Unveiled: The Actual Amount of Income Influencers Receive from Token-Based Gifts
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In a recent report, our platform has published a comprehensive analysis of the workings and payouts of token-based influencer gifting across six major social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube.
The report reveals a significant variance in transparency and pay-out rates across these platforms. Among the major players, TikTok and Instagram stand out as the most developed and transparent in 2025.
TikTok boasts an integrated influencer marketplace and monetization ecosystem, with clear payment mechanisms. The Creator Marketplace allows eligible influencers (with at least 10,000 followers and minimum engagement) to receive payments directly through TikTok’s wallet system. TikTok also integrates affiliate marketing via TikTok Shop, which currently charges no fees to creators but reserves the right to add commissions in the future.
Instagram, similar to TikTok, dominates influencer marketing with well-established creator tools and monetization options, including badges, stars, and direct gifting. The simplified creator payout and affiliate mechanisms enable creators to receive clear, trackable earnings from token-based gifts.
Facebook, leveraging the same infrastructure as Instagram (both owned by Meta), supports token gifting and fan monetization via stars and paid subscriptions. While not as emphasized as Instagram’s creator tools, Facebook offers solid transparency and integrated payout methods for token-based gifting.
On the other hand, Reddit, Snapchat, and YouTube offer varying degrees of token-based gifting monetization but have less publicly available data on detailed payout rates and transparency specifics. Reddit has introduced community points and awards that function as tokenized appreciation, though payout structures are less standardized and more community-specific. Snapchat has creator monetization mainly via Spotlight and premium content, but details on token gifting transparency and pay-out rates are limited. YouTube monetizes primarily through Super Chats, memberships, and ads, with known payout structures, but direct token-based gifting models are less prominent or standardized compared to TikTok or Instagram.
YouTube stands out for its transparency in the token-based gifts system, with clearly communicated gift prices, a single token system, and easy-to-find payout information for creators. YouTube creators receive the highest pay-out rates, with 70% of gifts going to them.
The report assessed the transparency of the gifting process across pricing, use of conversions, and pay-outs. It found that a large portion of the money sent by a fan is taken by the respective social media platform, with the precise amount varying significantly by provider.
Lucy Ingham, Editor-in-Chief and Head of Content at our platform, is available for commentary and can offer more information about the research.
Technology has shown significant advancements in the realm of influencer marketing, particularly on TikTok and Instagram, both of which have developed integrated influencer marketplaces and transparent monetization ecosystems. Entertainment, in the form of video content, music, and creative collaborations, is a key driver for the success of these platforms, with influencers earning profitable revenue through token-based gifting and other monetization options. On a lighter note, social media platforms like YouTube, known for its extensive library of content, also offers a high transparency in the gifting process, ensuring fair pay-outs for creators while maintaining a 70% sharing rate for the creators themselves.
