Swipe, click, redeem: TikTok’s new formula for offline sales

Yofal Yuliasman, a resident of Padang, Indonesia, has been unemployed for two months. To support his family, he has turned to TikTok’s newest affiliate initiative: TikTok Go.

Unlike the TikTok Shop affiliate program, TikTok Go requires creators to tag the location of partnered merchants – such as restaurants, hotels, and tourist attractions – in their short-form videos. In return, they earn a commission of 2% to 8% for each offline redemption or voucher used through the app.

For now, the program is available only in Indonesia. It is so new, there’s not even an official introduction or landing page for it on the app. Creators are learning about it the old-school way: word of mouth and others’ content.

Yuliasman, who has 3,700 followers, made about 400,000 rupiah (US$25) in his first month with TikTok Go. Others, however, have gained traction more quickly.

Erni Suwarni, a housewife from West Java with 7,800 followers, says she recorded 100 transactions in just one week after joining the program. But she didn’t disclose her income.

Based on Tech in Asia’s observations, some partner merchants are already seeing an impact on sales. Bakery chain Roti’O has sold over 100,000 baked goods, while Chatime has served 58,000 milk teas, thanks to TikTok Go’s voucher redemptions.

The initiative seems to build on what Tech in Asia reported in 2024 when TikTok began testing local services in Indonesia. This time, the focus is on enabling creators to drive real-world, local transactions.

Like TikTok Shop, much of the early traction in TikTok Go has been driven by steep discounts. For example, Chatime offers an exclusive TikTok Go promo that’s 40% cheaper than its usual prices.

Naturally, creators are open to new income streams, especially on TikTok, where virality can be swift and lucrative.

But with Lazada just committing US$100 million to its Southeast Asia affiliate program, TikTok Go faces stiff regional competition in the fight for creator loyalty and offline conversions.

Tech in Asia reached out to TikTok Indonesia, but it declined to comment.

New frontier in creator commerce

Creators need at least 1,000 followers to be eligible for TikTok Go.

The purchase flow works as follows: Users click on the location tag in a creator’s video, make a purchase on the merchant’s page, and receive a QR code or voucher to redeem at the outlet.

Ahead of the curve

Will TikTok Go stick?