TikTok Builds a Super App With Restaurant Guides, Payments and Travel Booking
TikTok expands toward a super app, combining Must Eat restaurant guides, payments, travel booking, sports, shopping, music, maps, microdramas and games.
Summary
After shifting to new, primarily U.S. ownership in January, TikTok is pursuing a WeChat-style super app combining functions associated with Facebook, WhatsApp, Apple Pay and app stores. This week it announced Must Eat, an in-app restaurant guide built from more than 40 million posts and comments, searchable by city, cuisine, price, rating and location, challenging Yelp and Google Maps. A direct-message money transfer feature under development would use TikTok Pay, already available for TikTok Shop purchases in Southeast Asia. In March, TikTok sought Brazil central bank approval to offer lending and payments.
TikTok GO launched in the United States in May, turning videos, search and location pages into hotel, attraction and experience discovery, availability checks and booking, competing with Google Search and Maps. Early June's FIFA World Cup hub added scores, schedules, standings, highlights, trending and player videos through TikTok GamePlan. MLS and MLB partnerships provide exclusive and behind-the-scenes content. Expanded search combines maps, local hashtags, reviews, hours, ratings and prices.
TikTok Shop, tested in 2021 and launched in the United States in 2023, competes with Amazon and Shein. eMarketer estimates U.S. sales rose 407% in 2024 and 108% in 2025 to $15.82 billion, giving TikTok 18.2% of U.S. social commerce in 2025, with 24.1% projected for 2027. Gift cards arrived in late 2025, followed by luxury retail. TikTok Music launched against Spotify and Apple Music in 2023 but closed in 2024, while Apple Music subscribers can now play full songs from For You. Minis and a standalone app offer scripted one-minute episodes against Netflix, extending TikTok beyond its original 15-second videos, while casual games encourage direct-message interaction.
Positives
- Must Eat consolidates recommendations from more than 40 million posts and comments with filters for city, cuisine, price, rating and location.
- TikTok Shop reached $15.82 billion in U.S. sales in 2025 after growing 407% in 2024 and 108% in 2025.
- TikTok GO lets U.S. users discover, check availability and book hotels, attractions and experiences without leaving the app.
- TikTok's U.S. social commerce share is projected to rise from 18.2% in 2025 to 24.1% by 2027.
- TikTok GamePlan supports a FIFA World Cup hub, while MLS and MLB partnerships add exclusive sports content.
- Apple Music subscribers can play full songs inside TikTok after discovering them through the For You feed.
Risks & concerns
- Direct-message money transfers remain under development, leaving rollout timing and availability uncertain.
- TikTok still needs Brazil central bank approval to operate lending and payment services in the country.
- TikTok Music closed in 2024, one year after launching against Spotify and Apple Music.
- The super app model is established in China, but its ability to succeed in markets outside China remains unproven.
- TikTok now faces direct competition across multiple sectors from Google, Yelp, Amazon, Shein, Spotify, Apple Music and Netflix.