts with money value or withdraw Diamonds.

TikTok Shop. TikTok Shop's US policy, dated September 25, 2026, lets affiliate creators self-apply with at least 1,000 followers. They must be 18 or older and based in the US. Approved creators earn commissions by showing products on their profile, adding shoppable links to videos and promoting products in LIVEs. An official account bound to your own shop has no follower minimum.

Brand deals. When a brand pays you to post, TikTok calls it branded content, and you must turn on the commercial content disclosure toggle. The FTC's guidance for creators adds: disclose the relationship "if you got anything of value to mention a product." It says adding a hashtag such as #ad to that disclosure is fine, but not necessary.

Clip campaigns, without followers. Clip campaigns pay for views on posts a brand approves. On Content Rewards, a clip marketplace run by Content Rewards Inc. that pays out through Whop, the brand sets a rate per 1,000 views, a budget and a minimum payout per video. Its documentation on Whop's site gives an example: with a $3 rate and a $6 minimum, only videos with 2,000 views or more reach the brand's review. Its creator terms require you to be 18, even with a parent's consent, and keep a flat 10% of each view-based payout as its fee. A pay round normally settles about 10 days after it opens. Withdrawals go through Whop and take about 3 to 5 business days, or arrive instantly for a fee. The terms name no follower count, but buying views or followers gets you banned for good. Every paid clip also needs an FTC disclosure at the start of the video, by Content Rewards' own terms.

Earning apps like ours. PaysFair's campaigns pay for posting clips and content on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and X. Each campaign names its rate, its minimum and its cap up front, and PaysFair pays a gift card by email. On TikTok, a clip you're paid to post for a brand counts as branded content, so turn on the disclosure toggle.

How much does TikTok pay per 1,000 views?

TikTok doesn't publish a figure. Its terms leave the amount to its "sole discretion," based on legitimate views and other signals.

Guides that print a rate disagree. EarnStar gives $0.40 to $1.00 per 1,000 views, as publisher estimates. JumpTask says most creators report $4 to $8, almost ten times as much for the same program.

Can minors make money on TikTok?

Not through any payout we read. Creator Rewards, LIVE gifts and TikTok Shop affiliates all require creators to be 18 or older, and so does Content Rewards. TikTok's US terms bar users under 13, or under 14 in Florida, from the main platform. They also say some features may be restricted for anyone under 18.

Can you make money on TikTok by watching videos?

Not from TikTok's own payouts, which pay the person who posts or goes LIVE. The FTC says task scams ask you to do simple, repetitive tasks, such as liking videos. It also warns against anyone who says they'll pay you to rate or like things online: "That's illegal and no honest company will do it."

Do you pay taxes on TikTok money?

Yes. The IRS says gig income, including creative services sold through an app, must be reported even if it's side work or isn't on a tax form. TikTok's Creator Rewards terms also let it withhold amounts it must pay to tax authorities.

What do other guides on this leave out?

We read six guides on this question on October 23, 2026, and one more wouldn't load for us. All six give the 100,000-view bar, and five give the 10,000-follower bar. Only two mention TikTok's disclosure toggle, and none names the FTC. None mentions that bought views are banned or excluded, none mentions holds on clip pay, and none mentions a single scam.

One also gives a Diamond a fixed value of half a US cent. TikTok's policy says it calculates the money based on various factors.